Women become fairytale princesses during their wedding. They are dressed in expensive fabrics, damask, silk, velvet, satin, and cloth creatively spun with silver and gold thread or beaded with crystals and semi-precious stones. The bridal dress becomes a feast for the eyes, and rightfully so.

The Early Bridal Dress

The early wedding dress was not white. The early brides wore their best dress, something they could wear again and again. In those days, only royalty and the very rich wore the beautiful bridal dress replete with jewelry from the family vaults. The purpose was to impress the groom's family with the bride's wealth and connections.

When Queen Victoria of England married her first cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, her wedding dress changed the way women looked at wedding dresses. The Queen's bridal dress started it all. Women began adorning themselves with veils and started to wear long gowns.

The moneyed class wore expensive dresses cut out from the best cloths and designed by famous European couturiers. Today, the best wedding gowns reflect the custom-made elegance of old world fashion and modern sleek lines. Fortunately, for today's brides, wedding dress can be rented or bought on sale off the rack.

European Couture and Glamour

Paris and Milan are the strongholds of European fashion. Their influence on fashion has extended from casual chic to wedding day finery. The exquisite designs from European couturiers make the creamiest of silks and the finest of tulles the most-sought after gowns worldwide.

Local designers have successfully wedded European class with present-day glamour and classic lines with flamboyant tastes. As such, there is always a wedding dress for every taste.

Choosing the Bridal Gown

Consider the following before you pick out your wedding gown:

* Type of wedding (formal, semi-formal, and informal)
* Design and cut to flatter the figure
* Accessories
* Budget

There is no hard and fast rule that the bride should shoulder the cost of the bridal dress. If you are splitting the expense, discuss the details and possible issues surrounding the choice of wedding theme and bridal gown. You might decide to spend less on the gown so you can splurge on a honeymoon.

But it is important to start choosing a wedding gown the moment you are officially engaged. The budget for the wedding gown should be determined as early as this point, and choosing the gown to fit into your wedding theme becomes a quest.

Designs and prices have to be compared before you can settle on the best deal. Other considerations are pricing for custom-made gowns, alterations or modifications, and discounts if the bridesmaids' dresses and veils, crinolines, and jewelry are ordered from the same shop.

Choosing the Bridesmaids' Dresses

Like your bridal gown, the selection of the dresses for your bridesmaids should be made early on to accommodate alterations and modifications. It is, however, strongly advised that bridesmaids should not wear identical gowns, though they can wear the same color for their bridesmaids' frocks.

Since the bridesmaids are your friends, always ask their opinions about the gowns you're going to get for them and let them make the final selection. If they want something beyond your budget, they can offer pay for the excess. Like your bridal dress, your bridesmaids' dresses will always be remembered, for better or for worse.