Brides Maids Bag

There are as many types of brides as there are temperaments. Are you a people-pleaser? Then you will want to make sure that you don’t let your mother hijack your wedding! A born star? Then go for a dramatic look with plenty of crystal bridal jewelry. A very caring person? Then plan an organic wedding with a low carbon footprint.

The best thing about knowing your own temperament is that it can help you to have the wedding that will feel right for you. If you are an earthy type, then the diva’s satin ballgown and crystal bridal jewelry will not feel natural to you. You will feel more at ease, and therefore more beautiful, in a simple wedding dress with more organic jewelry, like unique keshi pearls.

The shy bride who can recognize this trait in herself will be able to plan a day that doesn’t make her feel too overwhelmed. A very small wedding will be a better fit than one with a 300 person guest list. In addition, a bride who shuns the spotlight can make choices such as not walking down a long aisle or having all eyes on her for a first dance.

Extroverted brides will find that their temperament calls for a big, boisterous reception. Hire the best band or d.j. in town to really make your party a lot of fun. This is the bride who will regret it if she chooses a venue or band that is too buttoned-up. Indulge your love of a good time!

The temperament of the groom should be taken into account when planning a wedding as well. After all, if the bride loves a big party, but the groom is painfully shy, then some compromise will have be be found so that he can enjoy the wedding also. Hopefully, you have found a groom whose main personality trait is patience; many brides can use a patient listener during the wedding planning process.

There is no good or bad temperament; it is only about being aware of your own innate traits, and working with them instead of fighting against them. Once you have identified your own bridal temperament, you will be ready to begin planning the wedding of your dreams.

For children who have never attended a wedding before, preparation is key. This is especially true for the little ones, such as three or four year olds. They likely have no idea what goes on at a wedding, and are probably making up fantasies in their heads about it, which may or may not match the reality. To be sure that they understand what will really happen during a wedding, it is a good idea to talk them through it.

A good way to prepare your child for being a wedding guest is to show him or her books ore movies that feature weddings. Little girls, in particular, will love seeing pictures of brides in their long white gowns, flowing veils, and fancy wedding jewelry. Any of the books that are geared towards flower girls or ring bearers would be appropriate for pre-schoolers. There are also cute little sets of toys that feature a bride and groom figurine.

Make sure that the morning of the wedding is not the first time that your child tries on his or her fancy outfit. The dresses that little girls wear to such occasions often have crinolines or lace collars that can be too scratchy on sensitive skin. If you find this out in advance, you can have a seamstress add a lining or remove any itchy trim.

The final thing to think about when taking your children to a wedding is your exit strategy. If the party is going to be going strong well past their usual bedtime, then either plan to turn the kids over to a babysitter after the ceremony, or to head out from the reception after the cake has been cut. On the other hand, some children have so much fun at weddings, that they are the ones cutting a rug on the dance floor all night! Either way, when you have planned well, you will know that the wedding will be a fun event for the whole family.

Every wedding needs that one special element or theme that will bring it all together. Sometimes that concept can be rather unexpected. One surprising wedding trend right now is to beautify your wedding with butterflies.

There are countless ways to incorporate butterflies into your wedding design. Since they are associated with flowers, that is a good place to start. A tight round bouquet with multi-colored flowers would be even more gorgeous with one or two butterflies adorning it. Look for butterflies that are made from either sheer fabric or feathers, with little clips that you can use to attach them to things.

The wedding cake is another great place to use the butterfly motif. You can use more of the fabric ones, or have your baker create them out of gum paste. It would be just beautiful to have a cake with elaborate frosting flowers, and then to enhance it with graceful butterflies. What a romantic design that would be.

Butterflies can also adorn the bride herself. I have seen stunning bridal gowns that have pastel butterflies embroidered on the bodice or on the train. As long as they are done in a soft color palette, the effect can be subtle and sophisticated. Of course you would want to avoid anything that looked too childish.

For the bridesmaids, there are a few great ways to include them in the butterfly theme. Rather than going overboard with butterflies all over their dresses, choose more subtle accents. A single small butterfly clip in the hair of each attendant would be very pretty. Another idea is to forget about adorning the bridesmaids with a literal representation of a butterfly; instead bring out the luminous colors from your motif by giving them crystal bridesmaid jewelry.

The one type of butterfly to avoid using in your wedding is a live one. Although it looks beautiful to release a box of the fluttering creatures at the end of your ceremony, the sad truth is that they rarely survive very long. It is much better to use faux butterflies as a way to make this wonderful theme come to life.

One of the things that you will surely want for your wedding is great hair. The right hairstyle will be the perfect complement to your wedding gown, and it will help you to feel beautiful all day. When you become engaged, there are a few things that you should do to plan for your wedding day hair.

You may wish to formulate a long term plan with your hairstylist as far as a year before your wedding. This is not to say that you should have trial runs to come up with your exact hairstyle this far in advance. It is more about thinking in general terms what options you would like to have, and what you will need to do to get there.

Your haircut is another thing that you should think about well before your wedding date. Very layered haircuts may be great for everyday life, but can pose a problem for styling on the day of your wedding. You may find that all of those loose layers can be very messy when you are trying to form them into a more defined style for a formal event. To keep all of your options open to you, talk to your hairstylist about keeping layers to a minimum.

Another thing to think about when it comes to your wedding hair is how it will work with your headpiece. You have the option of choosing the headpiece based on the hairstyle that you want, or designing a hairstyle around your favorite hair jewelry. For instance, if you know that you want to wear you hair mostly loose, then a choose a piece of hair bridal jewelry such as a dainty pearl headband. On the other hand if you have fallen in love with a set of hairpins, then you will know that some sort of updo is needed to anchor them.

Your wedding hairstyle will definitely help to define your final look on your wedding day. This is why most brides find it helpful to start planning for it well in advance. You will find that with a little preparation, your wedding day will be the ultimate “good hair day”!

Whether you are recently engaged or about to walk down the aisle, it is a universal truth that all brides are concerned about their figures. You want to look as good as possible in your wedding dress, after all. The way to get there is with a sensible and effective fitness plan.

There are many types of fitness plans to help brides get in shape. Choosing the right one for you will depend on your temperament, your physique, and how much time you have before your wedding. You want to devise a plan that is challenging enough to be effective, but that is not so difficult that you end up losing too much weight, or on the flip side, giving up because it is unrealistic.

A very good place to begin can be with vigorous walking to improve overall health and fitness. If you are hoping to lose a fair amount of weight, cardio work is going to be a very important component of your plan. As you get into better shape, you can go from walking to running, or try out other forms of cardio like an elliptical machine or a spinning class.

Speaking of classes, some people find that being part of a group makes exercise more fun and less like a chore. It may also help to get you to push yourself harder while you exercise. There is a type of class for everyone. Yoga is a great way to help create long, lean muscles while also releasing some of that wedding stress.

The final thing to remember is not to obsess over what you are going to look like in your dress. Your whole wedding day look is going to be a complete package: gown, veil, bridal jewelry sets, hair, and makeup. (Brides love shopping for their bridal jewelry sets because they always fit, no matter what your size!) Nobody is going to notice if you didn’t lose that last ½” from your upper arms, so don’t let it ruin your day.

Remember that your fiance loves you for who you are, no matter what. Getting in shape for your wedding is a great goal, as long as you don’t let it take over your life. With a sensible fitness plan, you can arrive at your wedding day both looking and feeling great.

So what is an anti-bride? She is the one who does not flip through bridal magazines at the newsstand, could not care less about the subtle distinctions between ecru and eggshell, and is not about to promise to “obey” anyone. Above all, the anti-bride cannot imagine wearing a big poufy dress, cathedral length veil, and sparkly crown. In other words, she is not into the “princess for a day” fantasy.

If you become engaged and come to realize as Carrie Bradshaw once said in Sex and the City that you are “missing the bride gene”, you may indeed be an anti-bride. Although you may feel that you are surrounded by people pushing you into a nightmare of tulle, ice sculptures shaped like swans, and other things that make you hyperventilate, do not panic: you are not alone. There are, in fact, plenty of other women out there just like you, anti-brides who want to have a great wedding, but on their own terms.

The key to being a happy anti-bride is to be true to yourself. So if your mother tries to push you into the wedding of her dreams, or your co-workers just don’t understand why you would wear a red wedding gown, be prepared to stand your gown. Chances are that you have been doing this most of your adult life, anyway.

If you are an anti-bride, your good friends can also lend you a lot of support as you plan your ideal wedding. They will be the ones who back your decision to wear the wedding gown of your choosing, no matter what anyone else thinks of it. They will also be the ones who will keep your spirits high even on those days when the whole wedding thing is driving you nuts.

Be sure to acknowledge them with special bridesmaid gifts. Something unique that suits their individual personalities is ideal. If you are an anti-bride, the chances are that you will only be having a couple of your closest friends as attendants (instead of a platoon of girls dressed identically in aqua chiffon), so it gives you the freedom to customize your bridesmaid gifts for each of your friends.

The good news for anti-brides is that weddings are all about personal expression these days. There are tons of organic caterers, creative seamstresses, and others out there to help you plan a wedding that truly reflects who you are. Bride or anti-bride, that is really all that most women want from their wedding in the end (other than the groom, of course!).

Your wedding day is your chance to really shine. Many brides want to create a look that evokes the glamor of a movie star from the Golden Age of Hollywood, but are unsure about how to pull it all together. For tips on how to be a glamorous bride, read on…

Of course the place to begin is by shopping for your bridal gown. The most glamorous gowns are body conscious and sexy, but never too revealing or skin-tight. There can be a fine line between siren and sleazy; it is important not to cross it! Imagine what a star on the silver screen would have worn in the 1940s: a dress made from a heavy silk charmeuse that flows over the body without clinging too tightly.

When you are wearing a simple wedding gown, it allows you more room to play with your accessories. For the most flexibility, choose custom bridal jewelry. Bridal jewelry that is custom made just for you will ensure that you get the perfect pieces to finish off your gown. For a dramatic look, wear drop crystal earrings, either in clear, or perhaps pulling in one of your wedding colors. For more demure brides, the classic look of crystals mixed with pearls will be just right.

Your gown and accessories are not the only things that will create your glamorous wedding day look. Hair and makeup will also be very important. Think chic and sophisticated when deciding on a hairstyle. Avoid anything that looks too much like a prom hairstyle, such as a very contrived updo with piles of curls. The most glamorous hair will be sleek and polished.

The final touch is makeup. There is nothing more glamorous or self-assured looking than a true red lipstick. Have a professional help you pick out the perfect shade for your skin tone. The trick to keeping red lipstick in place is to gently blot first with pressed powder. Then line your lips in a matching lip pencil before applying your fabulous red lipstick for instant drama.

Glamor and drama can be easy to create if you follow those basic steps. You will feel like a movie star gliding down the aisle in your glamorous bridal ensemble. And just wait until your groom sees you!

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.

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.

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.