Destination wedding dresses

If you are a future bride and you are not afraid to show some leg at your wedding, then a minidress may be the wedding dress for you. Believe it or not, one of the growing trends for destination wedding dresses is high hemlines. The short wedding dress has raised it's hemline from right below the knee to above the knee.

Wedding Q & A

The perfect wedding jewelry can make your wedding gown even more spectacular. There's no better day for the bride to feel beautiful and elegant. Be careful not to be over accessorized, the bride should look like a true beauty.

Three Easy Ways To Save

Use less fabric. The bigger the gown the heftier the price tags. To keep costs down, shop for a simple silhouette like a streamlined sheath, curve flattering mermaid cut, or short, sassy cocktail dress.

Choose fewer details. Embellishment is pretty but the handwork increases the expense. You can cut corners by selecting an unadorned gown and adding your own flourishes like a vintage brooch or jeweled belt.
Go for a blended lining. Order your wedding gown with a polyester-blend lining instead of pure silk and you could save up to $600.

Wedding Officiant

Looking for a wedding officiant and have no idea where to start? Although many couples generally select their officiant depending upon what religious services they attend, others face the daunting prospect of finding a virtual stranger to play such an integral role on their wedding day. Here are a few tips of things to look for when searching for an officiant:

Look over their websites. Many officiant sites provide helpful links and testimonials. Some officiants are starting to not only include sample videos of ceremonies, but also links to other practical information, like how to apply for a marriage license or name change. Some sites even have worksheets or outlines to help couples write their vows.

When you meet your potential officiants, don’t rush through the conversation. Weddings can often be filled with unpredictable moments; you need to find someone who is highly adaptable to any situation.

Above all, if you can avoid it, don’t "settle" for an officiant. If you don’t feel at ease around them, or strongly disagree on philosophical or religious issues, keep looking. Your ceremony should be tailored to what the two of you believe is significant.

Dress Up Your Hair

Think beyond the long white veil. Whether you add sparkle with a crystal pin, comb, or a brooch secured with bobby pins. Place it at least two inches away from the face, behind one ear, on the side of a chignon, around a low ponytail, or in the crease of a French roll. Your accessory shouldn’t overwhelm your hairstyle.

Throw a Backyard Wedding

Whether it’s the spot where you’ve spent countless summers your groom’s family residence or the house of a close friend, a private home makes an ideal wedding locale. Set the tone before the big day by choosing an invitation with an emblem or color relating to the spot, such as flower found on the property or a fresh, grassy and carry the motif though in your reception décor and even your cake.

Wedding Q & A

Q: It bothers me that my fiancés buddies are planning a wild night out for him before we get married. Would it be wrong to send a couple of friends to the clubs they’re visiting and ask them to report back?”

A: Sending spies to the club will only cause a lack of trust and feelings of betrayal between you both If they are found out. He’ll probably have a great time but come running home to you after a night in a club. Step back let him have his fun.

Make a Grand Exit

Here’s how to depart in style. No wedding is complete without that special shot of the tow of you leaving the reception. You can’t go wrong with the classic sparklers send-off, but if your venue doesn’t allow them. Have guests wave confetti sticks, spin colorful pinwheels or hold wands streamed with ribbons in your wedding colors as you pass by them. Hand our mini bells for friends and family, or operated tea lights to illuminate your path. Say goodbye to your guests while driving away in a vintage vehicle. Attach a Just Married sign to a pickup truck for a western theme wedding, a horse-drawn buggy for a Cinderella affair, or a bicycle built for two for a sweet garden soiree.

The Affordable Cocktail Party

Cocktail receptions are one of my favorite things to do on a limited budget.

Hold your reception on a Sunday, cheaper than Saturday night. State on your invitation that the event is for cocktails, so guests won’t expect dinner.
You’ll save thousands on decorations simply because you won’t need big floral arrangements. Decorate small cocktail tables with candles and modest bunches of blooms.

For budge, I suggest offering fingers foods like Italian breads, olives, artichoke hearts and cheeses, finger fruits and salads. Nestle the food amid small bunches of flowers and grapevines. Arrange the wedding cake on its own table.

Pull Off an Appropriate First Kiss

Smooching in front of everyone you know at the altar is considerably less comfortable than making our on the couch. Here’s how to avoid classic wedding PDA pitfalls.


Smile at each other, many forget because they are still nervous.

Tenderly hold one another closer than a junior-high slow dance when you were in junior high, but farther apart than a junior-high slow dance today.

Gaze into each other’s eyes; do not look at the guests, even from the corner of your eyes.

Close your eyes lean in and make contact. Strive for the proper tongue balance in the kiss. Let people know tongue is involved without people knowing you wanted them to know tongue is involved.

Find the right duration on the kiss. Your two enemies are the impersonal peck and the long slobber (there may be kids in the crowd). Studies show that four seconds is optimal.

Slowly pull apart, smile and keep your eyes fixed on each other for a moment. Then turn towards the audience. Let the applause dissipate. Now look

Write your own Vows

Exchanging marriage vows you’ve personally composed is a nice way to make your ceremony even more meaningful. But unless you come up with the heartfelt messages in Hallmark cards for a living, you’ll benefit from following these two tips:

Don’t worry about a little plagiarism. Rely on poems, song lyrics, movie quotes and lines from literature.

Do have a close friend look over both sets of vows to ensure their length and tone is similar. (Nothing worse than hearing one person pours his or her heart out and the other recaps)

Wedding Questions

Question
We’re not Jewish, but we love the significance and look of a huppah. Can we still use one at the ceremony?

Answer
Just call it a canopy instead of a huppah, and of course you can have one. Wedding canopies are especially popular for outdoor ceremonies, where they can help define the altar area. According to Jewish wedding custom, four attendants hold or stand by the poles, and a prayer shawl is draped over the top. Obviously, you’d omit these specific elements, but feel free to get creative with other details and embellishments.

Wedding Etiquette

Question
My mom is happy I’m getting married, but sad because she says we won’t be as close as we are now. Will marriage actually change our relationship that much?

Answer
Maybe, growing up creates a fundamental shift in the parent-child relationship. A parent goes from being the numero uno cheerleader and nurturer involved in your day-to-day life. For some parents this can be a difficult transition. Tell your mom how much you love her and that you want to make sure she continues to be an important part of your life. Set up lunch dates, or if she’s far away, phone dates. You’ll both look forward to get-togethers and may find your conversations becoming even deeper as you address the ups and downs of the married life.

Proper Wedding Etiquette

Question
We're on a tight budget. Do we need to invite my sister’s boyfriend to the wedding rehearsal dinner? They’ve been together only three months.

Answer
The significant other of every person attending the rehearsal either the spouse, fiancé, or anyone in a serious relationship should be invited to the dinner. There’s no hard and fast rule regarding length of the relationship. But if your sister considers herself part of a couple, her man should get the green light and be invited.

Create Your Own Elegant Undo

How to get a professional look at home

Apply Volatizing Mousse to towel dried hair, then flip hair forward and blow-dry with a flat, wide brush.

Curl hair in sections with a 1” curling iron, then brush through to loosen. Spritz with a light-hold spray.

Section Hair from Crown to just above temples in a v-gather into a ponytail, then secure with elastic, making sure to pull the hair only halfway through to create a loop.

Take sections of hair from over both ears and gather into a second ponytail below the crown, finishing as in step #3

Gather remaining hair at nape of neck and repeat as above

Pin all loops to base of neck, spay into place

Sending Thanks

Question: How much time do we have to send our thank you notes for our wedding gifts? My fiancé thinks its six months, but I believe its sooner than that. Who’s right?

Answer: You are correct, wedding gifts thank-yous should be sent within three months of the wedding date, so be sure to acknowledge immediately any presents you receive before then. That way, you won’t be overwhelmed after the wedding. And if you both share the writing duties, you’ll get them out in no time.

How Can I break in my shoes effectively?

One month before the wedding start wearing your shoes at home (not outside) for about an hour at a time, and work up the wearing them for three or four hours. That way you will know if the shoe you choose is the right shoe for your wedding. To further comfort, insert self-adhesive pads to cushion the balls of your feet ad add heel grips so your feet wont slip, or rubber pads (available at shoe repair shops) to the soles of your shoes.

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The Seating Chart

Who needs one?

Anyone who’s having a seated reception meal. As tempting as it may be to let guests sit wherever they like, if you’re serving a full meal (buffets count, too) you need a seating plan. Not only do assigned places make your loved one feel cared for, but they prevent guest from adding chairs to tables or taking them away. And they guarantee that everyone has someone to talk to.

Specialty Seating:

Who sits at the head table? The newlyweds sit at the center of this table, which is in the most prominent spot in the room. Other tablemates: the best man (on the brides’ right), the maid of honor (On the groom’s left), the rest of the bridal party, and sometimes the couple’s parents.

What’s a sweetheart table? If you don’t have a head table, some brides and grooms prefer to sit by themselves at a table for two.

Where do the brides and groom’s parents sit? Seat them all with you or let them host their own table: divorced parents should host separate tables.

What about the officiant? Seat him or her at the table, along with his or her spouse, or with your parents if they’re hosting their own table.


Smart Moves

DO put people together who have things in common.

DON’T seat all the single guests together or they’ll spend the night feeling as though they have the word “loser” stamped on their foreheads. Seat them with people they know.

DO have a kid’s table if more then a handful of children will attend.

DON’T put elderly guests too close to the band, speakers, kitchen, or any location that loud or busy.

DO put the escort cards in rows in alphabetical order near the entrance to the reception.