Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Selecting Your Bridal Gown


Buying your
Wedding Gown
should be
absolutely
the most fun
of all your
wedding planning.
Here are some tips for
making it a memorable and
pleasant experience to look
back on.

• Go to a store where you feel comfortable.
If you don't feel like you are being treated well,
or are unhappy with the selection, go elsewhere.
Don't try on any dresses if you wouldn't buy one
there.
This is your time to feel like a Queen!

• Don't go shopping if you aren't feeling well.
If you are bloated,
sunburned, or in any way feel ugly or uncomfortable,
you won't feel as beautiful as you should.

• Take someone with you, but not a small army, and
never any children. They get bored instantly, and will
make you crazy, since they really shouldn't touch
anything in the store.

• Minimize or don’t wear any make-up, it will get on the
gowns you try on. Also, remove jewelry since the satins
and silks used for Bridal dresses are very delicate, and
will snag or damage easily. Once you purchase your
gown, remember these things for fittings as well.

• Bridal Gown sizes run small. Don't think about the size,
but the fit. Order the size you are now, don't expect to
lose a lot of weight. If you do lose weight, you can always
have the gown taken in.

• Expect to have alterations done. Your dress should fit
perfectly and very few women are a perfect size, and
5'9" tall. Buying separates can minimizes this problem.
Remember, you can’t have alterations done until you
have the shoes, slip (if you are wearing a full skirt)
and bra you will be wearing with your dress.

• Try on different styles. Be open to possibilities.
You may discover that the perfect gown is different from
what you had imagined.

• Try to be realistic. You may have been dreaming of your
gown since you were a little girl. Your dress should be
fantastic and make you feel beautiful, but don't have
unrealistic expectations.

• Start early! Most gowns take several weeks to arrive,
and some manufacturers can take months. Also consider buying
a gown off-the-rack. These are usually discounted and can be
cleaned and altered to fit.

• When figuring your dress in your budget, don't forget
accessories and alterations.

• Buy your gown first, then match it when purchasing your
headpiece, or veil and accessories.

• Accentuate your best features and camoflauge flaws.
Choose a dress that you are comfortable in, because you will
be wearing it for a several hours. Keep that in mind with your
shoes too - break them in beforehand.
It is hard to have fun when your feet hurt!

• You don't have to buy the first dress you find that you like.
Visit several shops and be sure before you place your order
since your deposit is non-refundable.
Most Bridal shops will require half down as a deposit.

• Have fun trying on several dresses before making your choice,
but don't look forever. You can’t move on to other decisions
such as bridemaids’ and flowergirl dresses until you select
your gown. Besides, if you look too long, you will start to get
confused by too many choices.

• Your gown sets the mood for your wedding, whether it will
be formal, semi formal, traditional, etc. Your gown should reflect
the style and formality you intend to have for your wedding.

• Once you are sure you have found the perfect gown, buy it!
Bargain hunting is usually frustrating and futile.
Avoid buying from the internet, since you can't see what you are
getting, and have no retail location where you can try the dress on
or come back to with any problems.

But mostly, HAVE FUN SHOPPING!!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Choosing Your Wedding Photographer


Choose your professional
Wedding photographer
carefully, because this
is the person who will
record the special moments
and events of one of the
most exciting days of your life.
In order to be well informed
about their service and to
look at comparable costs,
here are points to discuss
with each photographer that
you interview:

• Price is not the most important item!
Look for quality and creativity.

• Confirm the name of the photographer
who will be assigned to you. Ask to see
samples of his/her work, and decide if
the quality and style of this person is
suitable and appealing to you.

• Do you prefer candid or posed shots?
Communicate your preferences to the photographer.

• Will formal photographs be taken before or
after the ceremony? Does the photographer agree
with your decision?

• How long will the photographer stay at the reception?

• Ask for references; call several.

• Find out exactly what is included in the price quoted.
Get a detailed breakdown in writing.

• Who will own the proofs and negatives?
How long will they be kept on file?

• What are the costs for extra photos?
Does the price include a finished album?

• Is there a charge for cancellation?
What is the payment schedule?

Your photographer can be a source of general
wedding information and helpful ideas.

Be sure to choose someone that you are personally
comfortable with so that you will enjoy working
together to capture the memories of this day for you
to treasure forever.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Irish Weddings






Ireland is a
magnificent,
multi-faceted
gem, blessed
with an abundance
of details and
differences.
Majestic mountains
sweep down to the sea.
Miles of stone walls
line fields filled with
black-faced sheep.
Tall, flowering hedges
shade narrow, winding roads.
Ancient castles and mystical
abbeys dominate pastoral vistas.
And, pastel-hued cottages dot
river valleys strewn with wild
flowers.

What a magical place to begin a romance
or married life together!

The Irish custom of the Groom presenting
his Bride with a coin is said to date back
to the time when the Groom paid luck money
to the family of the Bride, in order to bring
happiness and blessings upon them. After the
exchange of wedding rings, the coin would be
presented to the Bride as a symbol of worldly
goods. There is a contemporary custom where
the Bride and Groom exchange coins, and it is
said that, if the coins clink as they are
exchanged, the couple will be blessed with
children.
After the wedding, the gift is often preserved
as a family heirloom, and is passed from mother
to eldest son on his wedding day.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

Monday, March 7, 2011

Wedding Shows this Weekend



There are three really great Bridal Shows this weekend.

It will be hard for Brides to decide which ones to attend!

We will be at all three, so hopefully we will see you

at one or two of them!


March 12 & 13 - L.A. Convention Center, Los Angeles

Festival Of Brides
The Upscale Bridal Show
Uniqfor Pre-Regisstered Brides & Grooms!
ue & Creative Ideas
Couture Bridal Fashions
11:00-4:00
www.festivalofbrides.com


March 13 - Sheraton Hotel, Cerritos

Bridal Showplace
Bringing Brides & Wedding Professionals together
for 16 years and more than100 Bridal Shows!
11:00-4:00
www.bridalshowplace.net


March 13 - Entertainer Yacht, Newport Beach

OC Premier Weddings
Bridal Spectacular Aboard Newport Beach
Luxury Yacht the "Entertainer"
FREE admission for Pre-Registered Brides & Grooms
1:00 - 4:00
www.ocpremierweddings.com


Enjoy the weekend!

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Bridal Skin Care


All brides look
to their wedding
day with great
anticipation and
they want to look
and feel their very best.
The planning that goes
into a wedding may start
months, even years ahead
of the big day.

One of the situations I have encountered
over the years is many brides wait until
the last few weeks to get their skin glowing!
With the stress of the wedding getting closer
and the mountains of last minute “to dos”
skincare is planned for maybe a week or less
before, with a great facial.

My mantra has always been it is your daily
routine that will make all the difference,
so the earlier you start to take care of
your skin the better your chance of having
beautiful skin not just on your wedding day
but every day. Not that a nice facial about
7 to 10 days before the big day isn’t a good
idea, but notice the timing.
You want to ensure that any possible eruptions
will be healed up before the rehearsal dinner
and of course that special day that has been
planned for so long.

When it comes to the correct skincare you want
to use a product that is going to work for your
particular skin type and issues. Something we
all need to get passionate about is using safe
skincare and cosmetics. After all, our skin is
our largest organ and what we put on it quickly
makes its way into our bloodstream. The standards
here in the US for beauty products are much lower
than in most European countries in terms of harmful
ingredients and chemicals. If fact some well known
skincare companies will use different, more toxin
free, ingredients in Europe and give us much cheaper
formulations here in the US! Look for products without
fragrance, parabens, mineral or petro oils.

Now is the time to start educating yourself about what
you may be putting on your skin!

by Trish Jones
www.beautybytrish.com

Monday, February 14, 2011

Happy Valentines Day!



Valentine's Day
is the most
romantic day
of the year!

Share your proposal
story on this blog!

We will see all
of you newly engaged
Brides at one of the
Wedding shows we will
be attending this coming
weekend.

Here is where we will be...

• Knotts Berry Farm Resort Hotel in Buena Park, by Bridal Showplace
• Crowne Plaza Hotel in Redondo Beach, by BrideWorld
• SeaCliff Country Club in Huntington Beach, by Catering at SeaCliff

These will all be great shows. For more information, go to our Bridal Shows page at:

http://www.WeddingGuideonline.com/bridalshows.html

Monday, February 7, 2011

Your Wedding Invitations


The traditional wedding
invitation has changed
little over the years. Its
essential purpose is to
invite your guests and to
tell them where and when your wedding
is being held. Most other information is
superfluous. It’s that simplicity, coupled with
fine paper and distinctive engraving, that makes
formal wedding invitations so elegant. There are
a number of basic points of etiquette to follow
when wording a traditional wedding invitation.
For instance, the Groom's name.

The groom always uses his full name, preceded
by his title. There are no abbreviations, except for
"Mr." All other titles, such as "Doctor" and
“Reverend" should be written out, although "Doctor"
may be abbreviated when used with a long name.

Initials should not appear on formal wedding invitations.
Men who dislike their middle names and use their middle
initial instead should be discouraged from doing so.
If your fiancĂ© refuses to use his middle name, it’s better to
omit his middle name entirely than to use just his initial.


Assembling the Invitations

Your wedding invitations may arrive already stuffed into
their inner envelopes or in separate stacks of invitations,
enclosure cards, and inner and outer envelopes. If yours
come unassembled, there’s no need to panic. Assembling
wedding invitations is really quite simple, although a bit
time-consuming.

For the most part, wedding invitations are assembled in
size order. The invitation itself is first. The enclosure cards
are stacked on top of the invitations, not inside. The reception
card is placed on top of the invitation. Then the reply envelope
is placed face down on the reception card. The reply card is
slipped face up beneath the flap of the reply envelope. These
are the most frequently used enclosures.

Any other enclosures are added face up in size order
(usually at-home card, directions card, accommodation card,
pew card, etc.). The single-fold invitation and its enclosures
are placed into the inside envelope with the fold of the
invitation at the bottom of the envelope and the engraving facing
the back of the envelope. You can tell whether or not you stuffed
the envelope correctly by removing the invitation with your right
hand. If you can read the invitation without turning it,
it was stuffed correctly.

The procedure for assembling traditional invitations (those
with a second fold) is similar. The enclosures are placed on
top of the lower half of the invitation's face in the same order
described above. The invitation is folded from top to bottom
over the enclosures. The invitation is then placed into the
inside envelope with the fold toward the bottom of the envelope.
As with other invitations, traditional invitations are correctly
stuffed when they can be read without being turned after being
removed from the envelope with your right hand.

Once stuffed, the inside envelopes are inserted into the
outside envelopes. The front of the inside envelope faces
the back of the outside envelope.


For more information, or to order your Wedding Invitations
contact Cynthia at
www.ALegendaryAffair.com