Yara's Way! » Wedding 103: Dress

Wedding 103: Dress

It’s time for one of the most important shopping trips of your life: bridal gown shopping. Before you go, do your homework to make sure you get exactly what you want and feel beautiful on your wedding day!

Match your venue: If you’re getting married in a grand ballroom, then by all means go for that sparkly Cinderella gown. But if it’s an intimate ceremony on the beach, you’ll want something flowing and simple. Make sure your dress suits the location of your ceremony and consider how you’ll be moving in it. If you need to dance in your dress, make sure there’s a way to pin up your train so it doesn’t get caught in a conga line.

When you’re ready to go to the bridal shop, you should bring a couple of things with you:

A trusted family member or friend who knows you and your style, and can be brutally honest with you if she/he needs to be.

A pair of high heels – not necessarily the same ones you’ll wear on the big day, but they should be the same height as what you wear to the ceremony.

See my exciting first fitting in Carmen Marc Valvo’s studio on Fashion Avenue in this video. Listen for his wonderful advice on how to walk in your gown!

You can also go about it another way, which is to contact a designer directly to make your dress. I’m fortunate to know Carmen Marc Valvo, a fashion superstar yet humble genius who makes gorgeous gowns for celebrities such as Oprah, Katherine Zeta-Jones and Kim Cattrall, as well as exquisite special occasion wear at reasonable prices for major department stores. The dress he created for me is timeless and I plan on wearing it to other events, too.

Some brides choose to change dresses before the reception, which is what I did. My second gown was by Romona Keveza; it matched the playful South Beach vibe in our reception tent.