You've dreamt of this day since the days of Barbie and Ken - now that it is finally here, the possibilities are endless! Okay, so you can't go down aisle with your mother's satin sham as a veil, with her formal lace tablecloth trailing behind as a train. We know. We asked. But what you can do is assess the body you have now, prepare for the body you want on your wedding and pick the dress that has been waiting for you ever since you said, "Yes!".

Before we get into all of the sizes, cuts and adornments on gowns, let's get the basic and necessary fundamentals out of the way:

• Never, ever put a deposit down, or pay for a gown when you have not confirmed the date of the wedding. A lot of brides, with their rose colored glasses, even start buying gowns at the mere mention of the marriage. Slow down - don't put the cart before the horse on this one. It is quite likely that in your rush to make things "real" for you, you could put a big dent in your wedding budget. It happens quite often: you may not even like the wedding gown that you chose in April for your confirmed wedding in December. Don't get me wrong, window shopping is great - but you have bigger fish to fry, so don't shell out any money before you have the ring and a date!