For some brides, the person who designs their wedding dress is certainly not at the top of their priority list. For other brides-to-be, however, it’s important that their wedding dress comes from an exemplary designer with an awesome collection and a brilliant brand. We’ve seen our fair share of brides from both camps here at Perfect Day Bride and we’d be delighted to share with you our tips on how to choose the right wedding dress designer for your big day.

1. Budget

You’re going to want to make sure you don’t start falling in love with wedding dress designers that are completely out of your price range. If you’re lusting after an Elie Saab wedding dress but only have an eBay budget, you are going to be bitterly disappointed. Have a price range in mind and see what designers fit within the bracket – you might be able to afford one designer’s bottom end of their collection and the top of another’s.

2. Provenance

This is one that brides often think least about, but it’s always worth thinking about what you want the story of your dress to be. Do you want the finest cutting skills of European master craftsmen? Or do you not mind your dress coming off a Chinese factory production line?

3. Style

The point of bridalwear designers is to offer a very specific aesthetic to their potential clients – very few of them are aiming to make every single style of wedding dress to suit every single bride. Do your homework about which designers’ style fits with your ideal dress. If you dream of dancing down the aisle in a 1920s-inspired slip of a gown, there’s not much point considering designers who only offer structured, corseted, Princess dresses.

4. Reputation

Some bridal designers have been around the block whilst others are relative newbies to the wedding game. Experience and innocence both have their pros and cons. It can be worth checking forums and asking your boutique stylist about things like a designer’s customer service, their attention to detail and ability to make modifications if you need customisations. Find out whether they deliver on time. Check that their reputation is as immaculate as your wedding dress should be.

5. Trends

You only have to pick up a handful of wedding magazines to see who’s hot right now. Ignore those big glossy ads – they’re not the indicator you’re looking for as all they prove is how big an advertising budget a brand has – and flip straight to the real wedding features. If you see a certain style and designer popping up time and time again, you’ll know that they are the flavour of the month at the moment. Similarly, if you plug in the name of your preferred designer into your favourite wedding blog, you’ll see how many weddings they’ve featured with brides wearing their gowns. For some brides, they don’t want a popular designer and worry about any of their peers choosing the same/similar wedding dress, whilst for others there’s a kudos and prestige to wearing the ‘it’ designer du jour.

So there you have it: 5 simple tips to help you find your perfect wedding dress designer. Good luck on your quest!

Images by Xander & Thea