If you are planning your wedding, you no doubt have many questions when it comes to wedding day logistics. You've probably thought about timelines and how you and your guests will get from one location to the next and how the entire wedding day will flow. But, you might not have put a lot of thought into the specific logistics of your wedding dress, however. Today, we will be talking about how to move and get around while wearing a wedding dress. No matter what style of wedding dress you're wearing from mermaid fit and flare to simple sheath to princess ball gown, we'll give you our best, expert advice for moving, walking, and, of course, dancing in your wedding dress so that you have a seamless wedding day with no fashion emergencies.
A wedding dress is a very different article of clothing than anything else most brides have ever worn. It makes sense that many brides might not feel very comfortable when first trying on wedding dresses or even when they find their dream wedding dress. Basic tasks like walking or getting in and out of a car can get a bit more complicated when wearing a wedding dress. But don’t fret. We are here with all the insight and tips to help you be comfortable and confident moving around on your wedding day while wearing a wedding dress.
Last week we talked about how to use the restroom while wearing a wedding dress. Today, we're going to expand on that topic and cover more wedding dress basics. From walking across the grass to exiting a limo or trolley, to managing a long wedding dress train, we have all the advice you’ll need to be a pro on your wedding day no matter what style of wedding dress you're wearing.
VIDEO: How to Move Properly in Your Wedding Dress
No matter what style of wedding dress you are wearing on your wedding day, you won't want to miss this week's advice video with tips for how to move properly while wearing a dress including walking across grass and exiting a car.
Style Matters
As with most of our past wedding fashion tips and advice, when it comes to wedding dresses, the style and shape of your wedding dress makes a difference. The same is true for moving and walking around in a wedding dress. For example, your body will carry and move in a fitted wedding dress much differently than it will in a ballgown.
Your specific style and shape of wedding gown may require different types of movement and maneuvers for you to be able to get around functionally on your wedding day. But with some practice, you will learn what works best so that you can be confident on wedding day.
Practice Makes Perfect
Much as you might be practicing your first dance to make sure you perfectly execute that twirl or lift, we highly recommend practicing walking in your wedding dress. This practice might feel silly, but in the end, it will help you get comfortable and used to moving around in an article of clothing that you have not worn regularly. We recommend that you look for clothing or shapewear that is similar in style or concept to your wedding dress so that you can practice before your wedding day.
If you are wearing a big ball gown-style wedding dress, we recommend purchasing a petticoat to use for your practice. If you are wearing a fitted gown, purchase some shapewear or a pencil skirt to do your practicing in. For the shapewear or a fitted skirt, look for something that will help you get used to having your legs restricted. If you have boning on the top of your wedding dress you definitely want to try wearing and practicing with a corset so you can feel how you're going to sit and move with these restrictions.
When you're looking for articles of clothing to help you practice in your wedding dress, you will want something that will mimic the feel and shape of your wedding dress, without you having to worry about getting your actual wedding dress dirty. Use these makeshift items to practice walking around the house and getting in and out of a car, so that you can get comfortable with these types of movements that you will be doing on your wedding day.
When you're practicing, you might quickly find that a full skirt can be hard to get out of a sedan or SUV type of car, so you might want to plan on having a larger vehicle for your wedding day transportation, such as a party bus so that you can ensure you can fit through the door more easily.
In our everyday lives, we are so accustomed to wearing clothing that stretches and molds to our bodies, but wedding dresses are far more confining. Unlike regular clothes, wedding dresses can really restrict you in certain movements and motions. Practicing with items of clothing that fit similarly to your wedding dress will only help you get comfortable and be prepared to wear your wedding dress for an entire day.
We want you to be comfortable and confident on your wedding day and that includes feeling comfortable and confident that you can also move around in your dress freely.
Ask Your Stylist
While we don’t recommend doing all your practice in your actual wedding dress, as you don’t want to risk any stretching or tears or risk getting your gown dirty, it is always a good idea to ask your bridal stylist for advice. Do they have any recommended items that you can practice with or any tips for how to comfortably move in your wedding dress?
If you are super concerned about how you're going to maneuver on your wedding day in your wedding dress, you should ask your bridal stylist at your wedding dress fitting appointment to specifically show you how you're going to sit and how to move around comfortably. Your bridal stylist will know how best to move and maneuver your wedding dress.
About Bridal Shoes
When you're shopping for the perfect wedding day shoe to wear with your dress, be sure to think about where you will be walking on your wedding day. Where you're walking, will help you decide on what type of bridal shoe to purchase.
If you are going to be walking on the beach, dirt or grass on your wedding day, you’ll definitely want to choose a bridal shoe with a block heel or purchase heel guards for a skinnier heel. You don’t want to be sinking into the ground during your wedding ceremony or portrait time if you will be outside.
Ask For Help
You might need help from friends or family on your wedding day so that you can move around with ease in your wedding dress. If you'll be outside or on the beach or on dirt or grass for any part of your wedding day, you might need help with moving your dress as well.
Have people around you to help hold up your wedding gown, especially if you have a long train. This could be your bridal stylist, wedding coordinator, bridesmaids, groomsmen, friends, family - whoever is close by - to help you cross any grass or outdoor surface. This will help prevent your wedding gown from dragging on the ground and picking up dust and dirt or tearing.
Walk Like A Model
Another trick to help you move around in your wedding dress with comfort and ease is to think about how models walk on the runway. When a model walks, they walk with their knee out first so it kind of hits the fabric. This pushes the fabric away a bit from your foot so you aren’t rolling over it and stepping on the fabric.
When you're maneuvering side to side, try giving your wedding gown a gentle kick as you walk to push the dress out away from your feet. You can practice this technique of pushing the dress out as you walk before your wedding day so that you're not stepping on your wedding dress as you walk around or down the aisle in your dress.
Alterations Are Important
You know how we feel about the wedding dress alterations, but it is worth mentioning again the importance of quality alterations when it comes to movement in your dress. We have discussed in previous posts the importance of wedding dress alterations and can’t stress this enough when it comes to ease of moving in your wedding dress as well.
Proper alterations are so important to ensure that your wedding dress moves properly when you're walking around and dancing on your wedding day. In addition, you want to be sure that your wedding dress is hemmed properly. You want the length of your wedding gown to be just grazing the floor so you don’t have to worry about tripping over it.
We hope that you've learned a few tips about moving around with confidence and ease in your wedding dress.
We know it's not easy and you aren't used to it, but trust us, practicing will help tremendously. And, after an hour in your wedding dress on the big day, you will know exactly how to maneuver it!
About Lovella
If you're shopping for your perfect wedding dress, come visit us at Lovella Bridal in Glendale, CA. We carry wedding dresses in all sizes and styles, including plus-size bridal gowns and a full selection of veils and accessories. Lovella Bridal is the premier, luxury bridal wedding dress shopping boutique located in Los Angeles, California. Lovella features couture, feminine, modern and chic bridal gowns in all sizes from the best wedding dress designers. Schedule an appointment to find the wedding dress of your dreams at Lovella Bridal. We can't wait to help you!
About Wedding Fashion Expert
Our wedding dress shopping tips and advice are from Nayri, Lovella's own, in-house wedding fashion expert. Nayri is truly the expert when it comes to bridal fashion and wedding style. As the Wedding Fashion Expert, Nayri is the top bridal fashion stylist and the best-selling author of the book "I'm Getting Married And I Have Nothing To Wear," the ultimate guide to helping brides find their wedding day style and their perfect wedding dress. You can subscribe to her YouTube channel or listen to her podcast for more helpful and practical advice on wedding dress shopping.
