Should You Buy a Designer Wedding Dress?

 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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Planning Your Wedding- Tips for Dealing with an Overbearing Mother-In-Law

Your mother-in-law is probably the perfect helper when it comes to planning your wedding, isn’t she? Truth be told, sometimes dealing with family members can be a challenge when planning your wedding, and mother-in-laws are typically the family member you will have a challenge with. If you follow some basic tips you will get more of what you want, have a better relationship with your mother-in-law and be less likely to turn gray while planning your wedding.

She Really Does Mean Well

Mother-in-laws can often be overbearing with their input in your wedding plans. Their son is getting married, and they have their own ideas of what a proper wedding should look like. Remember that most mother-in-laws really do mean well. Keep reminding yourself that when you think she is just trying to butt into your life.  It’s better to try and be diplomatic than to start fighting with your new mom.

Make Her Feel Good

Your mother-in-law might mean well but if her plans don’t match up with yours you have a problem. Sit down with your mother-in-law and politely tell her thanks, but no thanks. Tell her nicely that you know what you want and you really appreciate her input. Think of parts of your wedding that she can help with that won’t make a difference on your wedding day. For example perhaps your mother-in-law can be in charge of the out of town guests and can help them plan for their stay. Or assign her the task of helping with the rehearsal dinner. Pick one or two things that are important that she can help with and hopefully she will be too busy working on those tasks, and won’t bother you about more important aspects of the wedding.

Avoid Trouble

If you find yourself constantly arguing with your mother-in-law during the planning process, it may be better to limit your communication so that your differences don’t escalate further. If she calls, send it to voicemail. Send her an email and tell her you missed her call and see if you can communicate that way. Remember that this isn’t a lifetime arrangement. After the wedding the stress level for you and her will deflate and you can work on repairing the relationship.

Planning your wedding is stressful enough and you really don’t need the added tension of arguing with your mother-in-law about the wedding plans. Remember not to make rash decisions that you will regret later. Think before you speak, and try to compromise when possible. If your mother in law is helping pay for the wedding, have a discussion with your new in laws and set the expectations that while you really appreciate the financial help, you have some ideas of how you want your day to be. Your wedding planning is the beginning of the rest of your life with your groom, but also the beginning of the relationship with your mother-in-law. By being diplomatic and avoiding unnecessary fighting with your mother-in-law you will have a better relationship with your groom, as well as your future in-laws.

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Do You Vow Muse?

You know you’ve been in this situation: you’re sitting at an elegant wedding reception when a groomsman stands up and clinks his champagne glass with a fork. The crowd quiets, and the groomsman begins with, “I wasn’t sure what to say to Julia and Robby, so I thought I’d just wing it…” When has this introduction to a groomsman speech (or bridesmaid speech!) ever ended well? Enter Vow Muse.

Vow Muse—also known as Angie and Alicia—is a writing consultation company that specializes in penning personalized words for weddings and events. The Muses provide help to couples and their wedding party who are struggling with any of the written parts of their wedding: vows, best man/bridesmaid speeches, and wedding ceremonies to name just a few. Their ability to find each client’s unique voice and allow it to articulately shine through on that special day ensures perfection instead of the uncertainty and possible catastrophe of DIY vows and toasts.

Vow Muse came to be after Alicia sat down with yet another friend who sought her help with writing wedding vows. She wondered if it was possible for her to assist the world at large with her personal writing talents, and nabbed Angie to be her vow-writing partner in crime. The two harnessed their energies and got to work. Vow Muse sprang into action in the summer of 2010, and has been busily writing wedding ceremonies, toasts, speeches, and offering public speaking coaching ever since!

Angie and Alicia are professional, quick-witted ladies who spin a simple conversation with their clients into a brilliantly worded, custom-made success. The process of working with a Muse is simple:

It all starts with a conversation.

First, one of the Muses chats with you to get a feel for your personal voice and style while learning about the project you’re working on. Don’t worry if you’re feeling bashful; they chat professionally and can make conversation with a dandelion if the situation calls for it.

Then you’re off the hook for a spell.

The Muse writes; you live your life!

Next, it’s revision time!

Now it’s your turn to review what’s been written to double check that it conveys the essence of you in a voice that reads like looking in a mirror. Want changes? No problem! Writing is a collaborative process, and with just a few quick notes from you (as simple or detailed as you want), the Muses revise.

Done and done.

Now get ready for your wedding to be a brilliant success! Even your mother-in-law will approve.

Getting help with your wedding vows isn’t cheating; it’s just plain smart. Your ceremony and celebration are likely being recorded for posterity, and the last thing you want is your perfect day remembered by the bridesmaid who was too drunk to give a coherent speech, or a groom who was nervous and stuttered through his vows.  Every bride deserves to have her mind put at ease that her dad won’t say anything too humiliating, or that the best man won’t be sharing indiscretions from the groom’s past. Plus, why stress over which twitter-patter inducing words to say to your love or how to say what you mean without being cheesy? Every bride needs a Muse.

Connect with Vow Muse at www.vowmuse.com, on twitter @vowmuse, or email them directly at [email protected]!

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How to Save Money on Your Wedding (Without Looking Like You Did)

Your wedding is a one in a lifetime event. It is a celebration of your commitment and an expression of who you are as a couple. And if you are like many brides, you’ve dreamed of this day for a long time and know exactly what you’d like.

But in this economy, every bride is looking for ways to trim her wedding budget. And to help, I’ve created a list some of my favorite ways to cut your wedding costs – without your guests being the wiser.

Save Money On Your Wedding

Save on the Wedding Ceremony

• Use flowers in key areas only (like the altar or place where you will say your vows). This is where all of your guests eyes will be, and where the majority of your photographs will be taken.

• Have your florist create hand-tied bouquets for you and your bridesmaids. They are less expensive than wired ones and every bit as pretty.

• Use your wedding party flowers again at your reception. Bouquets can make amazing centerpieces at your head table. And they look gorgeous surrounding your cake.

Food and Beverage Costs

• Have your wedding at an “off-peak” time (Thursdays, Fridays or Sundays, and in January – May). Because these times are less popular, the caterer’s cost per person and the required guest count will be lower.
• Butler passed hor d’oeuvres can actually be less expensive than buffet style (because guests tend to eat less of them). Ask your caterer about your options.
• Create a signature drink (made with non-premium alcohol) to save on bar costs. Give the drink a personalized name to make it unique.
• Reduce your cocktail hour by 15-20 minutes. None of your guests will notice. And your bar bill will be less.
• Skip the champagne toasts – few guests really drink it. Or if you want to include it, try Prosecco, a sparkling Italian wine that tastes like champagne – but is much less expensive.

Save Money on Wedding Flowers/ Centerpieces

• Use fewer, larger tables to reduce the number of centerpieces and linen rentals required. Create tables of 10 instead of 8. (Use larger tables that guests aren’t crowded).
• Consider less expensive flowers like carnations, baby’s breath or gladiolas. These blooms tend to be 1/3 the cost of roses and look very dramatic and impactful when used in large monochromatic arrangements.
• Give your florist a long list of flowers you love and those you don’t. Then give him/her flexibility to use the most cost effective/ seasonal flowers from your list. Flexibility equal savings.
• Buy your own vases from places like Pier1 or Ikea. They can be less expensive than what your florist carries. (And you’ll be able to give the centerpieces away at the end of evening if you’d like).
• Ask your florist for ideas about including non-floral items that add impact while lowering cost. A vase filled with lemons or limes can be quite striking.

Save Costs on the Wedding Cake

• Save by using a faux cake. They are absolutely beautiful and your guests won’t notice the difference (you can still cut it).
• Or order only enough cake for 75% of your guests (more guests than you think actually don’t eat the cake).
• Another option is to have a smaller cake (tall but smaller cakes have great impact) and then a second “kitchen cake” which is cut and served to your guests (who will never notice).

Saving on the Wedding Attire

• Of course, I have to mention the savings associated with a preowned wedding dress! Whether you buy a preowned dress or sell your new gown after your wedding, you can expect to save up to 50% of the retail price. That is hundreds or potentially even thousands of dollars that can be used on other wedding costs (or towards upgrading your honeymoon).
• Rent your jewelry. You can actually rent beautiful necklaces, earrings, bracelets and more for you and your wedding party – all for a very reasonable rental fee.

This is a guest blog post by Josie Daga, founder of PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com, a website she created to help brides buy and sell designer wedding dresses. You can also find her on her own blog, Facebook and Twitter.

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My Wedding Ideas Facebook Page

Well, My Wedding Ideas has finally joined the Facebook craze and set up our Facebook Fan page, so feel free to Like us and keep involved on Facebook. Just in case, we also have a twitter page.

Green Wedding

The question has been asked and answered and now your wedding day looms ever closer. You want to make it that perfect day with the perfect moment that you have always imagined, but what is the dream anymore? The picture perfect weddings with doves and huge cathedrals are the stuff of fairy tales and most little princesses anymore work full time and cannot afford them. If you are someone who has been environmentally conscious, you could consider a green wedding as a way to cement your vows to your spouse and the world. Moreover, you can do it without taking out a second loan!

A green wedding is a very simple concept all you do is keep the environment in mind while making all the preparations. Large gatherings of people can upset the balance of certain ecosystems and waste can be the name of the game during preparation and execution of the ceremony. Consider the paper waste from invitations and the pesticides that are commonly used on the grass for outside ceremonies or receptions.

There are many things you can do to ensure an environmentally as well as economically sound green wedding. The manner in which you shop for rings, your reception plans, food and drink are all areas that can be green activities.

The easiest part of your green wedding will be in the clothing. Many brides choose to wear dresses made of all natural fibers, like hemp. Others will choose something they already have that can be altered or will be worn again. Wedding dresses are indeed beautiful, but they are also a waste. Too many of them are taking up valuable space at the local garbage dumps. To keep this from happening it is best to have a dress you can wear again. Many brides have their heart set on a brand new dress and if that is you try to choose something that can be worn again to other events, even if you have the dress altered at a later date.

Save the earth a little bit at time by using some of these green wedding tips:

* Never discount the pawnshop as a potential place to purchase your wedding rings. They often have antique rings available much cheaper than the jewelers do.

*All your table accoutrements can be made of biodegradable products, spoons, fork, plates, cups and table coverings. This is a sure way to make the dishwasher and the earth happy, not to mention saving water!

*You may prefer to have real dishes and that is okay too, just try to find a caterer that will rent them to you. You will not have to concern yourself with the dishes and you can prevent the landfills from overflowing with plastic cups and forks.

*Have your wedding ceremony and your wedding reception at the same location, if at all possible. This saves your guests on gas having to get back and forth between the two locations, it saves them a possible change of clothes, and it decreases the amount of pollutants in the air by decreasing the amount of driving they have to do in the name of your ceremony.

*Having a green wedding shouldn’t stop you from having creative wedding ideas

When you Should Fire Your Wedding Planner

Wedding planners are professionals that are supposed to work with you on your wedding, and they are supposed to give opinions but not be overbearing, and the most important factor of all is that they are supposed to always remember that it is your wedding not theirs, and so even though they may have a multitude of ideas to bring to the table, they should still hear and listen to your ideas first, so that your wedding will be for you.

There are certain times when you should fire your wedding planner, and although this may sound harsh, you need to realize that you only have one wedding, and so you certainly want to be satisfied with the results that come from it. Especially if you are paying to have a wedding planner, then even more so you do not want to be unhappy with the results.

Why you Should Fire Your Wedding Planner

All too many times, you are too afraid to fire your wedding planner, and although this is mean of you in a way, or so you may think, you have to realize that if they are not listening to your ideas, not taking your feelings into consideration, or simply not working hard enough on your wedding, then you truly do have the right to fire your wedding planner and find a new one.

If you already know that you want to fire your wedding planner, but are just unsure about how you can go about it, then just remember to be polite, and even though you may feel bad you really should go through with it because your wedding is the most important day of your life, and you should not feel as though you got ripped off or as though none of your ideas got heard and thus that your wedding is nothing like what you expected, and in a negative way.

Basically there are many different ways that you can go about it, but just make sure that you let them know that you are not happy with their ideas and with the results that are being shown so far. They should understand, and most certainly should not put up a fight, as any good and decent wedding planner will be most concerned about your feelings and about you being happy with your wedding and so if anything they may even direct you to another wedding planner that is more in sync with you.

7 Budget Saving Tips on Choosing your Wedding Flowers

Every bride wants her wedding to be perfect. A surprisingly big part of this is the purchase of wedding flowers. There are some ideas you can use to make sure this part of the plan goes exactly as you need it to make sure your wedding day is exactly how you want. You also want to be able to pull off the day on a budget, so indulge with these money saving tips!

One: The Right Florist

You have to be able to find the florist you trust with your wedding flowers. While price is definitely your top concern, you should also keep in mind the florist who wants to serve your needs the best. A good florist will have access to many different modes of acquiring your wedding flowers and they will often offer you discounts if you buy in bulk.

Two: The Right Budget

You should determine how much money will be going to the purchase of your flowers. If you figure that 10 percent of your budget is dedicated to the flowers then you should stick with that. Go no higher and no lower. Make sure that your florist knows your budget and helps you to stick with it while serving your needs.

Three: The Right Vision

Only you and your bride/groom should be making the decisions on the wedding. While others can offer suggestions, the vision is yours. Your wedding flowers should express your vision totally and be a pinnacle of exactly what you need and desire in flowers. Seek out bridal magazines to find the right kind of flowers for you.

Four: The Right Setting

Your wedding flowers are going to be positioned somewhere as a monument to the marriage. Whether you want them at the reception as centerpieces or display them on a beautiful wood kitchen island for the guestbook attendant, or on the wedding aisle they have to look as close to perfect as possible. Your florist should be able to offer suggestions to you about where the wedding flowers should be placed and how.

Five: The Right Colors

Your flowers have to match the wedding party. Most of the groomsmen will probably be clad in black tuxedos so you mainly have to work with the bridesmaids and your mothers. The flowers should complement the dresses without outshining them or standing out too much. It’s a waste of time to pick the flowers before you get your wedding colors.

Six: The Right Dress

The florist will need to see your dress before they can properly prescribe your wedding flowers. You might think this is irrelevant, but the type of dress you wear will directly influence the types of flowers the florist will suggest. Your wedding flowers will have to complement your dress just as the colors of bouquets will complement the bride’s maids. This will also allow for you to stay within your budget, and at the same time choosing the perfect flowers.

Seven: The Right Commitment

Drafting a contract between you and your florist might not be the first thing you’ve thought of, but if you don’t, you run the risk of being left at the altar with no flowers. As well, you may end up with a bill larger than expected. Make sure the price is drafted as soon as it is decided upon so the florist cannot change the commitment.

Following these seven guidelines, will definitely keep you on budget. Flowers are the beauty of any wedding so indulge with these budget saving tip.

Romona Weston and her family lives in the beautiful Amish countryside of Lancaster County, PA. She loves everything about weddings and have helped many brides on their special day! She is a mom to 7 beautiful children and is married to a very patient and loving man. Romona loves to organize, write and hike and started a review blog where she uses her love for writing to give thorough and in-depth reviews, of all models and kinds of portable and stationary  kitchen carts and kitchen islands and rolling kitchen carts on wheels. As a researcher she presents an unbiased view of products. Explore her reviews at http://www.kitchencarts360.com.  If you are a retailer or manufacturer and would like her to review your product you can contact her via her website.

Image: http://www.weddingfloweridea.com

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My Fantasy Wedding

Make all your wedding dreams come true!Product InformationYou’ve always dreamed of your wedding day now you can make all of yourfantasies come true. Plan every aspect of your big day-from choosing thatspecial someone to your dress cake flowers music and more. Then watch yourwedding unfold. Start making your dreams a reality your groom awaits you!Product FeaturesThat Someone SpecialStart by selecting your fantasy groom. Then choose his tuxedo his groomsmenand of course pick your bridesmaids and their dresses.It’s Your Big DaySelect from 4 magical locations including a fairytale castle summer meadowtropical beach or traditional wedding chapel.The Dress of Your DreamsShop at the Wedding Mall to choose everything for your big day. Choose

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