Posts Tagged ‘Bridal’
Wedding Planning On A Budget
Planning a wedding on a budget, especially a large wedding with many guests, selecting your dress from so many wedding dress styles that are out there, is a very important part of planning. Some wedding planners suggest choosing the dress before anything else and then planning the wedding around aspects of the dress.
Budget is the first thing you want to consider when you are buying your wedding dress. Sometimes you can even get you dress free (if you borrow it from a friend or family member). A wedding dress can cost you hundreds to thousands of dollars. You may want to plan a budget for your wedding gown before going shopping and if someone else or maybe your parents are paying for the dress, you should include them in the budget discussions.
You might want to start looking for a discount wedding dress If you are on a budget and can not afford to pay thousands for your perfect wedding dress. You can get a beautiful wedding gown for less than $1000. You do not need to spend thousands to look beautiful, and don’t let any sales associate tell you differently. When you are budgeting remember to include the cost of shoes, a veil and any hairpieces you will need. You might also need to consider a budget for jewelry if you are planning to buy some.
Don’t forget that your wedding dress is just for one day. Yes it is an important day, but it’s still just one day. Don’t go into debt and don’t overspend on a wedding. After the wedding you wish that you would spend less and save some money for a house or something else.
You have planned on a budget and now it is time to look for a dress. You can start with looking at large stores such as David’s Bridal, as well as smaller bridal shops or online bridal stores. Go with someone. Take a friend, your mother or other female confidante along. Do not trust on the advice of the bridal consultant. She may be a lovely person, but she is most likely being paid on commission. It’s her job to get you to spend as much as possible.
When you try on bridal gowns, wear a strapless long-line bra and any neck jewelry you plan to wear at your wedding. Try to choose your shoes after you have chosen a dress. The bridal shop will alter your dress according to your shoes.
When looking for a wedding dress, there are a few things to consider. If you are into fashion you might want to find out what the celebrities are wearing. So first thing you should think about is the style of your dress. If you surf the web, there are so many discount designer wedding dress that you can find. But if you are a free spirit then you might want something elegant and simple and not any popular style.
Another thing to consider is your body type. Make note of any body parts you prefer to conceal. A full-figured bride will want a different style of dress than a bride with no curves at all. Know what looks good on you. Try on several styles if you aren’t sure.
Consider your skin tone in choosing a color. Traditional wedding gowns are white, but they also come in ivory and the palest pink. If you are pale, you might want to consider an ivory dress instead of a white one.
Do not let anyone talk you into a dress you don’t like. Your mother and best friend might think you look best in one style, but you are the one who should be happy with the dress.
Finally be sure to have fun when choosing your wedding dress. Don’t get stressed out. Just be relaxed and enjoy this time with people you love.
Author: Jacqueline Gharibian. She is hoping that these tips on wedding planning on a budget are useful. Visit and read more tips and shop for your discount designer wedding dress at her site.
Discount Bridal Gowns
Selecting a wedding gown is one of the most important tasks you will have to deal with if you are about to get married and also one of the most exciting. Average wedding can cost as much as $20,000 and if you are looking for ways to save money and you are on a budget, then looking into discount bridal gowns can help you, especially with the current bad economy. Your big white dress can be one area where you can make some savings without having to compromise on type and style.
If buying a designer wedding dress is the only thing you have in mind, there are so many ways to do that. You can check online and look for second-hand designer wedding dresses. There are also so many other sites that are selling beautiful designer dresses with big discounts.
If you plan to buy online then take a trip to a bridal shop just to try dresses on, this way you’ll see which cuts and colors flatter you. You may find that the beautiful white dress you’ve planned on having since you were six doesn’t make you look like the princess. This can be a nightmare, but if you’ve tried other dresses on beforehand, you’ll have plenty of inspiration to consider yourself saved from a wardrobe disaster.
“I bought two dresses, the first, I bought online without trying anything on and it looked awful,” says Anne Cullen, who married in 2006. “From then on I knew it was wrong and I changed my choice completely. I looked for an ivory dress with capped sleeves; it was a very simple style. I didn’t want a big white meringue after all.” Anne’s second dress was purchased from internet auction site eBay, and cost $55 including the shipping – leaving her more money in the budget to take nineteen guests for a wedding meal in Gretna Green, Scotland.
Another alternative for a keepsake dress is to approach a private dressmaker – either at home or abroad. Many brides are opting for dresses from China, sending measurements by fax, phone or email. If you visit a local dress maker taking pictures of the styles you like, with cuts and colors in mind can also save you money – as well as ensuring you end up with a dress made to measure, and unique to you. Choosing hard-to-source materials, or opting for complex designs or decoration can bump up the price, but it can also save you a fortune.
Private dressmakers can also be an excellent source to consider if your tastes aren’t in tune with the traditional. Although many dress shops now stock gowns in a variety of styles and colors, if you’re after something a little bit different, private dressmakers can produce beautiful gowns, fancy dress to suit your tastes and pocket.
Gown hire has become increasingly popular allowing you to wear the designer dress of your dreams, without it costing the earth. For a fee the dress can be hired and altered to fit. Hiring a gown can come with hidden extras, so if you’re following this option, explore it thoroughly. Check who is responsible for details such as delivery/collection and dry cleaning. Be aware that the dress you’ll be hiring is likely to be used by other brides before you, so remember to check what solutions the hire company can offer if another renting bride damages the dress.
Look for more options and there are so many out there to help you save money. If you consider all your options you will have the dress of your dreams without going broke.
Jacqueline Gharibian is the author and she is giving you a few options that are available for all the brides-to-be. You don’t have to break the bank to look beautiful. You are the bride and no matter what you wear, you are still going to be the most beautiful girl on your wedding night. You can read more by visiting her site Discount Designer Bridal Gowns
Make Your Bridal Portraits the Perfect Picture
It’s your wedding day – the event you’ve dreamed about for years. Your life is about to change as you enter marriage, and walk down the aisle towards the man that will soon become your husband. The elation goes beyond anything you’ve imagined. Then it hits you. Where’s the photographer?
Your wedding is one of the key events in your life that will create memories that last. And one thing you don’t need on your wedding day is to worry about where the person is who will be capturing those memories for you. So it’s important to plan your bridal portraits and photography well in advance, because your wedding photos will be one of the things you look forward to most after your wedding.
Your planning efforts should begin with a couple key issues. Mainly, what your budget will be for your bridal portraits, and what types of portrait packages you’d like to create. Generally speaking, you get what you pay for in this regard, so as long as you have in the neighborhood of two thousand dollars (or a little more) to spend you should get your money’s worth. At this level, your photography company will likely send two to four photographers to your wedding to catch multiple shots from different angles. You may even be able to negotiate video as part of your package, which will get you both still photos and live action video of your special day.
However, for somewhere near a thousand dollars, you can get a good amount of photos, especially if you discuss in advance with your photographer which moments are most important to you. Of course, you can always just hire a friend, but only if you trust them completely. Nothing worse that relying on a pal to document the big day, only to find out later that they really didn’t know how to achieve the best exposure for the environment in which they were shooting.
When you’ve determined your budget, the next step is to plan how you would like the photographer to cover your wedding. The options are numerous. Do you want pictures taken during the ceremony? What family members will be included in the bridal party shots? Will these pictures be taken before or after the wedding? More frequently the shots with bridesmaids and groomsmen, as well as close family, are being taken before the wedding so everyone looks their best. Of course, for the traditional and “superstitious” crowd, bridal portraits should only take place after the ceremony to prevent the groom from seeing his bride before the wedding.
There is no doubt you will remember your wedding day forever. And in order to re-live the day any time you want, and maybe even show your kids how great the bride and groom looked, be sure to arrange your bridal portraits will ahead of the big day. Remember, your bridal portraits are one of the best ways you’ll have of reliving the incredible moments and memories you experienced on your wedding day for the rest of your life.
There’s a lot more than tips on bridal portraits at BridalShowerMoments.com. Join Lindsay Maxwell and our other writers for ideas on wedding and bridal shower planning, decorating, centerpieces, brunch and more.
Selecting Right Party Favors
We share our happiness with our family and friends. We organize parties to enjoy and to take a break from the monotonous life. Sharing important events like wedding, birthdays, graduation, retirement etc with others can be quite exciting. Expressing our feelings by giving our guest token in the form of party favors is a good mean of showing out love, respect and appreciation towards the party guests. These favors also indicate that we are thankful to them for being a part of our event and making it so memorable. When planning a party it is very important that the party gifts are well thought off and are appropriate for everyone.
Selection of the right favor which matches the occasion or the theme of the party is very essential. It is not necessary that the gift has to be expensive or frugal. It all depends upon the amount of money that you are willing to spend on the gift. You can search and buy good quality gifts at cheaper prices from the stores by knowing the right place.
When it comes to the selection part it can be a bit difficult since you have wide range of items. Some people do not give it enough thought and select general gifts such as candies and other similar stuff for pleasing the guests but giving common gifts do not leave much impact on your guest and they forget about the occasion after sometime. So to keep the memory last forever it is best that you give something that reminds them of the occasion always.
Keep in mind the theme and the occasion before making your choice as it should not be a complete mismatch. For a summer beach bash your gift cannot be something related to a Xmas or New Year. Party gifts for winter can be snowman candles, snowflakes, ornaments and beautiful blue gel candles with snowflakes. The gift you present to your guest should be something that should remind them of the party hence should be related to the party theme. Every time they look at the gift it should remind them of the day instantly.
Even the kids are very happy to receive gifts in bright colors. They make them quite excited and happy and they enjoy the party more. Organizing large gathering is also about knowing each other better. You get to meet lot of people which you otherwise seldom meet so it is a good time catching up with them.
The most admired party favors that almost every one appreciate are ring holders, maple leaf soaps, wedding favor fans, delicate shoes embellished cookies, bottle stopper in personality box, spoons in personality box, crystal heart keychain etc.
There are many formal occasions also like wedding, First Communions, baptism etc and for such occasion we cannot think of giving casual gifts like chocolate though some people do not agree with it but it is better if you pick something that is ideal for the occasion. There are many stores that will help you in picking the right gift for the occasion.
There are many stores which offer various kinds of gift items for every occasion. Internet also offers a wide range of gifts which are of good quality and also quite reasonable. Just by a click of a button you can have them delivered at your doorstep.
Party favors have gone customary these days. This is because the groom and the bride say farewell to singleness by thanking the guests who graced such occasions as bridal showers. And these come in many different varieties these days. Also try choosing some personalized party favors.
Great Memories Begin with Your Bridal Shower Activities
It is every girl’s dream to have the perfect wedding and most girls already have a picture in their mind of how their wedding will look like. More often than not, ladies on wedding preparation mode tend to overlook a certain precursor to their wedding – their bridal shower.
Bridal showers are a way of saying goodbye to single hood as the bride prepares for her wedding. Since brides are usually preoccupied with wedding arrangements, it is usually up to family and friends to come up with a good bridal shower idea and memorable bridal shower activities.
The bride’s tastes and personality are certainly factors you should take into account as you begin to plan your bridal shower activities. It’s important to understand the bride’s preferences and point of view on her shower as these will influence many of your decisions. Staying true to the bride’s personality will also help you make the bridal shower memorable and unique. From the start, think about how you can break free from “traditional” activities, like making a tissue paper wedding dress or playing pin-the-tail on the bridegroom. Instead, create a set of bridal shower activities completely centered on the bride that will engage both her and your guests.
For example, go to a classy hotel and spend the day having the bride (and guests) completely pampered and catered to. Imagine how nice it would be to have aroma therapy, massages, hot saunas, or a dip in the hotel Jacuzzi. Follow that with time together in a comfortable room where you can all reminisce about the times you’ve spent with the bride.
For the more down-to-earth bride, a good idea is holding a bridal shower at the local mall, which usually has the potential for generating loads of fun bridal shower activities. Take the bride on a shopping spree, but please make sure you have a budget, you don’t want to max out your credit cards. Later take the bride to the mall caf and let her sweet tooth indulge in chocolate, ice cream or whatever she feels like having. It’s a one day activity so, no holds barred. Pass by the lingerie shop and have the bride flaunt some of that elegant attire to her guests.
Alternatively, for the outdoor, nature loving bride, having a bridal shower at the country side is not such a bad idea. Fun bridal shower activities such as wine tasting, bungee jumping, canoeing, hiking and planting some trees for remembrance of that day are just some of the few activities you can engage in. Better yet, you can head out to the beach and carry along a full picnic basket and a few bottles of wine. Hire a performer to keep you entertained through out the day, just make sure you and the bride have fun. In the evening you could light a bonfire and let your hair down. On the other hand, you can have a party at the bride’s house in the evening and invite all her friends, family and neighbors.
There are a lot of fun-filled shower activities for the bride out there. So the next time you find yourself organizing one, you know what to do.
Get more bridal shower activities ideas and other planning and decorating tips for your bridal shower. Join Ellen Glover and our other blog writers at BridalShowerMoments.com.
Bridal Shower Bingo Brings the Gift Registry to Life
Bridal showers are exceptional occasions that are especially dedicated to the bride. This however does not mean that her guests should at all times be focused on the bride’s necessities. A bridal shower bears the risk of turning monotonous and boring for the guests and could hold the uneasiness associated with guests meeting for the first time. A perfect way to break the ice is to introduce bridal shower bingo.
Bridal shower bingo is essentially a fun and simple game to play just like the traditional bingo, the only variation being the entries on the cards. Instead of using numbers, bridal shower bingo uses the gift registry of the bride as the blocks. It’s quite simple to set up bridal shower bingo cards using any word editor, just draw a grid with five rows and five columns.
Next, take random items from the gift registry and put them in each box of the bingo card. Or, leave some of the boxes open and let each guest predict what items should go there based on what they think the bride may have selected. Take the time to add borders, a few design touches, and maybe even some bridal clip art to make the card appealing, attractive and fun.
Print out the cards on colorful paper or you can source paper matching the decoration and color theme of the bridal shower. Customize the card by writing some memorable or funny quotes at the back or just draw a plain old cartoon. If time is not available for designing and printing out your own custom made bridal shower bingo cards, many online and offline outlets sell custom made cards. Bear in mind the number of guests you are expecting to control your costs, and give yourself plenty of time to plan your bridal shower bingo game.
Before starting bridal shower bingo make sure the guests know what prizes are at stake. This will make it a little more fun and interesting as the game unfolds. The party host should be the bingo “caller” and make sure all guests know how to play and what rules are involved. The bride then starts the game by opening her gifts, while the guests mark the items announced on their bingo cards. The first person to cover all the items up and down, across or diagonally, just as in traditional bingo, gets to call “bingo!”
Not all bridal shower bingo games necessarily rely on the bride’s gift registry. If you prefer, consider using word terms that refer to the bride’s upcoming wedding day, her wedding dress, names of the bridal party (including the bride and groom), family names, church location and more. In this approach, you duplicate these words on slips of paper that are drawn and announced just like the traditional bingo numbers. Prizes awarded can be anything, but are usually items like candles, a small cake, gift cards, photos of the bride and groom, gourmet candies or something similar.
There’s a lot more than tips on bridal shower bingo ideas at BridalShowerMoments.com. Join Ellen Gover and our other writers for ideas on bridal shower planning, decorating, centerpieces, activites and more.
Menu for a Great Event: Your Bridal Shower Brunch
Events leading up to a wedding give the bride-to-be opportunities to spend time with a variety of friends and family. The large number of people a bride may have to interact with, though, can also mean less time spent with close family members and the special moments that only a family can share as part of the overall wedding experience. This is why a bridal shower brunch with intimate family and friends just before the bustle of the wedding day is a good idea.
A bridal shower brunch usually takes place between 10 a.m. and noon, 2-3 days before the wedding. It’s an inexpensive and fun way to allow close family members to bond with the bride and feel like they’re sharing in and contributing to her wedding planning efforts.
First thing in hosting a bridal shower brunch is selecting a serene ambience for the brunch. This could be a banquet hall or a private section of a restaurant. Traditionally though, a bridal shower brunch is normally held at the bride’s home but any calm surrounding will normally do the trick. Decorations for the brunch should be stylish and preferably match to the color theme of the wedding, while reflecting the class and maturity of the bride.
It’s never a bad idea to get ideas from the bridal party, but overall the dcor, theme and colors selected should approach that of a wedding atmosphere. At the same time, the dress code can be set to semi-casual (with a touch of sophistication) to allow for a fun, relaxed atmosphere.
The theme of the bridal shower brunch and wedding should also be taken into consideration when planning the day’s menu. If the couple will have a traditional white wedding, items such as chicken salad, white pizza, mini bagels with cream cheese, and the use of white serving dishes would make perfect sense. But don’t feel as though you can’t prepare a bride’s favorite family recipe, one from a friend, or unique and creative entrees from a contemporary cookbook, especially if that’s what the bride would prefer.
For exotic themed weddings, you might want to hire a chef who specializes in the exotic meals the wedding is based on. The trick, though, is to keep the meals light, so cheeses, salads and soups are best for such an occasion. Others include croissants and brioches, fruits like grapes and strawberries, vegetables like tomatoes and gourmet, among others.
When planning drinks, be sure to include non-alcoholic options (if alcohol will be used) and keep the offerings connected to the overall wedding theme. You really can’t go wrong with fruit punch, coffee, tea and soft drinks in terms of the non-alcoholic options, even if the brunch event is very formal or exotic.
It’s also a common tradition for the bride to treat her guests to some type of gift. This does not have to be overly expensive, and can even be something home-made, a bottle of wine, gift cards, gourmet chocolates or candy, flowers or other items. The overall goal is for the bridal shower brunch to be a wonderful time spent with family and friends without being a financial or planning burden for the bride and her helpers.
Bridal shower brunch ideas are just the beginning at the BridalShowerMoments blog. Join Janine Moore and our other writers for more on bridal shower decorating, centerpieces, activities and more.
Completing The Look By Having Designer Wedding Shoes
Every woman looks forward to her wedding day and wants to look best. She starts shopping way in advance and make the list of must have items. Keeping track of the every small little thing to make the occasion perfect and memorable can be very demanding in terms of energy, time and even creativity. There goes a lot research to make event unforgettable for the guest. Everything right from the wedding dress to the jewelry and the wedding shoes are matched perfectly to create an awe look. It takes lot of time, effort and energy and also a lot of research goes behind to make every event more exciting and perfect. Today let us help you in finding the right designer wedding shoes which will help you complete the look and compliment your wedding dress.
Wedding shoes just like wedding dress should be picked up very carefully and well matched. They should be comfortable and hence the size of the heel, design and material used should be soft for the feet. You can look for silk and satin shoes which can be dyed to match the outfit. These shoes can be selected by the bride, her bridesmaids and mother of the bride or groom for any occasions.
The prize of the shoes depends upon various factors such as the brand, design and material used. You can find wedding shoes in ivory color and white and as we have mentioned above they can be dyed matching the wedding gown or dress. Other than just the wedding day these shoes can also be worn later for parties or any other occasion.
There are many stores which exclusively deal in only designer wedding shoes and in such stores the designs are endless. They keep in mind the every need of the bride and accordingly design the shoes. You can also have the option of having a hand embroidered designer shoe for the weeding.
It is very common, brides having more than one pair of shoes for this occasion. The shoes should match all the dresses being worn on evenings and thus the brides on an average buy three pairs of wedding shoes for the day. Selection of right shoes for wedding day should not be affected by the wedding shoe fashion and trend going on in the streets. However few things like beads, flowers and crystal sling backs are used to make them look more elegant and beautiful.
Depending on the color, size, fit choices are made. If you prefer to dye the shoe to exactly match the wedding dress then it is advisable that you use professional services to get the best results. You can also experiment a bit and have it accessorized. Adding a glitz using gold and silver can be a good idea. You can also wear them up after the wedding for parties.
It is very important that you try the shoe before buying it to know which fits the best and is most comfortable for the feet. You would not want to ruin your walk on the wedding day and look funny.
With so many online stores, shopping has now become very comfortable. There are many online stores which exclusively only deal in designer wedding shoes and hence have a wide variety range and designs to choose from.
Weddings are such joyous occasion that everyone participating in the wedding entourage are excited to wear designer wedding shoes. It helps display their lovely toes that make them appear stunning on this big day. Or you may want to try wedding flip flops.
How to Create the Perfect Bridal Shower Centerpieces
A bridal shower brings together family and friends who collaboratively reflect on the bride’s past, present and hopeful future. With this in mind, bridal showers are planned as a way of expressing excitement, joy and hope for the soon-to-be-wedded bride. Decorations, and particularly bridal shower centerpieces, play an important role in creating this type of ambience. It comes as no surprise, then, that a bit of art and precision are required to create the appropriate type of bridal shower centerpieces for the big day.
Bridal shower centerpieces are the jewel of any bridal shower. They should reflect the true personality, interests and tastes of the bride and give the bridal shower the ambience that is required. It is therefore imperative to come up with bridal shower centerpieces that are dominant and attractive to make them memorable.
Ensuring that your bridal shower centerpieces revolve around the theme of the wedding and the bride may take time and a bit of creativity. It is important to have in mind, or possibly even on paper, exactly what your overall bridal shower centerpieces design will be. Once you have that, start thinking of colors for the centerpieces that will match the color theme of the wedding. So if the wedding has a pink and white theme, design the bridal shower centerpieces in a way that attractively incorporates those colors. Consider also whether the overall theme of the centerpieces should be traditional or contemporary, and keep the bridal shower centerpieces as feminine as possible.
The vase or flower bowl design, where vases or flower bowls form the foundation of the centerpieces is a popular and easy approach. The vases or bowls, which should hold the bride’s favorite flowers, can be decorated in many different ways. They can be painted or wrapped in ribbons based on the wedding theme and the bride’s favorite colors. The vases or bowls can be placed on tables, stands or other furniture to bring color and ambience to the bridal shower area.
You can also place scented candles placed in jars, jewelry, cake or chocolate around your flower bowl or vase designs. The centerpieces can even incorporate a “piece” of the bride, like her favorite t-shirt, doll or CD. You can also place small pieces of paper with short definitions of the bride like ‘smart’ and ‘ambitious’ among others around the centerpieces and later use those pieces to play games like bridal shower bingo.
There’s a lot more than tips on bridal shower centerpieces at BridalShowerMoments.com. Join Lindsay and our other writers for ideas on bridal shower planning, decorating, brunch, cake and more.
Make the Bridal Shower Cake the Centerpiece of your Party
A bridal shower usually only occurs once in the lifetime of a bride. So it’s important that the event be fun, exciting and that it provides an opportunity for everyone to relax, enjoy each other (especially the bride-to-be) and set their “normal” life aside for a few hours.
Even though a bride may only enjoy it once in her life, the number of bridal showers you can help plan can be as many as the number of relatives and friends you have that eventually get married. And one thing all bridal showers have in common is fun activities, gifts for the bride, great food and of course the bridal shower cake. The cake is usually the centerpiece of the occasion and highlight of the day.
Since it is meant to offer well wishes to the engaged couple, a bridal shower cake should be lively, innovative in design and should match the theme colors of the bridal shower. You can go about presenting the perfect bridal shower cake in two ways.
The first option to consider is baking the cake at home. After it’s out of the oven, apply your base frosting with a butter knife. Although white is usually considered the traditional bridal shower cake color feel free to experiment with other colors as long as they will fit in with the overall color and mood theme of the shower. Simply use an applicator to ice the different colors out to the edges of the cake while creating original and interesting designs.
Next, put a special message for the bride and groom on top of the bridal shower cake using gel icing, creating neat and nicely design artwork. For a personal touch, consider also using monograms of the couple’s names and press in some hard or soft chocolate for additional texture. As a finishing touch, accentuate your presentation by tying a colorful ribbon around the cake.
If baking at home isn’t a good option for you, simply arrange to purchase a custom-made cake from a bakery. With this approach, you should still design the bridal shower cake, choose the ingredients, and review your ideas and concepts with the bakery. Your concepts should follow the bride’s color preferences and/or decorating theme of the shower. Working with a bakery may also allow you to get a little more intricate and unique with the shape of your cake, such as shaping it like a pair of high heels or classy handbag if the bride loves shopping (as long as the cake remains feminine and appropriate in feel). Your baker may also be able to create more intricate icing designs to give the cake an elegant, dynamic feel and help make your bridal shower cake even more of a highlight and centerpiece of the bridal shower area.
There’s a lot more than tips on bridal shower cake ideas at BridalShowerMoments.com. Join Lindsay Maxwell and our other writers for ideas on bridal shower planning, decorating, brunch and more.
