Beat The Heat – Summer Wedding Weather Survival

Summer weddings are popular for a number of reasons:  the brilliant sunshine, the ready abundance of flowers and plants, and the overall sense of energy and vibrant life that comes with the season.  These sunny celebrations of love and eternity do present a seemingly inescapable fact of nature: the heat.   Not to be dissuaded; however, countless couples choose to tie the knot outdoors during the summer.

Fear not!  Surviving the sweltering temperatures is easily accomplished for both the guests and the bride and groom.  Here are a few simple tips for keeping your cool:

1. If you’re invited to a summer fete, choose a light-colored outfit (avoiding white, of course).  The light colors will help reflect the sun’s rays and keep you cooler than dark colors.  Also, if you wear a dress, avoid long skirts.  Knee length or mid calf skirt will allow for the movement of air without smothering your legs.
2. If you have long hair (bride or guest), wearing your hair up will work wonders to keep your neck and shoulders cool and pleasantly un-sweaty.
3. Stay hydrated.  One of the number one dangers during any summertime celebration is dehydration.  Keep cool beverages on hand.  This can be especially important for the bride and groom, as she is likely to be weigh down under layers of a heavy wedding gown, while he’ll be sporting a fetching (but also heavy) tuxedo.
4. Try to stay in the shade.  Avoiding the direct sunlight can help keep you cool as well as avoiding sunburn.  Sunscreen is a must for outdoor ceremonies.  No one wants a blistering sunburn as their thank-you note for attending.

So don’t dread the long ceremony in the sun.  With proper planning and a little common sense, disaster can be avoided and you can cut loose and celebrate with the proper enthusiasm, without worrying about the heat.

How to pick your perfect wedding dress

If you ask most women what the most important thing is on their wedding day, we’d take a guess that the majority are dead set on finding that dream wedding dress to walk down the aisle in.

Women spend more time and energy looking for their dress and more thought is likely to go into this decision than any other!

Of course, everyone has their own idea of what their perfect wedding dress looks like with some preferring sleek and elegant gowns and others opting for more traditional full skirted dresses and of course there are endless options of length, colour, styles and accessories to choose from as well.

A few things to remember about choosing your wedding dress is that you’ll be looking at these pictures for years to come so picking a dress with timeless elegance, rather than going with the latest fad style is probably better in the long run so your pictures will always be something you are proud to show off.

Pick a style that suits you. It’s all very well falling in love with a style of dress that looks fantastic on the hanger but shows off all of your lumps and bumps or doesn’t show off your best features. Try out a variety of styles, and take along a trusted friend or relative to help you choose a style that makes the best of all your attributes. Try everything on, sometimes a style that you think will look horrible on you will actually turn out to be the one that you fall in love with, it’s worth trying as it’s a once in a lifetime dress so you want to get it right!

The most traditional colour for wedding dresses is white and you’ll find that the majority of wedding dress stockists have most of their dresses in this colour. Of course white isn’t for everyone and you’ll be pleased to hear that many dresses are offered with other colour tones in them, resulting in many off-white colours such as ivory, cream, gold and many other hues. There are also dresses available in completely different colours so if you look good in red or blue there’s no reason why you couldn’t go for a wedding dress in those colours as well.

When you find that perfect dress, the best advice you can take is to buy it on that day, especially if it’s a dress on sale or there’s only one left in stock. There’s nothing worse than finding your dress, only to have someone else buy it while you think about it and come back a few days later to find it has been sold! You can tend to reserve dresses as well, so at the very least make sure you do this, you can always change your mind but once it’s gone – it’s gone forever! With Very.co.uk you can order the dress and try it on and of course, if it’s not the right one for you it can be returned.

Another important factor in the bride’s mind is the issue of bridesmaid dresses. Whether you’ve got one bridesmaid, or a dozen; coordinating them to wear the colour and style that you want can be tricky, especially if you have a few bridesmaids you are all different shapes and sizes.

The first thing to decide on is what colour you want, many brides will fit the bridesmaid dresses into the colour scheme, so if you’re having pink and white flowers and table centrepieces for example, it’s likely that pink will be a good colour for the bridesmaid dresses.

You could also go for a colour theme, such as purples, which include plums, lilacs and bright purple colours so you are able to find a colour that suits everyone.

Once you’ve chosen your colours, then you’ll need to find a style for your bridesmaid dresses, which again can be a little tricky if you have a few bridesmaids of differing shapes! The best thing to do is take them all to try on a variety of styles and pick out the one which is best across all of your bridesmaids.

If you’re going for block colours then you can dress up the bridesmaid dresses with accessories that match your colour scheme, such as corsages or hair pieces which fit into the scheme. This is often a nice idea if you’ve gone for plain block colours, such as cream as it brightens up the outfits and also makes the bridal party easily identifiable!

To get some ideas for your ideal style of wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses then there is a beautiful selection at Very.co.uk where you will find inspiration not just for dresses but also everything from accessories and jewellery right through to wedding shoes and veils to make your wedding day absolutely perfect.

The Benefits of Being a Recession Bride

Let’s face it: trying to do anything big and splashy like a wedding is tough, no matter the time you try to do it. But getting married during one of the worst recessions the International economy has ever seen – has been tough on a lot of brides. But do you realize there are actually some benefits to being a recession era bride? Let’s talk about some of the “good” reasons that getting married during the recession isn’t quite so bad after all.

A tighter wedding budget forces you to focus on what’s important. Do you really need calla lilies flown in from an exotic location at every table – or would you rather have delicious food at the reception? Do you really need an open bar all night long – or will a single signature cocktail do the trick? Do you really have to invite your very best friend from summer camp you haven’t seen for ten years – simply because you always wanted to do so? The recession era bride has an easier time of focusing on what is really necessary and needed at her wedding and what can be tossed by the wayside.

Today’s bride is a savvy shopper. Gone are the days when a bride would pick the very first wedding dress that gave her tingles up the back of her neck. The recession era bride knows to go to a variety of wedding dress shops and to take digital photos of the dresses she likes. To do more comparison shopping. Also not to be afraid to ask for a better deal – when a competitor’s shop is offering a coupon the shop you are in just might honor it as well – you never know!

A wedding truly isn’t about what you buy – it’s about what you are doing. Getting a beautiful dress and going on an exotic honeymoon is certainly fun. But the recession era bride realizes more than ever what matters is the special moment she’ll be saying her wedding vows with her husband-to-be. That moment when they’ll kiss for the first time as husband and wife. The treasured father and daughter dance or having her father walk her down the aisle. These special moments can’t be bought in a shop or charged to your credit card.

A recession era bride isn’t afraid to get a little creative. If that banquet hall is just too far out of your budget – or you can’t afford flowers or something else you’ve been dreaming of – the recession era bride doesn’t pout – she gets to thinking! Could she get married in the big backyard of a family friend or at her college or university chapel? Could she visit a flower market on an early morning and buy flowers at a discount or get flowers from the grocery store? Or would small potted plants from a nursery make great centerpieces (sure…why not?) that you just wouldn’t see anywhere else? In another economy that bride might not get as creative – but the recession era bride learns to stretch and expand her thinking like never before.

So if you’re a recession era bride – enjoy the special and treasured moments your wedding day brings. Enjoy being with family and friends and your first day of married life!

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How to Choose a Bridesmaid Dress Video

In this how to choose a bridesmaid dress video, an expert from Brides.com gives us some tips on picking bridesmaid dresses that our bridesmaids can actually wear again. A little-known secret about being a bride is that we have some sort of hypnosis or disorder when we’re planning our weddings that make it so we can convince ourselves that any dress we pick for our bridesmaids will be something they’ll be thrilled to wear again. Later, after the wedding fog clears, we realize that it ain’t gonna happen. Truly, after this video, I’m still not convinced, though she gives some good suggestions, like making sure the fabric and color are current or classic, pick something with a little detail (because, as she said, “nothing says ‘bridesmaid’ like a completely plain dress.’” She makes some cool suggestions, like choosing a dress with a pattern, and suggests different accessories to help the dress make the transition. Now, if they only offered different ways to wear that wedding dress!

Alternatives to The Wedding Veil

Many brides today are choosing to not wear a wedding veil. Looking at the bridal magazines more and more bride models are shown without veils. Are the styles changing so brides will now go veil-less? Only time will tell. But if you do wish to be without a veil, there are a number of lovely options for the blushing bride.

Fresh flowers are one of the most popular options for the bride without a veil. These brides have fresh flowers created into a custom-made headdress they wear. This is an ideal choice for brides who feel especially close to nature or want to celebrate the seasons. Flowers are also very romantic. You may choose a flower to design your headdress around that your groom first gave you when he was courting you. That expression gives your bridal ensemble much more meaning than choosing a wedding veil. Fresh flowers can be worn any time of year with the assistance of a florist.

Tiaras are another excellent choice for many brides. Who could resist a bit of sparkle on their wedding day? The bride who chooses a tiara often has an elegant or evening themed wedding. Compliment your tiara with some sparkly jewelry if you can – as your tiara will be flattered with the extra shimmer and shine. Many women dream of being a princess or a queen for the day and a tiara makes their dream come true!

Theme weddings often make it possible for a bride to forego a traditional wedding veil. Some brides during the Halloween season have all of their guests dress in costume – right along with the bride and groom. Depending on what type of costumes the bride and groom have chosen, a wedding veil may not be the ideal expression she wants. She can get just as pretty a “bride” look from a wedding bouquet, lovely jewelry or fancy shoes.

Wraps are also quite popular and another choice for the bride who wishes to forego the wedding veil. With a wedding veil the eye is naturally brought down to your neck and shoulders. You have the same “eye appeal” when you choose a beautiful wrap. Many bridal stores like David’s Bridal now carry wedding wraps to compliment wedding dresses. A wrap can be perfect for a Winter wedding in a faux or real fur. Or a silk or linen fabric for the Spring and Summer. You have many options when you choose a wrap.

Stunning wedding jewelry is an ideal choice for the bride that doesn’t wish to wear a veil. There are so many choices when you choose jewelry to compliment your wedding dress. You could wear heirloom jewelry from your grandmother and mother. Or you could wear jewelry ideal for the theme of your wedding. Your new husband may even give you special jewelry to wear for your wedding day. Or you could have jewelry custom designed for this day to celebrate your union.

If you choose not to have a wedding veil, know that there are many options to stay just as lovely a bride as you would like to be. Every bride deserves to express her originality and personal style as she says her vows and dances for the first time with her new husband.

Tiara photo by robleto

“I Do” or Don’t Wear a Wedding Veil

Wedding veils are a hot topic these days. Brides of your mother’s time can remember the moment when their groom would lift their veil to reveal their face for the first time as a married woman to have that kiss as man and wife. Some contemporary brides are choosing to say “I don’t” when it comes to a wedding veil. Others are adding wedding veils to their bridal ensemble to look more beautiful than ever.

Brides who wear wedding veils can count on them for a dramatic look. This is one of the biggest arguments bride-to-be’s make when it comes to staying contemporary and selecting a wedding veil. These brides will say their wedding veil is a true showstopper look and going without it makes their bridal ensemble look “incomplete.”

But brides who choose to go without a veil can often get a stunning look with other accessories. A rhinestone or gemstone tiara for example, glitters and shines and is an ideal accent. A headdress created from fresh flowers is a beautiful look that doesn’t have to be limited to Spring or Summer weddings. Talk to your florist about creating a lovely Winter or Fall themed bridal headdress. Wraps such as faux or real fur are another attention grabber at a wedding that can make guests completely forget you are veil-less.

For many contemporary brides the choice to wear a veil is not simply about fashion – it is a traditional choice. These brides remember being little girls playing “bride” with their pillowcases and looking at Mommy’s picture in her wedding dress with her lovely veil. The veil to them means “bride” in every sense of the word. To not have a veil would be missing out on something very special. This bride puts on her wedding veil with her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother in her heart on her wedding day.

But other brides don’t like some of the old wedding traditions and want to be seen as a completely contemporary bride. They see wearing a wedding veil as putting themselves in a traditional mold they long to break out of. This contemporary bride may not even wear a classic white wedding dress or have a unique wedding bouquet of wildflowers or other flowers not usually seen. The contemporary bride of today has many more choices than her mother or grandmother. She chooses to exercise these choices in every way – especially when it comes to her wedding veil.

Many know that the wedding veil traditionally covers the bride’s face. This custom comes from the times when many couples did not actually meet until their wedding day. As hard or unusual as this may seem to so many of us, these weddings happened all the time. Some wonder if the wedding veil was meant to mask the bride – it was more meant to reveal her face to her husband as a new bride at that very moment – just to his eyes.

Whether you choose to keep the wedding veil or to go veil-less, know that you will be a beautiful bride on your wedding day!

Photo by aprillynn77

Pearls: The Ideal Wedding Gemstone

Many brides put on their mother’s or grandmother’s pearl necklace for their wedding, thinking this is a sweet sentiment. But the meaning behind pearl necklaces is just as thoughtful and special to a bride-to-be. We’d like to share it with you now – so you understand exactly why women for centuries have chosen pearls as their wedding jewelry of choice giving them as much importance as their engagement rings.

Most of you surely have noticed the pearl, lustrous, white and smooth. They have been considered precious by men and women for centuries – some might even say as valuable as diamonds. Pearls represent innocence and purity, ideal for a bride to wear for her wedding day. The most popular color for pearls is white. Pearls have a beautiful, shining luster to compliment a bride’s love light in her eyes and her traditional white wedding dress. The radiant glow of the pearl easily reflects back the bride’s natural beauty. These natural gems are an ideal choice for brides of all ages and personal tastes and styles. What if the bride isn’t wearing white? Not to worry….pearls are available in a variety of colors now from deep purple, soft pink, gold and even black. The very fussiest of brides can be soothed and pleased with a feminine, pretty pearl necklace to suit her wedding day dress.

Pearls are also available in many different styles of jewelry, from necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings. Go for a truly luxuriant look with a three-strand choker on your wedding day. Or tiny seed pearls in seven or eight strands for a feminine look. Or a classic single strand pearl necklace in white or ivory. These pearl jewelry styles easily compliment many wedding dress looks.

To obtain pearls, one needs to find them from oyster shells. Some have said that pearls were created from raindrops falling from the heavens. Very romantic thoughts indeed! But we have to admit there is certainly something romantic about the very act of finding pearls. You have to search to find just the “right” oyster and not every oyster will have that pearl. Just like finding your lovely bride – pearls are selective and special. The perfect way to show the woman you love that you’ve found someone you truly want to keep forever.

The pearl is a romantic gem and often is given as a token of love. For many years the pearl was considered to be the most valuable of gemstones. To give or receive pearls showed the value of a relationship. One’s bride is valuable and precious indeed.

So as you put on your pearl necklace like your grandmother and her grandmother before her, remember the romantic pearl’s history. This sweet sentimental gem is honored to be with you on your wedding day!

Source: http://crystal-cure.com/pearl.html

Worst Wedding Dresses

How often is it that the bride’s dress sets the tone of the wedding? Is it not the one thing you’ll remember from the event more than anything else? More often than not, the rest of the wedding decorations revolve around the style and theme of the dress. In a way, the bride’s wedding dress represents her ideals. Some women have dreamed about their wedding dress since they were toddlers. Other women apparently don’t care at all, which would explain most of the atrocities you are about to witness. Just how do you choose a bridesmaid dress?

Some you most likely have seen before, but others I dug a little bit to find. It was challenging to only pick 25 dresses though because of the plethora of horrible designs out there, but I pulled through after wiping the blood from my eyes. I actually had to stop myself at some point because I realized there was a never ending supply of bad dresses. And no, I didn’t put in the pregnant African American girl because she’s wearing a prom dress. Thanks to www.uglydress.com for many of the dresses.

I’m not sure what this looks like more: a electronic device for…um…massage or… Well, it looks like that and nothing else. Sorry.

Is Napoleon in the building?

It’s worth mentioning that this one is made out of thousands of condoms stitched together. So they are ready for the wedding night and how!

In case you couldn’t tell, this one is made out of newspaper.

A slutty wedding for all! I bet the bra can be removed for the topless wedding you always dreamed of.

At least the bridal shower streamers were put to good use after the party.

I would run if I saw this coming down the isle toward me.

I would run screaming if I saw this coming down the isle toward me.

This will hopefully stay in the window…forever, as a warning to all brides-to-be. Yellow is not a good color on a wedding dress.

Let’s hope this is for an indoor wedding or else the bride will also be wearing a beard made of bees.

This “dress” is more for the stripper the night before. Good luck, buddy, she seems the stay-at-home type.

Words do not do this picture justice. Just try to look away. Now imagine if she she jumped.

Nurse, oh nurse. Can you please pull the plug on this wedding dress.

Two outfits in one: a wedding dress and a straight jacket. Lovely.

As ugly as the wedding dress is, the head ornament is a nice distraction. Don’t poke an eye out with that.

Here are some from www.uglydress.com

And now the one you’ve all been waiting for…

Why Choose A Beach Wedding Dress

Today, modern brides are truly blessed because they have an option not to wear heavy and formal gowns by choosing a beach themed marriage. In this kind of wedding, brides do not have to fret about choosing a formal robe because they will be able to only wear a beach marriage dress.

Why select a beach marriage dress

Indeed, in all of the modern concepts of wedding, beach theme is one of the most well liked. Due to this popularity, a beach wedding dress has become a common option for this themed wedding as they are straightforward to pick and to hold.

For most brides, a beach marriage dress is the most appropriate marriage dress because it needs smaller time in finding what to wear for the occasion. Since they can save time, brides who prefer wearing a beach marriage dress can have more time to plan and carry out details of the complete rite.

Aside from being hassle free, a beach wedding dress is also ideal because it can provide you utmost comfort in this stressful time. It is also less costly compared to the traditional wedding gowns out there because a beach wedding dress usually come in simple cuts and designs meant for the location.

Also, before buying a beach wedding dress, ensure that this is intended to cling to the contours of your body. A beach marriage dress should be pared down and slim fit to ensure that you wont be distracted once the wind caught the hem or any bit of your dress. Perfect options for a beach marriage dress include straight-line marriage dresses, mermaid cut marriage dresses and those that are princess line cut to ensure that you can move about easily. Aside from portability because of lightweight material, also make sure that the beach wedding dress is simple to move by avoiding too much detail or accessories on it.

Choosing a beach marriage dress

Although it would appear simple, easy, there are major concerns when you select a beach wedding dress. The 1st major consideration in choosing a wedding dress should be the climate of the destination. Determining the climate is very important because this can affect your overall comfort in the wedding. Make sure that you have checked with the local weather station branch the common climate for the area before setting your final wedding date. If the area is wet or subject to storm, it is best to look for a beach that in a tropical country that the weather would not ruin your special date.

Next consideration would be the average temperature. If the beach where the function will occur is in a tropical country like in Boracay, Philippines, go for a beach wedding gown that is formed cotton or something that will let the air pass thru. Except for the material used, also choose designs that will let you breathe from the tough heat of the area. Ideal cuts are sleeveless, tube, strapless, or off-the-shoulder ones because these can offer you with final comfort in spite of actual exposure to the beach.

The sort of fabric is also a big consideration. If you are choosing a beach marriage dress for your big and special day, make sure that you select those that are styles and cuts made from fabrics that are lightweight such as organza or chiffon. This can guarantee that you’re going to be comfortable regardless of the tough winds and heat of the beach.

Looking for more ideas to help you choose the perfect wedding gown? Visit yourweddinggowns.com to read about various types of bridal dresses, you may also want to take a look at informal wedding gowns.

photo by sekundo

Choosing the Perfect Wedding Dress

When little girls spend their maths classes daydreaming of weddings what do they dream of first? The perfect wedding dress: a gown in ideal embellishments, and sweeping train, the perfect embellishments, and the ideal shoes.

Many brides are lucky. They may search high and low, braving chilly dept stores and in your face bridal shops, but eventually they come face-to-face with The One. They know this is The One as they start crying, or their mother or chums all start crying instantly. All of the planning …. the theme, the right sort of venues …. it all springs to life.

Other brides are not as lucky. They’ve searched just as hard, working their way thru shops across 3 or four states, but they haven’t found The One. Instead, they’ve found three or 4 Contenders, all of which are serviceable and nice, but not earth-shattering sufficient to tell them that now is definitely time to stop the searching and get on with the planning. These brides have it harder.

Even if you are the first kind of bride, purchasing the dress is such a significant call that you run a risk of falling into that wallet-skinning category known as the Two-Dress Bride. Here are some tips for picking the ideal dress and avoiding that horrible fate.

1. Bring the entourage, but don’t buy. It is fun and helpful to bring your mum, mates or sisters on the dress-shopping expedition. It gives you a buffer against an overbearing sales staff, and it’s entertaining to see if your impressions of perfection are shared by your family, not to say how they will love being part of such an important decision. But no matter how ardent everybody gets over a certain dress, don’t buy in the heat of the moment. Give yourself time to rethink and buy with a cool head later, alone. The vast majority of dresses are non-returnable, so when you have purchased it, you’ve bought it.
2. Don’t buy too early unless you may. Bridal gowns can take four to 10 coming months to come from the manufacturer, but there isn’t any reason to buy over a year previously, unless your selected style is going to be abandoned. Give yourself some time to sit on your decision. Once you pick a robe, you can see one hundred others nearly like it. You can become a walking encyclopedia on that style of gown. All the better if you have room to choose.
3. If you have acquired “The One,” stop shopping. Any more window-shopping at this point will only lead you down the line toward the dreary land of Two-Dress Brides. What you want to do instead is remember that blissful feeling of having tried on The One. Go get The One out of the closet, put it on and stand before the mirror. You will remember precisely why it’s the One.
4. If you have acquired “The One” and can’t stop shopping, get a second opinion. Show your first and 2nd selections to other brides. Be honest — tell them you have already remortgaged your apartment for the 1st dress, but you suspect this second dress might be It. They are going to be truthful, too — the 1st one was better. You can feel reassured.
5. Don’t tell yourself “I’ll sell the old dress and select a new one.” This old saw of the Two-Dress Bride just will not work. You’ll never get more than a fraction of what you paid for your first dress if you bought it new.
6. Don’t be scared to target high — regardless of what your position. Some brides knew from the start they wanted a designer label, but life just failed to cooperate by making them heiresses. Yet all is not lost if you’re willing to buy courageously. At any given moment, a better-heeled bride is selling her once-used St. Pucchi or Ulla-Maija on eBay. She paid thousands on thousands, but you, smart client, will pay half that or less. To take this road, you need to shop earlier than other brides so you’ll have a choice of gowns.
7. Shop on the internet, but never send a check. Bridal robe companies infrequently have a technique of vanishing overnite. Whatever what the proprietor tells you, never make a purchase as large as a wedding gown without the chargeback protection of a Credit card . If they say they won’t take plastic, move on.
8. Don’t hold out forever for The One. Some brides never find The One. What they do find is some dresses they look handsome in. If you are this bride, try beginning your planning from the theme rather than the dress. You will potentially finally get sick to death of dress shopping. When that happens, “good enough” actually will be ok. Focus on other sides of the wedding that mean a lot to you, like the venue, the food, or the inevitable adoration of your soon-to-be husband.

Choosing the right wedding dress for your wedding can be a tough decision, visit yourweddinggowns.com and find your own wedding dress.

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