Choosing the perfect lingerie for your wedding day is as important as finding the right dress. The lingerie you wear beneath your gown can significantly affect how you feel and look throughout the day.
With so many styles, cuts, and fabrics to choose from, it’s essential to select lingerie that complements your dress and enhances your comfort and confidence.
Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to choose the perfect lingerie to match your wedding dress.
Let’s get straight to the point
Choosing the perfect wedding lingerie is key to looking and feeling your best on your big day.
Match your lingerie to your dress style: strapless bras or corsets for strapless gowns, adhesive bras for backless dresses, plunge bras for low necklines, and seamless shapewear for fitted dresses.
Opt for nude or ivory lingerie to avoid visible lines under white or sheer gowns. Prioritise comfort with breathable, seamless fabrics and consider shapewear or bodysuits for a smooth silhouette.
Always try your lingerie with your dress beforehand to ensure a flawless, comfortable fit throughout the day.
1. Consider The Style Of Your Wedding Dress
The style of your wedding dress is the most important factor in determining your lingerie choice. Since wedding dresses come in various cuts and shapes, from strapless to backless, fitted to flowing, your lingerie must align with these details.
Strapless And Off-The-Shoulder Dresses
For strapless and off-the-shoulder wedding gowns, a strapless bra or a corset is essential.
Strapless bras are designed to provide support without visible straps, ensuring a smooth look across the shoulders and neckline.
A corset is a great option if you want more structure or waist shaping, as it provides support while cinching the waist for a more defined silhouette.
Backless Dresses
A backless wedding dress demands more creative lingerie options. Adhesive bras are ideal for this style, as they offer coverage and support without any back strap.
These bras are typically made with silicone or adhesive fabric that sticks to the skin, keeping everything in place.
Alternatively, a stick-on bra with detachable cups is another option for minimal support without the back strap, maintaining a flawless look with your dress.
Low-Cut And Plunge Necklines
For dresses with a low-cut or plunge neckline, a plunge bra is the best option. These bras are designed with a deeper center, allowing you to wear a dress with a low neckline without exposing your lingerie.
Convertible bras that offer multiple strap configurations are also useful if you need to adjust your lingerie to fit the unique cut of your dress.
One-shoulder or Halter Dresses
With a one-shoulder or halter wedding dress, a multi-way bra or strapless bra can be configured to accommodate the unique strap design.
Multi-way bras come with adjustable straps that can be rearranged to suit a halter neckline, offering both comfort and the right amount of support.
Sheer And Illusion Dresses
Illusion and sheer dresses require lingerie that won’t show through the fabric. Opt for seamless bras or nude-coloured lingerie that closely matches your skin tone.
This ensures that your undergarments remain invisible, letting the delicate fabric of your gown take center stage.
Fitted And Mermaid Dresses
Fitted wedding gowns like mermaid or trumpet styles call for seamless shapewear to create a smooth silhouette.
Shapewear can help eliminate visible panty lines (VPL) and smooth out any areas that may need extra support.
Choose high-waisted shapewear that covers the tummy area and extends to the thighs if necessary, depending on the cut of the dress.
2. Choose The Right Colour
The colour of your lingerie is just as important as the style. The wrong shade can easily show through your gown, especially if it’s made of light or sheer fabric.
Nude Or Ivory For White Dresses
Although it might seem like white lingerie is the natural choice for a white wedding dress, nude or ivory shades often blend better.
Nude lingerie matches your skin tone and remains hidden beneath white or ivory gowns.
White lingerie, on the other hand, can sometimes stand out under a bright white dress, making nude a safer option.
Matching Fabric Colours
If your wedding dress isn’t white, choose lingerie that closely matches the colour of your gown.
For example, if your dress is blush or champagne, select lingerie in similar shades to avoid any contrast showing through the fabric.
Blush, peach, or ivory tones are excellent choices that remain neutral but still blend well under non-white gowns.
3. Focus On Fabric And Comfort
The fabric of your lingerie must complement your wedding dress. Choose materials that won’t create friction or unwanted lines, especially with delicate fabrics like satin, chiffon, or lace.
Seamless Lingerie For Smooth Lines
If your wedding dress is form-fitting or made from lightweight fabric, seamless lingerie is your best friend.
Seamless bras and underwear prevent visible lines from showing through your dress, ensuring a smooth and sleek look.
Fabrics like microfiber or stretch lace are ideal, as they offer comfort while laying flat against the skin.
Soft And Breathable Fabrics
Your wedding day is likely to be long, so comfort is key. Opt for lingerie made from soft, breathable materials like cotton blends or modal.
These fabrics are gentle on the skin and prevent irritation, especially if you’ll be wearing your lingerie for extended periods during the day and night.
4. Select The Right Undergarments For The Skirt
The bottom half of your dress also plays a role in your lingerie selection. The style of your dress’s skirt can influence whether you choose briefs, thongs, or shapewear.
Briefs Or Thongs?
If your dress has a flowing skirt or is made from thicker fabric, you can opt for comfortable briefs.
However, if your dress is more fitted, like a mermaid or trumpet gown, it’s better to choose seamless thongs or VPL-free underwear.
This helps avoid any panty lines that may show through tighter fabrics, especially around the hips and thighs.
Shapewear For Form-Fitting Dresses
For form-fitting dresses, shapewear can be your best ally. Shapewear smooths out curves and ensures a seamless finish, especially in figure-hugging dresses like fishtail or column styles.
High-waisted shapewear, which extends up to the bust line, can also provide tummy control and prevent visible underwear lines.
5. Corsets And Bodysuits For Added Structure
If you’re looking for additional support or shaping, corsets and bodysuits offer great options.
Corsets help to define the waist and provide additional lift for the bust, making them ideal for strapless or low-cut dresses.
Bodysuits are also a fantastic all-in-one solution, offering both coverage and a smooth silhouette from top to bottom.
Corsets For Support And Shape
Corsets are perfect for brides who want more structure, particularly for fitted dresses. Not only do they offer great support, but they also cinch the waist and accentuate curves.
Choose a corset that matches the colour of your dress and is comfortable enough to wear throughout the day. Corsets with lace-up backs can be easily adjusted for a custom fit.
Bodysuits For Seamless Coverage
For a sleek and seamless look, bodysuits are a great alternative to traditional bras and panties. Bodysuits provide full coverage without the risk of VPL, and many come with built-in support.
If your dress is made from a more delicate fabric like chiffon or lace, a bodysuit ensures that your undergarments remain invisible while still providing necessary support.
6. Garters And Accessories
While garters are no longer a functional necessity, many brides still include them as part of their bridal lingerie.
Garters are typically worn for tradition, fun, or as a keepsake. Choose a garter that complements your lingerie set and fits comfortably around your thigh without slipping down.
7. Final Tips For Lingerie Shopping
When selecting your wedding lingerie, there are a few key things to keep in mind to ensure everything is perfect on your big day.
Try On Your Lingerie With Your Dress
Always try on your lingerie with your wedding dress before the big day. This allows you to ensure that nothing shows through the fabric and that the fit is comfortable. Walk around in the full ensemble, sit down, and move naturally to check that everything stays in place.
Prioritise Comfort
Your wedding day is long, and you’ll want to be as comfortable as possible. Choose lingerie that provides support but doesn’t dig into your skin or cause irritation. Opt for breathable fabrics and styles that you can wear for hours without discomfort.
Avoid Embellishments
While lace and embellishments can be beautiful, avoid overly decorative lingerie if your dress is made from sheer or delicate fabric. Instead, choose smooth, seamless styles that won’t show through.
Conclusion
Choosing the perfect lingerie to match your wedding dress is essential to feeling confident and comfortable on your big day.
Whether you’re wearing a strapless, backless, or fitted dress, there are plenty of options to suit your needs, from strapless bras and adhesive bras to shapewear and seamless lingerie.
Prioritise comfort, select the right style for your dress and ensure the colour blends well with your gown. With the right lingerie, you’ll feel supported, confident, and ready to enjoy every moment of your special day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do You Have to Wear a Bra Under Your Wedding Dress?
This is totally your own choice. You don’t really have to wear a bra under your dress because It depends on the type of dress you are wearing.
Many dresses come with a corset or a bra built into them, meaning a bra would be pretty redundant in that case. Your body type is also important.
What Do Brides Wear on Their Thighs?
The function of a garter is to hold up stockings on the bride’s legs. Therefore, there is no correct leg to wear it on.
You may choose to wear your garter on either your left or your right leg based on your personal preference. Many brides choose to wear two garters: one to toss, and one to keep.
Do You Wear Shapewear Under Wedding Dress?
“Whether or not you wear shapewear under your wedding dress is a personal choice.” Because your dress won’t be form-fitting, you can usually get away with wearing a foundation with less compression, like a slip that offers shaping without being too restrictive.
What Do You Wear Under a Big Bust Wedding Dress?
“A style with a higher back and thicker straps or sleeves (as opposed to a backless or strapless style) will help secure the bust area and also allows for a traditional underwire bra to be worn,” she shared.
Why Does the Groom Look Under the Bride’s Dress?
Wedding season is almost here, and if you’ll be a guest at multiple summer weddings, you might see one or two instances of the wedding garter toss.
In this long-standing tradition, the groom reaches under the bride’s dress to remove the garter and throws it to the male wedding guests.
