Wedding Planning View

For every anxious bride who has long dreamed of being able to enjoy a perfect wedding with just the right bridal gown to wear, there is good news because there are many wonderful wedding dresses to choose from to help make the dream a reality. In fact, it is true that there’s never been a greater selection of bridal gowns and this makes it easier to find the absolute perfect wedding dress for that special day.

When beginning a search for a wedding gown, it is a good idea to tap into the considerable resources that are available on the internet and also through the many bridal magazines and books available. It is easy to find stunning pictures of designer wedding dresses that will very quickly give you an idea of what you will find when you set foot inside a wedding dress shop.

Many of today’s brides enjoy putting technology to work for them and scouting the internet for various bridal gown styles they think might suite them. But before making a decision, it is strongly suggested that you step away from the computer and get out to at least a few wedding dress shops so that you can try on your special gown first. Even though there are plenty of people who buy many articles of clothing online or from catalogs, that’s really not the best way to go for a wedding dress.

One of the biggest problems that brides encounter when they are shopping for their wedding gown is choosing the right style that best flatters them. While it is easy to fall in love with a designer wedding gown in a magazine that is draped over the frame of a model, it is often disheartening when that same dress, even in the correct size, does not have the same look at all when the bride tries it on. This is one of the reasons why it is so important to set aside enough time for trying on many different wedding gown styles before buying.

There are two major reasons for being very careful and selective about the choice of the wedding gown. First of all, the bridal dress is probably going to be the most expensive item of clothing that the bride has ever purchased. And secondly, and most important, is that for her wedding day the bride wants to feel her most confident and sexy and having the perfect wedding dress for her body shape and size is essential for that to happen.

A bridal dress can be found in just about any style that one can imagine. Styles range from ultra-formal to moderately formal and even to semi-casual. The formality of the wedding dress should reflect and match the overall style and tone that is being set for the wedding and should also match with the groom’s attire for the day.

When planning the overall schedule, there should always be extra time allowed to be able to carry out some minor alterations to the gown. This is to be expected, regardless of whether the dress was custom made or if it was bought off the rack. There are always some minor adjustments to be made to make sure that the bridal gown is perfect for the occasion.

For a summer or warm-weather wedding, long wedding dresses may be too dull and hot, while mid-thigh length wedding dress may be a little levity, then you could make a compromise on the long wedding dress and short wedding dress – choosing a tea-length wedding dress.
The length of the dress defines the tea length wedding dress, but the dress is available in a variety of styles that can be chosen from. There are strapless styles available, those with halter tops, spaghetti straps and even those with sleeves. When it comes to the bottom half of the wedding dress, tea length wedding dresses are available in ball gown type skirts, a-line skirts and even those that skim the body and are cut closely.
A tea length wedding dress by definition is one that reaches just above the ankles, nearly two inches and therefore does not reach the floor. When it comes to wedding dresses, tea length dresses are becoming increasingly popular for the type of ceremonies which are held in casual locations or beaches and are also popular for destination weddings. These dresses are less likely to become dirty from the constant dragging on the surface of the floor, beach or other casual destination and are therefore a practical choice when it comes to choosing a wedding dress.
While choosing a tea length wedding dress, the shoes will be visible, unlike many traditional wedding dresses and careful consideration may be required to find the perfect pair of shoes which can accompany the wedding dress through the ceremony.
It is important to remember that tea length wedding dresses may need additional alterations, depending on the height of the person that is going to wearing the dress. The height may cause the length of the dress to vary, therefore, alterations can easily be completed by a seamstress or an employee at the dress store to ensure that a tea length wedding dress is readily available for the bride to be.

by: Veronika Lazabal
So, Romeo finally popped the question (yay!) and you’re ready to begin planning your dream wedding. First things first: it’s time to find the perfect wedding dress. But, what to do? Where to go? How to shop for that perfect dress. Relax, chica—we’ve got you covered. Here’s our guide to shopping for the perfect wedding frock:

Set a Budget:
Diamonds are forever. The dress, on the other hand, only has to last about ten hours, tops. So, unless your famila is loaded (or you started saving in the third grade) the prices of wedding dresses may send you into a little bit of sticker shock. But keep in mind that many bridal boutiques can take a picture of a designer dress and come pretty close to replicating it at a fraction of the original cost. A good budgeting strategy to keep in mind: Decide how much you can afford to spend on the entire wedding, carve out an allotment for your dress, and then work backwards from there.

Style, Babe:
Perhaps the best way to decide on the style of dress that you want is to grab a stack of wedding magazines and tear out pictures of the ones that catch your eye. You’ll probably notice a theme or two developing as your pile of cut outs grows. Try to keep an open mind (not every dress you love is going to love you back, so make sure that you check out dresses that will flatter your body shape).

You might want to keep the theme and mood of your wedding in mind as you select a gown as well. Casual or shorter length dresses look great at a beach wedding, while a splash of color or an extra long train can add serious drama to a formal affair.

Time it
Just how long does it take to find the perfect dress, have it altered, choose your accessories, and sashay down the aisle in style? We suggest setting out on your dress shopping adventure about 6 months before the big day. Figure it will take a couple of trips to bridal shops before you find “the one”.

From there, it will be about 8-12 weeks to receive your dress after the initial fitting. Tack on a couple of weeks for alterations and up to four months for delivery, and (whew) you’re all done!

A wedding is a dream-come-true occasion for everyone involved, especially the bride. After dreaming for years of her handsome Knight in Shining Armor, she has eventually found him, and is about to embark on a completely different phase of life – one that includes him, and actually revolves around him, with only their love and commitment as the focus. It is a pious union of two souls, blessed as they are by the great Lord, encouraging them to fuse into one complete entity, and face every aspect of life in this very form, with complete dedication and loyalty to each other, and enough love to fill every heart that beats in this entire world.

Now, since the wedding is one of the most significant events in a woman’s life, each and every aspect of it is also equally significant. However, there happens to be one aspect which, at least for the bride, is actually a little more important than the others, and that is her special bridal wedding dress. There are many facets to be taken care of when it comes to selecting the perfect wedding dress for you, and all of them are equally important.

First of all, you need to know the theme of your wedding. This decides the important aspects of the wedding dress. You need to know whether you are holding a gothic wedding, or a casual one, for then it will require a wedding dress that will match the concept, namely a celtic wedding dress or a casual one, respectively. Your budget also plays a very important role in deciding the kind of wedding dress you ought to choose.

Next, you must take care of the fabric of the wedding dress. You could select between any comfortable types of clothing material, the thickness depending on the season, and, once again, the theme. Once you have decided this, your next step would be to decide on the kind of cut you want to wear in the form of your wedding dress. The cut not only includes the length and neckline, but also the overall contour ad fitting of the dress. Ensure that you choose a cut that suits the theme, season, and of course, the fabric of the dress in itself, and is, most importantly, comfortable for you to wear. For instance, in case you are expecting a baby, you will need a pretty maternity wedding dress, which will enhance your motherly beauty, apart from the obvious bridal kind.

Depending on these factors, you need to decide on the color of the wedding dress. While white is the traditional and conventional hue for a bride, you could select any other one based on your wedding theme and, obviously, your preference. The accessories that you select for your wedding dress, such as gloves, veil or tiara, and the special hand bouquet of beautiful and fragrant flowers, depend on all the facets mentioned above. You can make your choice from the available options.

Choosing the perfect wedding dress is going to be extremely difficult, but if you follow the right steps in the right manner, you are sure to look absolutely stunning on your wedding day, just as you always wanted, and it is really doubtful if your Prince Charming, or any other male in the vicinity, for that matter, will have eyes for any other woman, apart from you. So, choose wisely, and get gorgeous for your wedding day.

The Vineyard Collection, designed by Mark Brower, is quite simply the most enchanting line of wedding gowns that has hit the runway in years. Designed for the modern bride, Brower combines meticulous attention to detail with a flair for the whimsical and dramatic to create a line of wedding gowns that dazzles with intricate beadwork and flowing lines.
Brower is a graduate of Parson School of Design, and has worked with both Vera Wang and Finesse Embroideries. His pedigree shows in the Vineyard Collection, which features playful touches like jeweled belts and pockets, a la Vera Wang’s whimsical sense of design for the modern bride. The pieces in the Vineyard Collection include bridal gowns, party dresses and formal wear and bridesmaid gowns. They range in style from sophisticated punk, (yes, the two work beautifully together in the Drew wedding dress) to the elegant simplicity of the Tasha wedding gown, a sleek silk charmeuse gown with a very sophisticated flounced V back that becomes a soft train.
The Drew wedding dress and the Tasha wedding gown are only two highlights from the Vineyard collection, which features several dozen pieces in all. Other highlights from the collection include:
Vineyard Collection Bridal Gowns
Kelsey from the Vineyard Collection – This deceptively simple silk and chiffon wedding gown is reminiscent of Greek goddesses. It features a softly draped bodice and back framing a V-neck front and a deep V-back that shows off your sexy back. The A-line style is flattering to most figures and the flowing layers of chiffon and silk accent every move with their graceful flow. The lovely, simple style is set off by a beaded belt at the waist, a surprisingly deft accent that one seldom sees in traditional wedding gowns.
Drew from the Vineyard Collection – As mentioned above, the Drew marries punk and sophistication in a wedding gown that’s the ideal choice for a sassy bride who still gives a nod to tradition. The silk taffeta dress features a vertically seamed strapless bodice with corset styling, and a bouffant tea-length skirt with a net petticoat peeking from beneath the taffeta skirt. This look is very chic, very punk princess and totally modern.
Blythe from the Vineyard Collection – For the dramatic bride with a modern flair, the Blythe wedding gown features a drop waist satin bodice and a tiered net skirt accented with wide satin banded hems. The hourglass seaming of the drop-waist bodice ensures a smooth, sleek fit that hugs every curve without clinging.
Jules from the Vineyard Collection – A daringly different look for the modern bride, the Jules wedding gown features casual shirtwaist styling in a full length flare-to-fit ball gown, a trend that fits Brower’s liking for reinterpreting modern classics with a twist, very Vera Wang. The wrap front styling and oversized off-center bow at the waist combine with the standup collar to create a distinctive and sophisticated profile.
Lindsey from the Vineyard Collection – At first glance, the Lindsey wedding gown is a delightfully traditional wedding gown featuring cap sleeves and V-neckline, but a second look shows off the modern details that define Mark Brower’s Vineyard Collection. The ruched bodice gathers at the center to accent the curve of your waist, and the deep pleats of the skirt conceal side seam pockets, a feature seldom found on wedding gowns.
Gwen from the Vineyard Collection – Delightfully sophisticated and sleek, the Gwen wedding gown plays with the asymmetrical look. The fitted satin gown flows smoothly from a slightly slanted bodice that’s held up by a single slim shoulder strap. The crystal beading at the bodice adds sparkle and interest, calling attention to the unique styling. The slim lines flow into a soft train, giving the gown an entirely different profile from the back.
Bridesmaid Dresses from the Vineyard Collection – One of the loveliest features of the Vineyard Bridal Party dresses is that they really truly are dresses that your bridal attendants will wear again. Many of the bridesmaid dresses are designed to complement bridal designs from the collection, but they all stand alone beautifully as party and event dresses.
What do you choose for your bridesmaids if you’ve opted for the sophisticated punk princess look? Vineyard Style 1509 is the ideal choice. The knee-length skirt is taffeta over a net skirt that plays peek-a-boo while you walk, and the vertical ruching of the bodice is the ideal complement to the Drew’s vertical seaming. It’s a surprisingly sophisticated baby-doll dress that’s available in eight different colors.
The Vineyard Collection has been widely featured in bridal magazines. Look for more designs from the Vineyard Collection in Modern Bride, Bride and New Jersey Bride, or you can find the collection online.

Here is a list of 5 wedding planning tips that happen to get overlooked in the hustle and bustle of wedding arrangements. While wedding planning is important, sticking to the plans are by far of more importance. After all, what good is having a plan if you’re not going to follow through with it?
The following 5 tips are intended to guide you through your wedding planning as smoothly as possible:
1. DON’T GO OVER BUDGET!
We’ve seen it happen time and time again. Newly wed couples thing they have everything figured out to the penny. But when the wedding is over they’re left with unpaid bills and unexpected expenses. The solution? Don’t go over budget! Plan everything for your wedding in advance: the cost of the caterer, DJ, photographer, and any other vendors you intend to hire. A word of advice: Don’t invite your cousin’s sister’s husband’s brother if you can not afford to feed him and his family. Start with immediate family and close friends-continue from there. It’s really rude (and embarrassing) to dis-invite someone at the last minute (because you discovered you can’t afford it!).
2. ORDER WEDDING ATTIRE EARLY
Picture it: The Groom’s Best Man is wearing a tuxedo that’s three times too large for his body. The Bride’s Maid’s dress is so tight , she can barely breathe! These are horrific scenarios that actually do happen and need last minute resolutions. Don’t put yourself through this chaos. Get everyone fitted for their dresses and tuxedos as early as 6-8 months in advance. Ladies-don’t forget wedding accessories!
3. BOOK ACCOMODATIONS EARLY
In some tourist frequented cities, guest accommodations need to be set up to a year in advance! Call resorts/hotels and book a set amount of rooms for your guests on a specific date. Be certain to have enough rooms for all of your out-of-town guests. Shop around for several accommodations, as your guests may be on a budget too! Especially if they just paid to travel to your location.
4. GET A MARRIAGE LICENSE FROM YOUR OWN COUNTRY
If you’ve decided to have a destination wedding-don’t arrive at that destination without a marriage license. Most states have a 30-60 day turn-around rate with marriage licenses. It’s worth the wait. Why, you ask? Different countries have different marriage customs and requirements. Nevertheless, you should bring your new marriage license with you wherever you are going to marry. If you are re-marrying, bring your divorce papers as well.
5. BEAUTIFICATION CAN GET UGLY
Bad tans, allergic reactions to hair dye or other chemicals can be a nightmare. Don’t until the last minute to get a pre-wedding ‘make-over.’ Facials and waxing can also leave unwanted blotches, burns, and breakouts for those wedding photographs! Make all beautician appointments a week or two in advance. Part of good wedding planning is being the ‘early bird’ make sure everything is in place nice and early inthe planning stages.

Early winter approaching, the pure white wedding dress will always make guests feel a bit cold, or have a sense of frosty distance. Emotional wedding for fashion designers made a wise choice for the bride, in white geese and yellow and adding a touch, such as the chick feather-like soft colors, will make the bride look Chuchudongren, and the affinity index soared.
H shape and fishtail skirt style a combination of silk chiffon wedding dress, bead embroidery hem film adds weight wedding drape, but also avoid the embarrassment of the tall top-heavy figure. The most exquisite is the wedding flying shoulder sleeves, a little more elegant ballet skirt.
Multi-layer chiffon cascading arrangements, so that wedding presents a very comfortable feeling of light. Poetry in the person who has brought peach presumably infinite inspiration to designers, from top to bottom scattered mosaic of every peach is an exquisite exception.
Although the grand style skirt, but in no way a heavy rigid sense, thanks to translucent chiffon chiffon driven out of a strong light if the feather texture.
Champagne wedding dress is ideal for petite brides. Symmetrical fold skirt wedding dress, as well as a very strong sense of the Princess of the palace-style high-waist shape, have affinity for the bride to add a little scores.

The Audrey Hepburn collection, a group of beautiful items worn by the iconic fashion plate will be auctioned off next week by Kerry Taylor Auctions, according to the New York Times.
Brides-to-be might be inspired by the elegant collection, that includes a white Givenchy gown which would make for a stunning walk down the aisle. Hepburn wore the haute couture point d’esprit ball gown that while filming Love in the Afternoon, the Times reports.

The collection also includes plenty of designs by Givenchy, who considered the waifish Hepburn to be his muse, and a Valentino mini dress.

One of the highlights of the event will be the wedding dress that Hepburn never actually wore. The gown was designed when Hepburn was planning her wedding to a rich Englishman, but the actress cancelled the nuptials and the dress was never put to use.

Not everyone (actually, almost no one) can fit the vintage couture of former starlets into their wedding budgets, but brides who dig a retro vibe have plenty of options. The label Priscilla of Boston has recently debuted some gorgeous wedding gowns that offer modern updates on classic couture.

I had never tried on a wedding dress before getting engaged. Wedding dresses had this power for me, like they were sacred and NOT to be worn until it was for real. In retrospect it was kind of silly to feel this way considering that I’ve worn white dresses before and there’s certainly nothing sacred about tulle, but in any case, that was how I felt.

I got engaged on a Saturday, and quite a few people flew out to see the show (unbeknownst to me). Jeff and I had talked at length before getting engaged about when we’d like to be married, so I knew that whenever we got engaged, it would not be a terribly long engagement. Let’s just say I was not going to waste time–I was going to get my girlfriends together in the next week or so to drink copious amounts of champagne to watch me try on both good and horrific dresses.

I woke up the next morning to my mother telling me in no uncertain terms that she was devastated that she would not be able to see her baby try on wedding dresses. She was flying back to North Carolina that day and although she could fly back out, it wouldn’t be until after the dress shopping, champagne bingeing fiasco had commenced.

Sob (both of us).

Me, “Well, there is this one bridal shop that I’ve always thought was cute. We could swing by there on the way to the airport and I could at least try on a dress or two so that even if you don’t get to see the final dress that gets picked, you can see the first one I try!”

Mom, “Great idea, let’s go five minutes ago”

So into the car we went, suitcases in the trunk, to The White Dress in Costa Mesa, where we arrived 30 minutes later with no appointment and me begging, “Please, just let me try on any old thing you have here so my mother will stop crying”.

They saw my mom’s sadness and my desperation and they allowed me to pull a dress in my size to just put on.

And I put it on.

And it was the dress.

Now, if you knew me, you’d know that while I can be impulsive, I rarely make decisions that I regret afterwards. So when I bought the dress on the spot to the shock and surprise of the girls at the store, you may or may not be shocked to know that as I sent my mom on her way back to the South, I immediately started to have dress regret.

The dress was not interesting enough, not cool enough, not dramatic enough. I didn’t get to do the running around town trying on dress after dress champagne fest, I didn’t even try on anything else. Oh, and I had to tell Jeff when I saw him that night that yes, mom got off okay and yes, I know we just got engaged yesterday but I already bought my wedding dress. The dress that will be immortalized for the rest of my life!

A few months passed and I finally got the call that the new dress ordered for me was in. By this time, I knew that I was going to hate it and had almost come to terms with the fact that I would probably need to plunk down a fairly large chunk of change to buy something new.

But I tried it on, and I loved it. And it was the one.