Wedding Dress Online – How to Choose the Perfect One

Choosing your wedding dress online is one of the hardest choices you will have to make during your wedding planning.  Your wedding day is your day to shine!  It’s your time in the spotlight!  Not only will your family and friends be critiquing your wedding dress online, but your fiancé’s friends and family will be as well.  Every woman dreams of the moment that she steps out into the aisle and all eyes are on her.  It’s a given that the dress has to be perfect!  There are so many choices of wedding dresses online available today.  To help make your search for the perfect dress a little easier, here are some things to consider.

Body Type

Your body type is what will point you in the right direction when finding a flattering wedding dress online.  Women come in all shapes and sizes and not every style of wedding dress will look good on every woman.  For instance, if you have a pear shaped body, a mermaid style wedding dress will not look good on you.  It will accentuate features that you want to try to hide or dull down.  If you have a large bust, you will want to shy away from strapless wedding dresses online because they won’t have the proper support you need.

Choosing a Neckline

Many dresses have the option of different neckline styles.  When choosing a neckline, take your body type into consideration.  You want to accentuate your best features and tone down the ones you aren’t too happy with.  Here are a few examples of necklines that would accentuate certain features:

  • Long neck – you would look great in a strapless dress or a dress with thin straps.
  • Beautiful shoulders – a halter neck dress or strapless would look great on you.
  • Big bust – a halter neck or plunging neckline would look great.  This is also a great way to show off your cleavage in a classy way.
  • Small bust – a sweetheart neckline or a scoop neckline on a halter or strapped dress would make your bust appear larger or fuller.  These necklines also accommodate padded or push-up bras much better.
  • Strong back – a halter neck dress with a very low scooping back would show off your toned back very nicely.

 Styles of Dresses

There are so many different styles of dresses to choose from.  Again, you have to take your body type into consideration when choosing a dress that will have heads turning.  Listed below are some examples of dress styles that accentuate certain features on certain body types:

  • Mermaid  – this dress is a form fitting dress that hugs the body from the shoulders all the way down to the knees or just below.  Just below the knee, the skirt trumpets out into the train.  This is a great dress for a very confident woman.  If you lack confidence, you should not wear this dress.  This dress will show off all the right curves if worn by the right body type.  If you have a pear shaped body, this dress will not look flattering on you.  This dress looks stunning on taller women who are slender.  It also looks amazing on women with an hourglass shaped figure.  However, if you are a little bigger and want to show off your voluptuous curves, this dress would be perfect!
  • Empire or Ball Gown – this dress is perfect for the apple shaped woman as well as a woman with an inverted triangle figure.  If you are wider in the shoulders and chest area than in your hips, thighs and butt, you are an apple shape or inverted triangle shape.  The empire or ball gown will give the illusion of a symmetrical silhouette.  These dresses look most flattering with a sweetheart or strapless neckline.
  • Sheath or A-Line – this type of dress looks stunning on women who have an hourglass shaped figure or a pear shaped figure.  The dress hugs your body and shows your natural curvy figure whether you are thin or above average in weight.  These dresses look most flattering with a scoop, one-shoulder or strapless neckline.

Smaller Bust

If you have a smaller bust, size ‘A’ cup or smaller, there are some things you can do to enhance the look of your bust size.  You can add more shape to your whole body by wearing a fitted bodice and full skirt.  You can choose a bateau, sweetheart or jewel neckline to accentuate your figure.

Larger Bust

If you have a larger bust, size ‘C’ cup or larger, there are some things you can do to accommodate your larger bust size and ensure that you are wearing the most figure flattering dress.  If you wish to de-emphasize your large bust and even out your figure, choose a gown that has an open neckline to draw attention upwards.  A ball gown style or A-line style dress looks great on bustier women.  You can pair either style with a square, V-neck or off the shoulder neckline for maximum perfection.

Old Fashioned

If you don’t want to go with the traditional styles, you may want to try on a couture or vintage style dress.  Victorian style dresses look great on some women and can be the perfect complement to a Victorian style wedding.  Victorian dresses tend to have extensive lace and bead work which can get very pricey.  However, the elegant look of this style dress is undeniable.

Trendy or Modern

If you are having a very non-traditional or ultra-modern style wedding, there are ways to incorporate that into the style or design of your dress.  Many women are opting to be trendy by choosing a dress that is not white.  A dark red dress can be extremely sexy and romantic.  You can even add black bead work or ribbon for an even more dramatic effect.  Choosing any color other than white is a way to break tradition.  You can add flowers, objects, bead work, lace work, or ribbons to your dress to add a little more offbeat style.

Totally Offbeat

Some women choose a dress that isn’t even considered a wedding dress online!  If you are having a simple summer wedding, a great sun dress would be perfect.  This is also a great option for a couple that doesn’t have a large budget.  You can also be more creative with simple summer dresses.  Another design that is definitely offbeat is a wedding dress online that is very short in length.  When you picture a wedding dress you probably picture the tradition dress with a skirt and train.  However, some women choose to go super short with their dress whether they are making a statement or just want to be comfortable.

Undergarments

The dress itself is not the only piece of clothing you have to think about for your wedding.  You will need to have the proper undergarments to wear with your wedding dress online.  After you decide on the style of your dress, you can then shop for the undergarments.  You will need to have the proper style bra to accommodate a strapless, halter, single-strap, or double-strap dress.  Also, you need to consider what type of neckline and backline your dress will have.  If you are wearing a form fitting style such as a mermaid style dress, you will need to wear undergarments that will hide your panty lines and smooth out your tummy and butt.

Now that you have an idea of the types of dresses that are out there for certain body types, you can start trying on different styles.  Go with your girlfriends, mom, sisters, grandmothers or aunts to support your through you decision process.  It’s always easier to have a few extra sets of eyes and opinions while trying on wedding dresses online.  Ask your friends and family to critique each style and give their honest opinion in order to narrow down your choices to the dress that flatters your body the best.  Once you are done, you will be walking down the aisle on your wedding day exuding sexiness, beauty, elegance, confidence, and pure happiness!

For more information on your wedding dress online:

Planning A Wedding Checklist – The Ultimate Guide

Wedding Planner Games Online For Free

Wedding Planning Books That Help During the Planning Process

Thanks for reading!

This post was written by...

Ashley Orwitz+ – who has written over 100 articles on wedding planning in her career.

Ashley graduated from New York University in 2003 and she's been planning weddings ever since. Ashley started HowToBecomeAWeddingPlanner.net so she could help aspiring wedding planners achieve the job of their dreams.