Saving Money on Bridal Accessories

Many brides start shopping for a wedding gown with a firm budget in mind. Then they find the dress of their dreams, and the budget goes right out the window! When you have spent more than you intended on your wedding dress, you will definitely want to find ways to save money on your bridal accessories.

The first place to start is the internet. This can be a great resource for finding beautiful accessories at the best price. Let’s say that you love the look of diamonds, but just cannot justify the price. You can get a fabulous sparkle from custom bridal Swarovski necklaces at a very reasonable cost.

Another way to save money on your bridal accessories is by shopping the sales at the bridal shops. You may not be able to get the exact veil that you had envisioned, but you might end up finding a different style that works just as well. It helps to keep an open mind. Big city brides may also find that the mark-ups on veils are higher in places like New York than in the far suburbs, so it can pay to shop around.

There are some more subtle places that a bride can look to save money. One thing to keep in mind is that if you bought a designer gown, it will probably come with a petticoat already sewn in, so you can skip the expense of buying one separately. Another tip for saving on undergarments is to have the seamstress sew bust cups into your gown instead of wearing a bustier (do this only if you do not need a lot of support!).

A final way to save money on your bridal accessories is to see if you can borrow some from a friend or relative. It can be very meaningful to wear your sister’s veil or your best friend’s fur stole. The one thing that should probably not be shared is shoes, because you will really want your shoes to form to your own feet.

There are many creative ways that a bride can save on her accessories. If you look around, you will find that spending a little less on this or that can really add up in the end. It is quite possible to save money without sacrificing on style.

Veil Alternatives for Brides

There can be a variety of reasons why a bride would not choose to wear a veil. She might think that it is too much for an informal wedding, or she might think a veil is inappropriate if she is a second time bride. Some brides just feel silly with a long piece of tulle draped from their heads. Whatever the reason for not wearing a veil, you will want to find a different option to finish off your look while still suiting your style and situation.

One alternative to wearing a veil is to wear a hat. At outdoor garden weddings, you sometimes see the bride wearing a large portrait style hat adorned with silk or fresh flowers. This is a particularly nice option for an informal wedding where the bride is wearing a very simple dress, perhaps with a touch of subtle handmade wedding jewelry. It makes for a very genteel look.

If hats are not your thing, there are many other types of adornments that a bride can choose. Ditching the veil does not have to mean forgoing a tiara, if you like the princess bride look. Tiaras can be large and ornate, covered in rhinestones and Swarovski crystals, or they can be delicate and airy, with more of an emphasis on pearls.

You will want to make sure that they match the general style of your handmade wedding jewelry, so if your overall look is more glitzy, choose a crystal tiara, or if you are wearing pearl bridal jewelry, then a pearl headpiece is the right choice for you.

Not every bride feels that a tiara is right for either her taste or her wedding. A big crown is rarely a good idea on an older bride, or one who is being remarried. Those brides should seek more subtle and sophisticated hair jewelry. A very wearable option is hairpins. They can be tucked into any type of updo, from an elaborate wreath of curls to the most classic chignon.

Brides today worry less about doing what is conventional. They are more interested in expressing their personalities and being true to themselves. If you decide that a veil is not right for you, there are many other stylish alternatives.

Wedding Hairstyles for Medium Length Hair

A woman’s hair is often referred to as her “crowing glory”. On no day will this be more true than your wedding day. If you have medium length hair, you will find that there are many hairstyles available to you. It is just a matter of picking the right one.

There are several things to consider when deciding on your wedding hairstyle. The first is the formality of your wedding. Just as a stiff updo might look out of place at a backyard barbeque, wearing your hair loose might seem underdone at a cathedral ceremony. It is important to match your hairstyle to both the formality of your bridal gown and your wedding location.

One of the most popular wedding hairstyles for brides with medium length hair is the half up look. In this hairdo, the stylist will pull the front of the bride’s hair back, and leave the rest flowing down. This look tends to work well for any formality of wedding. Having the hair shaped into a definitive style makes it polished enough for a more formal wedding, but having some of the hair left soft and flowing makes the half up style feel feminine and un-stuffy, as well. It is the best of both worlds.

One advantage of the half up style over leaving all of your hair down is that it makes it easy to anchor the bridal jewelry that you have chosen for your hair. You can wear a twinkling crystal tiara or headband for the most dressy look.

If you prefer vintage styles, then a rhinestone comb would be perfect tucked into the side of your hair. You can also wear a comb on the top of your head with feminine details such as porcelain flowers for a romantic effect. Just be certain that the bridal jewelry you choose for your hair coordinates with the rest of your wedding jewelry.

Whichever way you choose to wear your hair for your wedding, be certain to have a trial run. This will give you the chance to see how you like the style with your wedding gown. When your hair looks perfect, you know that you will feel beautiful on your wedding day.

An All-Ivory Wedding

One of the most elegant themes that you can choose for your wedding is all-ivory. Perfect for a formal affair, this look is very elegant. Decorating your wedding with shades of ivory is a wonderful, traditional wedding design.

If you decide on ivory gowns for your bridesmaids, it would be nice to let them choose their own style, just to add some variety and visual interest to the wedding party. Naturally, for an all-ivory wedding, you will want your attendants to wear pearl bridesmaid jewelry. Many women will already own some basic pearls, but you may want to choose a special piece of pearl bridesmaid jewelry that you can give them as a gift to wear for your wedding.

If you are a bride who loves the classics, it will be very easy for you to design an all-ivory wedding. Many beloved wedding flowers, such as roses, tulips, and lilies, will be available to you. When you are working with a monochromatic color scheme, you will want to add interest by using a variety of textures or subtle patterns. For instance, you could set the tables with ivory linens in a brocade design.

There are many ways to use an ivory color palette in a less traditional way, as well. One of the really fun accents that a bride can choose is feathers. Feathers can be used in the most remarkable way, and the classic ivory color will make sure that they read as texture, not as anything too over-the-top. An innovative florist can also do amazing things with feathers in the bouquets and centerpieces.

Another idea for an all-ivory wedding design is to focus on candles – lots and lots of candles. You can have flickering votives in glass holders suspended from branches as your centerpieces. Use lots of pillar candles in varying heights and textures on the tables around your centerpieces to add to the effect. All of that glowing candlelight would be ideal for an evening wedding.

An all-ivory wedding is one of the most elegant looks that you can choose. It will turn any reception site into a beautiful bridal wonderland. Best of all, the limited color palette will allow all of the attention to be focused on the bride – right where it belongs!

Cutting Edge Wedding Dresses

What makes a gown cutting edge? Well, for starters, it has to deviate from the norm in some, if not all, ways. It should be unique. A cutting edge gown should also be one that cannot be carried off by just anyone: it requires a special sort of bride to wear it.

One style that you see on runways is wedding dresses with mini-skirts. On the top, they basically look like any other gown, but once you get to the bottom half…well, there really isn’t much of a bottom half! This type of wedding gown should, first and foremost, only be considered by brides with great legs.

A mini wedding gown would be a very chic style for a City Hall wedding, or perhaps for one on a beach. If you want to give it a more elegant look, wear it with a long, plain veil. For a more avant-garde effect, a little pouf of netting on your head is all you need (see Reese Witherspoon in Sweet Home Alabama). A dress that makes this bold a statement should be accessorized with restraint. A few pieces of wedding jewelry and pretty shoes would be the right finishing touches.

For a style that could work on a bride of any age, check out the menswear inspired bridal gowns. They are created in standard white or ivory bridal fabrics, but have details like tailored jackets over a full skirt. This type of wedding dress is perfect for brides who have always loved the look of a woman in a sexy tuxedo as evening wear. It could also work as an equestrian inspired bridal gown.

For the ultimate in sexy, turn to one of the cutting edge gowns that have holes or cut-outs in them. Some have sheer lace panels in the bodice, while others have actual parts of the bodice fabric removed to reveal skin. They are often paired with full skirts, which does help to tone down the avant-garde nature of these revealing gowns a little bit.  Prepare to shock your grandmother!

For brides who like drama, choosing a cutting edge wedding gown can be the way to achieve it. These styles are not for everyone, but they certainly will allow a bride to express her own unique style and taste. Having a gown that really feels like you is a great way to make your wedding even more fun.

Farm Weddings

Calling all nature lovers! Why get married in a stuffy hotel ballroom when you love the great outdoors? For anyone looking for a unique outdoor wedding site, consider having your event on a local farm.

Weddings held on farms are obviously best suited for a bride and groom who love nature and animals, and who like the idea of a more relaxed wedding. You will want to adapt the wedding style to fit the location. A wedding on a farm should be fresh, inviting, and informal.

A great way to set the tone for your wedding is to pick a motif related to the site you have chosen. For instance, if you are getting married at an apple orchard in autumn, you could use an apple motif on your invitations. A beautiful letterpress design would be in keeping with the more homey feeling of a farm.

Other design elements that would work very well for a farm wedding are things like gingham ribbon accents, big glass jars of fresh-squeezed lemonade, and favors that reflect the specialty of the farm. A very stiff looking fondant cake would not be the right style; a better choice would be a softer, more homemade looking cake with buttercream, or even a collection of fresh fruit pies.

The bride and groom will want to choose wedding attire that is appropriate for the farm. That doesn’t have to mean overalls and Wellies, just look for styles that have a relaxed feeling. For the groom, a khaki suit would be a nice alternative to a tuxedo or dark suit. The bride could wear a soft organza or linen gown, along with handmade wedding jewelry.

With so many great choices, a couple can get married almost anywhere these days. If you are a nature lover, definitely look into having your wedding on a farm. Who knows, you may even be able to ride a horse or a llama down the aisle!

Jilted at the Altar!

It is every bride or groom’s worst nightmare: to be jilted at the altar. Fortunately, it is a very rare occurrence. On the outside chance that it happens to you or someone you love, here is what you need to know…

What is the protocol? The first step is for a family member (usually one related to the party who has backed out) has to make an announcement to the assembled guests that the wedding will not be taking place as planned. After the initial shock dies down, it is up to your families whether or not you want the reception to take place. It is not uncommon in these situations for the guests to be invited to attend the reception, because frankly, at this point it is already paid for, so someone should get to enjoy the party. The bride or groom would generally not be in attendance.

After getting through the wedding day, there will be many more questions to be answered. One of the most immediate concerns will be the honeymoon. If a refund is not an option, the jilted person may choose to take the trip anyway, usually bringing along a close friend for moral support. After the humiliation of being publicly jilted, they may be happy to get out of town for a few days and have some time to collect his or her thoughts.

There are also some practicalities that must be addressed. One of the biggest issues concerns the gifts. In some cases, it is very straightforward. Wedding gifts should be returned to the senders with a brief note thanking them for their good wishes.

Etiquette says that if the woman breaks off the engagement, she is obligated to return the ring, along with any other wedding jewelry gifts. When it is the groom who gets cold feet, the woman is not technically required to return the ring to him. The exception is when the jewelry in question is a family heirloom. In that circumstance, it should absolutely be returned to the family from whence it came.

Breaking off a wedding is not easy under any circumstances. It is certainly even harder to accept when it happens on what is supposed to be one of the happiest days of your life. All that you can really do is console yourself that this marriage wasn’t meant to be, and that the right person will come along one day when you least expect it.

Types of Bridesmaid Jewelry

One of the most popular gifts that a bride can give to her bridesmaids is jewelry. It makes a great gift because it is timeless, and it is something that your bridesmaids can wear at your wedding. There are so many wonderful choices that it can be hard to know where to start!

A very popular type of bridesmaid jewelry is the Swarovski crystal jewelry set. These glittering crystals are beloved world wide for their superior sparkle and crisp shine. They also have a nice weight, which means that pieces made with Swarovski crystals will hang very well.

Another reason that many brides love to give crystal bridesmaid jewelry is that you can have it handmade to match your wedding colors. The crystals are available in every color imaginable, from the pure look of the clear ones, to pastel blue to bold red, and everything in between. This makes it very easy to coordinate your gift to the dresses that your attendants will be wearing.

Crystals are by no means the only option for bridesmaid jewelry. Pearls are another extremely popular choice. Pearl jewelry has a timeless elegance that is unmatched by any other gem. There is a softness and feminine quality to pearls that makes them perfectly suited to weddings.

Personalized silver jewelry is an especially nice gift for your bridesmaids. Having a bracelet or necklace engraved with their monogram will make the piece very special to them. It also shows that you took the time to select a piece of jewelry just for them, which is always appreciated.

There are other types of bridesmaid jewelry available that are great for special types of weddings. For your destination wedding, you can choose from jewelry such as silver dolphin bracelets, monogrammed shell necklaces, and casual but stylish earrings made from coin or keshi pearls. Many of those same pieces are also great for the bride, so don’t forget about yourself!

The bridesmaid jewelry that you give to your attendants will be something that they will have forever. Fortunately, there are so many terrific options that your biggest challenge will probably be how to narrow it down to just one choice!

Homemade Wedding Favors

Every couple wants their wedding to be personal and unique. One way to achieve that is by including elements that really reflect who you are. For brides who have a creative streak, a great idea is to give your guests homemade wedding favors.

If you want to give your guests homemade favors, the first step is to sit down and think about both your talents and your wedding theme. For instance, if you are having a homey wedding with wildflowers, a handmade jar of strawberry jam would make a terrific favor. (Guests always love favors that are edible!)

Of course, your wedding is going to be a really busy time, so be sure that you do not bite off more than you can chew. You might find it manageable to create favors for a wedding with fifty guests, but perhaps not for two hundred and fifty guests. This is also not the time to try out a new craft, so only make your wedding favors if there is something that you already have some experience in creating. You would not want to have your favors not turn out nicely and be forced to scramble for something else at the last minute.

And by the way, don’t be one of those brides who thinks, well the favors were so easy to make that I should fire the baker, florist, and jeweler and try to make my own cake, centerpieces, and custom bridal jewelry. You will regret it if you fall into the trap of taking on too much and getting in over your head. It is better to take on one special project, like the favors, and do it very well than to try to do too much and end up stressed out.

When you create your own wedding favors, you are essentially giving your guests a piece of yourself. This will make it a gift that they will always remember. Whatever you choose to craft, from Christmas ornaments to potpourri to mini Bonsai trees, your favors will be even better because they sprung from your own two hands.

Hip New Wedding Color Schemes

Are you the type of bride who always wants to be on the cutting edge of fashion? If that sounds like you, then you will want to be sure that your wedding is as fashion forward as you are. These are some of the hippest and freshest looks for wedding color schemes right now.

The key to creating a really great color scheme for your wedding is to choose an interesting pairing of colors. The right colors, when used in combination, can really make everything pop. Instead of traditional gold, white, or silver, think about using bright colors in fresh new ways.

Hints of lime or chartreuse green are one of the top color trends for weddings. Pair the bright green with another strong color, such as aqua blue or a bold red. It may sound a bit garish at first, but when done well, the end result will be very stylish and unique.

Also consider the color combination of pink and red. This is another one that might make you pause at first – weren’t we always told that pink and red should never go together? That old rule is out the window, as brides are discovering how great those two tones can look together.

There are so many creative places to employ your color scheme. To really make it work, you will want to carry it throughout the wedding in large doses. This will give your décor a unified look, and really make the bold colors pop.

You should definitely plan on using your chosen colors in the bridesmaid dresses. For instance, you could do an aqua organza dress with a chartreuse sash for a fresh summer wedding look. To keep the theme going, give your attendants bridesmaid gifts in your wedding colors. There are lots of ways to do this. You could give them tote bags in lime with a red monogram. Or order custom bridesmaid jewelry as their gifts; combine red and pink Swarovksi crystals for a fabulous effect.

Whichever color you choose, be sure to own it. Using one of these hot new color pairings will give your wedding a fresh and hip style. Expressive use of color is a wonderful way to make your wedding unforgettable.