Finding your dream wedding dress can be overwhelming, to say the least. You don't know how many shades of ivory and pearl there can be until you embark on your search. But a bride’s gown is no ordinary garment – and it’s got to look as good in twenty to thirty years’ time as it does on the big day. So do you go for a strapless ball gown or a modified mermaid with an illusion neckline? Or will long lace sleeves like Kate Middleton’s Alexander McQueen dress by Sarah Burton look good on you, too? The directors of two of Hong Kong’s leading luxury bridal boutiques give their advice on how to make this monumental decision.

“A lot of brides ask us if you really have that feeling of the one, and it is true because we have seen it. Like when the bride puts on the gown and she can’t forget about it, and keeps coming back,” says Jessica Lee, the director of Trinity Bridal. The store exclusively offers wedding dresses by top New York designers such as Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera. “The whole process of gown searching is to nail down the silhouette that you are looking for – and I think that is the first easy step that you can take.”

Click here to read everything you need to know before your child walks down the aisle in Hong Kong.

First tip: don’t be weighed down by a heavy gown, select something light and manageable. “You’re going to be in it the whole day so you have to make sure that you are comfortable,” says Lee. If you go for a long train, you have the option of bustling it up after the initial walk in. This will make it shorter and allow you to move around more freely. “Otherwise, we recommend you have a short train or none at all, and wear a longer veil,” she adds.

Bear in mind, whatever sample you try on won’t be in your exact size. “Asians are more petite which is why our eight-inch podium helps you have a better sense of how you will look on the day if the gown just touches the floor,” Lee explains. A dress, when ordered, is proportionally shifted up by the designers back in New York. It takes about four to five months. The length of heel the bride intends to wear is also required during the measuring process. As her weight is likely to fluctuate over the planning period, a local tailor will tweak the size closer to the wedding day.

“A lot of girls have an image in their minds of the dress they want from when they were really young. But sometimes what you want may not really suit you. If you’ve always wanted a huge ball gown but you’re having a beach wedding it might not be practical,” says Dana Trang from HITCHED! Bridal. She suggests trying something not as big, and in a lighter fabric such as tulle but with "flowy" elements that still make you feel like a princess. Her boutique features high-end gowns by international designers including David Fielden, Lela Rose and Augusta Jones.

Another tip is that a sparkly dress at a daytime garden wedding won’t shine like it would in a grand ballroom under bright lights. Hence location and type of venue are as important as body shape, personality and accessories. “Some brides say: ‘I don’t care, I just want something that looks great on me, I want to look the skinniest’ – and that’s their goal,” says Trang. But a bride may also choose something that simply makes her smile. And her confidence alone will enable her to carry off the dress well – even if it’s not the most slimming. “Listen to your gut feeling, if you feel self-conscious, forget it,” she advises.

A dress that looks amazing may not photograph well. “On the day of the wedding, the photographer takes a lot of shots from the waist up. So it’s  good to have some detail on the bodice even if you want a really simple dress,” says Trang. A sexy lace covered low-cut back or backless dress in a slimmer cut can be a good option, too. “If you think about it, at the ceremony most people stare at your back. You’re standing up there and most of the guests are sitting behind you.” Her final piece of advice? At the end of the day, a wedding gown is a smaller piece of the puzzle, so make sure you take the bigger picture into account.

So what are the latest bridal trends?