The 4 C's of Wedding Dress Shopping

Girl gang!

They told me I could only pick one wedding gown. And sure, I see most of my peers slipping into a little white Shein jumpsuit or satin slip dress, halfway through the night but I wanted a high-end couture gown to wear for the entire evening. When else does it make sense to wear a silk handcrafted train? Really, in a slightly-surprising, yet non-shocking twist of fate, I liked almost all of the bridal dresses I tried on. I know this is not everyone’s experience. I look back to the prom days and it was so hard to find a dress that fit my vision. I think the struggle a lot of women face on perhaps the most important shopping trip of their life, is that they don’t know what type of dress they want. So I’d like to help all the future brides, by sharing the top styles for the 2025-2026 bridal gowns to hunt down. 

The GIA standardized the 4 C’s of diamonds to help men pick engagement rings back in the 1950s. But have you heard of the 4 C’s for wedding dress shopping?! Probably not since I invented it right now.

A stacked fitting room!

Construction: The most important thing to look at when making a high end purchase for anything in the fashion world, is the construction. How is the item made? And furthermore, is it actually well-made or does it have a high perceived value. High perceived value is a fake-out due to the label, the store it's sold in, etc. Not all dresses, even if they're over $2000 are actually built to last. I could instantly tell if a gown was well made by how the fabric felt on my body. The dress I wore to my wedding was a thicker silk material, yet when it was on I felt weightless. 

I knew I picked the right dress because I am smiling the biggest in the picture! This was the third one I tried on.

It felt expensive but you know I’ve never worn a wedding dress before so I did what any retail buyer would do, I looked up the designer. It’s an absolutely insane thing to do these days, to not know where such a big and important purchase came from. You could be wearing a dress made by a neo-nazi or in a sweatshop! Ethics in fashion are at an all time low so it's best to give a quick google. It’s also a good idea to check your designer’s social media accounts. Their number of followers - and especially their mutual followers can let you know how popular they are. This is a good indicator of hmmm what are the chances I go to another wedding and another bride is in my exact dress? Amsale, the designer of my wedding dress, has only 131k followers and only 4 mutuals since they mainly dress midtier celebrities like Jeni Han and Gail Simmons. Amsale was founded by a black woman who wanted a more toned down wedding gown when she got married in the 1980s, which was the antithesis of mainstream at the time. So, Amsale made her own gown. A brand built on simplistic elegance, flagshipped in Soho and only sold in select stores in the Northeast was a perfect match for me!

This was probably my runner up! I loved how it felt so well constructed.

A side view that highlights my arms in the best way...I can work with this!

The uniquely curved waistline, was something I never tried on before but cinched me in all the right areas. Construction can also mean silhouette. If you can narrow in on your preferred shape, neckline, or waistline of dress, you will have an easier time making a final decision!

This 40s style neckline gave me the inspo to get a birdcage veil for my engagement shoot!

Changes: One of my personal pillars in life is to always be at minimum: one step ahead. The next step in the wedding dress buying process is getting the dress altered to fit your body like it was made for you and only you. Think about how much the dress will need to change in order to fit you like a glove. The more your dress needs to change, the more it will cost you in time and in money. Think about what works with your wedding planning schedule and how much of that is centered around this dress. For me, all of it centered around the dress. I bought the one in the showroom - the sample dress which meant I took on a risk. I not only had to get the dress hemmed which is standard, I also had to get the bodice taken in a full 4 dress sizes. I only had two fittings because the place I went to was amazing! I found a dress shop - Jennifer’s Bridal of Hockessin, DE that I trusted fully. If they didn’t offer onsite alterations I would have been more concerned about taking it elsewhere. When you do go to get your dress altered don't be afraid to speak up! My dress looked like the length was correct but I had to tell the seamstress that I kept stepping on it.

This one had such a fun whimsical print but it did not fit my venue.

Color: To make matters more complicated: white is no longer the only option! Autonomy is increasing for not just bridesmaids getting to choose whatever color or style of dress they want, but for brides too. The idea of doing a mostly white dress with pops of color is only going to become more popular. My bride tribe and I were in love with these hand painted flowers. It’s like wearing artwork. I love how the flowers scatter around the bottom of the train but, since I only get one wedding dress, I knew leaning into embellishments v. color was more me.

These flowers were hand painted onto the dress as if it was a canvas!

I live for a gown where the back is as intricate as the back!

Adding brush strokes of gold metallic through an otherwise ivory ballgown is, on the other hand, so me that it was the first dress I tried on! However, I ended up eliminating it because it felt like an elevated version of dresses I’ve worn a million times throughout the course of homecoming dances and attending other’s weddings.

I always recommend the first dress you try on being one of your favorites!

In love with this train and the pops of metallic gold! It just felt too predictable for me.

Characteristics: The characteristics of a dress are the fun part! Characteristics are the added details that make the dress special. Some emerging trends include modern pearls, square necklines, all over glitter, and 3D appliques taking lace’s place. “Modern pearls” is almost an oxymoron with how timeless pearls are. However, incorporating pearls into the construction of the dress v. simply wearing a strand of pearls around your neck on your wedding day is a fresh take. 3D applique florals layered over a chiffon dress creates less bulk and provides more breathability for the day of v. your standard lace material. 

Another characteristic to think about for a wedding dress is the neckline. Is it too revealing? Is it too conservative? There is a way to nod to the corset trend while not feeling uncomfortable around your great uncle. 

The perfect floral applique pattern to take lace's place!

Shopping for a wedding dress is a big deal and whenever faced with a big decision in life, take the time you need to feel 100% confident on your decision before pulling the trigger.

The final decision: she was a dream!

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