9 Bridal Fashion Hacks Every Bride Should Know

With more than 40 combined years of experience in bridal alterations, our highly skilled team is well versed in every bridal fashion hack that brides-to-be should know before their big day. 

From how to perfectly fluff a train, to lacing up a corset style back correctly and everything you need to pack in your bridal emergency kit, we’ve rounded up our top bridal hacks, tips and tricks to help ensure your wedding day goes as smoothly as possible!

Should I wear a petticoat under my wedding dress?

If you’re wearing a wedding dress with a voluminous skirt and you’re finding it hard to walk without kicking your feet forward, hiring a petticoat from Ilka is a great idea. 

In addition to making it much easier to move by lifting the fabric up off your legs, a petticoat also enhances the beautiful shape and silhouette of a large princess or ballgown style skirt.

This video showcases our bridal alterations client Talia demonstrating the difference in movement with and without a petticoat under her wedding dress. As you can see from the video, Talia struggled to walk without a petticoat but once we added one, she was able to glide across the floor with effortless elegance. 

At Ilka Perth bridal alterations we hire out petticoats to Perth brides so that they don’t have to buy one. If you’re interested in hiring a petticoat for your wedding day, please get in touch.

How do I lace up a corset style back on my wedding dress?

Brides-to-be who have fallen in love with a wedding dress that has a lace up corset style back will want to share this video with their bridesmaids.

As Kate explains, the best way to lace up your wedding dress is this method:

• Loop the cord or ribbon through the top eyelet and pull both sides so that they are even in length

• Ensure the cord sits flush with the back of the wedding dress and isn’t twisted

• Start lacing the cord through the eyelets one by one, like you’re lacing up a shoe, paying careful attention to whether you’re pulling the cord through the front or the back of the eyelet.

• For a super snatched waist pull the cord tight as you lace it through each eyelet

• When you get to the last eyelet, tie a bow then assess the fit. If the bride wants the corset to feel tighter, start from the top of the corset and pull the cord where it crosses over in the middle of the back of the dress. Continue this process until you get to the bottom row of eyelets then refasten the bow or knot.

If this task sounds like it’s beyond the ability of your bridal party, you can hire Ilka to help you get dressed on the day of your wedding via our bridal styling service. Designed to remove all of the stress from your wedding morning, our bridal styling service sees an experienced stylist meet you at your ‘getting ready’ venue to steam out your gown so it’s picture perfect, before helping you to get dressed, which includes lacing up your corset style back if you have one. 

How do I put on a veil?

Did you know that many makeup artists and hair stylists will leave your ‘getting ready’ venue before you get dressed into your wedding gown? If this happens to you, you’ll want to make sure that at least one person in your bridal party knows how to correctly (and securely) install your veil.As our good friend and hair stylist extraordinaire Chris Georgie demonstrates in this viral video, there’s a right way and a wrong way to place your veil.

The most common mistake people make when trying to place a veil is facing the comb in the wrong direction. As shown by Chris, you must ensure the curve of the comb your veil is affixed to matches the curve of your head before you slide it into place.

If you’re wearing a particularly long veil and/or the weather forecast predicts strong winds for your wedding day, ask your bridal hairstylist to do this hack, so that your veil doesn’t blow away in the breeze.

How to perfectly fluff the train of a wedding dress?

Once you’ve mastered this technique, you’ll find fluffing the train of a wedding dress to be easy as pie. 

Follow these steps:

• Locate the centre back seam running down the rear of the wedding dress

• Place your hands approximately 30cm either side of the centre back seam

• Lift up all layers of the skirt (not so high as to expose the bride’s undergarments) and lift up, getting as much air underneath as possible

• Let the skirt fall to the ground and admire how beautiful the train looks when it’s perfectly fluffed.

If you find yourself having to walk around the edge of the skirt, moving small areas of the fabric by hand, you likely haven’t gotten enough air up under the skirt during the fluffing process.

Still not confident? Ask your friendly bridal alterations team at Ilka to give you a demonstration at your next bridal alterations appointment.

How do I remove creases from stiff tulle?

Many wedding dresses with a ballgown or princess style skirt will have layers of stiff tulle sewn inside to add volume and create shape. Depending on how your wedding dress was shipped to you, you may find that these stiff tulle layers are embedded with stubborn creases that can be hard to shift, and are visible under your wedding dress.

We steam and press out hundreds of wedding dresses every year via our bridal styling and steaming service and when faced with stiff wrinkled tulle, we reach straight for a can of Crisp starch spray. 

As illustrated by our bridal concierge Alison in this video, Crisp helps make short work of stubborn wrinkles. Our preferred technique is to spray Crisp directly onto the tulle, then steam the fabric using a glove or towel held behind the tulle to allow for greater steam penetration. Always follow product directions and try on an inconspicuous spot first. 

If you’re short on time in the lead up to your big day, you can hire us to steam out every wrinkle, crease and kink from your wedding dress, veil and petticoat. Visit our website for prices and to book.

How do I do up the bustle on my wedding dress?

Every bustle is unique, which is why we always encourage brides to ask their bridal alterations team to film their bustle being fastened. Trust us, when your bridesmaids are 10 champagnes deep and it’s time for them to bustle up your train to make it easier for you to dance, you’ll be so relieved to have a video saved on your phone documenting how best to approach fastening your bustle. 

What should I have in my emergency kit?

Packing an emergency kit will ensure you’re the MVP on your or your friend’s wedding day! At Ilka we sell pre-made emergency kits that contain everything you could possibly need if something goes wrong on the day, making them the ultimate secret weapon for wedding season.

Ilka’s emergency kit contains:

• Sewing supplies

• Stain removal products including LoveBasiq Smudge Wipes

• Cotton tips 

• Makeup pads

• Makeup remover wipes

• Mints

• Talcum powder

• Band aids

• Hair elastics

• Bobby pins

• Safety pins

Depending on the style of dresses you and your bridesmaids are wearing, you might also want to stock up on Boomba sticky bras, nipple covers and double sided tape. The ultimate finishing touch for any bridal ensemble, Boomba products provide lift, support and seamless shaping, without the need to wear a traditional bra.

Visit our online store or our Northbridge atelier IRL to secure an Ilka emergency kit and peruse our extensive range of Boomba products.

What products should I use to remove a stain from a wedding dress?

A topic we continue to come back to time and time again on our socials is: stain removal products for wedding dresses. Why? Because it’s highly unlikely your pristine white wedding dress will remain pristine throughout you wedding day.

Our go-to stain removal products include LoveBasiq Smudge Wipes, distilled water and micellar water. Make sure you have a supply of all of these products on hand on your wedding day.

How should I store my wedding dress after my wedding?

To ensure your wedding dress remains in tip top condition for years after your big day, we recommend doing the following:

• Have your wedding dress professionally dry cleaned (by a reputable dry cleaner who is experienced in bridal) after your wedding day to remove stains. In Perth, our go-to dry cleaners are Cloud Nine and Stannards.

• Invest in a breathable garment bag (don’t be tempted to keep the wedding dress in the single use plastic garment bag the dry cleaner will return it to you in) to keep your dress clean and safe for years to come.

• Hang your dress in a wardrobe away from heat and light.

From removing pesky stains to doing up a bustle with ease, a little bit of preparation can go a long way on your wedding day! Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Youtube for more handy bridal fashion hacks to reduce stress you may be feeling in the lead up to your big celebration.