Tips for the bride
Dress
Color
It is especially important to pay attention to the tone of white. White has thousands of shades, and for the dress to look beautiful in photos, it must be a warm tone (cold tones reflect light differently and look bluish in photos). Usually, the bridal market varies between milk-white and snow-white tones. Snow white is cold, so it should be avoided.
If you choose a brownish, pink, gray, or other colored dress, you should pay attention to your skin tone. The dress will look better if it doesn't perfectly match your skin tone, i.e., it should be lighter or darker than your skin.
Lenght
If you choose a floor-length dress, a dress with a train looks much better in photos. A two-meter train is not necessary; a 30–50 cm extension at the back is enough. The dress will fall much more beautifully, and a train of this length won't hinder your walking.
In the front, the dress must completely cover your shoes! And for a perfect look, it should even drape on the ground by a few centimeters. You won't step on a dress of this length while walking, but the difference is astonishing.
Model
The most beautiful figure is revealed by the right model. You are guaranteed not to go wrong if you use the services of professional designers. They will choose the silhouette that suits you best because not all dresses look as good in reality as they do in catalog photos. When choosing a dress in a salon, you might miss some details that you don't understand (and unfortunately, consultants don't always understand either), and you might pick a model without realizing that a completely different silhouette suits you perfectly. Of course, it depends on your whims, but having a dress custom-made can cost roughly the same as renting one. Besides, you will have the opportunity to sell your dress later. If you don't know where to go, I am sharing some recommended designers who know their craft well, and the price-quality ratio is quite attractive.
Lithuanian Wedding Dress Designers:
Agnė Deveikytė
Egidijus Rainys
Mass924
Uta studio
Viela Clothing
MK Drama Queen
Salons in Lithuania:
Ji pasakė Taip
D’dress Vilnius
Trends
Follow wedding trends at:
@tekesime
@istekejimai
For More Sustainable Choices
If you want to be sustainable and give a dress a second chance at life, don't forget to take a look here:
Vinted
The "Take my dress" event (usually takes place in the fall)
Staining and Wrinkling
The bottoms of all long dresses get dirty, even if the day is completely dry. However, not all dresses get tragically dirty – this can be fixed in photos – and in reality, no one inspects the bottom of the dress. But if a dirty dress worries you, and you know you'll feel discomfort thinking about stains every time you put the dress on the ground, then it's worth choosing fabrics that stain less. Of the popular fabrics, tulle, organza, and chiffon stain the least; crepe and lace stain moderately; while mikado, plain silks, taffeta, and linen stain more heavily. Generally, the more polyester in the composition, the less prone the dress is to staining and wrinkling, but at the same time, it will be less breathable. It is also useful to think about wrinkling because some fabrics get heavily wrinkled just by getting into a car. You can do a quick test here – squeeze the fabric tightly in your palm and let it go. If no wrinkles remain, there won't be any issues; if very deep wrinkles remain that don't disappear after a moment, the dress will be prone to wrinkling.
On your wedding day, makeup or other stains on the dress can be cleaned with special wet wipes. A cotton pad moistened with peroxide also works wonders – just to be safe, you should consult with the dressmaker/rental salon whether it is safe for that specific fabric type.
Mistakes to Avoid If You Choose the Dress Yourself:
Comfort Test
When you try on the dress – move in it: slouch, sit down, turn around, bend over, hold something in your hands. Remember that during the photo session, as well as throughout the whole day or evening, you won't be walking like a straight string. The dress must look good when making natural movements, walking, hugging, holding something, and sitting.
Corset
If the upper part of the dress is stiff (a corset), it won't move with your body. Such a dress must be chosen very carefully so that the corset's shape matches your figure. Often, everything looks fine while standing, but when sitting or moving, the dress pinches and deforms around the chest, armpits, or back, creating the appearance of spilling out of the dress.
Underwear and Shoes
When going to try on the dress, you should bring the underwear you will wear on your wedding day, especially the bra, if needed, so there are no surprises later. This is very important because a new bra often either doesn't fill the space, slips down, shows, or similar issues occur.
A similar principle applies to shoes. The final length of the dress must be decided while wearing specific shoes so that the dress is by no means too short. There are no issues with wearing low-heeled replacement shoes; you don't have to worry about the length then.
Dresses with Skin-Tone Mesh
When wearing such a dress, your skin tone is incredibly important. Consider whether you will be more tanned on your wedding day because the look might not be great – a mesh that is supposed to be invisible might shine from afar like a shirt underneath the dress.
Makeup
Makeup artist
Almost every makeup artist offers bridal makeup. It might seem like this isn't some exclusive service, but strangely enough, not every makeup artist can prepare a bride so well that she truly looks great both in person and in photos. Such makeup requires additional knowledge, which unfortunately, not all artists possess.
Often, the makeup looks great in person, but defects appear in photos, or the layer of makeup is so thick that the skin looks good in photos, but in reality, the bride looks like she's wearing a mask. If you don't have a reliable artist, I am sharing a few recommendations below whose work both I, my colleagues, and brides have been happy with.
Makeup Artists:
Laura Kreivytė (Vilnius)
Julija Estko (Vilnius)
Oksana Pikul (Vilnius)
Jurga Kartu (Vilnius)
Vaida Venckutė (salonas WonderTime) (Vilnius)
Alina Silivanova (Alinka makeup) (Vilnius)
Beata Zverko (Vilnius)
Tania Popova (Vilnius)
Jolanta Poškaitė (Vilnius)
Carolina make-up studio (Kaunas)
Justina Žiliukaitė (Justi Beauty) (Kaunas)
Mistakes to Avoid and What You Need to Know About Makeup:
Matte Finish
Makeup must be MATTE. From the foundation to the blush. Even though light-reflecting blushes are trendy right now, glossiness looks like oily or sweaty skin in photos.
Intensity
The saying that makeup for a photo session must be heavier and more intense is both a myth and a truth. Makeup shouldn't be too intense because not only will you look unusual, but sometimes this kind of makeup even distorts your features.
Ideal makeup should be 1–2 tones more intensive than your daily look. It will look natural and compensate for the paleness that a white dress casts on the skin.
Blotting sheets
Especially if the weather is hot, face wipes that absorb sweat and oil can really help. It is also worth having some powder with you on your wedding day – just in case you need to touch up your makeup.
TRIAL MAKEUP – it’s a must!
It's best to combine it with a Love Story photo session – then you will be able to see how you look in photos.
Hair
Hair Type
The hairstyle should suit your hair. For example, very thin hair usually has a hard time falling into large curls (though artificial strands can be added). But the main idea is that to ensure the hairstyle looks good all day, you need to consult a professional about your hair type and possibilities.
Strands
You should avoid a large amount of hair covering your face or strands falling on your face, as they will cast a large shadow, and you will only look good from one angle in photos. Often in these cases, the face is almost entirely invisible from the side. You also need to discuss with the stylist how to keep the strands light and not stuck together throughout the day, even if you get warm or exposed to moisture. Strands that look like greasy threads on your face after a few hours definitely don't add beauty.
Hair Spray
It is definitely worth having a small travel-sized bottle of hairspray with you on your wedding day.
TRIAL HAIRSTYLE – it’s a must!
It's best to combine it with a Love Story photo session – then you will be able to see how you look in photos.
The Veil
A veil is definitely not mandatory, and it is almost always taken off during the day, but it can look very beautiful, especially during the ceremony. There are a few details to pay attention to when choosing a veil:
COLOR. A warm white shade is important. You should especially ensure that the dress isn't warm white while the veil is cold white. It is best if its color matches the dress. Often, you can buy a matching one right along with the dress.
STIFFNESS. The veil should be made of a fairly stiff material; the stiffer it is, the more beautifully and predictably it will drape. The softer and less fluffy the material is, the cheaper it looks. If a veil held in the hand drapes without puffing out at all, it will hang like a ribbon when pinned. However, a veil that is too stiff isn't comfortable and doesn't look beautiful. When held in the hand, it should drape while puffing out slightly.
LENGHT. The length of the veil should end with the dress or be slightly shorter/longer. A veil that is too short will look like a hanging rag, while one that is much longer than the dress will simply twist into a ribbon and drag – making it hard to move. The softer the veil, the worse a long one will look.
DESIGN. Various beautiful veil designs are possible – decorated with dots, lace edges, or embroidered with names or dates.
A popular veil alternative is the Birdcage Veil (a mesh covering the face) – very elegant and pretty.
Shoes
Spare Shoes
No matter how comfortable the chosen shoes may seem – there are high chances your feet will get tired or rubbed, especially if the shoes aren't "broken in." Therefore, you MUST have simple shoes/sneakers/sandals to change into. During the photo session, you can travel from place to place in comfortable shoes and change into the desired ones for the photos. Shoes are one of the most common causes of discomfort on a wedding day. After all, you should be enjoying the most beautiful celebration of your life, not dreaming about sitting down as soon as possible.
Protection Against Rubbing
Make sure you have soft patches with you (e.g., Compeed) – sometimes they save lives. If you already know your problem areas, stick the patches on in advance – they are almost invisible.
It is very convenient to use a protective anti-friction stick to apply to potentially problematic areas in advance (e.g., Compeed).
And, of course, no matter how elementary this truth is – shoes must be broken in. Don't save them strictly for your wedding day.