“Weight” For Me!

 

bride with dumbbellIt can be very rewarding and fun to try on wedding dresses, but the weight of them can leave a bride-to-be exhausted and bewildered.

The average wedding dress with a chapel length train (trailing up to five feet) can weigh 8-10 pounds or more. So where does all this surprising weight come from? A wedding dress is really two complete dresses (and sometimes three). The actual outside and the underlining(s). Additional weight may come from embellishment. Pearls, sequins, crystals, and other beads that add to the exquisite beauty of the design—may make the dress heavy.

Consider what you wear on everyday basis or your “go to” outfits. They may be light, comfy, and full of stretch. Wedding dresses may be stiff and heavy in places to hold its beautiful design shape. Don’t be discouraged. The good news is—your body will adjust to the weight of your dream gown while you are wearing it, but there are some ways to help you feel more comfortable. Attaching a supportive longline brassiere to the dress (if possible) can help shift some of the weight—especially if shoulder straps are bearing most of it. Also, expert fitting at the waistline of the gown can help the gown slipping downward. Some gowns may already come with supportive straps sewn inside the bodice. Properly executed bustles (as we talked about in our last newsletter) can help redistribute weight also.

$$ Can We Talk About Cost $$

A wedding dress may be the most expensive garment you ever purchase. It is a merging of unique materials and workmanship. The average wedding gown cost can start at around $900 dollars. Some manufacturers assemble their wedding dresses with labor intensive beadwork and costly fabrics such as silk and imported lace. Depending on who designed your dress, you may see a visible difference in the workmanship. There is an old saying, “You get what you pay for.” Remember, the dress may have boning and other specialized materials and finishes—and when shipping and other fees are added—the price goes up.

This a very special day in your life which may explain the tendency to spend the extra money on a dream dress. Bridal shops in the Lansing Bridal Association can offer expert guidance. Also, tell your bridal consultant about your budget preferences if you want—instead of setting yourself up for a disappointing trip when dress shopping.

Wayward Beads, Sequins and Other Little Irritations


Each wedding dress designer has their own size chart and dresses tend to run small. Many wedding gowns will need some type of alteration; however, bridal shops try to minimize this as much as possible. But in the process of obtaining a proper fit, your dress may be irritating to your body in some places. Sometimes beadwork and sequins may have to be replaced, rearranged, or removed in places such as the underarm area (especially with strapless dresses). Soft materials may be added to the inside of your dress to increase wearability. Don’t be alarmed with loose threads and beads that fall off because your dress is being handled more. Shipping odor is also a natural occurrence.

Happy Endings

Once you near the final fitting of your dress and have a bustle if you need one, you are very familiar with the weight of your dress, how much mobility you have, and how comfortable it is. Loose threads and beads are tended to by your seamstress and/or presser. Bridal salons carefully prepare your dress for pick up. Some brides (lightly) mist the inside (underlinings) of their with their wedding day perfume at to give it a heady scent. Heirloom trinkets, charms, and ribbons can be sewn to the inside of a wedding dress or on a separate crinoline slip. This is sometimes done to honor the Grandmother or Mother-of-the-bride, traditions, and the memory of loved ones.

Although there may be some concerns with your wedding dress, it is important to ask questions and be informed—to be the the most happy, beautiful, and comfortable bride you can be!

Written by Cheryl Jiminez
Assistant to the Lansing Bridal Association
Former Bridal Seamstress

From the venue, to the tiniest detail, choose excellence—choose the Lansing Bridal Association!

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