How to Choose the Perfect Summer Wedding Dress
Summer is the most popular season for weddings. What’s not romantic about endless sunshine, lush gardens, full bloom flowers, and steamy summer evenings? It’s important to choose the right dress to compliment the season, however, to keep the bride summery and comfortable.
Because summer is such a popular season for weddings, there are many bridal gown options out there with a wide range of prices. Most brides have personal preferences and a vision of what they want in a dress. The right dress for any bride has to be decided by personal style, the type of wedding, and the wedding budget. The first big decision is whether the dress will be formal or informal.
If the wedding is informal, any style can be made comfortable for a summer bridal dress. A shorter dress can be more comfortable, as well as any dress that is long, loose and flowing with a light material. Whatever the bride prefers goes, whether that means a shorter white wedding gown, or a prom style cut with a longer, loose summery floral or pastel colored skirt. For beach weddings, a shorter cut is a prudent choice to protect it from sand and surf.
Traditional formal wedding dresses are heavy and have multiple layers. The last thing a bride needs to worry about is underarm or back perspiration stains. What type of formal gown can help a bride keep her cool and be ravishingly beautiful at the same time?
Though you might not want many layers, don’t skip the lining. Even though lined fabric can be stiff, it is more likely to absorb perspiration. When the weather is very hot, a lining can prevent embarrassing damp patches. A smart move, however, would be to choose a fabric for the lining that is more absorbent than the dress material. This can also help keep you cool and comfortable.
The traditional white color of wedding gowns is a great choice for hot weather. Dark colors absorb the heat, but white and pale colors radiate heat outward. A white, light fabric can make for a perfect summer wedding dress.
Though it can cause anxiety to break from the traditional long flowing white gown, little changes to make a wedding dress more appropriate for summer yet less formal can have other advantages. It will often cost significantly less, even if exclusively made. Dresses that are shorter or not as layered require less fabric, which is costly.
The troubling thing about the weather in any season is that is subject to unexpected changes. A bride doesn’t have the luxury of making last minute changes, as decisions for the dress have to be made months in advance. For the summer wedding, a smart option to plan for the unexpected is to pick a sleeveless gown with a matching light bolero jacket or shawl for backup. That way a light material can work and you’ll have something to wrap around your shoulders that compliments the look if needed.
Formal or informal; traditional white, floral, or pastel; shorter or long and flowing, there are more options than you might think for a beautiful summer wedding dress, Something can be found for any budget and the taste of any bride.
