If you are a bride who is shopping for their wedding dress or has begun browsing bridal fashion inspiration online, you may have noticed that corsets are common in wedding dresses. Lace up corset back wedding dresses are popular with many bridal designers and there can be some benefits to choosing this style of wedding dress over a zip-up bridal gown. It might also feel confusing or overwhelming to know how to properly lace up a corset style wedding dress. Perhaps you're wondering if you'll be able lace up your own corset style bridal dress on your wedding day!
We are here with all the insider tips and tricks so you can be prepared and confident before your wedding day arrives! We want you to have a stress-free wedding morning, knowing you will be able to properly lace up your corset back wedding dress.
Video: How to Properly Lace Up a Corset Back Wedding Dress
If you are curious about corset back wedding dresses and how they work, be sure to watch our advice video so you can see first hand how to properly lace up a corset back wedding dress.
Corset Back Benefits
When it comes to wedding dresses, there are two main ways they are designed to close and stay up on a bride’s body: zippers or corsets. Yes, you may see many bridal dresses with buttons as well, but these often are decorative and will have a hidden zipper to actually close the gown and then you still have the classic bridal detail of elegant buttons without having to take the time and patience to loop each button closed on wedding day.
One great benefit of a corset back wedding dress is the flexibility they offer brides. If you are someone who fluctuates in their weight or are going to be pregnant on wedding day, a corset back wedding dress is a phenomenal option for versatility. Just like your favorite pair of jeans move and stretch out with your body as you wear them throughout the day, your wedding dress is going to move and stretch with your body heat. Each wedding dress is going to move and flex a little differently depending on the dress construction and fabric, but each dress is going to stretch out some just from your body heat and moving around all day long.
This is where a corset back wedding dress can be an amazing choice as you will have the ability to tighten or loosen your wedding dress throughout the day as you need. Maybe you feel your dress is slipping after dancing for a bit, you can easily just lace up the back of your dress a little tighter for a more secure feeling. Or perhaps wedding day rolls around and you feel bloated, no problem, just don’t lace your dress up quite as tightly.
Alterations
If you fall in love with a particular wedding dress that does not have a corset back, it may be possible to make this change during the ordering or alterations process. Many bridal designers offer their dresses with the option to change from a zipper to a lace up corset back. If you are not given this option during the ordering process, you can likely have your wedding dress seamstress put in a lace up back during the alterations process. Be sure to chat with your bridal stylist about what options are available for a particular gown.
If you have ever been to a wedding where the bride has worn a strapless wedding dress, you may have seen her tugging it up during the wedding reception. Many folks would be quick to judge the seamstress or the bridal store, saying they got her the wrong size or did not do the alterations correctly. The truth is that the dress has just expanded from being worn all day and from the bride’s body heat. This would be a perfect opportunity to tighten the lace up corset on the dress, if that is the style gown the bride has chosen. It’s really will be a luxury on wedding day to have the ability to loosen or tighten your dress as needed with a lace up corset back.
How To Lace A Corset Back
When it comes time to lace up your wedding dress, there are multiple ways to do it and no way is right or wrong, it’s really personal preference. We would encourage you to practice and have whoever is going to be lacing you up on wedding day attend the final dress fitting or tune in via video call so they can get a walk through from your seamstress. Having a video version of how to lace up your wedding dress can be invaluable on wedding day. Remember that a lace up gown is going to take longer than just a zipper, so allow time when you are getting ready on wedding morning.
As the bride, you are going to want to be standing in front of the mirror holding your bodice exactly where you want it while someone else does the lacing. Keep in mind that while the lacing is happening, it won’t be fully tightened until all of the loops have been strung. Your “laces” are going to vary depending on your particular wedding dress. It could be tulle, satin, ribbon but the methods for lacing up a corset back wedding dress remain the same.
The fabric that will be doing the lacing should be looped through the top holes or loops of the back of the wedding dress as step one. Then ensure the the fabric is completely in the middle so the “tails” on either side are even and the material is centered. From here, you can either lace over or under the loop, depending on how you want your lace up back to look. Another aspect that will be personal preference is how closely the two sides of the corset are once laced up. You don’t necessarily need to have the corset perfectly touching, there could be some distance between the two sides. It will all come down to how you want the lace up back to appear and how comfortable the gown feels on you. From there, once you decide if you are going over or under, you can continue lacing down the dress, similar to how you would lace up a new pair of shoes.
Since you are starting at the top of the corset back, once you reach the bottom is where the tightening and final adjustments can be made. You’ll want to ensure each loop has the fabric lacing before you begin to tighten the corset back. You have to start at the top again and pull to tighten as you work your way back down and then tie the tails into a knot. You can leave the back into a simple knot or tie into a bow and then leave the fabric tails hanging or tuck everything into the bottom of the corset for a clean look.
More Helpful Bridal Fashion Advice
We hope you have found this advice helpful when it comes to knowing how to correctly lace up a corset back wedding dress. For even more helpful advice when it comes to shopping for your dream wedding dress and finding your bridal style, be sure to check out our past posts:
About Lovella
If you're shopping for your perfect wedding dress, come visit us at Lovella Bridal in Glendale, CA. We carry wedding dresses in all sizes and styles, including plus-size bridal gowns and a full selection of veils and accessories. Lovella Bridal is the premier, luxury bridal wedding dress shopping boutique located in Los Angeles, California. Lovella features couture, feminine, modern and chic bridal gowns in all sizes from the best wedding dress designers. Schedule an appointment to find the wedding dress of your dreams at Lovella Bridal. We can't wait to help you!
About Wedding Fashion Expert
Our wedding dress shopping tips and advice are from Nayri, Lovella's own, in-house wedding fashion expert. Nayri is truly the expert when it comes to bridal fashion and wedding style. As the Wedding Fashion Expert, Nayri is the top bridal fashion stylist and the best-selling author of the book "I'm Getting Married And I Have Nothing To Wear," the ultimate guide to helping brides find their wedding day style and their perfect wedding dress. You can subscribe to her YouTube channel or listen to her podcast for more helpful and practical advice on wedding dress shopping.
