Once he (or you!) has proposed, the first thing that most brides to be do is start shopping for their wedding dress. You scan all of the bridal magazines and websites, looking for gowns that you adore, and by the time you actually head to the salon, you probably have a pretty large wish list for your dream gown. However, while it’s a great idea to have an idea of the type of dress you want, having too many ideas can make the dress shopping experience overwhelming and unsuccessful. Your best bet is to limit your options before you start shopping to make your dress buying experience a success.

But you have so many different options, so how do you scale back? An easy way to minimize the amount of options is to choose a silhouette that will work with your body and highlight the assets you love the most (and conceal those features that you aren’t too keen on.)

There are five basic body types: Petite, busty, hourglass, plus sized and lean. By knowing what shape you have, you will be able to hone in on the silhouette that will work the best with your body. How can you do that? Here are some tips to help you determine your wedding dress body type.

The Petite Bride

The petite bride has a shorter stature and is typically 5’4” or under. If you are a petite bride, you should avoid choosing a dress that overwhelms your frame. You want to be the one wearing your dress; you don’t want the dress to wear you.

Choose a style that has a more structure silhouette to accentuate your petite frame. The trumpet, mermaid or sheath style all work incredibly well on petite brides. Avoid an oversized silhouette, like a ball gown, which will overwhelm your frame.

The Plus-Sized Bride

The term “plus size” is used to describe people whose body frames are larger than the average person. In other words, plus-sized brides have vivacious curves.

While the perfect dress for you is the one that makes you look and feel incredible, some great options for the plus-sized bride include the A-line and the Empire silhouettes; however, that’s not to say that you can’t rock a mermaid- or a sheath-style gown.

Busty Brides

If you’re a busty bride, your chest is larger than the average persons, meaning that your very well-endowed on the top.

Busty brides have two options: They can conceal their assets, or reveal them. If you want to reveal, choose a plunging neckline, like a sweetheart or a deep V. If you prefer to conceal your assets, opt for a squared neckline that sits evenly across your chest.

Long and Lean Brides

You are a long and lean bride if you are tall, thin and have minimal curves. You have a lot of options to choose from when it comes to wedding dresses; however, you may want to create the illusion that you have more curves than you actually do.

Virtually all styles work on this body type, including the sheath, the mermaid, the trumpet, the A-line and the Empire; however, if you want to make it look like you have more curves than you actually do, try a sheath or a mermaid gown. These silhouettes are form-fitting and make it really highlight your figure.

Hourglass Brides

The hourglass bride has a tiny waist and a fuller bust and hips. You can either opt to show off or hide your curves.

If you want to show them off, pick a form-fitting silhouette, like the mermaid or the sheath. If you’d prefer to hide your curves, opt for a fuller silhouette, like a ball gown.