How to Find the Right Wedding Gown for Your Ceremony Style

We've all seen it. That bride who comes gliding down the aisle in a Princess Diana style wedding dress with a twenty foot train at her beach wedding. She thinks she is a vision in white, while all of her guests are simply awed by the fact that she thought it would be appropriate to drag thirty yards of silk down a long, sandy trail that will inevitably ruin her gown. Don't want to be that clueless bride? Read on.

When selecting your gown, you may originally try to blend the wrong style of wedding dress with your theme or location. For example, a sexy, lacy, strapless dress that has a slit half way up your thigh is not appropriate for a wedding in the church that your mother was married in. On the other hand, a traditional ball gown with a veil that touches the ground won't work for the wedding that you are holding in your parent's living room. When you start to shop for the most important garment that you will ever purchase, keep your wedding location and style in mind.

For a formal, black tie wedding, a long gown with a train is very appropriate. However, modern twists can certainly be used to make the dress a lot more fun and unique. Look for delicate, intricate designs and special cuts. Throw out the veil and come down the aisle with a tiara instead. Wear extra long pearl strands or super high stilettos. Just keep the overall feeling of "traditional" in mind, and then feel free to mix it up a bit within reason to make the gown your own, instead of that same wedding gown we see on brides every single year.

For destination weddings, keep local terrain and weather in mind. Usually, these weddings are held outside, and therefore you will want to adjust you wedding dress style to the location's specific conditions. If you are having a garden wedding, wear something a little lighter than usual. For example, consider a dress with no train. If you are getting married on a beach, look for a dress that is made of a very light material, and you can also consider going with a shorter length if you like. Remember, having to throw your heavy dress around all day is only going to put a damper on things. You want to look and feel comfortable, and the last thing you need to be worrying about on your wedding day is whether or not you'll be tripping on your dress while walking up an outdoor path to the alter.

Finally, if you have a theme, keep it loosely in mind while shopping for your wedding dress. No, you don't have to wear a hula skirt if you are throwing a Hawaiian themed wedding, but you may not want to wear your grandmother's antique, long sleeved gown, either. It's all about balance. Whatever you decide to do, remember to have fun and make the gown your own by adding unique little features that people will remember. In the end, it's all about you.