Let Them Eat Cake!
The wedding cake is no longer a tasty afterthought to the rest of the reception. The cake is another chance to tie the wedding theme together. Couples today want their cakes to be unique, personalized, and of course, delicious!
Trends in cakes include: black and white, patterns like Swiss dots or scrollwork, and monograms. Couples are even custom ordering cakes with their wedding vows written in calligraphy.
Another important source of inspiration for a special cake is the bride’s gown and accessories. Cake designers will recreate the look of lace or embroidery in frosting. Some brides use their bridal jewelry as a design source. For instance, a bride bedecked in Swarovski crystals can have her cake dusted with metallic shimmer for a totally glamorous effect.
The idea is that the cake should express the personal style of the newlyweds. Couples expect their cake to astonish their wedding guests both with its’ amazing look and divine taste.
Filed under Bridal Jewelry, Uncategorized, Wedding Jewelry, Wedding Planning, crystal bridal jewelry | Tags: Bridal Jewelry, Swarovski crystals, wedding cake, wedding gown | Comment (0)Traveling with Your Wedding Gown
So many brides have destination weddings these days. Whether you are headed for the beach, the mountains, or your hometown, you will want to be sure that your gown arrives safely. A little advance planning can make traveling with your gown a lot less stressful.
First of all, plan to hand carry your gown to your destination. Shipping is too risky – no amount of insurance would be enough to cover the devastation of a lost of damaged bridal gown.
Transporting your gown by car is not too difficult (lay it unfolded across the back seat), but taking your gown on a plane presents many challenges. Do not show up at the airport with the long garment bag provided by the bridal shop – they are much too long to meet airline regulations for carry on baggage. You will notice that I said carry on baggage – never ever put anything as precious as your wedding gown into checked luggage!
After being folded, rolled or squished, your gown will definitely need to be professionally pressed when you arrive at your wedding destination. Unless, that is, you do what Tricia Nixon did for her White House wedding – buy your bridal gown its’ own seat in first class!
Filed under Destination Wedding, Uncategorized, Wedding Planning | Tags: Destination Wedding, travel, wedding gown | Comment (0)Bridal Showers
Bridal showers are a very fun part of the celebrations surrounding a wedding. Traditionally, bridal showers were all-female affairs, which were held to help a young bride set up her household. It was popular to have themes for the shower, such as a kitchen theme where all of the gifts should help stock her kitchen.
Modern wedding showers tend to be co-ed affairs that are more like cocktail parties + presents. Barware is a common gift theme for this type of shower. To get the groom and male invitees to attend, avoid cutesy names like “Jack-and-Jill” showers!
And brides, please remember that being the center of all this attention does come with a few (minor) responsibilities beyond just showing up and looking gorgeous (your main job). Do be sure to send thank you notes for each gift received. Also, don’t neglect to send a little thank you gift to your hostess after the shower (this would be in addition to her bridesmaid gift if she is one of your attendants). Everyone loves a gracious bride.
Filed under Bridesmaid Gifts, Uncategorized | Tags: bridal shower, Bridesmaid Gifts, co-ed wedding shower | Comment (0)Wedding Gown Shopping 101
Congratulations – you’re engaged! Now comes the fun part – picking out your wedding gown. Finding the perfect gown is a lot like finding a man to marry – for some women, it’s love at first sight, while for others, it seems like an endless search. Going into the process of gown shopping prepared will help to make it a much more pleasant experience.
After you have set a date for your wedding, make an appointment to go to a bridal salon to start trying on gowns. When you go, do not bring all eight of your bridesmaids, your mother, your sisters, and your great-aunt Matilda. Pare your invitation down to two people at most. Try to bring only those who understand your taste, and are genuinely happy for you (leave the jealous sister at home!).
Bring pictures to show the consultant what gown styles speak to you, but be open to her suggestions as well. She will know at a glance which dresses will flatter your figure, if if they don’t have much hanger appeal. You might fall in love with a bridal gown that you would otherwise never have considered.
When you find the perfect dress, order it! Don’t risk that a style may become discontinued or go up in price. Besides, after you have your gown, there is still the fun of shopping for your bridal jewelry, headpiece, veil, and other accessories. Be sure to take the time to enjoy the time you spend finding your bridal gown and accessories – being that pampered is a special experience reserved just for brides.
Filed under Bridal Jewelry, Uncategorized, Wedding Jewelry | Tags: bridal gown, Bridal Jewelry, wedding gown shopping | Comment (0)Two Gowns Are Better Than One!
A growing trend these days is for brides to select not one, but two wedding dresses. Is this a wee bit excessive? Perhaps. The mark of a spoiled princess? Well, maybe. (But, hey, all you princesses out there know that you are spoiled, and love it!) Is it a totally fun way to indulge your every whim on the most fabulous day of your life? Absolutely!
Sometimes, the dress that is perfect for your ceremony just doesn’t work for your reception. Often a bride loves the drama of a full ballgown for walking down the aisle, but she can’t imagine wearing something so heavy for an entire evening. The solution: pick a second dress for the reception. Choose something fun, like a beaded sheath that moves like liquid when you dance.
A great idea for your jewelry would be to have a pair of custom bridal Swarovski necklaces created. They could be made with a similar look, but with a more elaborate version for the ceremony and a simpler necklace for the reception. Or, have pearls mixed in with the crystals for a more traditional style to wear with the first gown, and go for a dazzling all-crystal effect for the second gown.
Your wedding is the one day when you really get the chance to splurge and fulfill your dreams. So go ahead, if one bridal gown just isn’t enough, treat yourself to a second fabulous gown!
Filed under Bridal Jewelry, Uncategorized, Wedding Jewelry, crystal bridal jewelry, pearl bridal jewelry | Tags: bridal gown, custom bridal Swarovski crystal necklaces, pearls, wedding gown, Wedding Jewelry | Comment (0)Preserving Your Wedding Memories
After the excitement of the wedding dies down, you will want to think about the best way to preserve the special things and memories from your wedding. With a little careful planning, you can be sure that your cherished reminders will remain in beautiful condition.
Your wedding gown should be cleaned by a specialist and then loosely packed in an archival box with acid free tissue. Every year on your anniversary, take it out of the box, give it a fluff, and re-fold it differently so that permanent creases do not develop (feel free to try it on again just for fun!).
Acid free is also critical for your wedding album and framed prints. Using the right materials will keep your photographs in tip-top shape. You can request that your photographer use archival products, or do it yourself at home.
The one keepsake that you do not have to pack away is your bridal jewelry. Keep it out, wear it regularly, and enjoy it. Each time that you wear your special wedding pieces, it will remind you of that happy day, so wear them often!
Filed under Bridal Jewelry, Uncategorized, Wedding Planning | Tags: bridal gown, Bridal Jewelry, wedding album, wedding memories | Comment (0)Victorian Style Weddings
For a bride who loves vintage themes, there are so many eras from which to draw her inspiration. One of the most romantic is the Victorian age. There are many charming customs from that era that would be wonderful to include in your own special day.
To bring the best of Victoriana to your nuptials, wear an old-fashioned white or ivory gown with a high lace collar and long sleeves. Seed pearls were often seen in jewelry from the late 19th century, so it would be lovely to wear pearl bridal jewelry at your Victorian inspired wedding. For a modern twist on the older tradition, have your pearl bridal jewelry handcrafted with amethyst colored Swarovksi crystal accents. If you wear your hair up, you could also entwine hairpins or custom strands of pearls and crystals in your hair.
The Victorians attached symbolic meanings to many things associated with weddings. Some of these include flowers, colors, throwing birdseed, and even the cake. You and your groom can really have fun picking the symbolism that speaks to you. Just like the Victorians, you can even choose to keep some of the special meanings as a romantic secret just between the happy couple.
Filed under Bridal Jewelry, Wedding Jewelry, Wedding Planning, crystal bridal jewelry, pearl bridal jewelry | Tags: pearl bridal jewelry, Swarovski crystal, Victorian wedding, vintage wedding | Comment (0)