Fittings
Putting on a well-structured wedding dress should be a transformative process as it will alter the bride's posture and bearing.
The bride should stop the search when two or three possible dresses have been found, and then try them on again before making her final choice.
She should practise walking around and sitting down; look at the dress from different angles and see how it moves. The dress must feel comfortable and easy to wear. Most brides 'know' when they have found the dress for them.
While a full-length dress is traditional, a bride may choose a mid-calf or knee-length dress; this will depend on the theme and style of the wedding.
Bodices must be well fitting. A useful trick is to try sitting down in a dress with a bodice to check comfort and style.
It is worth paying extra for high quality fabrics; they are more comfortable and sit well.
Skin tone must be taken into account. Ivory is generally the most flattering, white can look harsh against the skin.
Some brides ignore tradition and go for a coloured wedding dress, such as red, but this is still an unusual and brave decision!
The number and timings of subsequent fittings depend on the shop. The bride must wear her wedding underwear and shoes to other fittings.
The veil and other accessories are chosen last.
