Monogram Mania!

The current trend in weddings is to personalize everything. Couples want each and every detail to be unique and to reflect who they are. One great way to achieve this is with monograms.

You can have almost anything (and everything!) monogrammed. Invitations, napkins, matchbooks, favors, wedding cakes, and hankies are just a few of the wedding elements that can be customized. You can even have your initials and wedding date done in crystals on the bottom of your bridal shoes (how fun is that?).

It is great to give your attendants monogrammed bridesmaid gifts (done with their monogram, not the bride’s!). There are many wonderful choices for bridesmaid gifts to personalize. Sterling silver bracelets are a classic gift, as are tote bags (which you could fill with girly treats, like fancy bath products). A unique option is monogrammed shell jewelry. It makes a perfect gift for a beach wedding.

If you can dream it, you can customize it. Couples seeking true drama can even have their names projected in colored light onto the dance floor. This is an over the top way to make your wedding completely personal. It is the type of detail that will set your wedding apart and make it truly unforgettable, which is just what every bride and groom want.

Distinctive Wedding Venues

Couples these days are searching for ways to make their weddings feel unique and personal. Each bride and groom has their own style. For some, a classic venue like a hotel or country club suits them perfectly. Other nearlyweds, though, would be much happier with a more singular location for their wedding.

Outdoor locations could include a park, a botanical garden, or an urban rooftop garden. These outdoor locations are certainly beautiful; it is hard to argue with the glory of nature. Each site will have its’ own distinct feeling. A botanical garden will be feminine and lush; a rooftop garden will feel like an urban oasis.

For art lovers, museums and galleries are inspired choices. Museum halls tend to be very large and opulent, so they are ideal for grand weddings with large guest lists. The high ceilings and wide open areas will necessitate that your floral arrangements, wedding cake, and other décor items are equally large and impressive, so keep that in mind when assessing the true cost of such a grand venue.

Galleries are smaller, making them perfect for intimate, sophisticated receptions. The spaces are generally more contemporary, and can be very chic. The bride should choose a wedding gown that suits the location, such as an elegant sheath dress accented with modern bridal jewelry made with Swarovksi crystal cubes.

The best way to select a location for your wedding is to choose a venue that is near and dear to your heart. Having a personal connection to the site will make your wedding even more meaningful and memorable.

Runaway Brides (and Grooms!) – Romantic Elopements

The big church wedding is not for everyone. Some couples cannot bear the stress or the expense of planning a big wedding. Other women are simply not comfortable with being the center of attention. Whatever the reason, there are many ways to make an elopement feel just as special as a big wedding with all the pomp and circumstance.

Even if you chose to elope, your marriage is still worthy of celebration, and deserves to be treated like the special occasion that is is. You will surely want a festive bridal ensemble, though what that means will depend on where you get married. Elopements are not always spontaneous, and can be as simple as a marriage before a judge in City Hall or as involved as a ceremony on a Hawaiian beach.

Las Vegas is the first place that comes to mind for elopements. Vegas brides should go all out – dazzling dress, sparling Swarovski crystal bridal jewelry, and a fabulous headpiece. On the other hand, for a City Hall wedding, the look should be low-key and chic. A smashing suit or a tea length wedding gown would be perfect choices. And don’t forget a bouquet.

Whether your elopement is spur of the moment or scheduled in advance, plan to have a big party with all of your friends and family when you arrive home. The people who love you will want the chance to celebrate and raise a toast to the newlyweds. After all, even if you do not want a big fuss made over you, every bride and groom deserve to be fêted.

Sharing Your Wedding Joy

A wedding is a time of great joy, and often of great consumption as well. Sometimes couples who go all out planning their dream wedding feel a little bit guilty about having an extravagant affair when there are so many people out there in need. Certainly one way to mitigate the guilt is simply to scale down the wedding (kind of like switching from an S.U.V. to a hybrid). There are also ways in which you can use your wedding to benefit worthy charities.

Things you can do include:

• Making a donation to a charity in lieu of favors (be sure to pick an organization that your guests would feel comfortable supporting).
• Donating the left over food to a soup kitchen (make advance arrangement, as there are usually procedures that must be followed).
• Donate you wedding gown to a charity that sells used gowns as a fundraiser. But do not feel guilty if your gown is too sentimental to part with.
• Bridesmaid dresses can be donated to charities that give formalwear to underprivileged girls so that they can feel beautiful at their prom.
• Don’t forget to recycle unused invitations, honeymoon brochures, etc.

The most important thing that remains after a wedding is the marriage itself. That, some photographs, and your memories are all that you really need. Oh, and your groom, of course! It is a beautiful thing to start your life together by using your wedding day to bring happiness to others.

The Legendary Wedding of Grace Kelly

Grace Kelly is one of the most admired style icons of all time. And why not – she was beautiful, elegant, she married a prince, and even had an Hermès handbag named in her honor. Her 1956 wedding was watched by 30 million viewers on television, and her impeccable taste continues to inspire brides today.

To infuse your special day with a hint of Miss Kelly’s style, let the principles of elegance, timeless beauty, and high fashion guide you as you plan your wedding. Her wedding gown was a fantasy couture creation created from yards and yards of antique Belgian lace, silk, and tulle. For your own wedding, look for a gown with a classic fitted bodice and full skirt. Take a page from the Princess’s book and choose a bridal gown with a demure cut and lace long sleeves.

Prince Rainier presented Grace Kelly with a spectacular diamond and pearl bridal jewelry set from Van Cleef & Arpel as a wedding gift. To achieve similar elegance on a more affordable scale, choose handcrafted pearl bridal jewelry accented with Swarovski crystals. Select classic pieces such as pearl and crystal drop earrings and strands for timeless beauty.

The divine elegance and breathtaking beauty of Princess Grace helped to put Monaco on the map. Even years after her death, she remains one of our top style icons of all time. Grace Kelly’s wedding reflected her exquisite taste, and she serves as a wonderful inspiration for brides everywhere.

Handling Wedding Mishaps

There are so many details that go into planning a wedding. Naturally, every bride wants to be sure that each of them is just perfect on her special day. Of course, no matter how carefully you plan, sometimes mishaps occur. The key is to take them in stride, and do not let them ruin your enjoyment of your wedding.

Sometimes accidents just happen. At my wedding, the priest backed into a floral arrangement on the altar, knocking it over (fortunately, it did not knock him over!). Although, I could see it happen clearly from my position on the altar, I figured that since the priest was standing in front of the fallen display, no one else was likely to notice. However, if I had rushed over during the ceremony to fix the flowers, everyone would have noticed – sometimes the best thing to do is nothing at all.

The biggest fear that every bride has is tripping on her way down the aisle. If you are worried about it, there are two things that you can do to avoid that embarrassing fate. First of all, make sure that your gown is hemmed to clear the floor. Secondly, do not use a fabric runner for an outdoor wedding, because it can conceal holes and bumps in the ground. A bride that I knew tripped over something under her runner – only her father’s quick grab saved her from falling flat on her face!

There is only one thing more mortifying than falling flat on your face during the processional, and that is popping out of your dress. The popularity of strapless gowns has resulted in a rising number of brides accidentally baring it all to their wedding guests. This humiliating mishap usually took place when the bride lifted her arms over her head, either while dancing or tossing her bouquet. Something this embarrassing can only be handled by laughing at yourself (and maybe a glass of champagne). There is no chance that your guests will ever forget it, but at least they will be impressed with how well you took it. Making a scene will only make it ten times worse.

Some of the things that go wrong at a wedding are so minor that nobody but the bride will notice, unless she pitches a fit about it. In the end, everyone will forget about your wedding mishaps, but they will always remember if the bride conducted herself graciously or acted like a Bridezilla.

All About Bridal Gown Trains

A dress just doesn’t feel like a wedding gown until it has a train. Having that fabric sweep behind you as you glide down the aisle is part of the fun of being a bride. There are many options in trains – which one is right for you?

• Sweep – the simplest train, it barely touches the floor. Perfect for informal weddings or second time brides.
• Court – reaches one feet longer than the sweep. A good choice for an outdoor ceremony, and easy to bustle for dancing.
• Chapel – extends three to four feet behind the gown. The most popular choice for train length, the chapel train is long enough to feel special, but short enough to be manageable.
• Cathedral – six to eight feet beyond the gown. This is a lot of fabric, and should be reserved for the most formal of weddings.

• Royal – flows ten feet or more behind the gown and requires the use of train-bearers. Also requires that your name is preceded by “Her Royal Highness” – feeling like a princess is not enough to pull off a royal train without looking silly. Princess Diana’s train, by the way, measured a whopping twenty five feet!

Your wedding gown is the most special dress that you will ever wear. Whether you like things simple (sweep train) or extravagant (cathedral train), there is a train that will just feel right to you. And if the dress that melts your heart does not have the right train, fear not – it can always be customized. After all, shouldn’t a bride get to have everything exactly her way?

Petal Perfect Bridal Bouquets

Your wedding flowers will say almost as much about you as your bridal gown. Are you sophisticated, casual, traditional, or creative? Whatever mood you want to create on your wedding day, you can achieve it with your bouquet.

Types of bouquets include nosegay, hand-tied, cascade, and arm bouquets. Cascade bouquets are the most traditional and formal, but they can look dated. Arm bouquets of sophisticated flowers like calla lilies or orchids can look very contemporary and chic. For almost everyone in between, the round shape of a nosegay will suit their style and look good held next to their wedding gown.

To make your bouquets feel truly custom, include accents that coordinate with the rest of your wedding. Color matched satin ribbons are wonderful to decorate the stems of bouquets. A really great way to make your bouquet special is to pull elements from your bridal or bridesmaid jewelry, such as pearls or Swarovski crystals. They can be interspersed throughout the bouquet, dripping off the edges, or even added to the center of each bloom.

Flowers are personal, sentimental, and of course, beautiful. Weddings and flowers just seem to go together. The bouquets are a wonderful way for the bride to express her personal style.

Choose the Perfect Veil for Your Wedding Gown

After you find the wedding gown of your dreams, the next step is to accessorize it perfectly. One of the accessories with the biggest impact is your bridal veil. There are many more to choose from than some brides realize, from plain tulle to beaded edged to lace mantilla styles.

It used to be that a blusher was de rigueur, but many modern brides will skip the blusher unless it is customary in their religious tradition. Don’t be too quick to dismiss the blusher, though. One man I knew was watching a movie with a wedding scene, and kept asking why the bride was not wearing a veil. Well, she was wearing a veil, a very long one, but she did not have a blusher over her face. To this man, and many others, the blusher is what really says “veil”. If that is what your groom expects to see when you walk down the aisle, you don’t want to disappoint him.

Veils can be embellished in many special ways, from Alençon lace appliqué to satin ribbon trim to handbeaded edges. If you choose a veil with beading, it is a great idea to coordinate the elements with your bridal jewelry. For instance, a veil decorated with Swarovski crystals and silver beads should be worn with handmade earrings to match it.

Take the time to find a veil that makes you feel very special. Your veil is your crowning glory – you want it to look perfect on your wedding day. For many women, it is only once they put on their veil that they truly feel like a bride.

June Brides

June is the most popular month for weddings in this country. The reasons date back to ancient times. In fact, the month of June was named after Juno, Roman goddess of marriage.

If you have chosen June for your wedding, you are very fortunate. For one thing, the weather is usually lovely. Also, there are many wonderful things associated with June weddings that you can include in your special day. A beautiful variety of roses are in bloom in June, as are hydrangea, lisianthus, peonies, and lavender. Delicious seasonal flavors such as asparagus, berries, melon, corn, and tomatoes are also available in abundance for a summer wedding.

Every June bride also needs pearl bridal jewelry. Pearls are the June birthstone, and there is an ancient belief that a bride who wears pearls will shed fewer tears during her marriage. Beautiful and good luck – the perfect combination!

Other reasons to choose June for your special day range from the nostalgic (your mother was a June bride) to the sartorial (you have always imagined floating down the aisle in a chiffon gown). Perhaps you simply like the idea of the goddess Juno smiling down on your wedding day, bringing her blessings to your new life as husband and wife.