Author: Olga Pomeransky

Olga is manager at Best for Bride since 2005. Currently Best for Bride operates 4 bridal stores in Canada (Toronto, Etobicoke, Hamilton and Barrie). Best for Bride sells wedding, bridesmaids, mob dresses and more. http://www.BestForBride.com
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A few things to remember before you hire family or friends as wedding vendors

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Is your close friend a fantastic photographer? Or maybe you have a cousin who is a florist. Are you considering hiring them for your wedding. It could be because they offered to do the job or you think you can get it done for for less this way, than when you hire a professional. While this may seem the easiest way to go about it, it needn’t work out well in all cases. Sometimes, it is better you pay extra and hire a professional for the job instead.

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Let us look at why you should think well before you hire friends or family for your wedding.

Your friend may not be as good as you expect

You may want to give your friend some business by hiring him/her for your wedding. But do so only if you know how good they are at it. If they haven’t worked at a wedding before or aren’t as good as they say they are, you will be making a big mistake. Your friend or relative may be super nice, and may have convinced you that they are capable of the job. However, you wouldn’t know unless you saw their wedding portfolio, or have actually seen how well they do their business.

They may not execute your ideas perfectly as a professional would

When you hire a friend for your wedding, it is difficult to be assertive with what you want. Your friend may stick to what they think is best and not go with your original ideas. When it is someone you do not know personally you can usually switch to a different vendor if your ideas clash. But when it is a friend, this will strain your relationship and simply create an unnecessary rift.

With no contract, you are taking a huge risk

One thing that confirms you will have the required service from a vendor, is the service contract you sign. When you entrust the job to a relative or friend, it is unlikely that there will be any contract involved. Imagine what you will do if your friend decides to cancel at the last minute! You will be left without any back-up plan, and there couldn’t be a bigger disaster. On the other hand, most professionals will be prepared for unforeseen circumstances, and will arrange an alternative if they are forced to cancel for any reason.

Your friend will be occupied with their job instead of enjoying your wedding

Wouldn’t you prefer that your friend enjoys your wedding instead of worrying about the service they have to provide? If you do, you won’t have to think twice about hiring a professional for the job.

You now know what to expect and what could go wrong unless you make an informed decision. Nevertheless, remember that each situation is difficult and sometimes you may get a better when you hire a friend. Just think your decision through and go with it only if you are certain that your friend is reliable, capable and will give you what you want.

For more wedding advice and tips,visit us at Best for Bride.

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5 reasons we love short bridesmaid dresses

Just like bridesmaids come in all sizes and shapes, so do bridesmaid dresses. From long flowing elaborately embellished bridesmaid dresses, to short and sweet ones, we’ve seen them all. The long evening gown is classic and elegant in it’s own right, but there is a certain charm to a short bridesmaid dress. Here are the top five reasons for why we love short dresses, and you should too!

Bridesmaids 6Image Credit: outreachr.com, via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

1.Short dresses cost less

Less fabric directly translates to lower cost. Of course, this also depends on the dress you choose. But, as a general rule, a similar dress with a shorter hemline will be cheaper than a dress that extends to full-length.

2.Chances of reusing the dress are greater

When a girl signs up to be a bridesmaid, she knows that a new dress is on the cards. However, the bride should remember that she cannot always use her bridesmaid dress again. At least in most cases, and especially when the dress is typical bridesmaid style. The exception is in the case of a short dress, as it may work for her when she goes out for an evening with her girlfriends. So, help your friend get the most of her money by choosing a short dress instead of a long one. The chances of reuse are maximized when the color is a neutral and the pattern that isn’t common bridesmaid choice.

3.They make your bridesmaids look young and smart

Long gowns are ladylike and elegant, while short dresses are fun and cheerful. There is no doubt that a woman looks much younger and more smart when the dress is short and well-fitted. She looks more confident and chic in a short dress, and if she has pretty legs, you would be doing her a favor by letting her flaunt them in a short hemline.

4.The shorter style fits a casual setting easily

The best thing about short bridesmaid dresses is that it is refreshingly casual. If your wedding style borders on semi-formal to informal, a short bridesmaid dress is the best choice you can consider. If your wedding is to be held outdoors, it also makes a practical choice. Remember that your bridesmaids will be running around a lot, so it only makes it a lot easier to manage in a short dress that doesn’t stifle her movements. Short hemlines paired with other casual elements like ruffles, lace and frills make the textures at your wedding photographs interesting. What is more, when you are in a long gown, your dress will instantly be in focus against the shorter hemlines of your bridesmaids, in photographs.

5.Short dresses allow your bridesmaids to choose unusual and interesting shoes

Helen & David-128Image Credit: John Hope, via Flickr, (CC BY 2.0)

We love this idea, which we found on the Exclusively Weddings blog. Unlike a long gown, which covers up most of the leg and gives you less chance of showing off stylish footwear, short bridesmaid dresses allow you to give your bridesmaids a cohesive look with the same style of shoes. In winter, consider having them wear chic boots that look dressy. For a summer wedding, you can have your bridesmaids in a neutral colored dress, and add that interesting pop of color by choosing similar shoes in a vibrant shade.

So, what do you say? Do you prefer short bridesmaid dresses to longer ones? Let us know.

Visit our bridesmaids dress collection on Best for Bride, and make your choice from the best you can find, whether you prefer long or short dresses for your favorite girls.

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How about a flower crown for your summer wedding?

Are you a bride who will be married next summer? It is time you started thinking of your wedding dress and accessories to create the perfect bridal look on your big day. One of our favorite accessories for a summer wedding is a flower crown. It is refreshing, beautiful, fragrant and just right for the warm weather.

Flower crowns may be the latest bridal hit now, but it is an accessory that has been around forever. Here is the history behind it.

Flower crowns in the past

In ancient Greece, men and women often wore flower and leaf crowns. The flower crown was actually a wedding symbol in Ukraine, where the couple exchanged periwinkle and myrtle wreaths to symbolize their marriage vows. The Indian bridal hairdo is characterized by elaborate floral decorations that often start on the head and cover the entire length of the hair.

The Chinese flower crown inspired Queen Victoria to wear a similar orange one at her wedding, and just like she’s the inspiration behind the white wedding dress and the tiered wedding cake, the flower crown fashion is also attributed to her.

Now that we know the origins of the flower crown, let us look at how you can include rock this look as your bridal hairdo.

Match the flowers to your makeup

If there is one bright color in your makeup, like a berry purple or bright red, add flowers in a similar color to your floral crown. This will enhance the stark white of the rest of your attire, while allowing the bright colors to stand out.

Weave the flowers into your braid

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Many summer brides prefer a loose bun or updo, with braids adding a casual air to their look. If you will be adopting this style, consider weaving small flowers or your flower crown into your braids for a spectacular effect. Choose smaller flowers like daisies, and expertly braid them in, so it looks like their positioning was well thought out.

Choose only few large blooms for a casual, dreamy look

If you have a small visage, you should either choose small flowers in your hairdo, or limit the bigger blooms to just a few. Choose a flower crown which places these flowers together, and keep the rest of the circumference simple, with green. You can either place the crown in the center, or towards one side, and let a few locks fly around for a dreamy bridal look.

Fabric flower crowns are just as good as the original

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If you will be outdoors for quite some time, you should consider how well your flower crown will hold. Most flowers wilt, and you do not want them to look tired after a while. If the temperatures in your area are high, you can either have two crowns made, or choose a fabric crown instead. Apart from staying fresh through the day, the added bonus of a fabric crown is that it is ready well in advance, and you will be able to and try it on and perfect your look for the day.

For more interesting wedding tips and advice to help you plan your wedding day, visit us at Best for Bride, the one stop destination for all your wedding needs.

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Plan your wedding after picking your top priorities

Your wedding plans depend on the amount of money you are ready to spend. With thousands of big and small details to look at, it is often difficult to determine what deserves more attention than the other.

If you are like most couples, your wedding may be the first occasion when you plan a party, so huge. So, it certainly isn’t easy. If you enlist the help of a wedding planner, you will receive very useful guidance on this front. This is because they are professionals, who have practice planning on a budget. Additionally, when working with a wedding planner, you don’t end up with nasty shockers like mentioned on this APW article, where something turns out to be twice the price you anticipated. One or two such instances, and all your budgeting goes for a toss. Nonetheless, wedding planners come at an added price, and not every couple can afford them.

In such a scenario, the easiest way is to prioritize what is most important to you, and plan your budget around it. Pick three priorities, allocate funds to these first, and then decide how to distribute the rest of your budget.

Take a look at this list, and choose the three most important things you want for your wedding from it. Once you do, you can divvy up your budget to accommodate the remaining details.

Dream venue and décor

Are you open to looking at various venue options, or do you have your heart set on a single location? All-inclusive wedding packages cover everything at a reasonable price, but do you want everything customized with the added price tag? Are you particular on a specific color palette, seating arrangement, or centerpiece design? If so, set aside a chunk of your budget for all this.garden-550991_1280

 

Menu and bar

Must you have a classic five-course plated meal, or will a buffet do? Do you want an open bar, or serve custom drinks only? Do you want your wedding to be remembered for the food and drinks you served, or is it just one of the other things at your wedding? Hiring local vendors and customizing your menu around seasonal dishes can reduce your food bill, if serving gourmet fare isn’t very important, to you.

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Entertainment and photography

Wedding entertainment, in many cases, is what makes a reception a hit or miss. Here, you have to weigh the price of a live band against a DJ, consider the cost of games and hiring special entertainers for children. Similarly, do you want a particular professional photographer to cover your wedding, even if it means he charges twice as much as the others in the area?

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Flowers, centerpieces, wedding cakes and favors

If you are prepared to try out various floral combinations, you may get a better deal. Similarly, how important is having exquisite centerpieces? As for favors, do you want to gift expensive one-of-a-kind favors, or is it enough to choose a keepsake, without a hefty price attached to it? In the cake department, how important is customizing it with very specific details? Or can you work with the best packages on offer?

 

bouquet-603738_1280Dresses for the couple

The wedding dress is expensive. Do you want to buy it brand new, or is it better to rent your dress, or even use mom’s dress, and save the rest of the money for something more important to you? The same goes for the groom too. If you plan on keeping the dress, figure in the cost of professionally preserving it as well.

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Visit our bridal gallery on Best for Bride, and find wedding dresses in all budgets for your big day. We make the decision much easier for you.