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
Many brides come wedding shopping with their mothers. And, it is surprising how many of these mothers want their daughters to choose a traditional wedding dress with lots of pouf, so their daughters look like fairy tale princesses on their wedding day.
It is when the bride doesn’t want this that the shopping session becomes unpleasant. It is only natural that a bride wants her mother to approve of her wedding dress choice but doesn’t want to compromise on her style preferences either.
We have witnessed many debates between moms who want elaborate ball gowns, and brides who want their moms to like their dress without having to choose a heavy gown. Hence, we thought it would be a good idea to feature these fantastic wedding dresses that give you a fairy-tale look sans the pouf. Sound interesting? Then read on!
Mori Lee 2771 Fall 2015 Collection
This is a ball gown with a difference. The dropped waist elongates the torso, and the layered skirt is balanced. The skirt is pleated, which gives it a more defined structure. The delicate beading begins at the sweetheart neckline and continues all the way to the waistline. The back dips into a classic V-neckline. Also available with this dress is an optional shoulder coverlet created in lace. This makes it all the more versatile, so it is suitable for both a traditional ceremony and a semi-formal reception.
Jasmine T172010 Couture Spring 2015
How elegant is this ravishing lace ball gown? A welcome variation to the heavy ball gown, the silhouette is ideally crafted to follow your natural curves closely, and it has just the right amount of bounce in the skirt. The contrast waistband defines your slender waist, and the intricate floral lace motifs make it fit for a princess. The flower clusters thin out towards the skirt in a fascinating design.
Sophia Tolli Y11567 Mon Cheri Spring 2015 Collection
Pouf with a personality, that is what we think this gown is all about. The tiered trumpet skirt is made of layers with jut the right scattering of details along the edges. The sweetheart neckline has an eyelash lace trim, and the dropped waist beautifully enhances the slender figure of the bride. At the back is the traditional corset, that snugly fits your natural curves. Mom will agree that this is a fairy tale dress, even sans the ball gown.
Now, here are a few tips on how you can choose a dramatic wedding gown that is anything but bulky and boring.
Look at fit and flare gowns with a thick skirt. This way, you will have enough layers to create an impact, without it cascading from your waist.
Choose fabrics that are light and airy, and not crisp and sheer. This makes it look elegant.
Dropped and draped waists are slimming and allow you to look fantastic even in a ball gown skirt.
Dresses with vertical embellishments or those with cap sleeves are pretty, without overly spilling out.
To check out more dresses that fit your vision, come visit our bridal gallery on Best for Bride and we can help you choose the dress that mom approves and you would love to be married in.
Minimalism is the new buzz word. With houses, offices and dresses, all taking the minimalist route, weddings are quick to follow. This article on This Luminous Life, gives us an insight into what minimalism is actually about. It rightly says that minimalism is not about getting rid of things, instead it is about shifting focus to what really matters in your life and making way for it by eliminating the unimportant things. Isn’t that an accurate way to put it?
Many couples now choose to have a minimalist wedding, for several reasons. For some it is about avoiding the stress associated with a big wedding. For others, it is about making it more meaningful by celebrating just with the people who matter to them.
While the term can mean different things to different people, having a minimalist wedding is usually a huge budget saver. Nevertheless, this doesn’t have to mean it shouldn’t be stylish. Minimalist weddings can have the desired impact, if you plan it right. Before we go into the planning part, let us take a quick look at why you may like to have a minimalist wedding.
Often, planning a big wedding ends up like a chore, especially when there are hundreds of details to perfect and it is entirely up to you to do it right. Even if you hire a wedding planner to do the planning part, it can seem impersonal and you may not really enjoy planning everything in bulk. Brides who want to enjoy every aspect of the planning and do it with perfection are better off when the wedding is small. Intimate gatherings are easier to personalize and allow you a better chance at enjoying the process.
#It helps keep your finances in check
Holding a big wedding is costly. Whether your parents or you pay for the expenses, there is no doubt that it will add up and a huge amount of money will be spent. Not all couples are keen on starting their life together in debt, or with most of their savings spent. A minimalist wedding offers more control over your wedding finances, and helps you plan a meaningful wedding without spending more than you can afford to.
#To keep it simple
Let us consider what a wedding is actually all about. Many weddings just end up being an extravagant show and people remember nothing beside all that was on display. Isn’t a wedding actually meant to be celebrating your love and being married in front of the people who matter to you? This idea is quickly forgotten with the stress of bringing together an elaborate wedding. Many couples find the pressure stifling, that they cease to enjoy their engagement. A minimalist wedding gives you a better chance of making the most of what you have, and enjoying every moment without worrying too much.
#To spend on the more important things
When you host a big wedding, you may feel obliged to spend on the food and favors.. This can sometimes leave you with a limited budget to travel to a place you love for your honeymoon. Or, it may be that you wanted a designer dress, but your funds run low after you budget for all the other wedding aspects. Keeping it simple will allow you to designate money to the more important aspects of your wedding, and not worry about impressing guests or obsess over how they will judge you.
Now, let us look at the planning part. How do you plan a minimalist wedding, and still make sure it has all that is important? These tips will tell you what to do.
1.Keep the crowd small
The wedding budget is directly proportional to the number of people attending it. If you think you should invite all the people you know, meet, have been friends with, whose wedding you have attended etc, the list will just go on. And with it, your ideas of keeping it small will have to be tossed out. Invite only your immediate family, close friends and those who you really want at your wedding. A good idea is to first fix a number, and then plan your guest list. This will allow you to narrow it down to people who are most important to you.
2.Leave out the fancy stuff
Unless it is important to you, of course! There is no rule that says your invitations have to be engraved, your décor should include real flowers or you have to buy your wedding dress. There is plenty of scope to customize, and you can find brilliant designs at a nominal cost. All you need to do, is to research options and find cost-effective ones. You can always rent a fabulous wedding gown at a fraction of the original cost and still be the beautiful bride you always wanted to be. Of course, with the bonus that you save a significant amount this way. Similarly, you can craft the look of the venue by mixing and matching options, or working with something that isn’t extra-expensive.
3.Plan the timing well
Did you know that wedding costs are significantly reduced, when held on weekdays? The same applies to when you get married during the off-peak-season. Have your wedding between December and February, and not only will it be easy to book the venue you want, you can also get a discount on it. The same applies to your caterers and other wedding services, as it is not wedding season. If you don’t mind having a wedding brunch instead of a dinner reception, you can also serve delicious meals at a cheaper rate.
4.Skip all that is unnecessary
There is a lot going on during the wedding planning, but have you ever felt that most of these are totally unnecessary? An engagement party, bridesmaids in matching outfits, save-the-date cards, expensive favors, flowers that have to be flown in and tiered wedding cakes—are all these actually compulsory? Keep the ones that really matter to you, and choose the sensible approach for the rest. Go with personalized wedding favors and bridesmaids in dresses that you choose specifically for the wedding, only if they matter to you. Go with seasonal flowers and accessories for the décor, a simple wedding cake, and minimum wedding stationery and your wedding will still be a wedding.
5.Getting help and delegating duties
There will be many people around you who would love to help. It may be family, or friends. Enlist their help and give them the chance to make your life easier. For a smaller wedding party, you can afford to find time to employ your DIY skills in making gifts and décor items. So, make the most of it. Not only will it be more personal, you will also enjoy it a lot more than just having everything done by a vendor. If there are florists, bakers or photographers in your circle, you can even delegate the wedding tasks to them, if appropriate.
With these 5 tips you should be well on your way to planning a meaningful minimalist wedding. We also suggest that you take a look at the Nourishing Minimalism blog page, for more ideas.
If you are stuck for ideas, here are some specific ideas to go minimal.
Invitations: For those of you who want to minimize expenses on stationery, either send out wedding invites by e-mail or print your own invites and send them out. But if you are looking at budget-friendly professional options, you can choose thermography or digital printing for your invitation cards.
Bridal party: Like we said before, skip the matching look and go with the mix ‘n’ match look instead. Find out how you can obtain cheap bridesmaids dresses on a budget with the help of this article. Or, you can always ask your girls to wear a common color (the Little Black dress is a wardrobe staple and your best bet), and work around to achieving a cohesive look through inexpensive accessories like shoes and belts.
Image Credit: Mark Taylor Cunningham, via Flickr [CC BY 2.0]
Wedding dress: Rent your wedding dress, buy it on sale or second-hand. If you start your search early, you can find fabulous vintage dresses on sale, and even second-hand dresses with tags. You don’t have to skimp on style, just because your wedding is minimalist. Although a dress silhouette may be simple, it can still be classic and stylish. The sheath and A-line silhouette are essentially minimalist, but you will find fantastic dresses in these options with a signature element or two that makes it fantastic. At stores like Best for Bride, several designer collections allow you to pick from what is available within your price range.
Accessories: If there are family heirlooms, make the most of the available choice by building your outfit around it. You can also consider wearing a wedding dress with an illusion neckline or longer sleeves to minimize the need for jewelry. Just like renting your wedding dress, you can do the same for accessories too. It makes sense too, as it is a one-time occasion and you needn’t spend so much on it.
Venue: For a small crowd, you could plan your reception in your backyard, at a nearby park or a site that your friend or family has agreed to lend you. With a little effort, even the simplest location can be transformed into a beautiful wedding venue, without the additional costs that you incur when booking an actual hall. You could also keep the ceremony and reception venue the same to minimize cost.
Venue décor: Limit the décor to what is available seasonally and locally, and try to DIY for a pocket-friendly choice. Look at Pinterest or other online websites and borrow ideas to make the most of simple décor items that you can find at thrift stores. Consider alternatives to flowers, like potted plants, candles, berries, fruits and vegetables, to make attractive but inexpensive centrepieces and decorations.
Food and cake: You do not need the classic tiered wedding cake, especially for a small crowd. Either ask to make a faux cake with just the first tier made from actual cake, or choose practical and equally attractive options like wedding cupcakes or a dessert buffet instead. Opt for brunch or a buffet with local and seasonal fare to keep the food costs minimum.
Bouquets: The bride needs a bouquet alright, but it doesn’t have to be made from exotic blooms. Equally appealing bouquets can be crafted from flowers like daisies, lilies and lavender. Even wild flowers can be grouped together to create a fantastic rustic and unique looking bouquet. If you are flexible, you can even work with what you find on the day before the wedding, and design your bouquet around it. Another option is to use silk flowers or faux flowers to create a beautiful and different bouquet.
Wedding favors: Think of whether photo wedding favors or expensive wrapped favors will actually be displayed or used by your wedding guests. If you really want to gift a favor that will be appreciated and used, gift edible favors like cookies or candy that will cost less too. The other option is to gift green wedding favors like plant starters or nice sachets of tea or coffee that will find use.
Driveaway car: Skip the limousine or vintage car, and instead go with a regular car that has been decorated to look festive enough for a wedding. As with everything else, remember that it is not all about impressing the guests, it is about functionality and how meaningful it is. As long as you keep this in perspective, everything will seem alright.
Now that you have all the inputs you need to plan your perfectly practical and minimalist wedding, you are set to act. Whether you want to buy or rent your wedding dress, visit our bridal gallery at Best for Bride and you are bound to find a dress that you will fall in love with. Also find all your wedding needs, ranging from décor and accessories to wedding favors and invitations, all at our Best for Bride stores.
You may not give much thought to the centerpieces for your wedding reception tables, but they are more important than you think. Your wedding guests will spend a lot of time at their tables, as they have their dinner and chat with each other. So, these centerpieces will be in constant focus. Their arrangement will reflect the tone of the wedding and set the ambiance.
While some venues offer a few custom centerpiece options to choose from, you can also opt for your own design and find one that is suitable for the theme of your party. Let us look at the different factors you should pay attention to when designing your centerpieces, so you can maximize their effect.
Height of the display
This is an important criterion to pay attention to when choosing your centerpiece designs. A centerpiece that is too tall will obscure the view of the guests who sit across each other, and it will be difficult for them to communicate. So, your centerpiece should be low. You can still create an impact by designing the centerpieces to be unique and with interesting design elements. The only time you can go with higher centerpieces is when the design is elongated but not broad. This way, it will not obstruct the view, and will allow guests to talk to each other comfortably.
Width or size
The centerpiece should be compact and not spread out. It should be proportional to the size of the table, and the arrangement should be neat and attractive. Depending on whether the tables are round or long, choose a centerpiece that has the right proportions. A single centerpiece or a cohesive group that occupies a circle in the center is ideal for round tables. Well-spaced tall arrangements on a table runner through the center will be good for long tables.
Choosing the design elements
Flowers and candles are the popular choices for centerpieces. Apart from these, you can also use balloons, crystals, gemstones, jars, pebbles, shells, fruits or anything else that you can think of. The elements you choose should blend well with the theme. A clear vase with shells at the base and floating candles on top for a beach wedding would be appropriate. You can also make use of seasonal flowers and fruits to add color to the centerpieces, and also get them at a lesser price. Ensure you keep the color palette consistent and don’t go overboard with details. It is always the simpler designs that create more impact.
Choose variations for more visual interest
It isn’t necessary that all your tables are decked up the same way. In fact, it is more attractive if each table was personalized differently. Keep the colors consistent and the designs similar, but make slight variations in the arrangement. This will be more interesting. You could alternate two color combinations for each table, or even change the heights and designs of the centerpieces from one table to another. When you alternate styles, the only thing to remember is all the pieces should be tied together with a few unifying factors and not look too distinct.
All of us love the beautiful ball gown. Nonetheless, a bride in a different bridal outfit is refreshing, and let’s face it, we all do like the drama of something unique.
Brides today have it easy, with ace designers bringing forth many a wedding dress that makes it distinct. Whether it is the color, the fabric, the design or even the patterns on it, a bride can choose to show off her personality through the wedding dress she wears on the most important day of her life.
Let us look at some of the brilliant and unusual wedding dresses we have in our Alfred Angelo collection at Best for Bride. Which one will you love the most?
What do you think of this Grecian goddess inspired Alfred Angelo 2515 gown from the 2015 bridal collection? Everything from the criss-cross draped bodice to the sheer lace that begins at the corner of the bodice and extends into a low cut sheer back, makes this dreamy gown an exquisite piece. The light, breezy nature of the chiffon gown renders it an ideal choice for a beach wedding. The gathered A-line skirt is a universal choice that will suit any body type.
The new Alfred Angelo collection is all about surprises, as this fabulous wedding dress proves again. The 2512 NT modern fit gown from the 2015 collection is a masterpiece of glamour. The snugly fitting sweetheart neckline frames the bust and a moonstone style waistband that is thicker to one side of the torso are both stylish. There is no beating the perfectly executed high-low hemline with scalloped lace details. Now, if you want a more traditional look for the ceremony, it is possible with the detachable skirt that can be bought with the dress. Isn’t that a brilliant way to take you from morning to evening?
Now, here is a dress for the bride who wants to make sure she is the star of the day. This Alfred Angelo 2483 wedding dress from the 2015 collection will ensure that no bridesmaid nor wedding guest steals your thunder. Featuring a horsehair crumb catcher neckline and an asymmetrically layered skirt, the dress is poufy, but with personality. We can see many younger brides falling in love with this dress, and yes, it is the right choice if you want everyone’s jaw to drop as you make your appearance. The high-low hemline has a casual look, and the crisp layers that spread throughout the length add a mesmerizing touch to this wedding dress.
Bewitching and distinct, this black and white wedding 2455 wedding gown from the 2014 collection is unusually interesting. We’ve seen many colored wedding dresses before, but not many create an impact as powerful as this gown does. The sprinkling of black appliques on a pristine white base, all the way down the bodice to the dropped waist, and the culmination in a foam of white spray is fascinating. The sleeves too have black lace appliques to complete the effect.
So, what do you think of these unusually exciting wedding dresses? Will you be bold enough to try any of these yourself? To check out even more unique wedding gowns, check out our bridal gallery on Best for Bride.
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