Beauty Call viewer Cheryl H. came to us with her fashion dilemma: she needed help choosing a wedding dress to marry the man of her dreams. We upped our budget and our time line and took up the challenge to find Cheryl an elegant, age-appropriate dress for her big day.

   Our Style Mission

Cheryl H. came to us with a wedding fashion dilemma and we couldn’t resist the challenge. We increased our budget to $1500 and planned our strategy for Cheryl’s wedding outfit.

Our guest expert is wedding expert Alison McGill, Editor-in-Chief of Weddingbells magazine. She had these tips for dressing Cheryl:

• Bridal is one of the toughest things to shop for. Buying somebody else’s wedding dress is a big deal! She needs to feel fantastic and fabulous!

• There is a sea of bridal fashion out there, and a certain sameness to all the dresses, which can be overwhelming.

• There is also a challenge in matching her age with a dress. A big, puffy princess ball gown is more of a younger look.

• When accessorizing a wedding dress, you can add your own personal style. Don’t be afraid to go with a statement piece if that’s your style. If you’re more of a dainty jewelry wearer, stick with that. Go for glitz and glimmer, maybe chandelier earrings for some sparkle and shine.

• Give her a rocking pair of shoes, not in white. Something in silver or metallic — unexpected.

   Our Look Book

For Cheryl, we wanted to show off her body a little with a strapless or open-neck top. We decided to stay away from super modern styles but something sexy and elegant, glamorous and age-appropriate.

Cheryl wanted us to stay away from pouf and frills, and we agreed. We found her a beautiful strapless dress with a fitted bodice, an empire waist, and a simple, drapey skirt with a short train.

Outfit details

• Wedding Dress: $1046 at Sposa Wedding World
• Silver heels: $128 at Browns Shoes
• Silver earrings: $155 at Blue Ruby
• Silver/gold bangles: $45 at Blue Ruby

Alison McGill’s opinion

• She is certainly a beautiful woman, but this isn’t how I would have styled her. I would have put her in something more fitted and sheath-like, and maybe lacy with a v-neck to give the illusion of slimness.

• I would like to see a little more coverage on top.

• I’m concerned about the back; it’s a little low for her. When you’re walking up the aisle, that’s what everyone is looking at.

• I love the shoe; love that you went with a metallic.

• I like the bangles. The earrings could be a bit glitzier. 

   Did our style picks make the “Do List” or “Don’t List”?

Cheryl thought the dress was amazing and beautiful. It was different than she was expecting, but she felt we did a spectacular job of choosing a dress that is elegant and beautiful. 

Our wedding expert Alison McGill envisioned a dress that was more sleek on Cheryl; something less gauzy and goddessy. She also felt the dress was a tad youthful for her, but Cheryl looked very happy in it and so would easily pull it off. Job well done!

We agree the dress didn’t quite fit as well as it could on top, but wedding dresses often need to be tailored to fit perfectly, so with a little adjustment, it will look great on Cheryl.

   Tip Central

• No matter how good you look in any dress or outfit, you have to be comfortable wearing it, or you won’t be able to pull it off. 

• If you’re a mature bride, be cautious about showing off too much skin.

• Think about all angles. Remember you’ll be showing off your back as you walk down the aisle.

   Other Show Segments

• Product Test: Lash Growth Products
• Style Tips: Wedding Dresses
• Style Tips: Lingerie

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Other wedding articles from the A&K Test Lab

• Wedding Cakes
• Wedding Flowers
• Wedding Registries
• Wedding Photographers

Please note: opinions expressed about fashion and beauty in this article are just that: our opinions. Feeling beautiful on the inside is what matters most, but we like to do what we can on the outside too.