Choosing The Perfect Wedding Dress For Your Body Style

Joe DeFabis, DeFabis Photogrpahy

A lot of brides have a hard time choosing the perfect one among a myriad wedding dress styles. With the right tips and tricks, choosing the perfect one is easy. You only have to know which style best flatters your body shape first. The details will come rolling off your decision platter in a breeze after.  You could also consult with an Indiana wedding gown designer to help you make that decision as well.  A Step Above Bridal, located in Zionsville In is home of one of Indiana's most well known wedding gown designers, Antonio Fermin.  I have had the pleasure of working with Mr Fermin and A Step Above Bridal for over 10 years and the Brides I photogrpah out of his boutique have always looked exquisite in their wedding photographs partly due to the gown choice for their body style.  I hope the guide below will help you with your wedding gown choice.

Wedding Dress Styles and Body Shapes

The Apple

Having an apple-shaped body means you have a slightly round silhouette. It does not mean you are overweight. You have almost equal widths on your shoulder, hips and waist but offset by extremities that are slim. Your goal is to make your waist look as slim as possible for a curvy-looking figure. This is accomplished with an A-line silhouette. The snug fit along the waist that flares down gives the illusion of slimmer waist. Enhancing the bust area with interesting details also add up to a desirable figure. Fishtail skirts and column dresses should be avoided at all costs. These styles do not flatter your body shape but rather drown your figure.

The Hourglass

The most coveted body shape among women. This is characterized by a well-defined waist emphasized by shoulders and hips of almost equal widths. This is considered as the perfect figure for a woman and being preferred over being a size zero. What makes it the ideal shape is because any style and silhouette looks great on an hourglass figure. The only catch is that it is easy to go overboard. With the hourglass, the saying that less is more is an absolute truth. Choose one asset to highlight, not all.The

Pear

It is not a popular choice for a body shape but it is the most common type around. Ironically, this body type is the hardest to dress in a flattering way. Having fairly large bottom, hips and posterior, which are made to look even bigger by slender shoulders and small bust. Being blessed with a waist that is naturally slim is a small comfort when your gaol is to look your best on your wedding day. Corsets give you the illusion of a well-proportioned figure. Having details on the upper part enhances your top half and making the lower part of the dress as simple as possible draws attention away from your fuller bottom part. Pear-shaped women tend to have slender backs, emphasizing this with a backless dress. Paired with sexy shoulders, a halter top is the perfect neckline for this shape.

The Rectangle

This also unflatteringly known as the boyish shape. This body structure is typical to have a slender width across the shoulders and the hips with almost no defined waist. With no curves to hide, the objective is to create curves. The shoulders, tummy and legs are worth showing off. Legs can either be showed off through short hemlines or slim long skirts. Details on the bust area will create an illusion of fuller busts. Keep those shoulders uncovered because they are your best assets.

Wedding Dress Details

When you have finally picked the best wedding dress silhouette, you can now go to the nitty-gritty about the details. The most basic factors are color and the fabric type. While white has been the traditional color for a bride to wear, the fashion industry has had some trailblazers. The conservatives who want to try out a little bit of adventure add a splash of color to the pre-dominantly white dress. Those who are really brave enough to step out of the norm wear dresses in light shades. The most popular and safe colors are baby pinks, light purples, light blues and light greys. When it comes to fabric, silk or satin remain as top choices for a classy look. Lace adds an amount of romance to the dress. Fashionistas go for harder fabrics with a metallic sheen. Organza or chiffon make great cover ups for brides who are concerned about exposing their arms. Accessories also help out in making a simple dress stand out. Whatever shape your body is, whatever style you choose and details you want to add, all you need to remember is that you, as they say, are as pretty as a bride in your wedding dress.