Making sure that everyone looks great at your wedding is no small feat. You don’t have much control over your guests (unless you’re holding a beach wedding). There is a multitude of people with different tastes, body types, and complexions. Beyond color, you’ve got to worry about cuts and patterns, not to mention whether to go traditional, modern, or bohemian. Put, wedding fashion is no simple matter.
But before you despair, it’s probably a good idea to take a few minutes to think. After all, thinking is free, but making a clothing purchasing mistake isn’t. By pausing to reflect on what you want, the feel of your wedding to be, you can avoid pitfalls, make choices that work better for everyone, and even save a little money.
The first thing you should think about is whether you want your wedding fashion to be trendy or traditional. In other words, do you want your wedding to look like the spreads you see in wedding magazines (which is fine), or do you want something more timeless? Each approach has its pluses and minuses. For example, a trendy wedding will characterize you as a person who keeps up on style and is well-informed. On the other hand, stylish weddings can look dated very quickly, and if you’re interested in your wedding pictures looking classy long after you’ve said your “I do’s,” you should steer clear of styles that are particularly extreme (remember the puffy sleeves and perms of the ’80s?). As an alternative, a vintage-style wedding can look ultra-tasteful. You’re likely to get more compliments because vintage weddings take more research to pull off. But at the same time, you can look pretty silly if you attempt to pay homage to a particular decade’s style isn’t consistent. In other words, having a bride with finger waves in her hair and a groom with slicked hair and a double-breasted suit juxtaposed with a sound system that’s playing modern pop ballads doesn’t work. You got to think things through if you’re going to go traditional, but the payoff can be huge. When all the members of your wedding party are correctly outfitted, right down to the wedding shoes, your ceremony can be an unforgettable exercise in authenticity.
The groomsmen need to be in tip-top shape on the wedding day. They are often the hardest people when it comes to needing to smooth a few rough edges. Hair, whether long or short, facial or otherwise, should be neatly groomed. This seems to be the hardest thing for the men to accomplish, so it wouldn’t hurt to send them to a salon if necessary. These men should have personally fitted tuxes or suits because details about fit make a huge difference in the overall look of a wedding.
The bridesmaids can be tricky because not all women are created equal in body type. A dress can rarely be found that looks good on all of the women, possible, but rare. Because of this, the bride should be open-minded to what dress(es) her bridesmaids should wear. They should also be appropriate for the event site and the season. Whether the dress is short or long should depend upon the theme of the wedding.
The groom is often overlooked in the planning of the wedding, but merely running to the tuxedo shop isn’t enough. Looking into the details – vests, ties, etc. – is important. Often men just run to the tuxedo shop and pick from whatever is there. These options might not work for everyone. A wedding is an excellent excuse for the groom to get a custom made and fitted suit – a classic piece that will last for years to come. Rings are another important issue. Men tend to beat their rings a little harder than men, so finding a durable ring is important. Tungsten carbide wedding rings are a more modern approach that can have both classic and contemporary designs, but that can withstand the test of time and are more scratch-resistant than other metals.
BRIDE: When the bride goes in search of the perfect wedding dress, she often has something in mind already. She often has certain ideas about what style of dress she wants and very firm opinions about what she doesn’t want. The most important thing for a bride to do is to be open-minded. Often the right fit, the perfect dress, is not what the bride originally envisioned but will surpass all of her dreams. There are very few women who truly understand their body type and so being willing to try on not only a lot of wedding dresses, but a lot of different styles is very important. Rings for women are also an important issue. It is common for men to pick out the engagement ring for their fiancé without any input, but input is really important in many different instances – whether or not to involve the bride should be determined by her personality type. Some women want to be surprised.
When you’re trying to choose the colors for your wedding, consider how each member of your party will look in the shades that you’re considering. Or better yet, don’t choose your favorite color and then force it on everyone; instead, you should do some research to find what fashionistas call the “universal” shades: colors that look good on everyone. Some examples include certain shades of teal and turquoise, muted pink, and even eggplant. These are colors that your bridesmaids will thank you for choosing! And if you’re opting to have the male members of your party wear matching ties, they’ll be happy too, having gained a tie to work into the rotation at work or church.
Choosing a fashion style for your wedding isn’t easy, particularly when opinions differ and emotions swell. But by keeping the lines of communication open, you’ll be sure to formalize a plan that works for everyone.
By keeping fit and classic styles and details in mind, your wedding will exude greatness. There is an absolute wonder that accompanies the ability to have the perfect fit for people. It can’t be explained so much as seen and enjoyed, but to accomplish it for a wedding is one of the most challenging and amazing things of all.