Wedding dress with detachable sleeves

Requirements
When it comes to bridal attire, the three major denominations of Judaism – Reform, United, and Orthodox – have different requirements. Reform Judaism has few, if any, restrictions on dress. United synagogues usually require that a bride’s shoulders be covered and no jewellery worn, while Orthodoxy places even greater restrictions on attire such as wearing dresses with long or three-quarter length sleeves, high-cut necklines, ankle-length skirts, and covered backs.

The following guidelines should help you find a gown that makes you look elegant and stylish, but check with your Rabbi first. Rules regarding bridal attire can vary even among synagogues within the same denomination.

Go Undercover
Covered shoulders is the most common requirement for brides marrying in a United synagogue. Most brides find a strapless or spaghetti-strap gown that comes with a wrap or bolero-style jacket. This provides coverage for the ceremony which can simply be removed for the reception.

Wedding dress with fur jacket for Winter weddings

Make a Change
Finally, if you think you’ve found the perfect dress – but the neckline is too low, the sleeves are too short, and so on – ask someone at the bridal shop if the designer can alter the dress. Of course, you can’t turn a sexy, spaghetti-strap sheath into a demure ball gown, so be realistic. Some designers have styles that come in both short and long sleeved incarnations. Most others will make slight alterations, such as putting short sleeves on a sleeveless dress or raising a neckline an inch or two.

Pure Colour
A few final thoughts before you buy: Avoid gowns with too much colour. In Jewish custom, a white wedding dress symbolizes spiritual purity. But if white’s not your colour, don’t worry. As you can see on the Weddings section of our website, we have photographed brides in a variety of shades from the most delicate duck egg blue, to lemon and cappuccino. Also, ask the bridal shop to reinforce the hooks and straps that will hold the train in place for the Israeli dancing. Although we attend weddings with loads of safety pins and a needle & thread, our temporary attempts to hold the train up are not much better than the flimsey hook and eyes provided by most dress designers. And lastly, check that you can dance and move in your dress. It is all very well posing in front of the mirror at the bridal shop, but if your dress stops you from partying and having fun it can ruin your special day.

Wedding dress with detachable sleeves removed

Designers
Carolina Herrera
Caroline Castigliano
Mira Zwillinger
Paloma Blanca
Pronovias
Suzanne Neville

Known as the “princess of headpieces,” tiaras offer a fantastic accent to any wedding dress and can be worn with or without a veil. They are usually decorated with pearls or crystals, and compliment both hairups as well as shorter hairstyles.

The tiara should draw attention to the face by framing it, so the shape should be matched to the proportions of the bride’s face. Here is a simple guide:

• Round face: To make the face appear longer, choose a tiara with some height or one that has a peak.
• Long face: Headbands or tiaras with little or no height that extend over the head from one side to the other at an even height.
• Oval face: Avoid pieces with a peak at the top, which will make the face appear longer. Wearing a headband, forehead piece, or a back piece will make the face appear less oval.
• Full face: To create the illusion of a longer face, wear a tiara that peaks into a “V” at the top.

The tiara should be matched to the proportions of the face. The best advice may seem the most obvious but is worth repeating: first choose your gown, and then choose your accessories to compliment it. Having a good idea of hairstyle will also help in deciding on the tiara and veil.

Match the type of sparkle in the gown with the sparkle in your accessories. Use crystals with crystals, pearls with pearls, etc. Remember that it is the design details of the tiara and veil that transform a beautiful dress into a glorious bridal gown, and a beautiful woman into a bride. The overall balance of the outfit should be such that no one piece overwhelms another.

When the bride goes into the reception the veil is normally removed for dancing. It should not be attached to the tiara so that it is easy to remove without destroying the hairstyle. If you have short hair you will want to decide on a lighter, more delicate tiara that won’t require lots of pinning to hold it in place. Brides with shorter hair look best in headband styles or tiaras with a small shape. Blonde hair and darker shades of hair look spectacular with crystal and silver tiaras. Meanwhile, shades of red and lighter brown hair look stunning with ivory pearls and gold-tone accessories

Keep in mind that tiaras are not just for the bride; they are perfect for bridesmaids as well. To give the wedding party a coordinated look, the attendants can complement the bride’s ensemble by wearing a smaller or simpler version of the bride’s tiara.

Veils tend to come in four length categories:

• Blusher: A short, single layer of veil worn over the face before the ceremony and then lifted back over the head.
• Elbow Length: Generally used for shorter gowns without a train and will show off any detailing at the waist of the gown.
• Fingertip Length: Can be worn with any long gown.
• Cathedral Length: They are used for formal weddings and generally the veil will extend onto the floor at least six inches past the train.

Rotate the comb 180 degrees forwards & downwards and insert into the hair so that the concave side of the comb follows the shape of the back of the head. The veil should sit snugly behind the tiara without a gap, and should never fall forward so that it cuts across the bride’s cheeks. This looks awful in photographs and the bride will constantly have to keep pushing it out of the way. As a rule of thumb, the veil should never be positioned further forward in the hair than the crown of the head.

The veil should sit snugly behind the tiara without a gap, and should never fall forward so that it cuts across the bride’s cheeks. This looks awful in photographs and the bride will constantly have to keep pushing it out of the way. As a rule of thumb, the veil should never be positioned further forward in the hair than the crown of the head.

Kelly Spence: www.kellyspence.com
Kirsten Goss: www.kirstengoss.com
Yarwood White: www.yarwoodwhite.com
Princess Bride Tiaras: www.princessbridetiaras.com
Carrie Yeo: www.carrieyeo.co.uk

Before you even begin to look around, do some research. Looking through bridal magazines is useful to find the designers and styles you like, but the only way you will really know if a dress suits you is by trying it on. Whether you are considering off the peg, altered to fit, made to measure or a couture dress, it’s essential to get professional advice on what styles suit your figure, budget and type of wedding.

Wedding dresses vary considerably in price from £150 to £15,000 and also in terms of what you get for your money. From the quality & shade of the fabric, to the style & tailoring of the bridal gown, your dress will contribute to the glamour preserved in your pictures.
The end result is that you look and feel a million dollars in our photos.

Wedding dresses are made in several different silhouettes. Before considering anything else, know which type of gown will flatter your figure the best.
Ball gowns have very full skirts and generally will look beautiful on any body type, unless the bride is very short and small. In this case, it may be overwhelming to her small frame. Ball gowns generally either have crinolines built in or a slip you must wear to support the shape of the gown. Be advised that this extra fabric can be heavy and bulky and will require extra care to wear.

A-lines usually have a fitted bodice with a skirt that flares gently from the waist to form an “A” shape. They generally work for everyone as well, and are a terrific choice for someone who would like to hide lower body flaws, but does not want a ball gown. A-lines are not as full as ball gowns.

Sheaths flatter women with slim, balanced figures. They shouldn’t be worn by brides who dislike their figures. This gown will not hide any flaws. If you think your thighs or butt are too big, you’ll be miserable in this type of dress. Don’t try to pull it off because you found a gown you love in this style. You don’t want to risk being uncomfortable or self conscious on your wedding day, or regretting your choice every time you look at wedding photos.
Picture yourself on your wedding day. What are you wearing? What silhouette is your gown? What fabric? Is it embroidered or beaded? What color is it? But keep an open mind as the one you choose will probably surprise you and not quite be what you originally had in your head.

A wide variety of factors can affect what makes a particular dress appropriate to the occasion.
Formal ceremonies usually call for floor length gowns and long trains, while informal ceremonies (especially destination weddings) are a terrific place to wear a shorter gown without a train at all (or a “sweep” train, which just barely brushes the floor). Another example: in some cases, strapless gowns are considered inappropriate for very formal ceremonies.
If you’re getting married in the winter, you may not want to be a very light, thin fabric unless you plan to be inside the entire time. If you’re having a beach wedding in the middle of July, you may not want to wear a heavy fabric like duchess satin.

While the most traditional ceremonies will call for a white gown, in many cases, wedding dresses don’t have to be pure white anymore! Many women choose dress colors that best complement their skin tones, ranging from diamond white to ivory to champagne to actual colors (pink, blue, red). Pick the color you feel most beautiful in.

When deciding on your budget, you don’t need to set a very specific price. Just make it a general range as you can always break this rule later if you’re able to and really want to. Just be sure to remember that “attire” includes not just the gown itself, but the other stuff: veil, shoes, slip, jewelry, gloves, etc. All of these things are optional, of course (except for the slip, which is usually necessary to keep the dress from going between your legs when you walk). But you’ll have to just remember that in the end, it’s your wedding, and you CAN do what you want. However, if you have a religious ceremony, you may need to wear a little jacket or wrap to stop the Rabbi frowning.

When you actually go to wedding gown store they will often not have the dress in your size. You may need to make a decision based on a dress which is too large or too small. All wedding dress stores have seamstresses who can alter a dress to fit you, but save some stress by telling a little white lie and giving them the date of your wedding one month earlier than it actually is!.

Many of our clients visit designer boutiques such as Suzanne Neville, Johanna Hehir, and Castigliano. For mother of the bride try Eric Way in Crawford Street.

Suzanne Neville: www.suzanneneville.com

Caroline Castigliano:  www.carolinecastigliano.co.uk

Johanna Hehir:  www.johanna-hehir.com

Morgan Davies: www.morgandavieslondon.co.uk

Luella’s Boudoir: www.luellasboudoir.co.uk

Mirror Mirror: www.mirrormirror.uk.com

Sassi Holford: www.sassiholford.com