Lingerie and stocking ideas

There's a lot to be said for a good pair of undies. Bridget Jones famously opted for a pair of 'granny pants' for comfort rather than sex appeal. But on your wedding day, you'll want to feel glamorous and sexy; on the other hand, you're going to be wearing a wedding dress, and be on your feet for most of the day, so you need to strike a balance between comfort and sexy for both underwear and shoes. There are plenty of options in the underwear department that will complement your choice of dress without leaving any VPL or leaving you feeling strung up by cheesewire at the end of the day.

Ask your partner if he has any preferences, as what men find appealing is often surprising. My own partner far prefers lacy French knickers to G-strings, which delighted me as I never have to experience the unique 'wedgie' a G-string can deliver again!

The most important factor when selecting your underwear for the big day is what kind of dress you'll be wearing. Working with a designer, you should be able to get advice on what will work underwear-wise, as it can seriously influence how your dress will look. You know yourself the difference a bra can make: do you want to understate your cleavage or accentuate it? You might even be able to get away with not wearing a bra if you are going for a boned bodice dress, which are still popular, but will that be comfortable for you?

Also with designer dresses you will get advice on pants, but that's not to say you shouldn’t think about them for an off-the-peg dress too. If you are going to go for a figure-hugging, slender silhouette, you really need to consider if the pants can be seen leaving an imprint in your skin, through the cloth. Even if you're wafer-thin, the elastic (especially in hipster-type pants) can dig in. There are few things worse than a photo where the pants become a feature!

Another consideration you may encounter is wearing a petticoat. Slimline dresses are usually lined, but A-line, bustle and Crinoline-type dresses will need a little help to fulfill their potential in your wedding photos. Also, there's a car journey to get to the church, a good petticoat can save the dress being too crumpled. If the petticoat is of the hooped variety, get it as soon as the dress is ordered so you can have a go at manoeuvring in it at home. Try walking through doorways, downstairs, sitting and even try to dance with your partner in it so you're not overwhelmed by the volume of the skirt. You want to feel as natural as possible on the day, without worries.

Finally, are you going to wear tights or stockings/hold-ups? Stockings or hold-ups are great if you have good hips and a flared dress; if you're going for a slimline dress, look out for a line at the hip where the stocking top sits. For a brilliant figure, you can’t beat a pair of control tights and you can now find some really pretty pairs. Also, you can then wear even the most skimpy of pants over the top to add the glamour.

You can have as much fun choosing your underwear as the rest of your outfit, and you can look and feel glamorous and sexy. Just follow the guide above so the underwear works for you and your dress. And if your Bridget Jones pants work best under the dress, who are we to argue?