The Most Expensive Wedding Dresses in the World

December 8, 2011 by  
Filed under Wedding Attire, Wedding Dresses

No matter who you are, the bride’s wedding dress is going to make a big dent in your budget and as many a man has discovered, whether he be the bride’s father or the groom who are paying for it, they end up being highly perplexed that a dress which is only to be worn once can cost so much money.  When you are dealing with cost issues in your wedding, it may help you to consider that these items, and the wedding dress ranks very high up there with them, are not so much about “cost” as about the value they give – the look and feeling they give to the bride, the groom and the assembled cast who are participating in the wedding.

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.

diamond-wedding-dress

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.

peacock_dressComing 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!

Create your own Wedding Dress

October 21, 2011 by  
Filed under Wedding Attire, Wedding Dresses

wedding-dressWouldn’t it be nice if you were the person that will create your own marriage dress on your big day? Naturally it would be. The reason is because you get the opportunity to make a statement with all the unique touches you add to your wedding dress, such as matching your wedding ring set.

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. Read more

Casual Wedding Dress

October 18, 2011 by  
Filed under Wedding Attire, Wedding Dresses

casual wedding dressThese days, the Church isn’t the only place where you can have a marriage. This could be done in the backyard, the beach or the countryside and since such places aren’t that formal, it is only right to wear a casual wedding dress.

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. Read more

Bridal Flip Flops. Wedding Sandals

October 12, 2011 by  
Filed under Wedding Attire, Wedding Dresses

HAPPY FEET: THE BEAUTY OF FLIP-FLOPS

White-high-Wedge-400gif2There 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. Read more

Choosing a Wedding Dress – Tips on Finding the Right Dress

September 28, 2011 by  
Filed under Wedding Attire, Wedding Dresses

You’re going shopping for wedding dresses and find a few dresses that you would like to try on. The excitements builds as you think you may have found the dress, only to be disappointed moments later when you’re staring in the mirror in what is definitely not the dress. While there are many beautiful dresses at your local boutique, only certain types of dresses will be best for your body type.

Ball Gown Dress

Ball Gown Wedding 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

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

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

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

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.

The Wedding Dress Should Enhance the Bride

September 24, 2011 by  
Filed under Wedding Attire, Wedding Dresses

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. Read more

Should You Buy a Designer Wedding Dress?

August 31, 2011 by  
Filed under Wedding Dresses, Wedding Planning

 Is Buying a Designer Wedding Dress the Right Decision?

When you were a little girl dreaming of your wedding, you probably imagined yourself in a beautiful wedding gown. I would bet that a budget wasn’t part of that dream. Unless you have unlimited funds, you will find yourself balancing a budget and your dreams as you plan your wedding. Have you considered buying designer wedding dresses?

Long White Designer Wedding Dress

Long White Designer Wedding Dress

Experts suggest that you should spend about 6% of your wedding budget on the dress. With the average cost of a wedding around $25,000, the recommended advice is to spend about $1,500 on your wedding dress. Wedding budgets, however, are difficult to stick to. After all, your wedding dress is the most significant piece of clothing that you will ever purchase. Should you go for the designer wedding dress, or go for a discount wedding dress?

You Must Shop For a Designer Dress

Even if you have no intention of purchasing a designer dress, go shop for one anyway. You’ll be treated to champagne, as boutique associates attempt to find the perfect dress for you. It’s a fun experience and a once in a lifetime opportunity – hopefully.

Designer Wedding Gown

Designer Wedding Gown

My Dress is Out of My Budget

If you do visit the boutique and fall in love with a designer wedding gown you may be facing a dilemma.  Do you ignore the budget for a dress that you will wear once in your life, or choose an alternative? There may be a way for you to get the dress without breaking the bank. You may decide that it’s worth cutting back on the flowers or the food to increase your budget. Perhaps the store will work with you to offer you a discount.

If the store won’t work with you and you have tried on the dress you want, go online to find the dress. Ebay can be a good source of new designer dresses. There are bridal ebay stores, and you can also find brides selling their wedding gowns on eBay. Try craigslist as well for local brides selling their wedding dresses. You can also look for a wedding store that rents out dresses and get the dress of your dreams that way. Lastly, you can ask a seamstress to create an exact duplicate of the designer wedding dress that you want and do so at a much lower cost.

Designer Wedding Dress - Mermaid Style

Designer Wedding Dress - Mermaid Style

Buying a designer dress is ultimately up to you. No one else can make the decision if it’s worth it or not. Purchases for your wedding are never logical. When else will you spend $25,000 on one night? If the dress makes you feel absolutely beautiful you may decide to go for it. Shop around, try to get a discount, visit online stores and do your best to stay around your budget. If your budget really doesn’t allow you to get the dress you do want, find a cheaper alternative that looks just as great. While you won’t have bragging rights of saying you’re wearing Vera, your guests won’t know the difference. Most important is that you feel beautiful in the dress.

Beach Wedding Dresses – Choosing the Right Dress

August 27, 2011 by  
Filed under Featured, Wedding Dresses

Choosing the Right Dress for your Beach Wedding

Sandy beaches and ocean waves set the stage for your wedding, and you have the leading role. Your wedding dress is the focal point and you will want to choose the best dress for your beach wedding.

What You Need to Know Before You Shop

Whether you are shopping for a beach wedding dress or not, you will want to choose a dress that matches your style, and the theme of your wedding. Beach weddings are typically less formal than having a wedding in a church.

Consider the weather when shopping for your dress. Beaches can get very hot, as well as breezy. Select a light fabric, such as satin, silk or chiffon. A light fabric that flows nicely can look great in pictures. You can have a model-style photo shoot as your hair and dress flow with the breeze.

If your wedding is in the evening, have a shawl or a jacket made to match the dress, so you can wear it if you get cold. While you can choose a long dress, avoid a dress with a train since you don’t want the dress to drag across the sand.

Tips For Shopping

Bring a friend and a camera while shopping for the dress. Have a friend take pictures of you while you try on dresses. Later you can look at the photos and see how you look in the dresses you tried on. Remember that with a beach wedding dress you are not limited to shopping at wedding stores alone, you can also shop at any store that sells cocktail dresses. You can save a significant amount of money buying an off the rack cocktail dress. The dress may not need any alterations, and you won’t need to wait months until its ready.

Styles for a Beach Wedding Dress

There are several different styles of wedding dresses, however some work better for beach weddings.

A-Line Beach Wedding Dress

A-Line Beach Wedding Dress

A-Line Beach Wedding Dress

An A-line style dress looks like a capital A. The advantage of the A line is that it can accommodate most body shapes. The dress fits snugly around the bodice, and flows from the chest down. It’s a simple and classy look that can match the simple but elegant theme of a beach wedding. The A-line can also accommodate light fabrics, which is perfect for being outdoors. The dress can be modified to highlight your best features and draw attention away from areas you don’t want to highlight. Try A-line style dresses for your beach wedding.

Column Wedding Dress

Column Beach Wedding Dress

Column Beach Wedding Dress

The column dress can also be a great choice due to its simple style. The traditional look of this dress barely reaches the floor, or you can opt for a knee length style that is more casual. Find a silk or satin material and avoid heavier fabrics when wearing this dress on the beach. While the A-line dress is suitable for most body types, the column dress is less forgiving of problem areas. Choose the column dress if you have a slim figure.

Your wedding on the beach can be casual, elegant and romantic all at the same time. You will look back at the pictures and see a glowing bride with your dress flowing in the ocean breeze. That is what choosing the right dress for your beach wedding is all about.

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.

6a00d834519d9469e200e54f87d4438833-800wi

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?

Is Napoleon in the building?

condom-wedding-gown_49

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!

dadadress

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

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

chicken

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

badfungshui

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

uglydress_1996_5576545

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

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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.

1205Ss10L

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

bikini-wedding-dress

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

wedding-breast

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

ugly-wedding-dress

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

chanel-original

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

all_white_now

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

uglydress_2031_4348728

uglydress_2031_6323590

uglydress_2031_6875129

uglydress_2031_9040777

uglydress_2031_9481149

uglydress_2031_12242078

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

Wedding_Dress

Why Choose A Beach Wedding Dress

March 7, 2011 by  
Filed under Wedding Attire, Wedding Dresses

Beach Wedding DressToday, 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

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