The first step in wedding planning is choosing a venue because it affects every choice you make afterwards, especially when choosing a gown. We will give you a few tips on which gown is right for which kind of venue.

When you come into VOWS for your appointment among the first questions that you will be asked are “when and where is your wedding?”. This lets us know where you are in the lengthy process that is planning your wedding and helps us suggest some dresses that best fit the weather and location of your wedding. While it does not have to necessarily dictate the kind of gown you decide on, your venue can give you some clues to help narrow down the process of choosing a gown. We’ve chosen two popular types of venues and picked some great gowns to make you feel beautiful and comfortable on your big day.

For an outdoor wedding you are most likely looking at warm spring or summer days. Although the early fall can be beautiful, especially in a picturesque mountain location, wedding season is typically June through July. For the hot summer months we imagine your wedding is taking place in a luscious garden or on a sprawling estate. You definitely want to mimic the glamour of your surroundings but you also want a dress that is easy to manage, won’t weigh you down and has a breathable fabric. We love this 2 Be Bride chiffon dress with a pretty collar for a warm spring day among the flowers. Sheath dresses are a flattering and an especially flowy dress such as this one will make strolling the grounds with your new husband easy and breezy.

On the other hand, we love a good ol’ fashioned church wedding. This is your chance to really be the princess bride and to invite everyone you have ever known. For a large church wedding you want all the drama you can afford. We recommended rich satin ball gowns, giant taffeta full skirts, and ruffles everywhere. This is the time when all eyes are on you as you gracefully make the long walk down the aisle (or runway, however you want to think of it). Fitted and beaded bodices will give you the added glitz and of course don’t forget the veil and chapel length train. This Alfred Angelo dress definitely has it all and isn’t the kind of dress that you would soon forget. The advantage of an indoor church wedding is that the temperature and weather are under your control. Really any dress will work here, but without the beauty of nature to compete with, we say get as dressed up as you can!

At the end of the day though, you can always wear whatever you want. Amelia, a popular consultant here says, “there really are no rules anymore. You should wear whatever makes you feel most beautiful!” We couldn’t agree more.