Buying a gown is scary enough without having to worry about all the extra little things that go hand in hand with this major purchase. Unfortunately it’s not always common knowledge that there is more to the wedding gown process than giving your size and your credit card. The object of all my articles is to better equip the average, first time bride-to-be with all the inside information that you should know about when preparing to make this important investment wedding dresses. In this article I will be going over standard requirements, tips and common necessary steps that must be done before or after you purchase your new dress.
Measurements are the necessary dimensions that a bridal shop uses to order the correct size for your gown. The bust, waist and hip measurements are the most common. These measurements should be done by someone else (usually a professional consultant) because doing them by yourself leaves too much room for error. Some shops ask that there be no clothes on when measuring (non padded bra and undies are fine) but if you are uncomfortable with that just make sure you are wearing a tank top or something fitted – no sweaters! The bust measurement should be done under your arms with the tape straight across your back, over the widest point of the bust area. The waist measurement is done at the natural waistline, not where pants are worn. This tends to be right above the belly button or the smallest part of the waist. The hip measurement will encompass the widest part of the hip, under the bone and including the backside. Please note that this process only determines your size for the company that you are purchasing from and may not be your normal size. These measurements are used only for determining the size and some additional alterations may need to be done for a perfect fit.
This is a measurement used for determining how long the dress should be in correct proportion for the height of the bride as well as the detail orientation and cut of the bodice. The majority of gowns will not need this measurement (the H2H is considered customization and adds charges to your gown total) because most can simply be altered from the bottom or waist seam. Some dresses, such as an all over lace with no waist seam or a fully beaded skirt will need to have exact length measurements because no changes can be made after they are cut by the manufacturer. In the Indian wedding scene, the clothes that the bride and groom wear is given equal importance as much as the event. An Indian wedding are usually characterized with rich splendor and glamor and is a showcase of the social status. Hence the wedding dress is very important not only to the bride or groom, but also to everyone who attends the event. Due to the winding nature of rituals associated with the Indian wedding, it is usually split into different occasions. Extensive planning is required to purchase the attires to go with each occasion, accessories matching the attires and planning the hairdo and make up of each occasion. Each look adopted of each occasion must differ from one another.
To make this arduous task easier, there are numerous online shopping hubs to help choose the perfect bridal attires and accessories at the comfort of your home or you can also physically shop at your favorite bridal boutiques for a custom made dress. Indian wedding gives more significance to the cultural rituals along with the attire that represents each of these rituals with its colors and details. Custom Order (also termed special order) means that the dress has been purchased specifically for you and was cut only after the order was placed. This differentiates these designers and their product from mass-produced gowns that might have been hanging on a rack and tried on a bunch of times before you bought it. The misunderstanding lies in the assumption on the part of the bride or bridesmaid that the measurements taken at the time of order were then used to cut the gown exactly to her dimensions. Cut-to-order gowns still must adhere to a set parameter of measurement as specified by that particular company (i. e. a Mon Cheri size 12 has a bust of 38″ a waist of 29. 5″ and hip of 41″) and is never deviated from.
The measurements taken at the time of order were used only as a guideline to order the closest possible size according to the size chart. More than likely there will need to be additional alterations to get the best fit. If you are curious about these sizing guidelines, take a look at the website for the designer you are purchasing from as most will list the sizing charts somewhere on their site. Please note that all designers have different standards of measurements for sizing, meaning that just because you were a size 6 in a Bill Levkoff bridesmaid dress for your friends wedding last year does not mean you will automatically be a size 6 in an Anjolique bridal gown.