Wedding Dress Size Explained: How to Measure Yourself at Home in 2025

Introduction

Are you looking for your dream wedding dress right now? Well, this part of wedding planning is really enjoyable but at the same time has a lot of pitfalls. The thing is that even the trendiest, the most expensive and stunning bridal gown may not fit you well, causing frustration. That’s why accurate body measurements are of crucial importance. 

One of the most common mistakes during bridal shopping is to make a choice based on ordinary clothing sizes like S/M/L. Keep in mind that wedding dress is not the same with your street wear. The size of your favorite jeans may not always match the size of your wedding dress. Different bridal gown designers and brands may have various sizing systems. Sometimes bridal gown sizes may run smaller, so you can't even imagine that a 12 size wedding dress will fit and look the same as your usual 8 size. Some dresses may run large to leave room for customization and alterations. 

So how should you pick wedding dress size correctly? How can you measure your body at home to feel calm and confident — whether you’re shopping online or getting ready for a boutique fitting? Read the article below to discover useful recommendations from Yedyna Wedding Dress Studio professional stylists!

What Size Wedding Dress Am I? Here's What to Measure First

It’s not a secret that when it comes to wedding dresses size surprises may cost an arm and a leg. So if you’re looking for a perfect bride size, start with taking accurate body measurements. The following tools will help you do everything correctly even at home. 

What You'll Need to Take Your Measurements:

1. A soft (not metal!) measuring tape is a must-have. Make sure that it’s flexible enough to adjust to your body curves. Metal tapes are not appropriate for this purpose as they are used for construction or furniture and can’t contour curved areas. We don't need inaccurate measurements, do we?
2. A full-length mirror will be of great help to see the full picture and review the tape placement. Note that the mirror should not have magnifying effects, should stand on a flat surface and in good natural light.
3. Ask your bestie / sister / mom or anyone else to assist you. Natural body positioning and correct type placement are obligatory to get precise results, so the second set of hands will help you do everything correct in hard-to-reach areas.
4. Basic or seamless underwear will increase the accuracy of the measurement results as well. Ideally, you should wear exactly the lingerie you plan to have at the wedding. Although, since brides usually buy a dress first and then lingerie, basic undergarments without additional puffs will be suitable as well. Avoid wearing bulky clothing such as hoodies, oversized T-shirts or padded bras when taking measures. Your clothing should be body-hugging to help you get the correct numbers.
5. Take a notebook or your phone. This recommendation may seem to be too simple and obvious. However, many brides-to-be forget about it. If you don’t want to end up with mixed numbers and conduct the measurements once again, note every inch immediately without trying to memorize it. Make sure that your notes are clear and saved in a reliable place. It’s essential as sometimes brides have to share measurement info with different stylists, designers, and tailors. Take care of the consistency of information that you provide.

Well, it’s time to start the process! What should you measure first? Save these 5 key measurements that are crucial for the perfect fit of your dress.

1. Bust

Surprise-surprise: your bust parameters are not the same thing as your bra size. To find out your precise bust measurements, you have to wrap soft tape around the fullest part of your chest (across the nipples). To avoid distorting final measurement results, keep your arms relaxed, don’t pull the tape too tight, and breathe as usual. Don’t forget to check if the tape level is correct.

2. Waist

It’s simple as it is: just find the narrowest part of your torso above the navel. Correct measurement of this parameter is especially important if you’re going to opt for a dress with a fitted silhouette (mermaid, A-line, trumper, etc.). Sucking in your stomach or holding your breath will be a bad idea, even if you want to seem slimmer. Don’t cheat! Here’s a handy lifehack: if you have a ribbon, try tying it around your waist and slightly bend sideways several times. The place where the ribbon will naturally align is your true waist.

3. Hips

Stand still, put your feets together, and measure the widest part of your lower body. Remember: double-checking of measurements and immediate noting of the results are your investment in a perfect fit of your wedding gown.

4. Hollow to Hem

It’s a specific parameter that is crucial for brides who opt for floor-length dresses and want to ensure an elegant and balanced silhouette.  It’s almost impossible to measure it on your own correctly, so ask someone for help. To get precise results, you should find the small dip between the collarbones and measure the distance from this point straight to the floor.

5. Shoulder to Shoulder & Arm Length

Do you want to emphasize the natural beauty of your frame and the gracefulness of your posture? If yes, bridal gowns with sleeves or sophisticated shoulder details will be perfect for you! To ensure the perfect fit of such a dress without being too loose or uncomfortable, find out the precise distance from the outer edge of one shoulder to another. Then measure the distance from the shoulder seam to your wrist. Remember to keep your posture relaxed and natural. Secret pro tip: slight bending of your elbow will help imitate the natural curve of your arm. Measuring the arm length in such a way will ensure that the sleeves will not be too tight and you will be able to move without restraints.

Hope that with our simple tips above your home measurements will be stress-free. However, keep in mind that every inch can significantly impact the fit of your wedding gown. So, if you have some doubts regarding the precision of your measurements, you can opt for a professional bridal fitting. 

When to Get Professionally Measured for Your Wedding Dress

1. If your gown is specific and complex

Such dresses require maximal precision of measurements to ensure perfect look and comfortable feel. For example, if you like sophisticated hand-made embellishments like lace appliqués and embroidery, correct measurements are essential for a flattering alignment on the silhouette. If the dress of your choice includes shaping elements like built-in boning or corset bodice, even the smallest measurement distortion can lead to discomfort and visible imperfections.

2. If you’re ordering a custom-made dress

It’s a perfect chance to implement even the craziest ideas, express your personal charisma and keen sense of style. In this case your body's a canvas for crafting a perfect dress, so it’s better to entrust measurements to professionals and avoid costly size mistakes.

3. If you have troubles with your at-home measurements

As we mentioned previously, sometimes it’s almost impossible to get accurate results without someone else’s help. Also you may feel confused and nervous about making mistakes, because you don't know for sure where to measure or don’t have a good mirror to ensure a smooth measurement process. In these situations it’s better to get professionally measured, especially if you know that your body size can change (e.g. you’re actively doing sports, recovering from illness, pregnant or have recently delivered a baby and so on).

How to Use Your Measurements to Choose a Size

The next step after taking measurements is to define your size correctly. Are wedding dresses sized differently from your everyday wardrobe? Sure thing! So how to deal with various bride size charts and avoid mistakes? Let’s find out!

The main challenge regarding bridal sizing is that the charts and standards can vary significantly based on region, country, and even particular designer or boutique. That’s why you should make choices based on your particular measures, not sizing. Take a look at the rough comparison of bride sizes below:

The measures provided in the table are quite standard. However, every bride is unique and has a specific (but still beautiful!) body. So what should you do if one of the numbers falls out of line? For example, your bust is 36 inches, hips are 39 inches but waist is 33 inches. In this case we recommend to follow the largest parametra and opt for larger size. It’s especially essential if the chosen dress has a fitted silhouette (e.g. mermaid bridal gown). 

Sure thing, that as a bride you may feel a bit confused about the right fit of larger size to your figure. Nevertheless, the larger size can be adjusted just for your parameters, making it feel like it was created just for you. With several alterations conducted by a professional tailor you may achieve that perfect look you’ve dreamed of. While the dress is too small and can’t be even zipped up, it’ll be almost impossible to let it out and correct the situation. So the larger size of the bridal gown is a way to save nerves and budget.

Pro Tips from Bridal Stylists

Let’s summarize how to get the most accurate results during the measurement process and even make it enjoyable. Watch out for the following common mistakes! 

1. Rounding numbers: when it comes to bride sizes even quarter-inch inaccuracy can impact how your wedding dress fits.
2. Keeping the body in tension: make sure that you stand in your natural position without pulling in your stomach or holding your breath. The main goal is to make the dress fit the real you.
3. Measuring right after the meal or during your  period: there is no reason to provide comprehensive explanations. Your stomach can be a little bit bloated that will lead to distortion of measurements.
4. Not taking into account your dress type: if you choose the fitted silhouette, you should ensure maximal precision of numbers. At the same time, for ball gowns the hips parameters are not so game changing as the skirt is voluminous and can hide small size inaccuracy. If your dress is floor-length, don’t forget to consider the height of the heels!
5. Not getting prepared for home measurement: check out the paragraphs above to make sure that you have all the necessary tools and know how to measure. Avoid wedding dress size guesswork. If you have some doubts regarding the results you’ve got, it’s better to measure once again. Don’t rush and measure with care. Don’t be shy to ask for help, if needed. Taking measures seems to be a small task, however, it’s your first step to the perfect fit of your dream dress. 

Conclusion

Remember: every bride is unique, and your body is unique as well. Accurate measurements are essential if you want the dress that will celebrate exactly your body shape, highlighting your natural beauty and hiding small imperfections. No matter, you’re going to shop online or planning to have an enjoyable boutique fitting, knowing your precise body parameters will boost your confidence and save time on finding the gown that will fit you best.

Hope that our recommendations will come in handy and your home measurements will be stress-free. Just make sure that you have all the necessary tools and the correct mindset. Nevertheless, if you have some doubts or just want to save your time, contact professional stylists or tailors to get measured.

Yedyna Wedding Studio’s fashion experts will take care of your wedding dress journey — from taking measures and defining your correct bridal size to the matching of all the necessary accessories to the chosen dress. Wait no more to contact us to experience unforgettable customer service and discover the vast variety of our stunning bridal gown collections. Let’s make you shine bright like a diamond on your special day — because you are!