One thing you shouldn’t have to think about is how YOU feel on your special day.  Sure, it is the most important day of your life.  Of course, it is the day you want to look more beautiful than any other day.  The thing is, it’s also a very long day, and you should take certain precautions so that nothing distracts you from being your radiant, beautiful, happy self.   Here are some practical suggestions that other people might be too tactful to share with you.

photo by Inchka

The Shoes.  You shoes should certainly be the shoes of your dreams.  Princess Shoes.  Fairy Princess Shoes.  Shoes that make your feet feel light as air.  Shoes that do not cause permanent toe damage.  Shoes that won’t make you snap at your elderly relatives.  There is a line between comfort and fashion.  We all know that.  Trust me when I tell you that you will enjoy your special day so much more if your feet aren’t killing you.  Just say no to foot torture devices.

photo by Susan_1981

Allow me to mention the subject of your unmentionables.  Of course you want to be pretty from head to toe on your wedding day.   Of course you should wear underwear that makes you feel pretty.  You should not wear underwear that will cause you to dance prematurely up the aisle.  I doubt very seriously that you want a shot of you picking a wedgie in your photo album.  Nor do you want your maid of honor’s duty to include reattaching your stocking to your garter.  Have a test run of your wedding skivvies – if not the actual pieces then very similar or identical – so that you can be sure it will be comfy and stay put during your nuptials.

Follow these words of advice, from me, Wedding Gal’s trusted and beloved Cousin Betty.  I’ve been to too many weddings (and a part of too many weddings) to steer you wrong.

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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

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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

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White is white…right?  Wrong!  Any woman in search of that perfect wedding gown will be the first to tell you that she has discovered otherwise.  After waltzing into her local bridal shop;  and being faced with row upon row of gorgeous white wedding dresses, many a bride, has been shocked to discover that there are countless shades of white…There are : creamy whites, eggshell whites, brilliant whites, white whites,  blue whites; as well as other hues of white that she may never have dreamed of! For many, this has been a rude awakening, and an unexpected ‘punch’!

With all of these shades of white around, how do you decide which is the right one for you?   A good place to start would be with your own skin tone.  The shade you select, should be one that is best for you.  First of all, you will need to know whether your skin tone is either cool, warm or olive.  Experts tell us that if your skin tone is ‘cool’, bright white is often the right choice; as its blue undertone very easily complements this particular skin type.   If your skin tone is ‘warm’,  because of its creaminess, a soft, ivory shade may be the one for you.  Olive toned skin requires a  not-so-stark ’white’ that is on the deeper end of the spectrum.  Ecru and antique white can often show off a skin tone of this type to its best advantage.

While there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to selecting the gown of your choice, it is nice to know that there are resources available to assist you in choosing one that will help you to look your best on your very special day.

Additional Source: EisemanColorBlog.com

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As the credit card advert says, “Priceless!”

From the humble wedding to the sublime or ridiculous, you can take your pick; we have the wedding dresses where money is clearly no object and nothing has been spared for delivering the ultimate creation.

The most expensive wedding dress in the world to date is the USD $12 million creation, known as The Diamond Wedding Gown, which was the result of a collaboration between Renee Strauss (owner of a super successful, wedding salon in Beverley Hills) and Martin Katz, a rare jewel dealer.  The dress itself uses over 150 carats of diamonds and to give you an idea of what this means, the typical engagement ring rarely hits a full carat and hovers around the half-carat mark.

The Diamond Wedding Gown was premiered in 2008 and took the title of the most expensive wedding dress in the world from a design by Yumi Katsura of Japan.  Her creation followed the same traditional white design as The Diamond Wedding Gown, but came in at a paltry USD $8.5 million though it does lay claim to containing over 1,000 pearls and one of only two 5 carat white gold diamonds in the world.

Coming down to the mid-range in terms of expense, we have the Peacock Feather Wedding Dress which was launched in 2009 and contains 2009 peacock feathers to commemorate the year.  For a miserly USD $1.5 million you can have the ultimate in mating display for your wedding day and for the non-traditionalists, it isn’t white.  One word of caution here, with a display of male peacock feathers of such grandeur, you should not be so surprised to find the bride being trailed by a long line of brown hens!

We have to take all of these dollar values with a pinch of salt given the recent economic wrangling; Vera Wang who is the wedding dress designer to the stars and claimed the most expensive dress she’s ever made was the unused wedding dress for the J-Lo/Affleck marriage that never was, is now selling her wedding dresses at a 50% discount compared to last year.

Finally, there is a chance for all of us to get into something, expensively uncomfortable, and then hang it in the closet for the rest of our lives!

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Today, thanks to the advent of technology and easy accessibility to data, more and more brides-to-be are getting into planning their own marriage dresses. Unlike before when information is limited re design and its technicalities, modern brides can have their dream marriage dress created by themselves. Now, they can see their dream marriage dress created before their very own eyes the way they need it to be.

Considerations in coming up with your own marriage dress

If you are the kind of bride who would want to look absolutely unique, then you must find out how to design your own wedding dress. This job might appear frightening at first, but if you wish to do it your own way, you can overcome that “I couldn’t do it” mindset and start working.

One of the major concerns if you need to design your own marriage dress is time. The reason is because the task itself will require so many time especially if you do not have inborn knack for planning. If you are dating and would want to design your own wedding dress in the future, now is the best time to get started on it. If you believe you’ve got more than sufficient time to design your own wedding dress, then you must familiarize yourself with the basics.

The first thing that you need to do if you have ultimately decided that you’re going to design your own marriage dress is to conduct a research. This research should include the different body types for each marriage dress, numerous marriage dress shapes, materials that can be used, styles that are in trend, cuts that may fit you, colors, and basic sewing information.

If you are done with the research, you can now proceed to the design correct. Before you proceed, it is very important for you to establish your body type in order to know which dress shape would look good on you. If you’ve got a tall frame, almost any style of wedding dress would look good on you. If you are petite, it’s miles better to stick with clean style and cuts because too many subtleties in the design can be overwhelming for your frame. If you are pear formed, it is safe to stay with A-line princess cut marriage dresses to avoid exposing your waist. If you do your analysis intently, you will discover that there are so many straightforward cures when it comes to physical flaws.

You should also familiarize yourself with different dress shapes and cuts for wedding gowns including straight line, empire cut, ball gown, mermaid, and others so you can make your own variation if required.

The next consideration would be the fabric to be used. Since you are just starting, it is best to consult a seamstress or tailor what is the best fabric for your dream wedding robe. Their recommendation can be of much help to you because you don’t need to be confused when you go to a fabric and textile store. This would also make sure that you would not be purchasing the incorrect kind of dress for your dress. Other significant issues include the color of fabric, embellishments to be used, and the stitching process.

If you want to design your own wedding dress, you can do it in 2 ways : by traditional sketching or using the “design your own marriage dress” programs in varied bridal sites in the Internet.

What kind of wedding dress will be perfect for your wedding? To learn more about the many types of wedding gowns, visit yourweddinggowns.com and also have a look at couture bridal dress.

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But before you start out and buy one, you must consider just how casual are you wanting your wedding dress to be. Glaringly , this has to do with where the marriage will take place and the theme.

Just to offer you an idea, if the marriage will take place during the summer, the ultimate causal wedding dress is a sundress. You have your choice of a halter, thin strap or strapless top. It’s far better to get a skirt that is short rather than long so it does not get dirty from sand or soil when you’re walking down the makeshift aisle. To finish the look, you can even put a hat on rather than covering yourself up with a veil.

As for the material, you must not get an informal marriage dress that is made from brocade, heavy silks or velvet because it is too heavy. You must also only add a few embellishments to the causal wedding dress because it also adds some weight.

The casual wedding dress should be made of flowing fabrics because it drapes well and is less vulnerable to wrinkling. Examples of these include batiste, chiffon, charmeuse, crepe, damask, duchesse satin and illusion nets.

However, if this is occuring in the autumn or fall, this is the time you can consider using heavier material. You will potentially need a wool jacket over the skirt to also help you stay warm.

You will not have a hard time looking for a casual marriage dress because this is stocked in stores and on the web. Just take some time checking each one out and then trying it on. This should fit nicely and complement with the theme for the wedding so you do not look out of the place during the ceremony.

The key to finding the right causal wedding dress is contingent on your body type. If you are boxy, you should find an outfit that gives the illusions of curves. If this isn’t your problem, attempt to find something that gets the awareness away from these areas.

If you are still having a tough time, maybe it is time to get an off-the-cuff marriage dress that is custom made to your specs.

There are 2 things that make the casual marriage dress a top value for your money. First, is the fact that this dress is much less expensive than a traditional wedding robe. The least expensive one will cost less than $50 while a branded one may well go over a $1,000.

Second, an off-the-cuff marriage dress is that this can be employed again unlike the formal wedding gown that is kept away after use. This will be worn again when you are attending a party or eating in a restaurant.

The casual wedding dress is great given that you aren’t restricted to white for your special day. You can get one that uses soft pastels to bright blues and reds or maybe hibiscus prints. The main thing is that you feel snug wearing it.

Choosing the right wedding dress for your wedding can be a tough decision, visit yourweddinggowns.com to learn about different kinds of wedding gowns and also check out casual bridal gown.

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There was a time when flip-flops would be viewed with derision, because they were considered as casual, items of footwear that could just be worn to suitably informal locations such as the beach or garden parties, at best. Many of you may still recall the commotion that was kicked up when a few members of the North-western Women’s Lacrosse team appeared at an official White House reception in thong sandals when critics derisively called them ‘flip-flops’. Now, that was only as 2005, but the humble flip-flop has come a long way since then. This writing and associated ones that follow will show how flip-flops are not just acceptable, but favored attire for all kinds of formal occasions, including weddings.

Humble origins

In truth flip-flops have traditionally not been seen in an elevated position. This maybe because flip-flops are a style of casual sandal (though not the only type) often made out of rubber, which is not a very fashionable substance, is it? However, there are also many very classy thong sandals, that are not called flip-flops. By definition, therefore, flip-flops are a non-formal, slightly derided sandals that are easy to get in and out of, and easy to carry.

On bridal demand

Despite all of that, though, flip-flops are among the most popular footwear items today, and not just with the trendy people who want to dress unusually. In fact, proof of the increasing respectability of flip-flops is their favoritism as bridal footwear. Many women who have been through a conventional wedding will testify to the hours of extreme suffering that a bride must endure in her stylish, conventional, shiny bridal shoes or agonizing stilettos. Not only does she have to socialize with these on, but she must also smile throughout it all. It is not a wonder, then, that brides have heartily agreed with the idea of having casual sandals to their wedding ceremonies with a flair, particularly if the wedding in regard is not exactly the walking down the aisle variety.

Universal access

It is not to express that casual sandals would be undesirable in a church wedding, but it is correct that bridal flip-flops are more desirable at a beach wedding, perhaps, or a garden wedding. But to whichever type of wedding {ceremony} venue they are used, flip-flops often create a spontaneous atmosphere that helps guests to relax and appreciate the wedding nuptials. In keeping with their popularity at weddings, bride flip-flops are now available in more fashionable avatars, which means they can easily be used to church ceremonies, with no concern. So if you are in the market bridal footwear, don’t be at all amazed if the store employee suggests casual sandals set with semi-precious stones, or decorated with sequins or beads.

Price rules

Maybe the number one thing about flip-flops, bridal or otherwise, is their very inexpensive price range. So much so, you can obtain rubber flip-flops for as low as one dollar, although you could want to spend a little more than that on your bridal shoes. In that case, you may have to spend all of five dollars at most. For sure, as quickly as designers realize a good thing, its cost increases, so you can really go all out on a pair of designer casual sandals, although that is purely a case of personal choice.

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Ball Gown Dress

Ball Gown Wedding Dress

If you are having a big wedding, you might be thinking about wearing a beautiful ball gown wedding dress. The ball gown dress is dramatic, and will have you looking like Cinderella herself.

Ball gowns are ideal if you have a pear shaped body. The dress will create a beautiful hourglass figure and will look great in your wedding photos. If you are going for a simpler look you should probably avoid this type of dress. You may also want to choose another style if you are short, so that you don’t get swallowed up by the big and fluffy the nature of the ball gown dress.

A-line Wedding Dress

A-Line Wedding Dress

If you are shorter than average and like the style and look of the ball gown dress, consider the A-line style. In fact, if you are short consider the princess style variation of the A-line dress. The princess cut features elongating lines, which creates the illusion of a longer body and makes you look taller than you actually are. A full long A-line dress can also hide a larger lower half and make you look slimmer.

The A-line dress fits tightly around the bodice and flows out, resembling the look of a capital A letter. The dress can be designed as a short above-the-knee dress, or longer flowing dress. You can also wear contrasting fabrics with a separate bodice and dress. Because of the flexibility of this style, the A-line can enhance any body type.

Be the Little Mermaid (Dress)

Mermaid Wedding Dress

The mermaid style dress is aptly named for its mermaid look. The dress fits snugly around your chest and down to your knees and then flares out. No matter what body type you have, if you aren’t very confident in showing every curve, don’t wear this dress.  The mermaid dress can come in various styles and is most suited for a slender body type. If however you have a voluptuous figure and aren’t afraid to show it, go for it!

What If You Are Pregnant? The Empire Strikes Back!

Empire Wedding Dress

The pregnant bride can look great in an Empire dress. This style is unique in that the waist is high and begins right under your chest. Your bust will be accentuated, while the dress will allow for more room in the stomach area.

The Simple Column Dress Look

Simple Column Wedding Dress

Having a beach wedding, or looking for a simpler look?  The column dress may be the perfect fit. The dress is fitted and has a straight skirt, and looks best on tall, slender women. It’s important to know that this dress is not forgiving if you have problem areas, and can also restrict you while trying to dance.

One of the most important decisions you will make when planning your wedding is choosing the dress. If you find a dress that you love that doesn’t accentuate your best parts, have a conversation with a tailor before you dismiss the dress. Perhaps the dress can be altered to fit your body style. Most of all, have fun while shopping for your dress and don’t settle unless your absolutely fall in love with the dress.

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the perfect wedding dress

There is so much excitement and anticipation when it comes to planning a wedding. There are also a multitude of details to arrange and decisions that have to be made by both the bride and the groom. One of the most important and personal decisions a bride must make is to choose the wedding dress she will wear, to make her walk down the aisle to join her groom at the altar.

While the bride and groom are really the proper center of attention on the big day, it is natural and customary for the bride to be a bit more in the spotlight and the bridal dress that she chooses in many ways sets the tone for the whole day. At the same time, the wedding gown very much serves as the frame around the bride and should serve to beautify her and highlight her very best features.

It goes without saying that the wedding dress must not distract the eye in any way from the beauty of the bride. Often, this can be a challenging balance to achieve, but if the bride has enough patience and also can rely on the assistance of a bridal consultant, then the right bridal gown will be found.

There are many stories of brides who had so much difficulty choosing a wedding gown that they ended up being completely frustrated or reduced to tears. At times, it is just the sheer number of choices, trying to meet deadlines, and trying to stay within a budget that causes the difficulty. Other times, it can happen when a well-meaning friend or family member tries to impose their own idea of the perfect wedding dress on the bride.

This is a situation where a bridal consultant can be very helpful. Since they are a third party, and usually on staff at most wedding dress shops, they can offer an objective perspective and opinion about a wedding dress that will be perfect. They can also help the bride to have the courage to stand up for her preferences and decisions and can calm down situations that begin to spiral out of control.

Because there are so many choices in designs and styles from which a bride can choose to find the perfect bridal dress for her special day, it is best to set aside as much time as possible for shopping for the wedding gown and for the wedding gown accessories. First, there needs to be sufficient time to review the many options available. Second, time needs to be set aside for trying on sample gowns. Third, if the bridal dress is going to be a special order or custom tailored, then there must be time allowed for that as well.

When selecting the wedding dress, it is also important to think about more than just the look and style of the dress. Also consider the setting where the wedding will take place and think about comfort. While every bride wants to look stunning for her wedding day, being comfortable will also help to ensure that she enjoys the day as much as possible.

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