Vera Wang: "The Dress is Not Only About How it Looks on Your Body"

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Today in things we love: Vera Wang's tips on how to get the best bridal look. Wang, a veritable expert on bridalwear—her dresses = super-iconic—talks to WWD about how to assemble the best head-to-toe wedding outfit, including advice on what to consider gown-wise. Like:

Determine what kind of wedding you are having. The volume, silhouette, proportions, amount of adornment, tailoring and other elements of the dress should have a lot to do with not only where you have your wedding, but what time of day it is being held and what the temperature is. [The dress is] not only about how it looks on your body.

We also love her advice on shoes—"A little kitten heel is nice if you are marrying someone shorter than you"—and no-nonsense talk about makeup: "I’m not crazy about strong red lipstick with a white dress. If you never wear blue eyeshadow or purple eyeshadow or glitter, why wear it on your wedding day?"

Also, Wang notes, make sure to have black-and-white photos shot along with your color portraits—"Black and white is chic and timeless"—and avoid staining by staying far from colored liquids and smearables:

Step into your dress whether it is large or narrow. There are things no one can compensate for. I once had a bride get red lipstick on the front of her dress when she pulled it on over her head. Keep anyone with colorful drinks, beverages or makeup away from you.

· Vera Wang's Rules for Saying 'I Do' [WWD]