For many years weddings have been very much set piece events, following a number of customs which, in many cases, were established literally hundreds of years ago. The central figure in the wedding, much to the chagrin of many grooms, is of course the bride adorned in all her finery in a magnificent white wedding dress, complete with veil and train. But things are changing.

Today more and more couples are choosing to move away from the customs and traditions of the past and are very much putting their own stamp on their wedding. The growing feeling is that weddings should be uniquely memorable one-of-a-kind days that portray the personalities and lifestyles of the bride and groom and their families and friends. Consequently, amongst other pursuits, dispensing with the traditional white bridal dress and often moving towards an informal wedding dress.

But an informal bridal dress doesn't have to mean that a bride's wedding dress is any less stunning or that the bride should no longer draw the eye of the wedding guests and remain the center of attention.

Modern outfit styling simply means that today's bride can buy a dress which fits her personality in terms of such things as color, material and pattern and can also pick out a dress that best fits her figure.

Many brides for example like to show off aspects of their body just like their arms or back and the ability to buy a sleeveless or backless outfit is ideal for them. Other brides may wish to show of their legs, or hide their legs, and the ability to select a dress of just about any length you would like today also meets this need easily.

But possibly the really great thing about today's informal bridal dress is that you are no longer limited to buying your dress from a bridal wear shop. You can purchase your dress, or have it made for you, just about anywhere you like and will get this amazing selection of styles, as well as everyday and designer labels to pick from.

And, if you're looking for a bargain, then how about purchasing your wedding dress in one of the many stores that are springing up just about everywhere today or even buying online. The Internet has grown tremendously in just a few short years into a superb virtual shopping center and you will be surprised at just how easy and safe it is to shop online today. The overhead costs of selling online are also considerably less than maintaining a regular outlet and you will be amazed at some of the bargains that are to be had, often including some of the best known brand names.

Shopping for your wedding needs time and thought but it can be great fun and, if you choose a casual wedding gown, you'll have a field day finding the perfect dress for that big day.