Things to Consider when buying a Destination Wedding Dress

You know the image…delicious breeze blowing, white sand, palm trees swaying, the water melodiously lapping the shore… You fiance, your Mr Perfect standing with the most perfect light on his face…you are about to get married.

You begin to walk toward him….and…

ICK

If you havent thought more about your dress than some fairy tale beach wedding with your dress flowing and whispy, then you might just be very sorry.

Truth is, Destination Weddings are in tropical locations 60% of the time. Here in Belize, we’ve seen our fair share, and it’s something we love above all things (aside from our Barrier Reef…we really really love that, but I digress). And sadly, I watch some women simply ruin their own wedding day because they never really thought about the dress.

When I was a destination bride, I hadnt really thought about the destination. I knew it was going to be warm (yes, I too married in tropics 😉 ), and I assumed a certain amount of humidity, but I hadnt counted on how much time I would actually be outside. In the tropics, everything is outside. It’s why we live here. But, that also means less air conditioning…which meant my lovely sheath dress, with its tiny straps, made me wanna melt. It had a polyesther lining. Now, I’d know to cut that lining out.

The Fabric

First of all, it’s hot here. And, since it’s the tropics, it’s also humid. Although many destination wedding dresses are made of material that drapes and flows, that material isn’t going to breathe very well. It is not something you are going to want to dance in after the ceremony.

Alaina www.lockhartsweddings.com, and I were talking about destination wedding dresses. It is surprising how few destination wedding dresses actually have the destination in mind! Although they are hard to find, do your best to find something made of natural fibers. Even if the bottom is made of synthetic, if you can find something with cotton or some blend of cotton on top. It’s your back and chest that are going to sweat the most.

If something with natural fibers is not available, go for as few layers of fabric as possible. The chiffon overlay should have the slightest of underlayer. Ideally, find a dress you love, have the lining removed, and by yourself something newer (and sexier) to wear underneath.

I also highly recommend (and not just ’cause it’s my company 😉 ) you get a Bridal Bikini. Lemon Crush Belize bikini’s are all hand made, one of a kind pieces using antique and vintage costume jewelry www.lemoncrushbelize.com. After the ceremony, go make a change 🙂 Put on your LCB bikini top, and a fantastic pair of LCB wrap pants, or a skirt of your choosing, pair of footless sandals, and you’ve got yourself the outfit you can dance, hang with your friends and family, new and old, and enjoy the Destination part of your wedding!

Fit

Fit…you hear a lot about fit. It’s really so important. Forget about whether you look good or not, if that dress does not fit the destination you’ve got a problem. Every girl has had her dream dress, whether Princess or Mermaid, Ball gown or Short, you’ve got a picture in your head. Great. Now…add tropical breezes, sand, and sea to the mix when considering your dress. If you want good pictures, which of course you do, you need to be able to move around in your dress, and have it look good…in bare feet.

At Hidden Valley Inn, www.hiddenvalleyinn.com, you can get married by a waterfall. AMAZINGLY SPECTACULAR waterfall. That you have to hike to. It’s not a bad hike, more of a walk, really. Through the jungle path thats been cut out. And over a wooden foot bridge. Its completely worth the trek, honestly, but you do not want to hike in a dress. You want to be able to get it on and off in a clearing in the jungle. TOTALLY cool thing, by the way, but would you really wanna lug around a Princess Ball Gown? They had a bride who did the hike back in her gown…she said she bought the thing, and was gonna wear it for the rest of the day. Right On, Sister!

Final note on fit- do note that if you are getting married on the beach, you might just want to be able to kick your shoes off and limbo on the beach at your wedding. When speaking to your Bridal Consultant at the Bridal Shop you are using, make sure to mention this point. It will help them measure the length of your dress, and might actually help you with a lower pair of heels so that you wont have much difference.

Whatever kind of dress you chose, so long as you love it, it will be perfect. We have the team down here to help you if there are emergencies, and to help make your dream wedding just as you’ve dreamed it. If there is a problem… broken zipper or missing hem, wrinkled mess, etc, we’ll help you through it. No worries 🙂

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