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Shopping Tips for Bridal Gown Appointment

Mark Ingram of New York’s Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier offered these tips for your first bridal gown appointment.

It is very important to have an actual wedding date and venue. The Bridal Atelier Sales consultants will help you select a gown that is perfect for your setting.

Bring a tear sheet, photos and downloaded web images of styles of gowns that you wish to try on. The bridal consultants iwll make additional style recommendations based on your initial conversation. Before scheduling your appointment, make sure the salons you have selected feature gowns in your price range.

In general, limit your shopping companions to the one or two person whose opinions mean the most.

Wedding Accessory Shopping Tips

1. Never be over influenced by other people.  As nice as it is to get other opinions, make sure that you are happy with your own choice. Take their advice of course, but always go with what YOU feel most comfortable on and what reflects YOUR personal style.
2. Give yourself plenty of time to chose and order your jewelry, headpiece, veil and shoes. Don’t fall into the trap of panic purchasing. Also, order and choose in advance.  Do not necessarily go by your wedding date, but when you want everything in your hands or for your fitting!
3. Wear a white or ivory camisole when wedding accessory shopping to help you visualize your look and always have a photo of your dress with you.
4. Try to decide on your hairstyle prior to selecting a headpiece. By coordinating a look your selection process will be made far easier.
5. Take your headpiece with you when you see your hairstylist. Please make sure the stylist does not spray with hair products as discoloration may occur.
6. Keep an open mind when shopping for a veil. It’s the one time in your life you get to wear a veil and having one, whether it’s a blusher, flyaway, bird cage, or cathedral will look beautiful on any bride from walking down the aisle to photographs galore. It’s more than just a piece of tulle. And please don’t iron your veil yourself. Veiling shrivels under a hot iron. Hang it up in a hot steamy bathroom or blow-dry it with a hair dryer to remove any creases.
7. Women love shoes, so often finding the perfect wedding shoe can be a task. Comfort is key. Choose a shoe you’ll feel confident in walking down the aisle and dancing all night in.  Or, you may have a pair for the wedding and a pair for your reception (so you can dance all night). You’ll need your shoes for your fittings, so plan ahead. Start shoe shopping as soon as you select your dress.

And a note about colored shoes…if you’re thinking about wearing colored wedding shoes, keep in mind that colored wedding shoes create a drastic contrast again your gown and will negate that lovely long, elegant line. It’s definitely trendy, so if you’re worried about looking back on photos in the years ahead and think you may cringe when you see them, opt for a lovely silk white or ivory wedding shoe instead.

Source: Everything But The Dress

Do you have a good overview of the Bridesmaid’s responsibilities?

As a Bridesmaid you have a strong supportive role you must play during the entire wedding experience. Although the Maid of Honor may be there for the bride, your friend will also need your comfort and opinions as well.

Pre-Wedding

• If the bride asks about helping her with ideas on where to have the wedding, help her with scouting around and going to the different places. It may be a great idea to drive so she can focus on each location.
• If you have great penmanship it is always nice to volunteer to address at least some the invitations if the bride agrees. Many times a bride may outsource her invitations but if they need to be addressed by the family, your help will be key in reducing the load of tasks to complete.
• Your friend may need help in ordering and choosing decorations and favors, your opinions may be helpful in making decisions for narrowing down choices and making sure the decorations are in on time for the wedding, shower and bachelorette parties.
• It is a major treat to go with the bride when she is shopping for her wedding dress. She may even invite you to be involved in picking out the Bridesmaid Dresses. It is very important to help make sure the dresses are ordered and arrive in enough time for alterations!
• Make sure to pick up your bridesmaid dress in a “reasonable” amount of time in case of additional fittings.
• Help Plan the Bridal Shower with the Maid of Honor as well as the Bachelorette Party!
• Attend and help out during the rehearsal dinner. Many times the bride, groom and their families are pre-occupied, which is where you can save the day by being supportive.

Wedding Day

• Assist the bride in getting into her dress and makeup.
• Ask if the bride needs anything (food, water, etc) all the way up till the time she is walking down the aisle. She will really appreciate it!
• Assist the other bridesmaids wherever needed (and if you happen not to like any of them, keep it to yourself and be courteous).
• Help make sure the bride has privacy if she needs some quiet time before the ceremony.
• Be the witness in the signing of the marriage license, which is an honor!
• Take some deep breaths and walk slow when you walk down the aisle since it is common to speed up.
• Always look for the unexpected since it is common for the most uncommon things to happen (i.e, something falling down at the alter). If you are close enough, fix what needs to be fixed so the bride, groom and their families can focus on the ceremony.
• If you are single, make sure to mingle and have a great time at the party! It is mandatory to catch the bridal bouquet!
• If you are with your partner, make sure to dance and socialize since it means a lot to the bride and groom (when they have time to sit down) to see their friends having and creating a good time for themselves and the other guests.
• Last, but not least, provide moral support and be a great listener throughout the process since it is a very wonderful and “positively” stressful time for your friend. You can really make the difference!

My Bridesmaid is Pregnant – Dress Suggestions?

It’s not unusual for brides to have bridesmaids who are pregnant at the time they’re asked to be a part of the wedding or who may become pregnant while the planning process is taking place.

We found this helpful resource from our Dallas wedding partner, Jordan Payne, who got her information from Bella Bridesmaid in Dallas.

“This is a problem that many brides face and, fortunately, several designers have taken note and added ordering options for this situation. Designers such as LulaKate and Simple Silhouettes will allow pregnant bridesmaids to submit their measurements as late as 8 weeks prior to your wedding date (at no extra charge). the fabric is cut along with the other dresses so that the dye lot will match but the maternity dress is not constructed until the 8 week deadline.

This delay in submitting measurements will allow your pregnant bridesmaid to grow as long as possible before she orders her dress.  This option can also be used for bridesmaids that will give birth between the ordering date and wedding date and for those that are actively trying to conceive and are not sure what dress size they should order.”

Most Asked Questions of Wedding Planners

What are the most asked questions of Wedding Planners? Here’s a list for Dallas wedding planner Kay Watson.

1. How do I determine what my wedding budget will be?
   
   There are two ways to go about this. One way is to do research in the area as to what a wedding could cost using the ideas you have in mind for your wedding. The other way would be to get an idea of what you family is willing to spend on your wedding and who else might be contributing to the expense such as yourself, your fiancé and his family.The wedding is broken into several different categories- your wedding vendors (ceremony and reception site, photographer/videographer, wedding attire, florist, cakes, caterer, calligrapher, jewelry, bridal accessories, bridesmaids dresses, bridal consultant, wedding invitations and paper items, tuxedo rental, limousines- transportation, hair/make up artists, guest’s accommodations) menu selection, alcohol and guest numbers.  Taking each of the categories, you then gather information as to what each might cost, keeping in mind the reception will be around 50% of the total budget, with the florist and photographer being the next larger items in the expense.  It’s important to decide which of the areas of the wedding are most important to you.
2. How do I choose my vendors that go with my style, taste and budget?
   
   Once you have an idea of what you might spend in each wedding category, then locate the resources available in the town through local bridal magazines, and bridal web sites for the area. Try to visit annual bridal shows and networking with other brides and vendors as to who they would recommend. I suggest that my brides contact and visit at least three vendors in the wedding categories, to learn about their taste, get an idea of their prices and also make sure they can fulfill your expectations. I advice each of my brides that it is important to choose each vendor carefully, as you want to know they are listening to your wishes, will be flexible and follow through with the plans. You must feel confidant with them and know they will provide exactly what you want for your wedding day.
3. My parents are divorced, have remarried, therefore how to I deal with all this extended family?This is your day and you don’t want to worry about sensitive family situations. You and your fiance` need to decide from the beginning what your wishes are for the day and let family members know early their placement in the wedding. Request that they put their feelings aside for your day, to make it all come together. The wedding week is not the time to tell someone they are not in invited to sit in the family pew. Family dynamics can be tricky when trying to place each relative in a special seat at the rehearsal dinner, wedding day luncheons, ceremony and reception seating. So carefully make your decisions early and stick with them- communicate so there are no surprises with hurt feeling for years after for your wonderful day.
4. How do we select a wedding date?There are several variables to consider when selecting the right date for you, your fiancé and family. If work or school dictates your schedule, first find a few dates that would be work for you and your fiancé. Then extend those dates to your parents, siblings, then to the immediate wedding party. The location also has a lot to do with this, as you need to see if the ceremony, the officiate and reception site are even available for the first set of dates. If so, you check out what local activities are taking place in the town those weekends- allowing you to have hotels and bed/breakfast accommodations for your guest, transportation available and local dining sites. Once all the information is gathered, then you will be able to move forward with choosing the best date that works for you and the most important people involved.
5. We can’t decide between a Disc Jockey or Live Band, how do we make the right choice?Looking at your wedding budget, check to see if what you’ve alloted for reception music allows you the choice between DJ or band. If that area does not dictate your choice, then you would want to look at your wedding guests list and see what type of music would create the best atmosphere for your reception. Keep in mind a Disc Jockey will be able to play most of your choices, since they rely on C.D.s, where you would choose a band for the type of music they can play- hoping it has a wide range of choice for all ages of your guest.
6. What are the latest trends?
   1. “Out is In”- from simple to spectacular, brides are taking their weddings outside to enjoy the splendors of nature, whether an intimate and elegant garden party to a lavish estate garden.
   2. “Grand Ballrooms are Back” Brides are opting for big, lavish celebrations, often including large live bands or orchestras. Music ranging from the 40’s to Blues, up to music of today
   3. “Food” Many brides are selecting more varied menus rather than chicken breast and prime rib (although always nice). The trend is leaning now to make way for elegant seated – three course dinners with each guests being seated at banquet style tables. Evenings fit for “knight” and his lady. Stylishly prepared fish and game, grilled meats and elegant presentation are the choice du jour.
   4. “Bars Everywhere” Not only beverages bars such as martini and cosmopolitan bars, but chef attended sushi bars, dessert bars, chocolate bars and coffee bars serving specialty liquors for the late night guests
7. What are some tips on saving money when planning a wedding?

• Keep the wedding guest list under 100
• Time: Morning or early afternoon wedding- does not need a lot of alcohol, food or dance band
• Location-consider having the ceremony and reception at the same site- therefore paying one site fee-also few hours for the event
• Keep wedding party small- cutting down on cost of attendant bouquets and gift to each member in the wedding party
• Wedding attire- give yourself a limit you can spend and shop at stores that allow you to stay within that amount
• Limit wedding party-for each additional attendant you will need a flowers and thank you gift
• Select Wedding Vendors carefully-information during the initial vendor meetings can be overwhelming- take the information home &  review.  Try to make decisions without pressure- according to your wishes and budget, not your emotions.
• Set up your own wedding checking account- setting aside a certain amount to place in it each month. Using only that amount for the wedding allows you to actually see what you are spending, and a great way to stay on top of your expense and deposits to each vendor.

Bridal tip: Having the reception at your home

• Always make sure there is plenty of room for the number of guests attending the wedding.
• Be careful that the overall aesthetic of the home does not interfere with the color palette and style of your wedding décor. You may want to think about choosing colors that will work with the existing hues or find a space in the home that offers a clean slate for any palette.
• Check in with the city to get info on traffic regulations or permits regarding parking, and if hiring a valet company, confirm that they have somewhere to park all the cars.
• Design a detailed floor plan for your wedding vendors to ensure they’ll have room to get their job done.
• When designing your menu, ask the catering company if they will need access to any stoves or ovens, or if they will be bringing their own heating devices.
• If the event is scheduled to be outdoors, have a back up plan in case it rains. Using tents can require a permit so ensure you have the proper one(s) in place.
• Let your neighbors know as a courtesy since you’ll be taking up street space for hours.
• Budget for a service to clean your house before and after your reception; it’s a lot less stressful on everyone!

Source: Jordan Payne Events

Tips for wedding bouquets

Your dress really sets the tone of your wedding and the type of bridal bouquet you want to carry.

• If your wedding dress is modern you might want to go with a bouquet made of all calla lilies.
• If your dress is a bit more flowy and short you might want a garden bouquet with lots of texture and vines hanging.
• If your dress is simple you might want a tight compact bouquet with lots of textural interest.
• If your dress is dramatic a long cascade might work.

Trust your professional and work with them.

When choosing the size of your bridal bouquet, think of a saucer, a dessert plate and a dinner plate. Each of these items can help you think about the size that you would like. When we speak with a bride, we always suggest going with a size that complements her frame, and most brides agree. Some of our brides do request an extra-large bouquet for added drama.

Resource: Beautiful Blooms in Philadelphia.

6 Tips to Get The Perfect Fit

Seeing your gown for the first time after months of anticipation can be like falling in love all over again. Unless you purchase a completely custom gown, most are ordered in your closest size, not by your exact measurements, and require some tailoring to fit your body like it was made just for you.

Check out these 6 tips for the perfect fit.

1. Get Recommendations: Most bridal salons offer their recommendations for a tailor or have one in-house, but it’s always best to do your research in advance. Find feedback online, ask to see samples of the tailors work, or talk to brides they have worked with in the past.
2. Give Yourself Time: If you have several fittings make sure you leave enough time between fittings and your wedding date should any mishaps arise.  Schedule your final fitting (which should only be minor alterations) within two weeks of your wedding so your measurements are as close to exact as possible.
3. Make it Snug: It’s hard to define whether it’s the stress of the big day approaching or the multitude of last minute to do’s but most brides shed a few pounds right before their wedding.
4. Bring Everything: You want to have everything you will be wearing on your wedding day to ensure accuracy in your fitting. Even the smallest undergarment change can cause the dress to lay differently.
5. Get Hooked!  If you’re wearing an undergarment for support, see if your tailor will attach it to your gown. The extra tacking can ensure that the two stay in place together. If you’re going bra-less, make sure the gown has structure built in or ask if you can add cups in.
6. Do the Bustle: If you have a bustle on your gown (most do) makes sure it’s secured well – The weight of the bustle alone can be up to 4-5 pounds of fabric, all anchored to one tiny hook and they do rip off occasionally.

Announcing Your Engagement – Who’s First?

When announcing your engagement, always start with family first – parents, siblings and grandparents.

The most intimate and immediate way to tell your family is in person or by telephone. For family there are just a few phone calls and hearing your voice and excitement is so much more memorable then an email! And if you live in the same city, then of course in person is even better.

Yet, it may not be practical to call everyone else. If you have many in-town as well as out-of-town friends with whom you share personal information, then email is an acceptable way to announce your engagement. Of course, you know best if there are friends that best hear the big news with a phone call (or else!). So use your judgement in the end on who gets the call and who gets the email.

What should I bring with me when I try on Wedding Dresses?

Before you go dress shopping, invest in a pair of Nude Panties and a Nude Strapless Bra that fit you well so you can wear them while you’re trying on gowns. If you are tummy conscious, call ahead to see if the salon has slimmers for you to use or if you should bring your own. Also bring your wedding shoes or a pair of heals close to the height you want to wear on the day-of, and if you hate walking around barefoot, a pair of socks.