The wedding gown is usually the bride's favorite part of her wedding (other than the groom, hopefully!).
Yet sometimes a bride realizes that she simply does not love her dress, which can be a very upsetting thing.
Before you have a melt down, though, realize that there are some ways to deal with the situation.
There can be a variety of reasons why a bride ends up being unhappy with her gown.
Maybe she bought it because the price was right, but her heart just isn't in it.
Or perhaps she got swept up in the excitement at the bridal shop, and ordered the gown that made her mother cry, only to later realize that it was the wrong choice.
Some brides buy their weddings early on in the planning stage, and as their wedding starts to evolve, they start to realize that the dress they bought no longer fits the wedding they are having.
Or maybe you just find another dress that you like even better.
There are many reasons why a bride might second guess her choice of gown, but only one thing to be done: fix it! Depending on the problem, the amount of time until your wedding, and the policies of the bridal salon, you may have different options.
Some salons are open to having you apply your deposit to a different dress, but many will have a policy that if the gown has been ordered, it is too late to make a change.
Before you get mad at the store, remember that they are only passing on the policies of the gown designers who will not accept a cancellation once a dress has been cut.
Small stores often cannot afford to take a loss on a gown that they are already obligated to take from the designer.
That said, if your dress has not been started, most stores can be a lot more flexible, so if you have any doubts about your order, call them immediately.
Maybe you can choose a different gown from the same designer.
Or if there is one thing that bothers you about your gown, maybe the designer can change it for you.
You never know until you ask, so don't suffer in silence.
What if you have come to realize that the dress you chose will no longer work for your wedding? Don't resign yourself to getting another dress just yet.
Maybe you had originally planned to get married in a formal church and later changed it to a destination wedding at the beach.
While it is true that a full satin ballgown with a cathedral length train would look out of place on the sand, a clever seamstress can often make dramatic changes to a dress.
The first step is to remove the petticoat - your dress will instantly feel lighter and less formal.
If that is not enough, ask to have the train shortened, or hemmed off altogether.
A pleated skirt can even be re-hung without the pleats and turned into a simple A-line skirt that will suit almost any type of wedding.
Before you know it, your formal gown can be transformed into one perfect for a destination wedding.
Sometimes brides have the opposite problem.
The gown that they once loved no longer feels like quite enough.
This can actually be a pretty easy issue to resolve.
Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize! A plain dress can be turned into something spectacular with the addition of a fancy veil, ornate bridal jewelry, and a fabulous piece of bridal jewelry for your hair, like a crystal tiara.
If this is not enough, you can also have the seamstress add lace or beadwork to your gown.
Not only will the look be stunning, but you will end up with a customized gown.
If all these measures fail to make your gown work, the last option is to bite the bullet and buy a second dress.
You can either resell the first one, or donate it to a charity fundraiser.
That way, you will feel beautiful not only on the outside, but on the inside as well.