The dress, oh… the dress! How can girls ever stop talking about it?  As much as we love Vera Wang, Monique Lhuillier, and all the other fascinating designer name gowns, there is a point we have to wake up and do a reality check.  Unless you are all about the dress and have the money to splurge, or else not everyone has a $5000+ budget to put on a dress that is only going to wear once in your lifetime.

So how can you get the dress of your dream in an affordable price?  Here are a few tips that can save you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars!

1. Be a brilliant bride by shopping for big discounts!  Go to stores that are doing clearance sales or straight to manufacturer factory sales.
2. If you don’t mind second hand, go to a consignment store or 2nd hand online website, such as: weddingdressmarket.com and encorebridal.com
3. Who says only bridal dress boutique carry wedding gowns?  Try some high end department stores and shops that carry prom dresses and evening gowns.  Ask if they can order the color you wanted for you.
4. Shop online! You can get lots of ready made dresses from ebay.com, bluefly.com, etc…
5. Buy a rather plain wedding dress and decorate the way you like it.  Try adding a sash, tulle ribbon, floral applique pin, crystal belt, antique brooch, or faux fur to give your dress a unique twist.
6. Custom made your dress either online or in another country which charge very cheap for labor.
7. Purchase from non-profit charities  such as bridalgarden.org, bridesagainstbreastcancer.org, etc…
8. Borrow your grandma’s dress, modernize it by making minor alterations and turn it into a vintage style dress.
9. Gather your ideas, pictures, and fabric swatches.  Make the gown of your dream through a local seamster.
10. Go to fashion design institutes’ year-end fashion shows.  Hire fresh grad or one of their top students to make the dress for you.

Previously, I talked about knowing your figure and what’s best for your body to wear.  Today, I’ve shared 10 great money saving tips with you gorgeous brides out there.  Here is your chance to go out and shop!  Send me a picture of your dress later on and share all the little details with us.  Now go make us all proud!

Many people love weddings because they are surrounded by all things beautiful; but let’s face it, no matter how gorgeous the table settings are or how extravagant the flowers are, your guests are not going to remember any of those after a week.  However, one thing that always seems to be the topic of the year will be your oh-so-charming or not-so-charming wedding dress.

From the minute you walk down the aisle, all eyes are on you for the entire day.  As much as your family and friends adore you, they will watch you like a hawk and act as a fashion police on that very day as well.  Whether you’re wearing a simple flowy empire waist chiffon dress or a luxurious satin beaded embroidery gown with cathedral train, you will receive a lot of “ooos” and “ahhhs” in front of you or “ewwws” and “ughhhs” behind your back.

Most tech savvy brides nowadays do a lot of online research and get themselves familiarize with some wedding dress lingo before the gown shopping begins.  However, by knowing the brand names, materials and styles does not necessarily mean you know what is best for your body shape.

Most girls have dreamed about their magical wedding dress ever since they were 12.  They have a clear vision of how the wedding dress is going to be like, and not a single soul can alter this sacred decision.  However, that’s where problem usually starts to arise: the once 12 year old girl cannot foresee how tall, petite, curvy or slim one maybe 15 years down the road.  Your dream wedding dress might not flatter your figure anymore, or what you see fabulous on a model might look disastrous on you!!!  That’s exactly why all brides should keep an open mind to try on many different styles of dresses in order to find the best one that can hide the flaws and show off the best features.

Here are the general rules of thumb you should consider for finding the perfect dress for yourself:

• A-line or Princess – slim fitting with vertical seams from shoulders to hem that creates an A shape. It’s pretty much a fool proof cut which fits all body types.

• Ballgown – fitted bodice and waist followed with a full pouffy skirt.  It’s best for full figures, pear shapes and tall slim figures.

• Basque – somewhat similar to a ballgown style with fitted bodice, but it dips below the natural waistline and forms a V shape.  It’s suitable for pear shape bodies.

• Dropped – the line goes below the natural waistline and sits on the hip.  It looks really good on hourglass figures.

• Empire – a small bodice and a high waistline that sits right under the bust with a slender skirt.  It’s for figures with an extra few inches of waists.

• Mermaid – fitted from bodice to the knee and then flared out.  Tall slim bodies look fantastic on mermaids.

• Sheath – what I call a bandage on the body, this style hugs tightly to the bust, waist and hip.  Tall slim builds and/or petite figures can go for this.

After knowing your style and body shape, you are now a lot closer to finding your most perfect dress.  Next week, we will talk about some great saving tips for gown shopping!

What I love most about wedding is allowing me to think outside the box.  When it comes to decorations, colors and themes, really…sky is your limit!  I find that many couples tend to go with the conservative garden theme, the timeless fairytale theme, or the fun-loving beach theme,  I would ask them “Why?”  The answers I get from them is not because the couples really like the above mentioned themes, it’s because they think those themes are common and easy to work with.

If you are one of those couples who also think that way, I’ll give you a big fat WRONG right now.

Your wedding should reflect who you and your fiance are.   Don’t be afraid to let both of your personalities, hobbies and passion shine out.  Afterall, you are the shining star on that day, it’s time to tell everyone what you’re really made out of.

Think wild is the key! 

If your fiance like cigars and you adore fuschia pink, why not combine these two things together?  Imagine the groom and groomsmen wearing their stylish black tux, enjoying their cigars and embracing their manhood, while wearing a pair of fuschia pink socks and cufflinks to shout out some personality and uniqueness.  As party favors, you can even give out cigar shaped chocolate wrapped in gold foil to your guests.  How cool is that!?!?

Or if the groom is a chemist and the bride is an artist, how do you implement the two extreme professions into the wedding?  Well… how about renting a contemporary art gallery as a venue instead of going to the common hotel and golf club?  Instead of using crystal cylinder or square vases to put flowers, what about using different shape of flasks as vases for a change? 

Get the idea?  Simply close your eyes and let your imagination run wild!  If you’re still having difficulty in creating your very own unique wedding theme, drop me a line and I’d love to chat with you!