Six things to consider when deciding on your wedding attire.

From bridal party outfits to rings, organising wedding attire is no easy feat. What sort of dress-shape would best suit you? How do you decide on a colour palette? This article has everything you need for all things wedding attire!

Wedding Gown
Suits
Accessories
Shoes
Wedding Rings
Bridal Party Outfits

Choosing Your Wedding Dress

Choosing your wedding dress is ideally an enjoyable experience, often shared with friends and family. It’s important to give yourself plenty of time to shop. Why not make a day of it? Invite along mum and a few close friends for lunch and a few appointments at different wedding dress boutiques. Luv Bridal in Maroochydore and Judy Copley Couture have been providing Sunshine Coast brides with some of the most stunning wedding dresses for years.

There are countless styles and cuts of wedding dresses out there, so much so that you’re bound to find something to suit and flatter your body shape. The stylists at bridal boutiques are experts in knowing what silhouette would suit your body shape. It’s best to choose a dress that accentuates the features you’re most proud of. Below is an infographic that explains some of the most common dress styles.

It’s easy to get caught up in all the dresses on display, but make sure to stick to your own preferences and style. It’s always fun to try on a few dresses that you might not settle on, but don’t feel pressured into going with whatever dress your grandmother prefers over your own personal choices.

Choosing a Suit

Whether you’re the most involved partner, or your fiancée wants to do most of the wedding planning, there is one thing the groom (or significant other) must do; choose an outfit! Whether it be a suit, traditional tuxedo, or even smart casual, it’s good to know your options.

Tuxedos are the more classic approach to wedding attire, and are certainly needed if the wedding is black-tie attire only. Suits, however, are slightly less formal yet still timelessly elegant. You might even opt for a more casual look, especially if it’s a beach wedding. You can play around with different colours for the fabric or opt for a cool-looking tie or bow-tie to jazz up your look.

Suits and tuxedos are quite an investment. Make sure you research different suit and tuxedo options before purchasing an outfit that fits perfectly. Or, if you don’t see yourself wearing the outfit ever again, consider renting a suit for your special day. Suits Direct have an amazing array of styles and sizes.

How to Accessorise

Accessories! Although the dress is often the main component of your bridal outfit, the jewellery, headpieces & veils help to truly make the look.

Veils are the traditional headpiece option, from the longer cathedral-length veil to a mid-length veil, there are so many options and customisations to choose from! If you’re not feeling the veil then there are plenty of alternatives to adorn your hair:

Flowers make a beautiful, nactural accessory.
Combs and clips can add some bling to your hairstyle.
Tiaras and halo headpieces are another beautiful alternative.
Flower crowns are always a popular option, you can make your own, ask your florist to make one, or buy a silk one online!

Aside from your engagement ring and wedding band, your bridal jewellery is important in the sense that it can really help accentuate your dress. Earrings and a necklace are popular combos for a bride’s jewellery on her special day. If you’re opting for a strapless or spaghetti strap dress, why not go for a nice necklace to pair with it? Or, if you’re dress’s neckline is a tad more detailed, consider a pair of stunner earrings to go with your outfit.

What Shoes Are You Going To Wear?

Shoes are arguably one of the most important elements of your bridal outfit. From stiletto heels to tasteful flats, your shoes need to be comfortable and suit your wedding venue and style. Sky-high heels might not be the most appropriate option for your beach ceremony.

Wedge-heels, bejewelled sandals, or flats would be ideal for a beach or garden wedding. The last thing you want is to be sinking into the ground when you’re walking down the aisle!

For indoor venues and those with big dancefloors, feel free to opt for a heel of some sort for your big day.

Some brides use their shoes as an opportunity to add a pop of colour to their wedding outfit!

Brides & Grooms, to make sure your day isn’t ruined by blisters on your feet, wear in your wedding shoes the month before your big day.

One thing you may not be aware of, is that most shoes come with price tags on their soles. Remember to take these off before you have your photos taken.

Wedding Rings

Wedding rings are considered the ultimate symbol of commitment between two people, and are an extremely important part of the marriage ceremony. Ideally, you would choose and purchase your wedding rings a few months before the wedding. This allows for plenty of time for the jeweller to make the rings and for you to receive them.

You might like to consider making your own wedding rings. Larsen Jewellery hosts their Wedding Ring Experience, a 4-5 hour event where you and your significant other can personally hand-make each other’s wedding rings with their professional jewellers. It’s the perfect opportunity to make memories with your fiancé and have a truly unique wedding ring.

Wedding Party Outfits

Organising bridal party outfits can be incredibly stressful. What patterns and colours look good on everyone? Where can you find a cute flower girl outfit? Here are a few tips on choosing outfits for everyone:

Consider bridesmaids figure types and skin-tone when selecting dresses. If it’s tricky to find a dress to flatter everyone, then perhaps try choosing a colour for them to find a dress they feel comfortable in? Different but coordinating gowns are becoming more and more popular amongst bridal parties and ensures everyone feels flattering and confident on your special day.

Stunning flower girl costumes can be found at Tea Princess, whereas page boy outfits can be found at department stores such as David Jones and Myers.

Consider using a colour palette and sending it with invites for guests and family to use when choosing their outfits. The last thing you want is mismatched patterns and fluro colours in your family wedding pictures! Canva has a great colour palette tool that’s easy to use.

It’s becoming more common for couples to include their pets in their special day. Dogs can make cute ring bearers. You can choose to jazz up your furbaby’s collar, place a flower crown upon their furry head, or buy a whole outfit for them!

So, when you’re wondering, how to choose your wedding dress or outfit, remember to consider the tone of your wedding, is it black-tie event or a more casual affair? What colours suit your theme? And will your bridal party feel comfortable in their outfits.
But most importantly, does it fit in your budget. Wedding dresses and outfits can be quite expensive. I recommend trying on dresses and outfits that are within your budget range to avoid falling in love with a dress that you won’t be able to afford, this will only lead to heartache. You might also need to set aside some money for alterations if it doesn’t fit you perfectly.

Finding the best wedding suppliers can be overwhelming. To help plan your wedding on the Sunshine Coast, I have created a wedding directory of my favourite wedding suppliers, vendors, and services that I know will go the extra mile to ensure your wedding is special and unique to you.