Finding Your Bridal Style
In the wedding business, like all others, there are trends that come and go. While no one wants to be caught looking outdated or “so last year”, at the same time, you do not want to become one of those fashion victims who hops onto the trend of the moment. The key is to find balance, and to have the confidence to express your own personal style as a bride.
One of the key elements of having your own style is to be aware of trends without slavishly following them. For instance, one of the hottest looks for brides right now is the one shoulder gown. It is a great way to make a statement that you are right on top of the latest fashions, and it can be very beautiful. However, if asymmetry has always driven you crazy, it would nuts to go along with this particular trend. No matter how beautiful the gown, if it does not feel like you, you will look and feel uncomfortable in it all day.
For brides who have no clue about their personal style, a good starting point can be your own wardrobe. Think about the clothing and accessories that you are drawn to day in and day out. Perhaps you reach for your favorite crisp white blouse each Monday morning. Then a tailored gown with classic lines will be the wedding dress equivalent. Maybe you don’t care what you wear, as long as you can layer on some funky necklaces. Then make shopping for great handcrafted bridal jewelry a central part of your mission.
If you are still feeling stumped, think about what you truly dislike (this is one of the first questions a good bridal consultant will ask you). Maybe you are very sporty, and shudder at the thought of being made to wear a frilly lace dress. Perhaps you are afraid of looking like everyone else; for you a gown handcrafted by an up-and-coming designer paired with unique bridal jewelry may be just your style. Once you start making a list of your dislikes, your preferences will quickly become easier to see.
Filed under Bridal Jewelry, Uncategorized | Tags: handcrafted bridal jewelry, wedding gown | Comment (0)Elegant Seaside Weddings
Every great wedding starts with an inspiration. For an elegant wedding by the sea or ocean, imagine the Gilded Age when the glamorous set flocked to places like Newport, Rhode Island. The idea was to enjoy all of the beauty of the ocean, sand, and blue skies, while still maintaining a gracious lifestyle. This can be a terrific starting point for your wedding design.
If you want to be really authentic, you can have a destination wedding in one of the elegant mansions that grace the waterfront in a place like Newport. The homes are grand and richly appointed, making them a stunning background for a wedding celebration. Many of these breathtaking mansions are available for weddings of any size.
You could begin by having the ceremony and cocktails outdoors on a magnificent rolling green lawn with the ocean waves lapping at the nearby beach. The bride should aim for a look that is both elegant, yet appropriate for an outdoor ceremony (in other words, no cathedral length trains).
Give a nod to the historic nature of the setting by adding a hint of a vintage style to your wedding ensemble. A beautiful idea would be a heavily beaded chiffon gown with a sweep train accented by pearl bridal jewelry. Consider spicing up your bridal jewelry by doing a combination of pearl with a deep purple crystal, in honor of the amethysts that are so popular in vintage jewelry.
The theme of seaside elegance can be further explored in your décor and favors. A very pretty idea would be to incorporate seashells, sand dollars, and starfish into the bride’s bouquet and the centerpieces. Tasty little chocolates in the shape of shells would be a perfect wedding favor for your guests to take home.
Filed under Bridal Jewelry, Destination Wedding, pearl bridal jewelry, Wedding Planning | Tags: Destination Wedding, pearl bridal jewelry, seaside weddings, Wedding Planning | Comment (0)The Hippest Bridesmaid Dresses
The coolest bridesmaid dresses look like something that you could wear to a chic nightclub, rather than the taffeta nightmares of weddings past. These dresses are so hip and stylish that the bride might even want to get one for herself to wear on her honeymoon. If the bride herself would be happy to put it on, you know that it is one stylish dress!
The fabrics of choice for the most modern bridesmaid styles are flowing silk charmeuse and silk chiffon. These fabrics are great because they are both elegant and a little bit sultry at the same time. For color, any shade of blue is in, as are rich jewel tones and neutrals like charcoal. They will look especially wonderful for an evening wedding.
Short is a big trend for chic bridesmaid dresses. Many of the dresses are created in short and sassy cuts with details like bubble hems or ruffles on the hemline. The skirts are full but soft, which will make them float and move marvelously as your bridesmaids march down the aisle. The fullness also helps to balance out the shorter skirts and strapless or spaghetti strap tops that are all the rage. A fun detail that has also been cropping up is pockets hidden in the seams of the skirts.
Such stylish dresses call for equally fabulous accessories. Look for bridesmaid jewelry that has a modern edge to it, like long crystal drop earrings. A great idea for bridesmaid jewelry gifts would be a pair of stunning earrings with enough bracelets to stack up the wrist. Keep the shoes simple and modern – a pair of strappy high heels is perfect.
Bridesmaid dresses no longer have to be a bad joke played on your good friends. With these fresh and modern styles now available, you can dress your bridesmaids in a way that will make your wedding even more chic. And for once, maybe your friends can actually have a bridesmaid dress that they will be happy to wear again.
Filed under Bridesmaid Gifts, Bridesmaid Jewelry | Tags: bridesmaid dress, Bridesmaid Gifts, Bridesmaid Jewelry | Comment (0)Intimate Weddings in the Age of Technology
There are a variety of ways in which technology can be very helpful for planning a wedding, and yet many of these same tools can spoil some what makes a wedding a special event just for your closest family and friends. For instance, many couples these days set up a wedding website that can be used to share information with their guests. It can be a very useful tool for sharing practical details about hotels, flights, and weather with your guests.
On the other hand, some brides get so carried away that they post pictures of everything from their wedding gown and bridal jewelry to the cake and the centerpieces. This much information leaves nothing for the guests to experience on your wedding day. To keep the anticipation of your wedding high, keep the specific on things like the bridal gown and jewelry to yourself. Don’t steal your own thunder!
Another complaint of many couples is that pictures from their wedding have ended up all over the internet, posted by well-intentioned friends. Not everyone wants to have their pictures posted on sites like Facebook for any number of virtual strangers to look over. If you feel like this would be a violation of your privacy, make it very clear before the wedding that you prefer not to have your wedding photos posted on the social networking sites.
This may seem like it goes without saying, but one other way to avoid letting technology take over your wedding is to leave all of your devices behind when you walk down the aisle. The bride and groom should not spend the wedding reception sending text messages or checking out sports scores on their wireless internet devices. In fact, if you want to up the romance on your honeymoon, this is also good advice. Spend your trip focusing on one another, and let the outside world fade away for a few glorious days.
Filed under Bridal Jewelry, Uncategorized, Wedding Planning | Tags: Bridal Jewelry, wedding advice, Wedding Planning | Comment (0)Bridal Shower Etiquette
Whether you are a bride, a bridesmaid, or the mother of the bride, you will likely be attending a bridal shower in the near future. Before you get started on the planning, though, there are some important things that you should know. Getting familiar with the proper etiquette of bridal showers in advance will help you to have a lovely event that everyone will enjoy.
An important thing that the bride should remember is that you cannot ask a friend to have a shower on your behalf. Planning a bridal shower is time consuming and expensive, and although one is usually organized by one or more of the bridesmaids, it is not one of their obligations. Chances are that one of your close friends will step up and offer to host a party for you anyway; just make sure that she does it willingly, not under pressure.
The guest list of a bridal shower should consist only of guests who are actually invited to the wedding. It is the height of rudeness to ask guests to come to a party and give you a gift without including them in the main event. The only possible exception to this is if you work in the type of office that has a cake for every imaginable event. If your co-workers want to get together and toast you before your wedding, that it their prerogative.
After the wedding, there is one final piece of etiquette to be observed: writing the thank you notes! It is the bride’s duty to handwrite a thoughtful note for all of her wedding gifts, from the most stunning piece of jewelry down to the lowliest potholder. And don’t put it off – this is a task that is easiest when it is tackled in the week after the shower. A good tip is to have someone make a list of the gift and the donor’s name during the shower. That way, you will be sure not to forget to thank anyone. After all, showing your heartfelt appreciation is always good etiquette!
Filed under Uncategorized, Wedding Jewelry | Tags: bridal shower, wedding etiquette, wedding jewelry gifts | Comment (0)What Wedding Guests Can’t Stand
We have all been to plenty of weddings. Some were boring, some were wonderful, and some we just could not wait to escape from. These are some of the things that people say they cannot stand at weddings. If you want your wedding to be fantastic, you would be wise to keep these things out of your event.
Something to avoid at your wedding is changing into a stranger that your guests will not even recognize. I once attended the wedding of a dear friend who I had not seen in a while. When she walked down the aisle in heavy makeup and overdone wedding jewelry, all I could think was that her mother must have picked everything out. The friend that I knew had a fresh pretty face and would have chosen a simple dress and jewelry for her wedding. Don’t leave your guests wondering what happened to the woman they thought they knew!
Music is an important part of any wedding, and it can make or break yours. Across the board, one thing that guests cannot stand is a cheesy d.j. No one needs to hear the d.j. yammer on all night; his only job should be to play music and introduce the bride and groom. As far as the music itself goes, try to choose a selection of tunes that is either very classic, or has a broad appeal for guests of all ages.
Something else that is guaranteed to aggravate your wedding guests is having a long gap between the ceremony and the reception. There are plenty of other things that wedding guests dislike, from bland food, to long speeches, to cash bars. If you stop and think about it, what really makes people happy is good food, good music, and being made to feel welcome. With that in mind, it should be easy to plan a wedding that will be a great time for everyone involved.
Filed under Uncategorized, Wedding Jewelry, Wedding Planning | Tags: wedding advice, Wedding Jewelry, Wedding Planning | Comment (0)
