A Wedding Dress Designer's Tips

Words by Dana Harel
Photos courtesy of Dana Harel Design

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Dana Harel is one of Israel’s leading bridal dress designers and is quickly building a reputation of creating one-of-a-kind wedding dresses, which contain the finest materials and fabrics. Having dressed international celebrity clientele like supermodel Bar Rafeli, Quentin Tarantino's fiancée Daniella Pick and Whitney Tingle (co-founder of Sakara Life), it’s safe to say that Dana knows a thing or two about wedding organizations and planning. Below, you’ll find Dana Harel’s guide on planning the ultimate destination wedding.

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Choosing Your Destination

The first step in planning your destination wedding is choosing the location. It can become very overwhelming to select one unique and meaningful destination with so many incredible locations to choose from! And so, I always recommend my brides to choose their three top options and then narrow it down. 

Choosing the Resort

Once you have your location locked down, the next step would be to select a venue. I personally find it easiest to select an amazing hotel or resort that meets your needs and budget. Also, I always recommend my brides to go visit the resort prior to booking! You can turn it into a pre-wedding trip. After selecting your resort or hotel, the rest of the wedding planning becomes ‘a walk in the park’ as the hotel events manager can work with you (or your wedding planner) to arrange all of the events involving your wedding extravaganza!

Finalize Your Guest List

Once all of the wedding events are scheduled, the next step is to finalize the guest list. Make sure to notify your guests well in advance of the date. Personally, I would prefer inviting around 50 guests.  

The Wedding Dress

After finalizing the wedding planning, it’s time to focus on my favorite part of the wedding planning process – selecting your dress. I have a few crucial tips on this subject:

• Choose a dress that is suitable for your destination. Meaning you probably shouldn’t wear a ‘ball gown-like’ dress to a wedding in St. Barts or Mexico. You should go for more of a lace or silk dress…something less grandiose and fancy.
• When shopping for your dress, shop with only one other person. When brides come to me with two, three or more friends or family members, it becomes difficult to choose a dress with so many opinions.
• Listen to your heart – it’s your day and you know what the best dress is for you!

For more information about Dana Harel, visit danahareldesign.com.