Not all wedding dresses serve to flatter a brides figure therefore it is essential that in the course of looking for that special dress the bride learns something about which styles suit her body shape. She must ensure that the dress she chooses really does present her assets at their best.

The variety of wedding dresses available is enormous and it can seem like a daunting task to choose the right one from this huge selection. The good news is that there are actually five basic styles of wedding dress. They are A line, Ball Gown, Mermaid, Column and Empire; these names may vary from location to location but there remains only five styles.

Even if you are not carrying any excess body weight you may still not have a genetic shape to suit all types of gown. For example if you have a "pear shape", as many women naturally have, do not try to squeeze into a column gown. All you'll manage to do is to accentuate your bottom and not look the best you possibly can; after all isn't that what you are trying to achieve.

What ever you body shape it is essential that you are honest with yourself; there is no point falling in love with a wedding dress which doesn't flatter your body. Ask your friends and the store assistant to give you honest advice on which styles suit you

So that's great but how do you manage this if you want to purchase your gown on line? Very few people buy the first house they look at, the first car they test drive so do not buy the first gown you try on. Go out a try on as many gowns as you feel you need to; initially concentrate on deciding which style best suits you. High street store are accustomed to brides coming back two or three times before they make a purchase so do not feel pressurized to buy just because they have spent time with you. Once you find the style you like or even the gown you want spend time online finding the best price. You may want to go back to one of the stores and buy a gown from them but at least reassure yourself that you are not paying over the odds for your gown