Wonderful Striped Wedding Attire

Stripes are fresh and crisp, tailored and classic. They can be formal and restrained, as in a pin stripe suit. Stripes can be exuberant when they are done in a rainbow of bright colors. They can be vertical, horizontal, printed or woven, even made from ribbon embellishments. With all this variety, it is no wonder that stripes are one of the best patterns to choose when dressing your wedding party.

You can find some amazing striped dresses for your bridesmaids. The most classic are a two color stripe, woven in a fairly stiff fabric. This looks fantastic for a knee length strapless dress, in any color. If you are having a preppy wedding, pink and green stripes are perfect, especially when paired with pearl bridesmaid jewelry. For summer weddings, you cannot beat the fresh and easy look of seersucker striped bridesmaid dresses, in pink and white or blue and white. The classic elegance of pearl bridesmaid jewelry also looks pretty with this style of dress, and will not compete with the patterned fabric.

For a formal wedding, I love the look of a ball skirt made from wide tonal stripes (which have a very subtle contrast between colors). Rich gold tones created in wide vertical stripes look magnificent and grand. The top of the ensemble can be a fitted strapless or square neck top in a solid color that matches one of the stripes, a cashmere twinset, or even a white wrap blouse in a dressy taffeta. The last style also works beautifully for the mother of the bride or groom.

The men in the wedding will also look handsome in stripes. A very subtle pinstripe or even a chalk stripe suit can be a nice option for a fairly formal wedding which is not black tie. Just be sure that the effect is not overly business like, and avoid double breasted pinstripe styles, which look more mafioso than stylish. A solid suit can be made more interesting with the addition of a striped shirt. This looks especially nice for a summer wedding when the groom and his groomsmen will be wearing linen suits. A pastel striped shirt adds a nice detail to the mix. And of course, don’t forget about dressing up a solid suit and shirt with a boldly striped repp tie.

Even the bride can get into the act. A white on white seersucker stripe would be fresh and beautiful for a spring or summer bridal gown. The detail is very subtle, but so pretty when seen up close. You can also find some wonderful wedding dresses which have horizontal or vertical bands of lace, which creates a striped effect. Pearl bridal jewelry with crystal accents would be a lovely finishing touch, especially if the lace is beaded.

Fresh Looks for Fall Bridesmaid Jewelry

Are you looking for the perfect bridesmaid jewelry gifts for your fall wedding? Before you start shopping, take a moment to read about the freshest new looks for the season. The latest styles in bridesmaid jewelry will make finding beautiful gifts easy and fun.

A big trend for fall jewelry is color. Rich and warm neutral colors like topaz, brandy, copper, garnet, and brown are very much in style. If you like a bolder shade, try a stunning garnet color for your bridesmaid jewelry. These colors will blend beautifully with the pretty colors that are in style for autumn bridesmaid dresses.

Speaking of matching your bridesmaid jewelry to your wedding colors, consider having pieces custom made to give to your attendants as gifts. Luminous Swarovski pearls come in a fantastic array of fall colors, and are quite affordable. The pearls look wonderful when made into a cluster or drop pendant to wear with a v-neck or spaghetti strap bridesmaid dress. For a strapless dress, a tin cup style necklace made in either Swarovski crystals or pearls would be lovely.

Another great trend in bridesmaid jewelry is the use of interesting shapes. Sparkling Swarovski crystals are being cut into flat briolettes, which make exquisite drop necklaces, modern cubes, stars, moons, and romantic hearts. These shapes make very interesting and unique bridesmaid jewelry sets. A long pair of “stiletto” drop earrings is a great way to show off a special crystal.

Bold form are also hot this season. One of the most striking looks is a pendant created from a large open crystal “O” or disc shape. It is an eyecatching look that is fabulous with any style of bridesmaid dress. The “O” can be done in a lovely clear or golden shadow crystal color, but perhaps the most breathtaking version is the multi-colored cosmic volcano crystal. The design is right in line with the trend in regular fashion for exotic and strong jewelry, so these are bridesmaid necklaces that your friends will be able to wear quite often after the wedding with their other outfits.

Bouquets for Bridesmaids

Your bridesmaids’ bouquets are the largest accessory that they will carry, so it is important to choose wisely. There are a few rules of thumb to keep in mind when talking bouquets with your florist. One is that your bridesmaids’ bouquets should coordinate with their dresses, your wedding gown and bouquet, as well as the style or theme of your wedding. The biggest choices that you will make are: color, type of flower, size and shape of bouquets, and special accents like ribbons.

It used to be common for a bride to try to match the color of the bridesmaids’ flowers to their dresses as closely as possible. Although this is still done, many florists are getting away from the exact match, because the flowers will tend to blend in too much with the dresses. You can lose the visual impact of the blossoms in this way, especially in photographs.

A nice alternative is to select flowers in a color that will stand out against the bridesmaid dresses, and tie them with a ribbon that matches their dresses for continuity. The flowers can be another version of the same color, like hot pink peonies carried by bridesmaids in pale pink gowns, or go for a modern look with a strong contrast, like orange flowers with a deep purple dress. Sometimes brides will choose to have the bridesmaids carry a progression of colors in the same type of flower; for instance if your attendants were wearing butter yellow dresses, you could design bouquets in a range of purples from lilac to eggplant for a dramatic contrast.

It is very important that the style of flowers you choose for bridesmaid bouquets makes sense with their dresses. If your attendants were wearing long black sheaths and crystal bridesmaid jewelry sets for an evening wedding, you would not give them a bunch of daisies to carry down the aisle. On the other hand, an elegant bouquet of calla lilies would be perfect with such a chic bridesmaid ensemble. And the daisies have their place too; they would be charming with cotton voile bridesmaid dresses and simple sets of silver jewelry for a summer afternoon wedding in a park.

When in doubt, ask your florist to make you a few samples to view along with a sample of your own bridal bouquet. The wedding flowers are such a key decorative element at your ceremony that you want to make sure they all look gorgeous.

Preparing Your Gown for Your Wedding

Your wedding day is right around the corner, and you want to make sure that everything looks picture perfect. There are some easy steps that can be taken to make sure that everything you wear for your wedding is in tip-top shape. This is what you need to know about preparing your wedding gown, veil, and jewelry for the big day.

When you are working with a bridal salon near your wedding location, you should plan on having the dress freshly pressed the week of your wedding. It will come to you on a bust form over a hanger, with tissue stuffed into the sleeves to help hold its form.  Give some thought to where  you can hang it up when you get home. If the gown has a train, you will want to open the bag to let the train unfurl. Hang the gown from the highest possible place (plant hooks on the ceiling are great for this), and spread a clean white sheet on the floor under the train. Be sure to protect your gown from wandering pets and fiances! Brides who will be traveling with their gowns will need to make advance arrangements to have them pressed or steamed when they arrive at their wedding destination.

Don’t forget about your accessories; you will want them to be in top form for your wedding, too. Your veil will need to be steamed, and if it has a ribbon or lace border, that should be gently flat pressed. Ironing a veil is a very delicate operation, because it is easy to melt the tulle with too much heat or tear it with the tip of the iron. It is best to have this done by a professional, but if you must iron your own veil, be sure to use a low heat, and to over the veil with a press cloth for protection.

The rest of your wedding accessories might need a little sprucing up as well. Silver wedding jewelry should be polished according to the designer’s instructions. Pearl bridal jewelry can be gently wiped with a soft dry cloth, and diamonds should be cleaned so they shine like the sun. After all, you will want everything  in your wedding to look absolutely beautiful on your special day.

Handy Tips for Bridesmaids

Here are some handy tips for bridesmaids to help you be the best bridesmaid a bride could ever have.

Tip No. 1: Assume that the bride will go a little crazy, and be there to pull her back from the brink. A wedding is such an emotionally charged time that even the most level headed bride is sure to have some stressful moments. When she is on the verge of a breakdown because the printer spelled her name wrong on the invitations or her fiance chose a golf weekend with his buddies over a trip to a wedding show, a good bridesmaid will help the bride to calm down. Take her out to dinner or a funny movie, and help take her mind off of the wedding for a few hours until she has calmed down.

Tip No. 2: Anticipate the bride’s needs as much as possible. You know that her mother drives her crazy? Then run interference at the bridal shower and occupy her mother with an engaging conversation to keep her away from the bride. You know your friend dreads shopping? Then make appointments for her at the bridal shops and take her to find the perfect gown. If the bride is a people pleaser? Let her think that you love the bridesmaid dress that she has chosen, even if you hate the color. You can always spruce it up with some fabulous bridesmaid jewelry to make it look prettier, and the bride will be happy if she believes that you are happy.

Tip No. 3: Be prompt and responsible. If the bride says that everyone needs to have their deposits into the bridal shop for bridesmaid dresses by Saturday, get yours in on Thursday.  Don’t be that one girl that the bride has to chase down for everything.

Tip No. 4: Take the time to look your best for her wedding.  Be sure that your nails are freshly manicured and get your hair styled. Do not show up to the wedding in a dress that is wrinkled, shoes that are scuffed, or bridesmaid jewelry that needs to be polished. It is bound to make the bride feel like you did not care enough about her wedding (even if you are genuinely overjoyed for her). After all, part of being a great bridesmaid is being a considerate friend.

What Your Bridesmaids Want You to Know

It is easy to get so wrapped up in being a bride that you forget about the other people involved in making your wedding a success. Bridesmaids are notoriously overlooked, yet most of them are gracious enough to stifle their complaints to spare the bride’s feelings. If they were being honest, these are the things that your bridesmaids would want you to know.

First of all, they are all individuals. Your best friend from college and your cousin from Nebraska do not necessarily have the same taste in clothing, the same figure, or the same type of hair. In fact, in many groups of bridesmaids, the women do not have that much in common, other than caring about the bride. This is okay! Bridesmaids do not need to be clones, and the bride should not try to force them into a mold. Let each woman express her own individuality on your wedding day.

Your bridesmaids also want you to know that they would prefer not to spend $400 on a dress that they will never wear again. A considerate bride either chooses a dress that everyone can afford, or allows each attendant to pick her own dress within certain guidelines. What bridesmaids really love is getting to wear a black cocktail dress from their own closet, but do not feel obligated to go this far in appeasing them; it is reasonable to expect the bridesmaid dresses to be appropriate for the style of your wedding, and a black party dress does not always fit the bill.

One thing that your bridesmaids really want you to know is that they appreciate being appreciated. Host a ladies’ luncheon a few days before your wedding as a chance to get everyone together and express your gratitude for all they have done for you. This is the perfect chance to present them with gifts to show your thanks, such as bridesmaid jewelry. The best bridesmaid gifts are those with lasting and sentimental value, such as jewelry or a silver picture frame. Of course, last but not least, your bridesmaids would like you to know how happy they are for you.

Ultra Formal White Tie Weddings

Many people assume that a black tie wedding is the most formal type of event that there is. Actually, this is not the case; the white tie wedding is the most elegant and formal. Properly held only in winter evenings, white tie weddings are the pinnacle of style for a wedding celebration.

The formality of a white tie wedding begins with the invitation. Select an ultra-conservative white or ecru invitation with either a triple embossed panel design or a gold border. The wedding invitation wording should definitely be engraved, and this is a time to use a very ornate script font. The words used on the invitation should be traditional, not creative or modern, and the notation “White tie” should appear in the lower right hand corner, opposite the R.s.v.p. line on the left.

So what does it actually mean to dress in white tie attire? The gentlemen will wear a very formal tuxedo with a cutaway jacket and a white bowtie. Top hat and gloves are optional. The bride should choose a gown with a full ballskirt, a long train, and ornate details. A gown with heavy silver embroidery and lavish beading on both the bodice and the hem would be perfect for such a grand occasion. Accessories matter, too. Look for spectacular pieces such as custom bridal Swarovski necklaces. And don’t forget the long white gloves, which are de rigeur for the bride at a white tie affair.

And then there are the flowers. They should be plentiful and very ornately arranged. Loads of roses overflowing from tall silver vases are gorgeous. You can even go with a fanciful tablescape that features a small tree created from gold or silver painted branches. Decorate it with hanging crystal teardrops and fresh orchids for a centerpiece that will truly impress. The most traditional color for the flowers would be white, but a deep red or even an eggplant color would be equally stunning.

Pop the cork on the Champagne, dish out the caviar, and you will be ready to get your fabulous white tie wedding underway. It is a marvelous way to celebrate the start of a new marriage. One thing is certain: there is nothing more stylish than a grand white tie wedding.

Grand Cathedral Weddings

If your dream is to have a grand wedding ceremony like something out of a fairy tale, then a cathedral just might be the perfect venue for you. They are unmatched in their soaring grandeur and impressive architecture, and there is no more breathtaking ceremony venue. This is what you need to know to plan the perfect grand cathedral wedding.

In some communities, use of the cathedral may be reserved for parish members, but this is not the case everywhere. St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, for instance, will open its doors to Catholics from outside of the parish. Something that is important to keep in mind when considering such a famous site for your wedding is that you may not be able to have a private ceremony. This is the case at St. Patrick’s, which does remain open to the general public during wedding ceremonies.  You should also be aware that while a house of worship does not usually charge a fee for its use, there may well be a minimum mandatory “donation”, which can run into a couple of thousand dollars.

A grand setting demands equally grand attire; this is a chance for a bride to choose something really spectacular. The long aisle of a cathedral is the perfect setting for (you guessed it) a cathedral length train. If you prefer a more fitted gown with a shorter train, up the wow factor with a cathedral length veil, which looks absolutely stunning over a beaded sheath cut bridal gown.

The rest of the wedding party will want to look equally fabulous. The bridesmaids should definitely wear floor length dresses, accented with pretty bridesmaid jewelry sets and gorgeous bouquets. Very petite accessories will get swallowed up in a large cathedral, so opt for sets of bridesmaid jewelry with great impact, such as sparkling Swarovski crystals in your wedding colors.

Imagine the scene: grand doors part, a pipe organ plays, and a bride in a fabulous gown glides down a long aisle to a flower-bedecked altar. Now imagine that the bride taking place in a scene straight from a Hollywood spectacular is you. It could be, if you decide to have your wedding ceremony in a marvelous cathedral.

Wedding Flowers For Every Season

You are probably familiar with birthstones, the tradition that people born in each month have a special gemstone. But did you know that there is also a flower associated with every month of the year? When you are planning a wedding, it is a wonderful idea to incorporate meaningful flowers into your bouquet. It would be lovely to include either the flower for your birth month or the special blossom for the month in which you will be wed. This is a guide to some of the best wedding flowers by month.

The flower for January is the carnation. This is a humble flower, but one that can easily be elevated to modern chic by the way in which it is arranged. Mound loads of carnations in tight clusters to create nifty pomanders and centerpieces in footed urns.  March ushers in the first breath of spring, and along with it the most quintessential spring flower: the daffodil. This cheerful yellow (or yellow and white) bloom is the perfect way to chase away the gloom of winter. Mini daffodils work especially well in bouquets.

One of the most beloved of all wedding flowers is the birth flower of May, which is lily-of-the-valley. The tiny white or lilac colored blossoms make for lovely bouquets. June is known as the month for brides, and so it can be no accident that two of brides’ favorite things are also associated with the month of June. Classic roses and pearl bridal jewelry are both the symbols of June birth, and are cherished by women being wed in every month of the year.

Autumn born brides can enjoy flowers in rich fall tones. The aster is the September flower, and it is available in a great shade of red. The casual daisy-like aster also comes in pretty shades of purple and white. The flower for October is the marigold. Infrequently seen at weddings, the hardy marigold could nonetheless make a nice addition. The orange shades of the signature flower can be enhanced by pairing it with bridal jewelry created from opal colored Swarovski crystals (opal being the October birthstone).

And finally, there is the Narcissus, which is December’s flower. A beautiful bulb that is often forced in pots over the winter months, tiny pots with a single Narcissus would be fantastic as table decorations that could double as favors for your guests to take home.

Hosting Out of Town Wedding Guests

With families and friends scattered far and wide these days, you are likely to end up with quite a few guests who are traveling in from out of town. Often times these visitors will want to come a few days before the wedding, which may leave you wondering how to entertain them while finalizing your wedding plans. These are some tips about hosting out of town wedding guests.

First of all, do not agree to have company stay at your house if it will increase your stress level. You will have enough to do without feeling like you have to clean your house and cook gourmet meals for guests. Help them out by booking a block of rooms at a nearby hotel so that all of your wedding guests can get the best rate. For bridesmaids and groomsmen, it is ideal if you can find a friend with a guest room so that they do not have to pay for a hotel room on top of the other expenses that come with being in a wedding.

When it is your immediate family coming in a few days before your wedding, the best way to occupy them is to put them to work! Most relatives will be thrilled to be useful, and there are many last minute tasks and errands that they can help to take off of the bride and groom’s plate. Do you need someone to go pick up your wedding dress, veil, and jewelry? Great, Aunt Susie can do it so you can get ready for the rehearsal. Do you want to have your wedding ring and other jewelry freshly cleaned so it sparkles at your ceremony? Send your mom to do it while you get your manicure. Other family can be asked to pitch in to help assemble programs, pick up tuxes, and retrieve other incoming guests from the airport.

For those guests whom you will not be putting to work, it is a good idea to give them some ideas for activities that they may enjoy. You will be far too busy in the last moments before your wedding to play tour guide, so your best bet is to spend some time well before your wedding putting together a list of suggestions for your guests. Things to include might be: information on local museums, shopping and restaurants, walking tours, and anything else special to your area, whether it is wine tasting in Napa Valley or taking a whale watching boat tour off of Cape Cod. This is your chance to share with your friends and family whatever you love best about the place that you live.