Wedding Dress – A Few Things to be Prepared For

Over the years I’ve seen certain things happen at weddings over and over. I wanted to share tips and tricks as well as experiences I’ve learned along the way through a collection of blog posts. One of my top priorities as a Virginia wedding photographer is helping put my clients at ease so they can relax knowing they are going to have an effortlessly fun wedding day.

In this blog post, I’m going to talk all about the Wedding Dress and a Few Things you should be Prepared for.

#1 Your Wedding Dress will get Dirty

Some brides have a difficult time thinking about their pristine white dress getting a bit dirty. The train and the hem easily pick up dirt even if you never step foot outdoors. During portraits, I can pinpoint when my bride will say “Oh no! My dress got dirty!” I completely understand wanting to keep your wedding dress clean, pristine, and white especially before your ceremony but I ensure you that if your dress gets dirty, your guests won’t see it as you’re walking down the aisle and it certainly won’t show in your wedding photos. Keep in mind that all the planning and alterations lead to this day. Today is the day to wear your dress proudly and enjoy wearing it.

#2 Bugs will get in your Dress

Bugs love tulle, especially in the summer with outdoor weddings. There’s just something about all of those layers!! You’ll have grasshoppers, gnats, and maybe even a mosquito or two want to fly up in all the gorgeous layers of your dress or the layers of your veil. The worst thing you can do is try getting all the bugs out, potentially smashing them in between the layers. Eventually the bugs will make their way out. These pesky bugs will not show in your photos, I promise. If bugs freak you out, it’s something to mentally prepare for.

#3 Sticks, leaves, and dirt will get on your dress

As you walk, little sticks, leaves and other little outdoor items attach to the bottom of your dress, especially if your dress is lace or tulle. Before taking photos, I make there are no giant leave or sticks attached so those aren’t showing in your photos. Just something to be aware of.

#4 Weight Changes

Sometimes brides tell me that they want to loose weight before their big day. Maybe it’s something they have been wanting to do for awhile and with an approaching wedding it seems like a good deadline to make it happen. If you decide to loose weight, gain weight, gain muscle, etc. any big changes to your body, do this months before your wedding. I have one particular bride in mind who lost a good amount of weight before her wedding and her dress did not fit properly the day of. The dress kept falling lower and lower (since it was strapless). It’s a good idea not to do any major changes right before your wedding and instead make the changes months prior to your wedding so help ensure all goes smoothly.