When you dream of your wedding your whole life, picking a wedding dress has some pretty high expectations. The question is: how do you pick the right one for you? There are many types of necklines, cuts, and fabrics to choose from, and getting a little head start by learning how your body type and face shape can affect what looks best on your body.

Find a Neckline

What type of neckline do you have? Five parts of the body can help you figure out the most flattering cut for your body type.

•          Body Shape
•          Bust
•          Décolleté Line
•          Face / Neck
•          Shoulders

What are all the different types of necklines? This image created by Camille Garcia Cruz for this blog illustrates the different types of cuts.

Choosing the Silhouette

You may have the perfect dress in mind, and it's been your dream dress after looking through stacks of bridal magazines and window-shopping, but remember to keep an open mind. You want to make sure that the dress you choose looks the best on your silhouette. The shape of your dress and what looks good can depend on your body shape. Are you...

•          Pear-shaped
•          Hourglass
•          Busty
•          Plus sized
•          Apple-shaped
•          Tall
•          Petite
•          Straight-lined
•          Small busted

When trying on dresses, also remember you're working with experts! If they pick a dress for you that's not the shape you're looking for, still try it on. You might be surprised!

Consider the Time of Year and Your Venue

Before purchasing your dress, think about where and when you're getting married. Are you planning an indoor or outdoor venue? Is your venue at the beach, a church, barn, or country club wedding? Will you be walking up the aisle on grass, dirt, or cement? What time of year is your wedding? If you're walking over dirt, you may not want your dress to drag on the ground, so perhaps a cathedral-length, full-sleeve dress is out.

Wedding dresses are quite heavy when they are long, and in the summer you may be sweating bullets in the midst of the pictures, which isn't pretty! If you're planning a winter wedding, however, you might consider how the dress you pick will help you stay nice and cozy.

Determining Budget

How do you figure out how much you'll be spending on your wedding dress? Wedding dresses can range from around $500 to $10,000. So how do you figure out how much you're willing to spend? Here are some tips on pricing.

$500 - $2000 – You'll be able to find this price point dress at larger retail stores. The reason such stores are able to sell these dresses for less is that they may be made of synthetic materials and are machine-made. The dress may not have as much detailing as more expensive dresses, as they are not hand-made. If you're looking for something simple, this could be the perfect price range for you. It's a little more work to find the perfect dress, but well worth the money you save if you're on a strict budget.

$2000 - $5000 – This price range will allow you to choose a designer dress. A designer dress will have hand detailing and the fabric will be of a higher quality. Pick a bridal store that has their staff measure and help you choose a dress. You can also order a dress in your size if you'd rather not pick one from the inventory at hand. If the dress you want doesn't fit perfectly, you can have it altered to fit.

$6000 and up – For brides with a higher-end budget, you will have your pick of dresses. You can choose from well-known designers or you can have a dress custom designed and tailored specifically for you. The majority of these dresses will be handmade with specific detailing.

Other options to save money on your dress include:

Renting: There are stores that rent dresses for significantly less than the original price. These dresses look brand new and are well maintained. A store located in Los Angeles, where I actually rented my own wedding dress and reception gown, is here: http://www.onenightaffair.com/

Second-hand: After your wedding day, what will you do with your dress? If you're not planning on passing it down, you may want to sell it. That's what brides at this website do. Second-hand wedding dresses are becoming an increasingly popular option for budget-conscious brides.

Keeping Up with the Lingo

Just a tip for when you arrive at the bridal salon. You might immediately hear unfamiliar lingo, such as "basque" or "flyaway," "chapel-length" or "crepe." Don't fret! Check out this article that will define what these and other words mean. It's a great 'cheat sheet' for wedding dress lingo.

I hope this information helps you when you're picking out your wedding dress! Every day I meet with brides and I love to hear their experiences when shopping for a dress. My advice to you is to make a day of it! Invite all the girls, take a limo, and drink some champagne. Don't be intimidated by the dresses and try something on that you normally wouldn't pick. This event only happens once, so take advantage of it!