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You’ve gone wedding dress shopping, you’ve tried on different types of dresses and you’ve finally chosen your perfect wedding gown. Once you choose your dress, you should have your first fitting in which you test out the feel, size and look closely at all the stitching, beading, etc. If you find any problems, this is the time to go talk to your seamstress. Your second fitting should take place about a month before your big day and allows you to check up on any concerns or problems you wanted fixed after your first fitting. Around two weeks before your wedding day, go in for your final fitting. Bring a friend or close family member with you and look out for the following…
1. The Right Undergarments
It’s very important to choose the right undergarments to wear under your wedding dress. Whether you should wear a bustier, a backless bodysuit or fashion tape depends on the style and material of your dress. Bring your undergarments to your final fitting to make sure it is the most suitable option.
Photo Credit: My New Orleans
2. Snug But Not Too Snug
You want your dress to fit you just right. Sometimes, a dress that looks great from the front can do weird things in the back. Tight dresses especially have a way of moving your skin around in different and not always flattering ways, regardless of how great you look! Whether your dress has a beautiful design or is simple and smooth, use your final dress fitting as an opportunity to take a good look at the back of your dress and make sure there is enough cloth to cover your back and butt without bunching anything. You also want to make sure that your dress is not so tight that it will inhibit your ability to move around and dance.
Photo Credit: Drew Cason Photography
3. Unless It’s Strapless…
While it is important that your dress is not too tight to comfortably move around in, strapless dresses tend to have the opposite problem. While strapless wedding dresses are gorgeous, they can sometimes be a bit problematic. Use your final dress fitting to make sure that the top of your gown is tight enough that you can comfortably walk, hug, jump, dance and sit without worrying about your dress slipping. We all know the feeling of constantly pulling up the strapless dresses and that’s not something you want to worry about when you are dancing with all your friends and family on your big day!
Photo Credit: The Bird & the Bear Photography
4. Check For Length
While long trains are beautiful and romantic, it is important to be realistic about the length of your dress. You don’t want to be kicking around cloth in front or behind you as you walk around your reception. Bring your shoes to your dress fitting to see exactly how the dress will fall on the day of your wedding. But also keep in mind that you may take your shoes off or exchange them for flats for the dancing portion of the celebration! Hopefully by the final dress fitting, you have already checked the length of your dress but either way, test it again now. If you do decide to go with a long dress, consider how you may be able to keep it out of the way, for example, by pinning the train behind you.
Photo Credit: Singapore Wedding Photography
5. Putting On the Dress
This is the most important time to involve the friend or family member you brought with you to your final fitting. If there are any complicated straps, buttons, zippers or anything else, use this opportunity for you and your companion to learn exactly how to put on your dress properly. It may take some awkward maneuvering to figure out how to pee in your wedding dress, but you should know exactly how to put it on at the beginning of your wedding day.
Photo Credit: Virginia Weddings
6. Learn the Bustle
When you chose your dress, you picked your favorite design and style. For some women, that means a dress with bustle. As a fair warning, while bustle dresses are beautiful, they often don’t survive the entire wedding without a tear or accidental fringing. This is because throughout the celebration, especially during the dancing portion, it can take just one person stepping too close for an accident. Still, if you are careful and protect your dress, it may survive the night. And let’s be honest– even if it doesn’t, it was gorgeous while it lasted! Just like with learning how to put on your dress, bring a friend or family member to the shop for your final fitting so that the two of you can learn exactly how to properly bustle the dress. If you have a wedding planner, she may have experience with bustling wedding dresses, but each gown is different, so be sure to master the look you’re going for.
Photo Credit: Carrie Patterson Photography
7. Ask Questions
When you go in for your final wedding dress fitting, you should ask the seamstress exactly what you need to know to care for your dress. Specifically, find out which products are better and which are worse in case of a spill or a wrinkle. Should you avoid steaming the dress? Can you use an iron on it? Find out the details so that you can care for the dress properly.
Photo Credit: Crystal Wedding Photography
Your wedding is right around the corner and you’ve done a lot to prepare for it, including of course, perfecting your look. If you know what to look for in your final fitting, you will feel and look like the beautiful bride that you are!
