Many girls have dreamed of the perfect wedding dress for as long as they can remember. A wedding dress can come in many shapes, sizes and styles and is one of the most important aspects of a wedding because it shows the woman’s character and her unique sense of style.

Mermaid/Trumpet: Hugs the curves

A-Line/Princess: Balances the top-heavy shapes and helps hide the stomach bulge

Empire: High waistline with seam under the bust

Sheath/Column: Goes vertically down and does not flare out at the bottom

Ball Gown: “Fairy-Tale Wedding Gown,” flare out from the hips

“Different styles are so dependent on the body type of the bride,” said Candi Little from Stacey’s Prom and Bridal in Urbandale, Iowa. She said every bride is so different when it comes to dresses.

“When a bride comes in, we ask her questions about the venue, the feel she wants for the wedding and to keep an open mind,” Little said. “We want our brides to be knowledgeable so we have them try on different shapes so they can say been there, done that.”

Little says once a bride feels comfortable in a certain shape, Stacey’s knows what will look good on her body. Whether it be lace, satin, et cetera.

“Two girls with the same body type may walk out with completely different dresses,” said Ashley Redeker from Modern Dress in Boone, Iowa.

Redeker said if a bride is afraid to try on a certain type of dress, they encourage them to try it on. This way, they may see how great they look in a dress they may have not picked out themselves.

Little said there are more than 500 shades of bridal gowns.

“It’s like going to Home Depot and picking out a color scheme for your house,” Little said.

She said most guests at the wedding will not notice if a dress is white or ivory unless something is up against it in comparison.

“Ivory tends to compliment more skin tones than white,” Little said. Stark white looks better on darker skin tones.

“Lately, a lot of brides bring in their mother’s or sister’s veil,” Redeker said. “Our seamstress will revamp them and modify them so it fits to their dress or style.”

Redeker also said brides have brought in pieces from their grandmother’s dress or other items and had them sewn to the inside of their wedding dress.

Another way to incorporate their mother or grandmother’s dress is to use the lace of their old wedding dress and wrap it around the flower bouquet stems.

“It’s a nice way to incorporate it without putting it all over your dress,” said Kayse Carter from PureBridal in Ames.

Carter says fit and flare dresses are the most popular right now. These dresses are similar to mermaid style dresses. However, instead of going back in after the hip, they go straight down and then flare out.

“It’s a lot more flattering on everybody’s shape because it focuses on the smallest part of your body, which is the waist,” Carter said.