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
It is not only the bride who has trouble deciding what to wear to her wedding. Most wedding guests also spend a lot of time worrying over what to wear to a wedding, how they will look in what they choose and whether it would be appropriate for the type of wedding.
Fortunately, it isn’t too difficult to choose a dress that will be right. All you have to do is follow cues from the invitation and pay attention to the time of the wedding and the venue. Here are some tips to help you dress to impress.
The differences between dressing for an evening ceremony and an afternoon one
If the ceremony is in the evening, it is appropriate to wear cocktail dresses or gowns. This is your chance to experiment with color, texture and pattern. If you would like to stand out from the rest of the crowd, wear a bold color. A simple dress would be better for weddings that are held before five. Afternoon and morning weddings are usually not very formal affairs. So, stay away from long flowing gowns and extra embellishments in which you will look over-dressed.
Choose a vivid color for maximum impact
Jade, magenta, teal and clementine are bold colors. Bring out your personality with a color that complements your skin tone, and you needn’t worry too much about the rest of the details. Just remember that you should never upstage the bride with your choice of dress. To be safe, avoid colors like cream, white and ivory. When choosing printed dresses, go for classic designs that will drape beautifully. Chiffon and cotton are good fabric choices.
Go for classic silhouettes to look elegant
When choosing the silhouette of your dress, choose one that is appropriate for the venue. If you choose a strapless dress for a church wedding, it may be a good idea to wear a mock bolero or pashmina over your shoulders, till the reception. If your dress is in a bold color like teal or emerald, go with a classic A-line silhouette or fit and flare gown. For loud colors, keep the embellishments simple to avoid a cluttered look.
Accessorize appropriate to scale and color
Weddings are the best occasions to bring on chunky statement necklaces, dangling chandelier earrings and killer heels. Just remember that you do not want to have too many elements that grab attention, or you will spoil the entire effect. If your dress is a stunner, keep the accessories simple. On the other hand, if your dress is relatively simple, play with oversize accessories to dress it up.
Remember that you can always wear an evening dress to more than one occasion, and create an entirely different look with it based on how you style it. Mix and match accessories, change your makeup and hairstyle every time, and you will always look unique.
There are hundreds of columns, books and articles dedicated to wedding advice for the bride, groom, bridesmaids and even mother-of-the-bride. However, we seldom come across useful advice for the mother of the groom. So, this article is dedicated to the mothers of the grooms, and we will soon explore the guidelines that will help the mother of the groom choose a dress that is appropriate for her son’s wedding.
Going with tradition
Traditionally, it was the bride’s mother who first chose her dress and informed the groom’s mother of her selection. The mother of the groom would then choose a dress that would match. The dresses of both mothers weren’t expected to be a perfect match. Nevertheless, it was common practice that their dresses didn’t clash, but would instead complement each other. So, if the mother of the bride chose a long dress, the mother of the groom would also do the same.
Go with the wedding theme and colors
You should be aware of the various colors that are in the wedding palette, and the type of wedding that is planned. Depending on the specific nature of the wedding, you may choose your dress in a color and style that matches the style of wedding. Take cues from the bridesmaids dresses and choose your dress in a color that complements it, but isn’t the same shade.
Avoid white and black
You should stay away from white, obviously because it is the bridal color. Black isn’t usually considered suitable for a wedding, and unless it is a part of the overall color scheme, or the couple don’t mind you choosing a black dress, it is best avoided.
Comfort is key
It is not a good idea to experiment with daring options in dress styles on this day.You will be spending several hours wearing the dress you choose, so go with a style that you are comfortable in.
Once you choose your dress, get it altered to fit your measurements. This will make sure it flaunts your figure. Also select appropriate innerwear to support you throughout the day, and invest in a good pair of shoes.
Dress appropriately and aim for elegance
Choose a dress silhouette that flatters your figure, and make sure it is one that doesn’t cause any eyebrows to be raised. Modern etiquette rules do not demand that the mother of the groom be dressed conservatively. So, you can choose dresses that highlight the latest trends, but aim for a classic and elegant look. If you want to try something bold, it is a good idea to first get your would-be daughter-in-law’s opinion on whether it would be appropriate for the occasion.
Accessorize to enhance your overall look
Don’t just rely on your dress to look great. Make sure you have the jewelry to add the finishing touches. Classic choices are pearls and diamonds, but you can also go for colored gemstones that match your dress. Choose a stunning clutch and matching shoes to add style to your outfit. Finally pay attention to your makeup and hairstyle to look fabulous.
To choose from a great selection of dresses in all colors and patterns to wear at your son’s lifetime event, visit us at Best for Bride.
Isn’t it interesting how your wedding day—one you looked forward to for months, and planned to the minutest detail—gets over in no time? Wedding days can seem so busy, that you later feel it passed too soon. Once it’s over, your photos and wedding video will help you recollect all that happened to a certain extent. Nevertheless, for the sentimentalists among you, a memory box is a treasure trove that will allow you to relive every special moment of your wedding.
After all, your wedding is not just about the day you got married. The excitement of the event is complete only when you consider all that went into the wedding planning, right from the very day you were engaged. Many of you reading this post will most probably will planning your wedding. So, start putting together your treasure box immediately, and you will save every detail that will help you remember your wedding day, once it’s over.
Here is a list of all that should go into your memory box; the various treasures you can hold on to and preserve your wedding memories for ever.
From your engagement
The minute you agreed to be together for ever—that magical moment has to be treasured forever. If you had an engagement shoot, add a picture of it into your treasure box. I like this idea on the Hitched website, of making a journal with the details of how you were proposed to, so you have a crystal clear reminder of how it was for the later years.
Did you host an engagement party? If so, save a sample invite and a few pictures highlighting the event. Another detail that will remind you of the beautiful moment is a picture of the place where the proposal took place. Make sure you get a snapshot of it as early as possible. You never know if it will change over time and you will lose the visual element of that special moment.
You can also hold on to any special love notes, cards or tags from the gifts your beloved gifted you during your engagement. These will bring back the wonderful memories of the time you spent as an engaged couple.
Reminders of the wedding venue
How did your search for the perfect wedding venue go? Did you settle on the first one that you saw, or did you search for days to find the appropriate one? Save a venue brochure and all those memories of finding the place you were wed at, will stay with you. Save a picture of what stands out at the venue, the unique altar design or the perfect view of the outdoors from the window, and it will be a precious keepsake. If you had an outdoor wedding; at the beach or in a garden, pick a few mementos from nature itself, and save them forever. This could be pretty pebbles, shells or pine cones, that can conjure up the images of the day.
Invitations and Save-the-date cards
This is something every bride normally does, even without any instruction. Every bride will save a copy of her wedding invitation for herself. While you do this, it will be a good idea to save any of the other stationery that you customized for your wedding day. Since you will be choosing the menu cards, wedding programs, table place cards and other details with so much effort, why not save a copy of each for your treasure trove.
Memories of your bachelorette party and bridal shower
Invites to both events, your bachelor party favors and any other physical items that will remind you of the big celebration you had. If your friends and family splurged on cake toppers, party buntings, customized napkins and more, you could borrow one of each to put into your treasure box. It will serve as wonderful reminders of the fun you had at these celebrations. Similarly, pick out a memento from your rehearsal dinner too. It could be anything like a menu card or a picture of the two of you on the day.
Food and drink
Think of the time you spent in choosing the perfect menu for your wedding reception? It certainly deserves special mention in your bridal box of memories. Drop in a copy of your wedding menu and beverage list, and also add a few pictures of the fare that was served on the day. I think it would be wonderful to add in few comments on why you chose certain dishes or small notes on what everyone especially loved. You can also save a wine bottle stopper or the champagne bottle corker to remind you of the toasts at your reception.
The special wedding dress moment
One of the most important decisions a bride makes for her wedding, is choosing her wedding dress. I’m sure it would have taken you hours of research, planning and shopping to finalize the one dress in which you were to get married. Plus, it is usually one of the most exciting and enjoyable parts of wedding shopping. Remind yourself of this over the years to come, by saving the tags from your gown into your treasure box, as well as a fabric scrap from the inside of the gown.
If you have a picture of yourself on the day you said “Yes” to the dress, this goes into your box too. Take a look at all the smiling brides who got their dress from Best for Bride. We make sure their shopping day is preserved forever with a wonderful photo keepsake from this special day. Make sure you get yours too.
Unlike the wedding dress, brides usually find use for their wedding accessories on another occasion, except perhaps the tiara and veil. If you have any accessories that you will not be using in the near future, save them into your treasure box. If you have customized your ensemble with interesting bridal accessories like shoe stickers, flowers or brooches, these can be saved as well. Another good item to store is your wedding perfume. If you chose a special new scent for your special day, how about putting it into your wedding box, and saving it for those special moments that are to come in the years.
Bouquets, boutonnieres and other floral creations
Imagine opening up a box, and the scent of potpourri wafting through your senses. Spellbinding, isn’t it? Make this possible by saving the flowers from your wedding in your treasure box. You can always have your wedding bouquet preserved professionally through freeze-drying and add it to your art work at home, and relish its beauty everyday. Read all about it on this article at Keepsake Floral.
However, if you do not want to opt for this expensive method, you can still hold on to your wedding flowers by drying them out and adding them to your memory box. Simply hang them in a dry ventilated place, till they dry completely, and then store them safely in a polythene bag. Or, you can make potpourri out of it, as detailed here.
Don’t forget to save pictures of your bouquet, the centerpieces and floral décor at the venue to remind you of the floral details that transformed your venue into a work of art. You can also press the larger blooms between the pages of a heavy book and add these to your collection.
Reminders of the ceremony
Capture the moment you got married by saving something used at the altar. Flowers used to decorate the altar, a candle that flickered beside you, the ring pillow or even your groom’s boutonniere would be a befitting addition to your wedding treasures.
Save your wedding favors
While you give your guests a keepsake from your wedding to take home and save, don’t forget to set one aside for yourself. If it is an edible favor, you cannot store it as such. In this case, save the packaging, and a picture of how the favors looked when they were given away. Non-edible favors like wine glasses, key chains, candles, photo frames or mirrors can be saved as such.
Wedding cake
The traditional practice of saving the top tier of the wedding cake, and savoring it on the first wedding anniversary is still popular. All you need to remember is to freeze it safely soon after the wedding, and make sure that the flavors you choose aren’t ones that spoil easily. However, you need your wedding cake memories to stay with you for much longer than your first anniversary. For this, save a copy of the drawing your baker created for your wedding cake. If there were non-edible items on it, like ribbons, figurines or flowers, box it.
Guest book and well-wishes
Your guest book is a valuable possession and deserves it’s rightful place in your treasure box. You can also make use of our beautiful petal wishes kit to save your well-wishers blessings for the future. This interesting novelty from Best for Bride, allows you to collect wishes from your favorite people on petals, and then snap them all together to form a beautiful flower. It makes a wonderful keepsake that you can frame or store for later, so try it out.
Wedding entertainment
The entire ambiance of your wedding reception is set by the music you chose for the evening. Create a CD of the songs that your DJ or band played at your wedding, and also save a written copy of the playlist. If you had a band playing at the wedding, don’t forget to include a picture of them performing at the event. Also, add in the details of all the important dances like your first dance, the mother-son dance and father-daughter dance.
Wedding cards, gift tags and notes
Your wedding gifts will arrive beautifully wrapped and with tags on them. Don’t just throw away them. You can create a mini-scrapbook with the tags and notes. If you used special stationery to write your thank you notes on, save a card for yourself too. Put the wedding cards you received into your memory box, and on a later day, you will have a delightful time looking through them and remembering the people who made your day so special.
From your honeymoon
The getaway after the wedding is not to be forgotten easily. This is the time you enjoy your newly wed status as husband and wife. Assuming that you go on a honeymoon to a destination away from home, make sure that you pick a few things to stuff into your wedding treasure box. Collect shells from the beach, toiletry bottles from the hotel you stayed at or a souvenir. Also add a stash of photos from the days you spent there, and it will make a beautiful finale to the great celebration that was your wedding.
Once your wedding is over, you will be surprised at how much time you seem to have, all of a sudden.. After all that hectic wedding planning, this may seem a welcome respite. Use this time to linger over the beautiful days that led up to your wedding. Pull out your wedding memory box, sit back and run through the various treasures you’ve so lovingly put inside. Sort through it, enjoy it and relive the precious moments associated with each keepsake, it will make you smile with all your heart.
Make sure you make a list of all that you intend to save from your wedding, so you do not miss collecting them when the time comes. Delegate the responsibility of taking charge of things at the venue to a trusted friend, so you get it all even if you are too occupied on the day to collect it yourself. Add it to your bridesmaids list of duties, so it isn’t forgotten.
For more wedding planning tips, advice and all your wedding related needs, continue visiting us on Best for Bride. We have every aspect of your wedding covered.
Your wedding day may pass too quickly, but photos of the event will help you remember every detail of the day for years to come. Hence, the relevance of a wedding photographer cannot be overlooked. In the hands of a professional, your wedding memories are safe, and captured as you wish to remember them.
There are various styles of photography available today, and not all styles may appeal to you equally. Find one that suits your taste, and ensure your wedding pictures will recreate the magic of your wedding day, every time you look at them.
Once you choose the style of wedding photography – traditional, photojournalistic, the mix of both or artistic, it is time to find the bridal photographer to handle the task. Here is a checklist of things that will help ensure that you find the right photographer and freeze your wedding memories perfectly.
First and foremost, plan your budget
As with all other vendors, different photographers have different rates. Before you start your search, you should know how much you can afford to spend. There are great photographers who can do your job beautifully, without your having to spend a fortune on it. Start early, and you will have time to find the right candidate for the job.
Obtain reviews of the service from previous clients
Don’t be taken in by smart advertising and pictures that are available on the photographer’s website. Check with clients who have actually used the photographer, and ask them for their opinions on the service provided. If you are satisfied with what you hear, book an appointment with the photographer.
Ask to see a range of pictures
Photographers will usually have a set portfolio, which they share with their clients. While this allows you to get a fair idea of the quality of work, you should also remember that these are usually the best ones they’ve taken. So, ask for more pictures than what is in their portfolio. Or, ask them if you could have a look at a previous client’s album. You can get a better idea of their style and ability by looking at more pictures.
Discuss, clarify and question
Ask what all pictures your package will include. Discuss the available options, take time to create your own list of must-have photos, which will include the list of group shots you want and share it with the photographer. Most good photographers will be ready to accommodate their client’s requests, but make sure you check this is, before signing your contract. Share the timetable of your wedding day, and tell your photographer where he should be at a specific time, so he doesn’t miss any of the special moments on your big day.
Get it in writing
Make sure that you include every single detail in your written contract. There should be clauses regarding how emergency situations will be handled, when and how the photographer’s fee will be paid, when you will receive your prints and the total price including all overhead costs. If you make any further changes to plan, add it to the contract and have your photographer countersign it. This will help you get the service you signed up for, without any hassles.
For more wedding tips and advice, and for all your wedding needs, visit us at Best For Bride.
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