If you thought that the veil is the only thing you can wear on your hair during your wedding day, think again. To me, the most versatile hair accessory for brides out there is the bridal tiara - and I’m not talking about the ones that beauty queens wear on their head. A bridal tiara is basically a lightweight beaded band worn around the crown of the head or around the bun of an up-do. Any material can be used on a bridal tiara but the most elegant and romantic look can be achieved with Swarovski crystals - high-quality glass beads from Austria which are cut in such a way as to reflect light and make the entire accessory glitter and sparkle.
The best thing about Swarovski crystal bridal tiaras is that they can’t normally be bought off the shelves - you have to have one made by a jeweler. This means that each piece is unique and fully customizable. When choosing which Swarovski crystals you want on your tiara, I suggest that you look at the color combination of your bouquet and pick out beads that will complement and match your bouquet. For instance, a white and pink bridal tiara would look stunning on you while you carry a peach, white, and pink rose bouquet.
Ask your wedding planner if she knows of any local jewelers who makes custom bridal tiaras.
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I haven’t checked the J. Crew wedding dress line since it first came out a couple of months back; at the time, there were only two wedding dresses up for grabs but the clean, classic designs looked very promising. Now there are over ten different wedding dresses, from simple gowns that cost less than $500, to extravagant dresses made out of exotic fabrics selling for thousands of dollars.
My favorite dress from the J. Crew wedding line is the Genevieve silk radzimir gown ($1,950), pictured above. In case you don’t know what silk radzimir is, it’s a very rare Italian silk fabric usually reserved for haute couture and royal weddings - and it’s so rare that J. Crew could only make a few silk radzimir dresses. Besides the gorgeous deep v-neckline, I love how the empire waist gives the illusion of height and the volume and flow of the full skirt.
My only complaint about the J. Crew wedding line is that most of the dresses can be bought through the online catalogue only. How is the bride supposed to know if it will look good on her unless she tries it out for herself?
In any case, check out the J. Crew wedding dresses for yourself and let me know what you think!
One of the sexiest necklines you can find on wedding gowns and formal ladies wear is the sweetheart neckline. This design element got its name from the shape and cut of the neckline design. As the photo above shows, the low cut nature of the sweetheart neckline features two curves over each breast that drop and meet in the middle of the bust area, resulting in a shape that resembles a heart. The sweetheart neckline is a very versatile design that looks fabulous on both formal wedding gowns and simple wedding gowns.
What’s great about the sweetheart neckline is that it’s subtly sexy because it provides modest coverage of the bust area while drawing attention to your cleavage at the same time. To make the most out of this gorgeous neckline, pick a necklace that’s shorter than 18 inches and wear a glamorous pendant that echoes the design elements of the dress. It’s important that your necklace is shorter than 18 inches; otherwise the jewelry will be competing with your dress.
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If you’re the type who can appreciate a simple picnic on the beach and sigh at the thought of a horse-drawn carriage decorated with roses, you are most probably a romantic bride. As a true romantic, you believe that fantasies and ideals can be made into reality and you sometimes feel that fire in your chest during moments where you are most passionate about something, whether it’s love, your career, or a social cause. Life for you is an exciting adventure, as well as an opportunity to realize your dreams and feel the most profound of human emotions.
Your passion for beauty and innate femininity calls for a dress that hints at a soft, delicate, and vaguely epic nature. Consider a wedding gown with billowy sleeves, delicate ruffles, or a lavish train with extravagant details. Whether you want a romantic wedding dress made out of tulle or satin, the true romanticist never shies away from anything pretty that alludes to nature. And remember - looking girlish does not mean sacrificing style or being outdated. You can incorporate feminine and flirtatious elements into your wedding gown by using lacy or floral motifs and baring a little more skin.
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Most brides dream about looking and feeling like a fairy tale princess during their wedding day but there’s a hot new trend predicted by the industry’s top designers for the year 2009: silver screen glam. You could say that designers only “predicted” this that because the designs in their next collection is leaning more towards the Hollywood glam look. But where there’s supply, there’s a demand right? It could be that they’re catering to brides who see weddings more like big productions of a Hollywood scale rather than a princess bride moment.
This wedding dress from UK designer Alan Hannah is from the Topaz collection and features the elegant, sophisticated styles their wedding gowns are known for. Strapless gowns have this instant Hollywood glam effect and the billowy skirt reminds me a lot of Marilyn Monroe’s iconic picture. What’s great about this dress is that you don’t have to be cokehead skinny to look gorgeous in it as the skirt hides any bulges on the lower abdominal area. To look even more glamorous, wear a statement necklace with large, glittering diamonds (or imitations. No one will ever know!).
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The flowers and the flower arrangement you use for your wedding influences has a great bearing on the kind of atmosphere your wedding celebration will have. Hiring the right florist will make it easier for your to choose what arrangements and flowers you want. Before you do that, it’s important to know what to look for in a florist so you end up hiring one whose can accommodate your tastes and your ideas.
Before you meet up with a florist, think of what kind of person you work best with. Do you want someone who will take charge and make all the decisions, or would you rather have someone who will show you your options and let you choose for yourself? How about a combination of both - someone who knows what’s best, but puts you in a position where you’re in control?
Now that you’ve got an idea what kind of personality works best with you, think of your favorite colors and favorite flowers. This will give you an idea of what flowers you’ll include in your wedding and bouquet. However, remain open-minded to your florist’s suggestions, especially if you want flowers that are out of season or hard to find.
Talk to friends who have gotten married recently and ask them for their florist’s number or florists they might be able to recommend.
When you’ve found a florist you’d like to consult, make sure you ask to see their portfolio so you can get an idea of his or her design philosophy. The portfolio should be extensive and cover a broad range of wedding flower arrangements, from centerpieces to bouquets. Look at the pictures closely and see if the work is consistent. You will also be able to gauge the florist’s experience by asking questions, such as what flowers will be in season during your wedding day, or how you can maximize your options if you are on a small budget.
Make sure you make arrangements with a florist early on in the wedding process do you don’t panic as the wedding date draws near. You’ll want a florist who is knowledgeable, pleasant, and creative. But above that, your florist should be receptive to your ideas and give you the best flower arrangement no matter how big or small your budget is.
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Betsey Johnson got fashion critics raising their eyebrows and feminists shaking their fists in the air with her surprising venture into bridal wear during her show at Fashion Week. The wedding dresses are usually shown towards the end of each designer’s show, and Betsey Johnson’s bridal collection was each more unusual than the last. Think fishnets, corsets, flouncy skirts, lace bodices topped off with bowler hats and bright colored wigs.
Betsy Johnson’s wedding dresses are filled with whimsy and imagination: some had teeny skirts covered in ruffles, others are more streamlined with stylized bodices. One of my favorite wedding gowns from the show was a gorgeous tulle confection that had a strapless bodice and flowers cascading down the back. All the models walked down the ramp with their hands cuffed at the back, which was what made her show particularly controversial. Was she simply being fun and experimental, or was Miss Johnson echoing radical feminist sentiments about marriages being a life of bondage to partiarchy? Either way, Betsey Johnson’s 2009 bridal collection is made up of one of the most unusual wedding dresses I’ve ever seen, containing the hippest, toughest, edgiest, and at the same time, decidedly feminine looks.
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Fresh from the runway, this sexy wedding gown by renowned bridal gown designer Melissa Sweet is a bold combination of traditional and slightly more risque elements. The length of the dress is certainly a lot shorter than what you would normally expect to see a bride wear, even if she chooses to wear a short wedding dress. Yet this satin and lace number doesn’t look skanky at all. The flutter hem is what does the trick - it adds romance, gentle femininity, and whimsy to the dress and the bride’s overall look.
Since the upper part of the bodice doesn’t have any embellishments at all, you can also go wild with large pieces of jewelry and not have to worry about looking tacky or over-accessorized. A large pendant, for instance, would look amazing on the v-neck line. I also love how the model wore a large bow on her hair to go with the sexy wedding dress. A very short veil, one that ends about an inch below the chin, would look really chic too.
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