Once you have decided to take that huge plunge into marriage, at some point you are going to be hit with the panic over what to do about your dress!  Eeeeks!  Ok now stop; before panic sets in let us break this down into something easier and more manageable to deal with.  While you do not want to walk down the isle looking like an explosion happened at the glitter store, nor do you want to look like someone just unrolled a huge roll of lace around your body and sent you walking towards the isle.  There are ways we can make this process a bit less painful for you. 

Tip #1.  Do not freak out if they order your dress several sizes larger than the clothing you normally wear.  Many designers have all adapted their own size charts, which will mean that while you may normally wear an 8 or even a 10 the shop may need to order your dress in a 12-16 range.  This is perfectly normal, and no reason at all to freak out, or start binge dieting to make the size smaller.  Binge dieting is actually one of the worst things you can do before a wedding!  It can have adverse effects on your weight, as well as can cause some skin problems that will then need to be covered with make-up.  Avoid the urge to binge diet no matter what! 

Tip #2.  Pick out your gown based upon where you plan on having your wedding.  For example, the idea of piles of lace and sequins on a beach just is not very practical.  However, a casual dress, in the middle of a huge church or ballroom does not seem very practical either.  Make sure the dress style you select matches the feel and location that you have chosen. 

Tip #3.  Especially important for the last fitting is to make sure you are wearing the lingerie and shoes that you will wear for the wedding.  This is to make sure there is no bunching, pinching or problems with the exact way the dress will look at the wedding itself.  I cannot stress enough how important this is.  Imagine that you wear flat shoes to the fitting and have the dress hemmed perfectly for those shoes and your height, and then you wear 3” heels for the wedding itself, this will cause a huge conflict and the dress will not look its best.  This also will give you a chance to make sure the shoes match color wise your dress selection, and gives time to adjust if necessary. 

Tip #4.  As the time til the wedding gets closer, watch your eating habits!  Avoid chocolate if you break out from eating it!  Watch your calorie intake; do not sit around munching constantly.  This could cause you to have huge problems when it comes time to put the dress on for the final time and squeeze into it.  This is not a problem someone wants to have.  While you should not start crash dieting, you should also not binge eat either.

Tip #5.  Examine your dress, and examine it again.  After that is done, look again.  Make sure you are truly happy with the fit and the way it looks.  If there is anything you do not like, and you are upset with, then speak up!  Never be quite when you are unhappy about anything.  It is your special day, and quite frankly, you are supposed to feel special.  Since you are to feel special make sure you look your absolute best, and ensure that the dress fits absolutely correctly.