Tag: shopping

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3 common wedding dress mistakes brides make and how to avoid it

Your wedding dress is one of the most important dresses you will ever wear in your life. So, making the right choice is a tough, but important task. Not all brides enjoy a fantastic experience choosing their wedding dress, and many have regretted their decision at a later time.

Let us look at 3 of the most common mistakes brides make when choosing their wedding dress, and how you can avoid it.

Buying your dress too early, before actually planning your wedding

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You may be tempted to do wedding shopping the minute you are engaged. However, this isn’t wise. Many factors determine the right choice—the venue, theme of wedding, weather,budget, etc. Shopping without a definite idea of what would be practical based on the time and location of your wedding, could cause you to regret your choice later.

Remember, not all wedding dresses are equally suitable for all situations. So, purchasing a formal wedding gown for an indoor ceremony may be the wrong choice if you finally decide on an outdoor ceremony. Wait till the wedding details are more or less decided, before shopping. You should buy your wedding dress 6-9 months before your wedding, to allow sufficient time for alterations and changes.

Buying a wedding dress that’s in the wrong size

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You have a whole year till your wedding, and you are determined to lose several pounds before it. So, you might as well get your wedding dress a size or two smaller than you currently measure, right? Wrong! Many brides make this mistake, and later struggle to fit into a dress that is too tight.

Remember that it is easier to take in a gown, than adding additional inches to it. If you live up to your weight-loss plans, you can always have your gown altered to fit your exact measurements at the time. If you can’t, you will be glad you chose a gown that actually fits you.

Not accounting for the extras when you buy your wedding gown

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When you fix your wedding dress budget, always account for the extra money you will have to pay for fittings, accessories and customization. It is unlikely that you will find a dress off-the-rack, that will perfectly fit you. It may have to be adjusted to fit your measurements or the hemline may have to be moved up to be at the right length. In some cases, you may want to add sleeves or add accessories like a waistband to improve your look.

All these come at an additional cost. Apart from this, you will have to spend money on wedding accessories like jewelry, shoes, tiaras and veils. When all these are finally paid for, many brides find that they have gone over-budget.

When you create your wedding dress budget, divide it into the actual money you can spend on the dress, and the additional amount for the rest. Tell your bridal consultant the actual amount you can afford on the dress, which includes the charges for all the fixes, and she should help you find one that fits your budget, while meeting your other preferences.

Now that you are aware of the common mistakes, you are ready to find the dress of your dreams and be happy with your choice. For more wedding tips and advice, and to find the perfect wedding dress for your big day, visit Best for Bride.

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Prepare for your wedding dress appointment: 5 Things to take along

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Wedding dress shopping is exciting and finding the right wedding dress is something every bride eagerly looks forward to. However, before you begin wedding shopping, you need to do some research.

This will help you shortlist the desired silhouettes, dress patterns, fabric choices and most importantly, allow you to fix your budget. Once you have a good picture of what you want and what you don’t, you are set to go shopping. Call up the bridal boutique and fix your appointment, rope in your best friends to accompany you, and get set to attend your appointment.

Now, do you just walk in on the day of your appointment? Not quite. It isn’t a good idea to simply go for your appointment without a few essential items. Let us look at what these are.

Photos for inspiration

You may have seen a fabulous gown in a magazine or on the internet, that you are dying to try. Print out a picture, and better still take down the dress number and other information pertaining to the gown. This will allow your bridal consultant to locate that dress for you. When possible, inform the boutique of the dresses that you would like to check out, when you fix your appointment. This way, it is likely they will have it in their inventory in time for your appointment.

If your vision of “the dress” includes bits and pieces from various other gowns, take prints of all these gowns along, and share your ideas with your consultant. She will be able to help you find one that matches your expectations.

Suitable inner wear

A strapless bra is absolutely necessary for your bridal appointment, since it is the only one that works with strapless gowns, spaghetti straps, deep cut necklines or halter style dresses. Without this, you may not be able to visualize the actual look of the gown. If you will be wearing inner shape-wear on your big day, make sure you take this along as well.

A camera

Looking at yourself in the mirror is not good enough. Snap a few pictures on a camera or your phone and look at it to understand how you actually look from different angles, before you finalize your dress.

Shoes

Although you may not have your wedding shoes yet, it is a good idea to wear shoes with the same heel height that you will be wearing to your wedding. This will allow you to see how the dress falls, and determine the length to which the hemline should be altered.

Heirlooms, accessories and hairstyle

Will you be wearing a family heirloom such as a veil or a headpiece? Or perhaps, you have already decided on the jewelry that you will be wearing on your wedding day. If so, bring these along, so you can decide whether it goes well with the dress you chose, or you have to continue looking. Also wear a hairstyle similar to what you will don on your wedding day, so you can see if a dress matches your look.

With these essential things in hand, you are all set for your wedding dress shopping. So, get ready to have the best time shopping. Check out our wedding dress collection for inspiration, and fix your appointment with Best for Bride to have the best wedding shopping experience ever.

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Wedding Planning : The 3 things brides worry about the most and how to handle them

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You’re in love and just engaged – how romantic and dreamy everything looks and feels! But, not for long. Once wedding planning enters the picture, the excitement can quickly take on a new form called Stress!

Most brides will be planning a wedding for the first time. So, it isn’t unusual to feel overwhelmed. If you are a perfectionist, who wants everything to go exactly as you dreamed it to be, be prepared to watch your stress levels soar. All this can take all the fun out of your wedding.

Here, we shall look at three factors that drown most brides in worry. Fortunately, we also know what will help you with them, so let’s find out.

1. The wedding budget

Everything related to a wedding boils down to money. Every vendor and service you require for your wedding will have to be paid. Add to it the additional cost of planning your honeymoon and getting favors for your near and dear; get ready to say goodbye to your bank balance.

The way to handle this is to plan your wedding budget sensibly and realistically. Determine the maximum you can afford to spend, and divide it amongst the different factors. Remember that you can plan a wedding for any budget, big or small. So, fix your budget first and then shop around for what fits it.

Don’t forget to factor in the extras when you book a vendor or go shopping. This would include the alteration charges when buying a wedding dress, tips and taxes for vendors and similar charges which may or may not be included with the original rates.

2. Handling help

Announce your wedding, and you will find many people rushing to your aid to plan the perfect wedding. Their advice may be well-intended, but many brides often find their own ideas slipping through when an overbearing friend or relative steps in to help.

If you are faced with this situation, just remember this. Wedding planning has a dark side to it; you cannot have everything perfect, while pleasing everyone. If someone tries to force their ideas on you, tell them that you will think over it, but don’t commit unless you are convinced.

Delegate small tasks to those who are eager to help, but not any of the bigger responsibilities that you cannot take chances with. If your parents or in-laws are paying, you have to make allowances for their suggestions. Work to find a compromise that both of you can live with.

3. Getting it all done on time

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When you first make a list of things to do, you may be worried by how long it is. From shopping for your wedding dress, to buying accessories, setting up the guest list, planning the wedding theme and finding the venue, there are several more things to be handled.

Don’t worry, it’s all manageable if you plan everything systematically. Before you begin with anything, first split up the tasks and assign dates to each one of them. Divide it into those you will handle and those you can delegate. If you can afford it, book a wedding planner to do all or some of the work. Do your research before you begin anything, and you will be better equipped to handle all the details. Keep the big picture in mind. If what you worry about doesn’t matter too much, don’t lose sleep over it.

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