WEDDING DRESSES

Every bride-to-be knows that the choice of the wedding dress is one of the most important decisions of any wedding in Australia. The bride's choice of wedding dress allows her to express her own individuality in a stunning display of beauty, to impress her groom and everyone who is witness to her very special occasion.

The bride often chooses to be responsible for most aspects of her wedding attire, ranging from the bridal gown through to the bridesmaids' dresses, mother-of-the-bride's dress, the dresses for the flowergirls and other attire / dress aspects related to the wedding.

As a bride, your wedding gown will probably come from one of a number of sources.

The Bridal Boutique

Australia is a very rich source of wonderful wedding dress boutiques dedicated to the art of the design and production of all aspects of bridal wear.  Most wedding dress boutiques display a wide variety of gowns, from simple to the exotic, from the lower end of the cost range right through to the high-end extreme.

Australia's wedding dress boutiques not only sell gowns produced by others.  Often they design and manufacture their own dresses using a wide range of materials from fine cotton materials, satins right through to the finest of lace.  Boutiques also offer bridesmaids' dresses designed either to compliment or provide contrast to the bride's special attire.

If you have ideas of how your wedding dress will look, or just can't find the perfect gown on the rack, then perhaps a custom-designed gown would be the best choice.  Many wedding dress boutiques have seamstresses who can provide this service. There are also many individual dressmakers who can design and create the perfect gown for you.

If your bridesmaids are paying for their dresses to be made, allow them some input and consider choosing a design that they will be able to use afterwards for other formal occasions. In the end, however, it is your wedding, and the dresses must reflect your style and your chosen wedding theme.

Second Hand Gowns

For some brides, the idea of spending a fortune on a dress which will only be worn once doesn't seem practical. Second hand gowns can provide a suitable option.  Many are advertised in the local and national newspapers and specialist bridal magazines. Bridal Hire shops also sometimes sell off surplus gowns at reasonable prices.

The Salvation Army and other charity shops often have "pre-loved" bridal wear for sale as well.

Bridal Hire

Bridal Hire Boutiques offer a solution for brides who don't want to spend a lot of money on a dress that will be worn only once.  Bridal hire boutiques usually stock a wide range of wedding dresses, as well as bridesmaids' dresses.  They often also stock suits etc. suitable for the male members of the bridal party, and are known to be prepared to discuss a reduced rate for a bulk hire, especially if the arrangements are made well in advance of the wedding.

i-do.com.au - http://www.i-do.com.au

From the web site - some wedding facts.

Each year, there are over 110,000 weddings in Australia.  75% of these weddings represent the first wedding for both parties. On average, weddings now costs over $30,000 and brides spend over 200 hours planning their weddings.

Over 66% of weddings today are performed by a wedding celebrant (civil marriage celebrant) with 34% of weddings being performed by ministers of religion. The average bride in australia is now 28 years old and her groom is 30.

Where are all these Weddings taking place ?

• Sydney and NSW have over 35,000 weddings
• Melbourne and Victoria celebrate over 25,000 weddings each year
• Brisbane and Queensland have over 24,000 weddings
• Perth and Western Australia weddings - over 11,000
• Adelaide and South Australia - over 7,000 weddings
• Hobart and Tasmania - over 2,500 weddings
• Canberra and the ACT - over 1,600 weddings
• Darwin and the northern Territory - over 700 weddings

Bride Online - http://www.brideonline.com.au

From the website:

Bride Online - Australia's leading Wedding Directory.  Everything for planning weddings - Australia wide.

Find everything you'll need to research and plan your wedding, with hundreds of quality service providers who can be contacted online. Find your dream wedding dress, reception venue, bridal transport, wedding photographer, wedding cake - and more! 

Easy Weddings - http://www.easywedding.com.au

From the web site:

Your perfect day made easy!

Pre-loved wedding dresses for sale, from all around Australia - the easiest way to pick up that perfect gown for half the cost!

EasyWeddings also allows you to create your own wedding website, manage your guest list, track invitations sent to guests, organise your reception table seating plan, display your photo album, create and manage your wedding to-do list and much more.

Before you begin using these tools and building your own site or album we need to gather a little information about your wedding. Registration takes approximately two minutes and will allow you to experience the huge benefits of using the EasyWeddings.com.au site to make planning your perfect day easy.

Go to the web site to register!

Wedding Central - http://www.weddingcentral.com.au

Wedding Central is the No. 1 Wedding site for the entire 2006.

From January 2006 to December 2006 www.weddingcentral.com.au was ranked #1 in the Hitwise Australia 'Lifestyle - Weddings' industry based on number of visits.

This ranking relates to Australian-based users visiting Australian websites.

One Perfect Day - http://www.oneperfectday.com.au

From the web site:

Oneperfectday.com.au is Australia's largest directory of wedding suppliers, products and services. Oneperfectday.com.au is also the only wedding directory designed and managed by Bridal Industry Professionals.

Showcasing the very best in wedding accommodation, bridal couture and wedding dresses, wedding transport, reception venues and caterers, hair, beauty, day spas, makeup, wedding photographers and videographers, wedding cake makers, wedding invitations, stationery, bomboniere, wedding planners, wedding entertainment including bands, DJs and string quartets, groomsmen and formal hire, wedding rings and jewellery, honeymoon destinations, celebrants, florists, dance instructors, decorators, hens and bucks nights and much more.

Wishing you the One Perfect Day,

The oneperfectday.com.au Team

Aurora Bridal - http://www.aurorabridal.com.au

From the web site:

At Aurora's Bridal Couture we specialise in unique gowns. Whether it be your own design, or something special from our imported and local bridal gowns range. Whichever you choose, we guarantee you will look and feel beautiful on your wedding day.

Aurora has been designing and making wedding dresses for over 20 years. She achieves excellence by using exquisite and fine quality fabrics and laces. Previously co-owner of Bridal FX, our head designer Aurora won the 2001/02 prestigious ABIA award for Bridal Fashion.

At Aurora's Bridal Couture, we also specialise in bridesmaid gowns and flower girl dresses, made to order or simply choose from our wide selection. Why not have all the girls dressed by Aurora including mother of the bride and mother of the groom.

We invite you to come to our boutique and let us help you to create your perfect day.