Wedding Gowns & Bridal Gowns

Several weeks ago, I talked about how bridal hats are a fashionable alternative to veils. If you can afford to spend over a hundred dollars on bridal accessories, you might want to look into the spring 2010 collection of Hollywood-based designer Rehn Dudukgian. Bijou Van Ness, her line of vintage-inspired hats, is exactly what a Hollywood glam bride or bohemian bride needs to complete her look. The website is still under construction, but you can view the complete collection at bijouvanness.com as soon as it is up.

Check out my favorite hats below!

The Not So Secret Garden is the perfect accessory for bridesmaids, or even the bride herself! This birdcage wire veil is adorned by three pink blossoms, but you can request for the veil to be made in white. $150.

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Even though nobody else but your new husband will see it, the lingerie you wear under your wedding dress can make a world of difference. The right bra, pantyhose, and shapewear will help define your shape and make you look great on your wedding day. Read on to find out how to choose the right wedding lingerie.

Shopping for wedding lingerie should come after you choose your wedding gown. Although you might get tempted to shop for frilly white items once you get engaged, the lingerie you wear will depend on the cut of your wedding dress. A strapless dress, for instance, will require a different bra than a dress with sleeves.

Ask the bridal salon to recommend the right bra style for the dress. Then get professionally fitted. Wearing the wrong bra in the wrong size will make you look saggier or heavier than you actually are.

Once you know your bra size, choose a longline bra. A longline bra is the type that fastens at the small of your back and has a subtle corset effect on the torso. This versatile bra can be worn with almost any type of wedding gown and is very flattering for most body types.

If your wedding dress clings to your hips or you’ve noticeably gained weight, wearing shapewear will flatten any bulges you might have. However, if your dress has a full skirt, you won’t need any.

When in doubt, ask the assistance of the sales associate in the lingerie shop! They’ll be able to recommend the perfect lingerie for you. Bring a photo of your wedding dress for reference.

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Just because the economy is in recession, doesn’t mean that you won’t look fabulous for your wedding or that your dream dress from the best designers is out of your reach. Saks Fifth Avenue is holding Bridal Sample Sales in all stores across the United States from January 7 until May. Enjoy 50% off from the best bridal designers including Melissa Sweet, Kenneth Pool, Vera Wang, and more. If you open a Saks account when you buy a gown, you get to save an additional 10%!

Here’s how you can make the most out of any bridal sale:

1) Remember that all wedding dresses sales in any bridal sale is final, which means that you can’t return them for a refund or exchange. Make sure that the dress you buy is really THE dress.

2) Before going to a bridal sale, you should already have an idea of what kind of wedding dress you want. Do you want a traditional strapless ballgown dress? A more casual wedding dress? If you’ve already visited several bridal salons and tried on different types of wedding dresses, it’s even better because you’ll spend less time figuring out what cut and style flatters your figure most.

3) Have the wedding dress cleaned before the big day! Ask the bridal salon for a reputable wedding dress cleaner.

4) Bring your mom or a friend to the sale with you, not only because you’ll need their opinions – you’ll also need help grabbing dresses of the racks and carrying them to the dressing room!

5) Take your time choosing which dress you want and trust your instincts. If you can’t find anything you like, keep looking. Don’t force yourself to buy something you only half-like just because it’s cheap.

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Long hair is thought to be the best length because of its versatility – you can do so many wedding hairstyles with it. Brides with long hair have the option of wearing them in an updo, letting their hair loose, or a combination of both. But just because you have short hair, doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun styling yours for your wedding! The best thing about having short hair is that it won’t take too long to fix up and it’s easy to maintain throughout the ceremony and the reception. No need to worry about having stray hairs tucked back in or about uncoiling curls. You can still look very glamorous and feminine during your special day.

The trick to having a gorgeous hairstyle on your wedding day is to have fun with accessories. You can push back your hair with a glittery headband or tie a sheer sash from the crown of your hair to your nape, then lend the ends dangle on your shoulders. You can also part your hair to one side and make it stay there with an old-fashioned looking hairpiece. If your hair is long enough, you can curl it to soft ways and put jeweled pins for a glittering ‘do. Tiaras also look great no matter what your hair length is.

Finally, you can also get hair extensions and lengthen all or part of your locks. They’re generally expensive, but Tokyo Posh Hair Extensions at Eastwood offers snap-on hair extensions that are extremely affordable and easy to apply.

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It would be a total waste of money and good cloth if you chose a dress style your bridesmaids wouldn’t be caught dead in outside your wedding. When deciding what kind of dress your bridesmaids should wear, just remember that the best bridesmaid dress is something simple and elegant – a dress that they’d be more than happy to wear at other formal occasions.

One bridesmaid dress style that’s very popular at weddings is the slip dress. A fun dress that comes in either silk or layers of sheer chiffon, this style flatters all sorts of body types and can easily be re-used as cocktail dresses. Another bridesmaid classic is the A-line dress. Like the slip dress, the A-line dress is an enduring style that looks great on most women, especially those who are a little bottom-heavy. Add variety to the look by using two-tone cloth, adding a full length skirt, or tying a sash or thin belt with a bow around the waist. Other bridesmaid dress styles you can consider are column dresses, floor-length dresses, and halter tops.

As for the color – generally speaking, your bridesmaids’ dresses should complement the wedding’s color scheme. This year, the color scheme for most weddings are soft, ethereal, and feminine. Pastel colors like pale yellow, lavender, soft pink, pale green, peach, and powder blue are popular choices, as well as sorbet-type shades like coral, tangerine, sea green, and lime. If your wedding’s color scheme is already quite muted, do something different and have your bridesmaids wear flourescent colors like electric blue, purple, and fuschia so they will really pop out. Those who are a little more conservative might prefer pale colors like sand, grey, and taupe.

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