Signs of a Fine Quality Bridal Gown

Your wedding gown is the most special garment that you will ever own. You want to make sure that you are getting a good one, but it can be difficult at times to know. There are a few things that you can look for to ensure that you are getting a fine quality bridal gown.

The best bridal gowns are created from natural materials, primarily silk. Beware of dresses that are use the word silk in their description, but do not clearly state that they are made of silk. Designers will often use terms like “Italian silk” to make a silk blend or even a synthetic fabric sound more luxurious than it really is. When in doubt, look for the tag inside the gown that lists the contents. The more silk, the better.

On a well made gown, all of the outside seams will also be nicely finished. You should not see any puckering along the bust or side seams. If there is embroidery or beadwork, it should be well aligned over the side seams. Even better, it should be on a ribbon stitched onto the dress, or stop before the side seams so that the dress can be properly altered.

Once you have found a wedding gown that was lovingly made, you will want to finish it off with equally beautiful accessories. Look for quality pieces like handmade wedding jewelry. Just like your gown, it is great to know that a real person took the time to carefully create wedding jewelry handmade just for you. When choosing a veil, make sure that any trim lays flat, and that it is neatly secured to the comb. All of these small details will add up to a perfectly polished bridal ensemble.

When you put on your bridal gown on your wedding day, it should make you feel like a million dollars (even though hopefully you didn’t have to spend that much on it!). A gown that is a fine quality will go a long way towards helping you achieve that feeling. After all, when you know that your gown looks great, you will feel even more beautiful.

A Down East Wedding

Whether you are a native of Maine, or have just fallen in love with its beauty on a vacation, Maine can be a great place to have a wedding. There are so many fun elements that you can use to celebrate Maine as you celebrate your marriage. A Down East wedding is sure to be a great time!

Maine is famous for many things, including lobsters, boating, blueberries, and its’ unspoiled forests and mountains. There are countless ways that you can incorporate the best of Maine into your wedding plans. All you have to do is to pick one or two motifs that you can incorporate throughout your wedding scheme.

A great place to start is with the famous Maine lobster. This makes a great motif that you can use in many ways. To set the tone, choose wedding invitations with lobsters on them. For an informal wedding, you could use stationary with a large red lobster; if your style is more formal, then an understated gold engraved lobster would be nice on the top of the invitation.

For attire, the men can wear navy blazers with khakis. Of course they will want to wear navy ties with tiny red lobsters on them! The bride should look for a simple and elegant gown to coordinate with the informal attire worn by the men. A strapless gown with pearl bridal jewelry would strike just the right note. Make sure that your bridesmaids are equally well-turned out by giving them gifts of pearl bridal jewelry to wear, as well.

Couples who want to go with a nautical Maine theme will find countless options. A sailboat motif is one great idea; another would be a nautical map or ship’s wheel motif. These graphic designs will work very well on everything from invitations and place cards to the favors and even the wedding cake. To really bring a nautical theme to life, look for a reception venue that is near the ocean. A yacht club or an outdoor setting near the water’s edge would both be good choices.

Whichever way you decide to express it, you can’t beat the charm of a Down East wedding. The great state of Maine has so much to offer. It is up to you to pick the perfect Maine theme to create a wedding that your guests will never forget.

Chocolate Cakes for Fall Weddings

Fall weddings are all about enjoying the warmth and richness of the season. Unlike a summer wedding, when food should be light and refreshing, in the autumn, you can indulge in richer flavors. And when it comes to a rich wedding cake, this can only mean one thing: chocolate!

Many people absolutely love chocolate, and want to use it instead of the classic white wedding cake. At some times of the year, brides are more likely to hide the chocolate cake under white or pastel frosting, or to relegate it to the groom’s cake. But in the fall, the warm color of chocolate icing is a perfect match for the colors of the season.

There are certainly a large variety of chocolate cakes from which to choose. You can go with the classic basic chocolate, or choose a more exotic flavor like chocolate fudge, mocha, or truffle. Another tasty idea is to layer a chocolate cake with a fruit filling, such as raspberry or apricot. And then there is the frosting: you can opt for the smooth-as-glass effect of fondant icing, or go for the more natural look of a buttercream based frosting.

Chocolate cakes can be created in a design to match any wedding theme. You will want to make sure that your cake coordinates with the rest of the affair.

Because the cake has become such an important style element, brides look at them almost like another accessory, like their headpiece or bridal jewelry. In fact, it is very common for brides to choose the details of their cake based on the elements of their bridal jewelry, such as using a crystal monogram as the cake topper to tie in with the crystals in their wedding jewelry.

Fall weddings often have a rustic look, and you can very easily bring that into your wedding cake. Chocolate frosting with a rougher bark-like texture makes the perfect backdrop for tiny little fall pumpkins, gourds, and flowers. These can either be real, or created from marzipan or gum paste. The tiny little sugar fruits and flowers are truly works of art.

The best part about having a chocolate cake for your fall wedding is that it will be as delicious as it is good looking. Imagine how happy your guests will be when they walk into the reception and spy the tasty chocolate wedding cake. And just think about how happy you will be when you get to share that first piece of yummy cake as husband and wife!

Be a Responsible Wedding Host

Your wedding is one of the happiest times of your life. It is kind of a bummer, but you do have to consider a few practicalities, even as you plan for your magical day. Here are a few things that every wedding host needs to keep in mind…

The biggest potential headache when planning any type of party is alcohol. Even at a wedding, where people are all dressed up in their finest clothing and wedding jewelry, there are going to be a few guests who over-indulge. (Depending on your circle of friends and family, it might be more than a few! You know best.)

There are several steps that you can take before your wedding to ensure that things do not get out of control during it. The first is to plan for adequate food during the cocktail hour. There is no better recipe for a bunch of drunk guests than serving too much liquor and not enough food. Order more appetizers than you think are called for, especially if you know that your friends like to get into the spirit of a party.

One thing that many couples do these days is to provide transportation from the reception back to the hotel where most guests are staying. This actually achieves a few things. It eliminates the concerns (both human and legal) about intoxicated drivers; it also will help you end the reception at a certain time, which is useful if your venue charges overtime fees.

Alcohol is not the only thing that a responsible host should plan for. If you are having a winter wedding, make sure that all walkways and steps to your ceremony and reception sites will be completely cleared of any snow or ice that may have accumulated. And don’t let the venue get away with just throwing down a bunch of salt – it will ruin the hems of long dresses and silk shoes!

Wedding planning should be a very fun thing, and you hate to have to spend time on the less glamorous aspects of it. Keep in mind that a little advance planning can go a long way towards having a more perfect wedding. By being a responsible host, you can ensure that all of your guests will have only wonderful memories of your special day.

Trends in Wedding Cake Toppers

Wedding cakes are more and more important to brides these days. They not only want their cake to taste great, but they want the wedding cake to be the ultimate expression of their wedding theme. The design of your wedding cake is not complete until you have chosen the perfect cake topper.

A lot of couples forgo the traditional cake topper in favor of other designs. One easy way to dress us your cake is with fresh flowers. They are always beautiful, and if you are looking to keep expenses down, fresh flowers are a fraction of the cost of sugar flowers. A bouquet of roses in your wedding colors will look lovely atop a simple wedding cake.

More elaborate cakes call for more elaborate toppers. One of the hottest trends these days is monograms. You can have a custom monogram designed with the bride and groom’s initials to stand atop your wedding cake. Brides love sparkle, and many of these cake toppers feature even more dazzle than the crystal bridal jewelry that they wear. A crystal or rhinestone monogram on your wedding cake is a great tie-in to your bridal jewelry and other design elements. It also just looks fabulous!

Some couples like to pick a cake topper that expresses their silly side or shows one of their favorite things. If you love Disneyworld, then choose a cake topper with Mickey and Minnie Mouse or Cinderella and Prince Charming. One wedding I attended had a little figurine from The Simpson’s where the bride and groom would normally stand on the cake. The cake topper is a fun way to inject your personality into the wedding.

Whatever you choose for your cake topper, don’t forget that tradition says the newlyweds should save the top layer of their cake and freeze it to share on their first anniversary. If the idea of eating year old cake doesn’t appeal to you, then save the original cake to look at, but order a tiny replica from your baker to eat on your anniversary. This can be the start of a very sweet tradition!

Meaningful Maid of Honor Gifts

Your maid of honor is more than just another bridesmaid. She is your best friend, dear sister, or both. She is the one that holds your hand right before you walk down the aisle and helps you hold it together when the wedding planning is driving you crazy. Thank her for all that she does with a meaningful maid of honor gift.

Many brides will give their maid of honor a gift that is similar to what she has chosen for the rest of her bridesmaids. The idea is to give your best girl something that is in the same vein, but a cut above.

For instance, if you give your bridal party bridesmaid jewelry sets handcrafted with pearls and crystals in sterling silver, for your maid of honor you could look at sets of bridesmaid jewelry created in 14kt gold. Another idea is to give your bridesmaids a beautiful necklace and earring set to match their dress, and to add the matching bracelet to the gift for your maid of honor.

It is always best if you can inject a personal touch into the gift that you choose for your maid of honor. This will show her that you put a great deal of thought into her present, and will demonstrate how much you care for her.

Whatever you choose for your maid-of-honor, be sure that it is something that she will enjoy for years. Choose a gift with last value, like bridesmaid jewelry, instead of one like concert tickets that is a one-time thing. You want her to look at her gift and be reminded of the special times that you shared when she was the maid of honor at your wedding.

How Much Do You Know About Weddings?

If you are planning a wedding, or just enjoy them, you may think that you know quite a bit about weddings. Chances are that you do! But do you know all that there is to know? Take this quiz to find out…

1. In the United States, brides typically wear a white gown. Chinese brides, however, have another favorite color. Is it:

a) Blue

b) Red

c) Yellow

2. The first bride to popularize the wearing of a white bridal gown was:

a) Cleopatra

b) Grace Kelly

c) Queen Victoria

3. Pearl bridal jewelry has long been a favorite of brides. Did the wearing of bridal jewelry created from pearls become standard in the Victorian era or was it earlier?

4. Why did brides begin wearing bridal veils?

a) To confuse the evil spirits who were out to harm them

b) Because it was done in the Old Testament of the Bible

c) To hide their tears as they walk down the aisle

5. True or False: You have a year after the wedding to send a thank you note for gifts received.

Now for the answers:

1. b) Chinese brides wear red, because it is considered a lucky color in their culture. Many brides in China will wear a traditional red gown for their ceremony and then change into a typical Western white wedding gown for the reception.

2. c) It was Queen Victoria’s 1840 all-white wedding to Prince Albert that made the white wedding gown the color of choice. Before that time, brides generally wore their best dress in any color, or wore a color like blue to symbolize fidelity.

3. Although pearls were certainly beloved by brides in the Victorian era, their use as an adornment for brides dates back to antiquity.

4. Trick question! The answer is actually a) and b). The tradition of brides wearing veils is linked to both ancient beliefs that brides were vulnerable to evil spirits and to the Bible.

5. False! Wedding guests have up to a year to send out a gift to the newlyweds. Thank you notes should be completed immediately after returning from the honeymoon, if not completed as gifts were received. Bring a nice box of stationary and your address book with you on your trip; it will give you something to do on that long plane ride home from Hawaii.

Decorate Your Wedding With Polka Dots

Looking for a fun and cheerful design scheme for your wedding? How about decorating with polka dots? This fun pattern can be used in many different ways to give your wedding an upbeat and lighthearted feeling.

There is no doubt about it: polka dots are just plain fun. Whether they are done in one color, two colors, or a whole rainbow, polka dots are always cheerful and never too serious. They would be great for an informal summer wedding.

You can use your polka dots in ways that are subtle or bold. Start with the wedding invitations. The most subtle idea would be to line the envelopes with a polka dot paper. If you want to use the theme more boldly, them you choose a paper with a pale polka dot pattern and have the words printed over it. This may be too casual for some weddings; as an alternative, you could do it for the rehearsal dinner or bridal shower invitations.

The bridal party can incorporate the polka dot scheme into their attire, as well. If the bride wants to wear polka dots without making too bold of a statement, she can wear a wedding gown that is embroidered or printed with polka dots in a white-on-white design. This works particularly well when the base fabric is something like a translucent and summery organdy.

For brides who prefer a solid color for her bridesmaids’ dresses, the polka dots could come in the form of a sash at the waist, or a ribbon sewn onto the hem of the dresses. You will want to choose bridesmaid jewelry that enhances the “dotty” look. A great idea would be to custom order bridesmaid jewelry in your wedding colors. Have strands made with large Swarovski pearls in alternating colors for a great pop of color on your attendants.

Weddings should be about fun and celebration. The theme that you choose can have a big impact on the mood of your event. If you want to create a wedding that is cheerful and unique, then consider going dotty for polka dots!

What to Do If Your Bridal Shop Closes

It is an unfortunate fact of life that sometimes businesses will go out of business. When it is your favorite coffee shop or newsstand, it is a disappointment. When the shop that closes is the bridal shop from which your ordered your wedding gown, it can be a crisis.

The way that things are usually done at a bridal store is that you leave them a deposit to order your gown (normally 40-60%), and then pay the balance when the gown arrives from the designer. This is done for the shop’s protection, to ensure that brides are serious about their order, and so that the store will have at least covered their cost if a dress is not picked up for some reason.

There are a few ways that a bride can protect herself when she is ordering a dress. First of all, get a contract in writing, and be sure that it lists your down payment. Many credit cards offer some sort of consumer protections, as well, so if yours does, use that for your deposit instead of writing a check. This way, in the unlikely event that the store does go out of business, you will have a better chance of recovering your deposit.

If your gown has already been received at the shop, you are in a better position than if it is still on order. At least all you have to do is find someone to let you in so that you can pick up your dress. Many bridal shops will allow brides to leave their accessories at the store with their gown as a convenience; normally this is just fine. If you have anything irreplaceable, such as a piece of bridal jewelry that was handcrafted just for you, then it is safer to keep it in your possession.

For brides who are in the very unfortunate position of having a bridal shop close before their gown arrives, your best bet is to go straight to the vendor (this is one reason that you want to have a detailed contract). Let them know the situation, and find out if a) your gown was in fact ordered, b)if it is ready, and c) how you can get it. A designer will rarely ship directly to a client, but they might be willing to send your gown to another nearby bridal shop. The only problem is that you if you were not able to recover your original deposit, you may very well still end up having to pay the full price for the dress to the second shop.

It is rare that a bridal shop suddenly closes, but it can happen. To try to make the best of a bad situation, do all that you can to put yourself in a good position beforehand. Hopefully, you will never need this advice, but if you do, at least you will be prepared.

Auditioning Wedding Bands

Before meeting with any bands, the first step is to determine what kind of music you want. Think about your wedding location, style, and the time of day. What message do you want to send? If you are getting married in an historical mansion, wearing a vintage style gown and antique looking wedding jewelry, then you would want a band with a similar genteel feeling, instead of, say, a rock band.

Once you have figured out exactly what you are looking for in a band, it is time to begin the audition process. Knowing where to get started can be the most difficult part. If you do not have a particular band already in mind, there are agencies that book a variety of types of musicians. To find the most reputable booking agents, ask for recommendations from your reception venue.

Now comes the fun part – listening to the music! The bands will probably have cds that you can check out to get a general sense of their style, but it is important to also go to see and hear them in person. You want to make sure that a band sounds as great in person as they do in a recording. Also take a look at their appearance – are they professional looking?

The final step is to sit down with the bandleader. Make sure that they are not only great musicians, but can play the particular songs that you want to hear at your wedding. This is especially true if there will be certain traditional songs like “The Hora” mixed in with more contemporary songs.

After you have gone through the full audition process, all that is left to do is sign the contract and cross “find band” off of your to do list. By taking it step by step, you will be confident that you have chosen the perfect band for your wedding. Let the dancing begin!