Your cookie cutter guide to a flattering wedding dress…

If you’re looking for a guide that will tell you exactly which dress looks best on your body, you’re in the wrong place. But, if you’re looking for a guide that will GET YOU to finding the perfect dress for YOU, welcome my sweet friend. You’ve found your people!

There is so much more behind the universal logic of “a-lines look good on every body type…if you’re coke bottle shaped, mermaid fit is for you…etc.” Is there some truth to that logic? Yes, of course. Because it is true, most bodies are going to be flattered be an a-line. That doesn’t mean that you’re going to be limited to only a-lines because it’s universally flattering though or in the same instance, you’re petite and curvy so you HAVE to wear a fitted dress to show off that figure. Wedding dress shopping is unlike anything you’ve done before. It’s not like going to Target and picking out a sun dress for Sunday brunch. It’s emotional and the single most self expressive outfit you will ever purchase. It can bring out your deepest insecurities because of all these silent stigmas that are associated with being a bride (i.e. sweating for the wedding) and wanting to look your absolute best while having endless amounts of wedding dress choices. In all honesty, it can be overwhelming if you don’t know where to even start. But, you’re here, reading this blog. Which means, you’re a step ahead and going to find the ABSOLUTE perfect dress for you because when the time comes to find your dream dress, you’ll be mentally, physically, and emotionally ready to say YES!

CONFIDENT MINDSET: I CAN{T}

Confidence doesn’t start by looking at pictures of wedding dress models on Pinterest and enveying what you see. It doesn’t start by constantly telling yourself “When I lose 10 lbs, i’ll be beautiful and can start to love myself then!” And it definitely doesn’t start by continually listening to what society has to tell you on what’s considered beautiful or not. You’re mind listens to everything you tell it. If you tell yourself XYZ about why you’re not beautiful, you’re going to believe XYZ. The moment you walk through our doors at Emerald, we can see everything that makes you beautiful. The smile you’re wearing as you walk in radiates through the room. You hate your arms because they’re not perfectly chiseled, we love your arms because one day they’re going to hold the love of your life and you’ll be able to FINALLY call them your spouse. We see your beauty, we just want you to see it too! Start telling yourself all the things you love about yourself. Speak those words of affirmation into existence and stop letting life pass you by just because you don’t love the way you look. How does this pertain to wedding dress shopping? Well, if you aren’t mentally “there”, meaning, if you aren’t confident enough in yourself to accept that you are TRULY beautiful in your dream dress, nothing will ever be good enough for you. No amount of tulle or glitter will outshine the lack of confidence you have in yourself. We will do EVERYTHING in our power to empower you and protect your life moment, we promise that! But we also fully understand the silent battles happening in your head. Give yourself grace, we’re here for you.

Judgement FREE Zone

Every. Single. Bride. has insecurities! No matter what shape, height, color, or size they are, doesn’t matter. Simply put, those insecurities don’t matter. They do not define you. They do not determine your worth or your beauty. It’s not wrong or bad to have them! Just don’t let them win. The right dress will make you forget you ever had insecurities. You will walk out and fall in love with yourself and FINALLY see what everyone has been telling you. You’re STUNNING MA’AM!!! We sooooo wish we could show you the way your face lights up when you walk around in this stunning fitted dress you NEVER thought you could pull off or better yet, fall in love with. We get it though, we’re right there with you. We also have insecurities and someday’s are better than others. Someday’s they win and it’s a big t-shirt with leggings kind of day. Other days, we’re rocking our favorite pair jeans because my gosh we feel HOT HOT HOT today. Our goal, to be as real as possible with you. To prove to you that you are SO MUCH more than the way your arms look or that silly little dimple you have on your thigh. You’re worth all of this support and so much more!

Someone will always have something to say…

At the end of the day, the ultimate goal is for you to leave with a dress that feels like an extension of yourself. This is THE most self-expressive piece of clothing you will ever wear. You want to love what you see not just now in the moment but 30 years down the line when you’re reminiscing over your wedding pictures with your spouse. With all that being said, someone will ALWAYS have something to say about your choice. Mamaw might think that slit in the skirt is WAY too high but I makes you feel like a baddie. Aunt Shannon might look at the plunge in the neckline and think holy moly your belly button is showing but you love the plunge because it elongates your neckline and adds a touch of classy sexy. You have to be mentally ready to handle that! We got your back. Your ride or dies got your back! For the 2 people that have something to say about your dress there are 10 who have your back and will go to bat for you at any moment. What makes you YOU is everything. What makes you smile, glow, and strut is all you will ever need. The confidence you wear when trying on your dream dress in-store will carry over to your wedding day. Imagine that feeling but by x10 on your wedding day! Its pure MAGIC.

***“Don’t force anything, it’ll happen naturally…”.***

***“It will be an effortless love that comes when you’re least expecting it.”***

TRUST. YOUR. STYLIST.

We spend more time with these dresses than we do at our own houses. As much as it is a job to us, it an absolute lifestyle to be the best possible stylist we can be for our brides. We spend hours learning and refining our experience and knowledge all for you. Yes we’re your stylists but we’re also your therapists! The amount of emotion and support that goes into doing what we do can be incredibly taxing but at the end of the day, it is THE most fulfilling experience ever! The moment you walk in, we know. We have the dress we’ve been dreaming to put on you and we’re SO EXCITED to do it! The more we get to know you as a bride, the more excited we get and know in our gut which dress is yours. The only thing we require of you is to be mentally ready when we put THE dress on you. Nine times out of ten, it will be something you never knew you would love. We’re not saying all this to act like know-it-alls or to act like we know better than you. We just fully understand the gravity of finding your dream dress and want to make this process as stress free as humanly possible! You deserve to love the moment you find your dress. It shouldn’t be hard or take a million dresses to know your dress is the one. Don’t force anything, it’ll happen naturally. It will be an effortless love that comes when you’re least expecting it!

Which dress will look best on you?

Are there universal theories that one shape will flatter certain body types more than others? Yes. Will EVERY wedding dress be flattering on every body type? Absolutely no chance. Wedding dresses are very kind to us but not every dress is made for every body. How boring would that be is they all looked the same? The right dress will make you forget there were ever others. Much like finding your fiance, the name of the game is elimination until you find the perfect one for you!