By Jennifer

Hasn't every girl dreamed of being a princess? As Wikipedia so elegantly puts it, "A ball gown is the most formal female attire for social occasions. According to rules of etiquette, a ball gown must be worn where "white tie" or "evening dress" is specified on the invitation. It is traditionally a full-skirted gown reaching at least to the ankles, made of luxurious fabric, delicately and exotically trimmed."

The ball gown wedding dress silhouette can make your princess dreams come true. With a full skirt, you'll certainly be the center of attention as you float down the aisle. The layers and layers of fabric are dramatic and simply dreamy. If you choose the ball gown, you probably want to hit the ladies room before putting it on. :)

Heidi Montag wore a big gown for her wedding and Kate Hudson in Bride Wars looked fantastic in her dress. Okay, the last one wasn't a real celebrity wedding.

Oh yeah, if you are set on the ball gown silhouette but can't quite find the perfect one on Shiny Orb's wedding dress selection, here's a tip: Check out the prom section over at our sister site, DressMob.

This post is part of the dress silhouettes series. See all posts.

By Jennifer

While I don't have any hard numbers, I suspect that A-line wedding dresses are the most popular dress silhouette. At least for me, personally, A-line is my go to style because it's just so easy. You can always find a nice strapless or one-shoulder top to give things a bang, and the flared skirt means you can very easily hide a pear shape if you want. There are lots of different A's out there, meaning you can go from nearly-ball-gown to nearly-sheath. There's lots of selection.

When Jessica Simpson married Nick Lacey, she wore a beautiful strapless Vera Wang A-line dress. Avril Lavigne also wore an A-line wedding dress and looked great next to her bridesmaids in pink.

Are you a fan of the A-line wedding dress?

This post is part of the dress silhouettes series. See all posts.

By Jennifer

To all the curvy women out there, the mermaid wedding dress is the style for you! Both the mermaid and trumpet wedding dress silhouettes have a form fitting bodice and show off the hips before flaring out to a full skirt. The difference between the mermaid dress and the trumpet dress is in the location of the flare: mermaids flare at the knee while trumpets flare mid-thigh. This is a very confident and sexy style for the aisle but can be tough for dancing. I would definitely recommend changing out of the dress for your all-night reception.

Fergie looked amazing in her mermaid wedding dress. Not all trumpet dresses need to have a dramatic flair (pun intended!). Jenna Bush wore and elegant, beaded organza dress with a train.

So, what are your thoughts on the mermaid / trumpet wedding dress style?

This post is part of the dress silhouettes series. See all posts.

By Jennifer

The empire silhouette is exemplified by a high waist right below the bust. The skirt is typically narrow, but one can also find A-line or mermaid skirts. Experts say this dress shape helps lengthen the body, and if you want to hide your tummy and emphasize your bust, this is definitely the way to go.

Did you know "the word 'empire' here is now pronounced with a special quasi-French pronunciation (om-peer) by many in the fashion world." Wait, what? Really?

Jennifer Garner wore an empire dress for her beach wedding. The empire waist was marked by a green sash, a very cute way to put some color on the dress! The empire silhouette also worked out great since she was four months pregnant at the time. Check out Natasha Bedingfield's dress, too.

Is the empire wedding dress your style?

This post is part of the dress silhouettes series. See all posts.

By Jennifer

The sheath wedding dress brings with it a sort of simplicity and elegance. It typically has a form fitting bodice followed by a straight and narrow skirt. Without a big shape, this narrow style shows off the curves but without the loudness of the mermaid/trumpet silhouette. Simple doesn't mean bland, though. You can find lots of satin or chiffon sheath wedding dresses with fancy backs, dramatic strapless necklines, and even tiers or embroidered lace layers.

Both Mariah Carey and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy favored the sheath wedding dress for their own weddings! Another great bonus of the sheath dress is that it usually has a lot less fabric, which means you'll have better mobility whether it be for walking down the aisle, dancing, or even going to the bathroom. :)

What's your favorite sheath wedding dress?

This post is part of the dress silhouettes series. See all posts.

By Jennifer

I'm going to start a series of blog entries today all focused on dress silhouettes. It doesn't matter whether you're skinny or big, pear or apple or any other shape, knowing a little bit of dress silhouette vocabulary can help a lot when you start searching for that perfect wedding dress. The final say, however, should always be you. Choose a dress that you're going to love wearing for the Big Day!

While there are several different dress shapes, I'll be focusing on five different types: sheath, empire, mermaid/trumpet, A-line, and ballgown. Shiny Orb has dresses in all of these categories, so I'll be sure to add plenty of examples.

Basic dress silhouettes:

• Sheath - This style is narrow and works really well for confident women who have slim frames. It has a narrow bodice and straight skirt.
• Empire - An empire dress also has a narrow skirt but the waistline starts right under the bust. It's also great for slim women and has a more 60's elegance to it.
• Mermaid/Trumpet - This style is really sexy for curvy women. Both are form fitting through the top and flare out below. Mermaid cuts flare at the knee while trumpet dresses start flaring out at mid-thigh.
• A-line - This dress shape typically has a fitted bodice but the skirt flares out at the waist. I think this is the most universal silhouette and looks great on everyone.
• Ball gown - Perhaps the most fairytale romantic of all the dress shapes, the ball gown goes from a fitted bodice to a full skirt. It looks fantastic on women with fuller shapes.

This is part of the dress silhouettes series.