Before getting too excited about the “otherworldly” wedding dresses you see in bridal magazines, you have to remind yourself that these dresses are worn by – photo-shopped – skinny models and that, well, it’s hard to compare with model shapes and sizes. Fact number one: a “perfect” body does not exist, but a perfect dress for a particular body does.

Because I’ve seen a lot women faced with disappointment and “crushed dreams” throughout my career life as a bridal consultant, I think it’s important for brides-to-be to know the truth about the concept of “perfect dress”. There is no perfect dress in general; the perfect dress for a bride is the one that suits her best, and she has to keep that in mind. The moment she embraces her style and learns to love her body is the moment she will know how to dress appropriately to look the best and unique version of herself.
In my opinion, a perfect dress has to answer few general prerequisites that apply to every bride, which I will enumerate briefly here:

1- The body type
You must agree with me that a pear-shaped body cannot be dressed like a full-waist or apple-shaped body. What can be perfect for a bride’s body might be distorting to another. That’s why every bride has to respect the lines and shape of her silhouette by choosing or customizing a dress that highlights her own unique beautiful features.

2- The fabrics
Fabrics play a major role in embellishing or deforming a figure. While silk goes perfectly for long and slim shapes, it could be a wrong choice for plus-sized silhouettes. To guarantee the right choice of fabrics for their dress, I highly recommend brides to turn to their bridal consultants for expert advice.

3- The cut
The same could be said for the cut of the dress. Every body shape is unique and it’s important to know which parts should be highlighted and which should be hidden. Pear-shaped bodies with full thighs and hips should go for an A-line dress that highlights their thin waist and covers the lower part, while for apple-shaped bodies, the cut should draw away attention from the middle part, highlighting more the torso and shoulders. In general, the cut should be smartly designed to create volume where need be, give extra length, or make the bride look thinner.

4- The color
The bride’s body shape is not the only factor to take into consideration. Choosing the right dress color is as important as choosing the right shape. Even white has many shades and the right one should be chosen according to the skin tone of the bride to make sure she glows in the color she’s wearing.

5- The style of the bride
Last but not least, the wedding dress should absolutely reflect the style and personality of the bride. A wedding dress is personal and should carry the touch and spirit of the woman wearing it. I cannot see a funky bride wearing a traditional princess-style long-train wedding dress nor a classic one wearing a boho-style dress. Being fashionable does not mean following trends blindly but adapting contemporary trends to every bride’s style to create something that is unique and perfect for her only.

Finally, I would strongly advise any bride not to neglect the importance of bridal consultancy when choosing her wedding dress. Working alongside experts in the industry would help her steer away from the usual mistakes that brides tend to do when it comes to decisions regarding their bridal look.

About Esposa
Esposa is a bridal boutique that is all about luxury brands offering every bride-to-be a one-stop store to find and shop her wedding look including her dream gown, the perfect wedding shoes and the accessories that she needs. The Esposa boutiques are located in Lebanon (Dbayeh and Verdun) and Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi. The Esposa Prive boutiques are located in Down Town, Lebanon and Dubai.