How to Choose a Wedding Dress That Feels Like You

By Laurie Underwood, Founder and Designer of Laury Bride + Living

Choosing a wedding dress becomes easier when you begin with what already makes you feel like yourself.

Think about the clothes you reach for when you want to feel comfortable in your own skin. The neckline you always love. The earrings you put on when you want a little more presence. The feeling you want to carry when you enter a room.

Those preferences belong in your bridal appointment.

At Laury Bride, I think about becoming as growing more comfortable with your own voice. Your wedding gives you a beautiful opportunity to listen to it. The gown you choose can celebrate who you are now and the chapter you are beginning.

Begin with your own sense of beauty

Before opening another inspiration board, look at your wardrobe. What do your favorite pieces have in common?

Perhaps you love a defined waist and an open neckline. You may feel most like yourself in clean shapes, or enjoy clothing with movement and texture. Some women reach for sparkle whenever they have the opportunity.

You can bring any of those preferences into bridal.

An everyday wardrobe also gives you useful information about comfort. If you dislike adjusting your sleeves throughout dinner, tell your designer. If you love the freedom of an open shoulder, explore it. These observations help us understand how you want to inhabit your gown.

Put words to the feeling

Choose two or three words you want your wedding look to express. Then give each one a practical meaning.

If you say “soft,” do you mean fabric that moves easily, a gently curved neckline, or a quieter overall look? If you say “dramatic,” are you imagining a sweeping train or a fitted silhouette with a striking detail?

The same word can lead to very different designs.

This is where a designer helps connect a feeling to a garment. We can discuss where the gown fits closely, where it opens into volume, and which detail deserves the most attention. Your language gives that conversation direction.

Study what you love in an inspiration photo

Save a small group of images and write a sentence about each one.

“I love the shape of this neckline.”

“I like the way this skirt opens when she turns.”

“I am drawn to the simplicity of the front.”

A specific observation is more useful than asking one gown to contain every detail from ten different dresses. It helps us understand what matters most and develop a design with a clear point of view.

You may also discover that you love the mood of a photograph while preferring a different dress for yourself. That is useful information.

Let the fitting teach you something

When you try on a gown, give yourself time to notice it before gathering everyone's opinions.

Look at the front, side and back. Walk a little. Sit down. Move your arms as you would to greet someone. Ask how the neckline and bodice should sit when the gown is fitted to you.

A sample provides information about a design. Its current fit is only the starting point for a conversation about your measurements and the finished gown.

Tell me what you notice. “I love this shape, and I want more freedom here” gives us something specific to work with.

Give your answer a little space

The people you bring may see something lovely in a gown you have overlooked. Their perspective can be valuable. Let your own response have room, too.

You can say, “I want a moment to see how I feel before we talk about it.”

Pay attention to the moments when you stop arranging yourself for the mirror and begin to feel at ease. A quiet sense of recognition can be meaningful. You are allowed to make a thoughtful decision in your own way.

That is part of becoming, as I understand it: learning to hear yourself clearly and allowing your choices to reflect what you hear.

If you are still finding the words for your bridal vision, begin with the Which Bride Are You quiz. Bring what you discover to a Laury Bride appointment in Chicago or online, and we can explore your next step together.

Laurie Underwood is the founder and designer of Laury Bride + Living in Bronzeville, Chicago. With more than 15 years of experience in fashion design and an appearance on Project Runway Season 14, she brings a designer's perspective to bridal style and a personal approach to intentional living. Meet Laurie.