What to Wear Under Your Wedding Dress
Whether you’ve already chosen your dream wedding dress or you’re just getting started, it’s never too early to start thinking about what to wear under your wedding dress. Do you have to wear anything under your wedding dress? Well, no. It’s ultimately your choice! However, there are so many wedding dress undergarment options available that can boost your comfort and confidence on your big day, it’s worth looking for bras, wedding dress slips, and other undergarments that could help you create just the right look. Read on to discover the most common types of wedding dress undergarments, as well as some tips and tricks for choosing the right ones for you.
What Brides Wear Under the Wedding Dress
Truthfully, brides usually wear whatever looks and feels best under their wedding dresses. That said, here are some of the most common bridal undergarment picks:
- Bra: The bra you choose for your wedding dress will depend entirely on the gown style. Some wedding dresses are backless, have a sheer bodice, or feature a low neckline, all of which can affect the type of bra you choose for your wedding dress. There are strapless bras, bustiers, adhesive bras, styles with a plunge front, convertible bras with straps that can be rearranged to suit different gown styles, and many more to explore! Even fashion tape can be used in place of a bra. Needless to say, bras for wedding dresses vary by style and color, so choose one that is comfortable and practically invisible when paired with your bridal gown.
- Underwear: Just like with bras, underwear for your wedding dress should be comfortable and impossible to detect. Ideally that means it won’t be riding or bunching up or creating glaring lines on your bridal gown. So really, it does not matter if you’d prefer a high-waisted style, a thong, or something in between. The key is neutral, seamless, and comfortable.
- Shapewear: If you’re looking to wear something under your wedding dress that flattens your stomach or otherwise smooths out your shape, shapewear is sure to do the trick. There are many different types of shapewear for under the wedding dress. Some styles are bodysuits that cover you from straps to mid thigh, while others are made to specifically target the bust, waist, or hips.
- Garters: Fancy, frilly strips of elasticized fabric that are worn on the bride’s thighs, garters used to be used to keep stockings up. Nowadays, garters are part of a fun bridal tradition: The groom removes the garter (sometimes with his teeth!) and tosses it to a crowd of male wedding guests, much like the bride tosses her bouquet to the ladies. Ultimately, you could wear a garter as a way to take part in some variation of this tradition or as a fun surprise for your spouse to discover on your wedding night.
- Stockings: Many brides choose to wear either thigh-high stockings for a flirty or retro effect or full-length stockings for the ultimate coverage (especially for formal celebrations). Stockings can make those fancy close-toed shoes a bit more comfortable, protect you from chafing (if they cover the thighs), and keep you warm if you’ve got a winter wedding.
- Slip: Wondering what to wear under a wedding dress to make it poofy? Also known as crinoline, underskirts, or petticoats, slips can give a wedding dress extra flare at the bottom. There are many types of wedding dress slips for a-line and ball gown silhouettes, as well as fit-and-flare styles like mermaid, trumpet, or fishtail bridal gowns. Whether you’re looking for a little extra shape or just another layer of coverage, a wedding dress slip is the way to go!
Keep in mind that you do not need to wear all of these wedding dress undergarments! Pick and choose the types that work best with your bridal gown and personal style so you can feel confident and beautiful on your big day! Before you start shopping for your chosen undergarments though, be sure to check out Avery Austin’s tips below.
8 Tips for Choosing Wedding Undergarments
When it’s time to start shopping for your wedding dress and undergarments, here are a few things we recommend you keep in mind to make the whole process smooth sailing:
Tip #1: Get Yourself Sized Before or During Fittings
While this is a great tip for finding the right bra at any stage in your life, getting sized and buying the correct bra size for your wedding is key to feeling comfortable and confident on such an important day! It’s the best way to make sure everything feels great and fits beautifully on your wedding day.
Tip #2 Choose a Color that is as Close to Your Skin Tone as Possible
This is especially important for white or ivory bridal fabrics that are typically at least a little bit see-through! Flash photography can pick up a lot through traditional bridal fabrics too. Pack all the super fun and sexy colors for your honeymoon to save them for your spouse (not your wedding guests).
Tip #3 Keep Bust Support in Mind Before Buying Your Wedding Dress
If you know right from the start that strapless styles just won’t work for your busty figure, then don’t even try any on in the first place. Seriously. Avoid the temptation and you won’t accidentally fall in love with a style that you’ll be destined to hitch up all night long (or pay a small fortune in alterations to adjust). Instead, let your bridal stylist know right from the start that you’ll want to explore wedding dresses with plenty of bust support, which might include different types of straps or sleeves, as well as built-in corsets.
Tip #4 Some Wedding Dresses Let You “Cheat the System” with Built-In Layers and Support
So, if you’re thinking about skipping the wedding undergarments entirely, make sure your gown has got your back. Literally in some cases! Look for things like built-in bras or corsets for bust coverage and support, as well as extra skirt layers that comfortably cover you in all the right places. Get a friend to take pictures of you, with and without flash, in different types of lighting to be sure you’re not showing more of yourself than you had planned!
Tip #5 Alterations Can Be a Lifesaver
Many modern wedding dresses feature dramatic low or sheer backs, sexy cut outs, or plunging necklines that can make it a real challenge to work in the right kind of support and coverage for your body. If you’ve got the budget for it, alterations can often save the day in a big way! When fashion tape or an adhesive bra just won’t cut it on its own, check with a seamstress. Alterations for sewn-in cups, straps, or other adjustments could be possible, depending on the style.
Tip #6 Be Wary of Fancy Embellishments
Although they’d certainly make you feel glamorous on your big day, sparkling rhinestones, beading, and other embellishments have the potential to catch on your precious gown, causing snags and tears where you’d least expect them. As with the fun and colorful wedding undergarments, save the fancy embellished styles for your honeymoon.
Tip #7 Bring More Than One Option to Fittings
It helps a lot to see how the styles you’re trying on look with the undergarments you’ll be wearing on your wedding day. However, not all of us plan that far ahead to know exactly what kind of wedding dress undergarments we might need before we’ve even chosen a gown. So, why not bring a couple options along with you? Afterall, if you’re already changing in and out of different dresses, it’s easy enough to switch into a strapless bra before trying on a strapless style! While some bridal salons sell wedding undergarments and will offer to let you try them with the hope that you’ll purchase them too, you do have the option to bring your own.
Tip #8 Wear Your Favorites…It’s Allowed!
There’s no rule that says you need to purchase all new undergarments for your wedding. If you’ve already got a tried and true bra, seamless underwear that fits you like a second skin, or shapewear that makes you feel great, then there’s no need to spend time looking for something new. So long as what you’ve got looks and feels great under your chosen wedding dress, then you’ve saved yourself time and money with your “something old.”
Now that you know all about wedding dress undergarments, it’s time for you to decide which ones are right for you! Just remember that, unless you want them to be, your wedding undergarments don’t need to be anything fancy. The key is comfort and function, so unless it’s your dream to wear gorgeous lingerie under your wedding dress, you can keep it simple and affordable. Of course, if you’re still on the hunt for your dream gown, Avery Austin’s here to help! Check out all of the stunning wedding dresses available that are perfect for a variety of wedding themes and venues.