Wedding Gown Silhouette Definitions

The silhouette describes the outline of the wedding gown. This is the big picture. This is the over all look of the dress. It, along with the bride's body type, is the single largest factor in how the bride will appear in her wedding dress.

As such, it is generally advisable to choose the silhouette of the wedding gown first before choosing the type of train, veil, etc. because once a bride has found the basic style of wedding dress that best compliments the unique nature of her body, most of the rest of the choices, from necklines to barefoot sandals, will fall into place.

• A Line: Fitted bodice with slight flare starting at the waist or higher, reaching to the floor.
  
• Ballgown: An off the shoulder bodice accented by a natural waistline with a lavish, full skirt.
  
• Bustle Back: A gown with an exaggerated fullness in the rear of the skirt, built with a pad or frame. This is often done with a bridal train for easier movement at the reception.
• Drop Waist: the bodice may be loose, tapered, or tightly fitted, with the waistline of the dress dropping several several inches below the natural waist.
  
• Mermaid: Similar to what it sounds like. The mermaid silhouette is essentially a sheath gown to the knees with a flare at the bottom.
  
• Trumpet: Very similar to a mermaid silhouette, but the gown starts to flare out higher on the leg
  
• Sheath: Column or tube shaped gown without a defined waistline following the contours of the body

Military Brides Save on Wedding Dresses

I only just learned about this myself or I would have written about it sooner... Brides Across America http://www.bridesacrossamerica.com/ has arranged an opportunity for Military Brides to recieve free wedding dresses in honor of Veteran's Day. In most cases the event is held tomorrow, November 11th, but in few cases it is already past and at least one is not until the 16th according to their website.

Of course the wedding gown give-away has requirements and limitations. Be prepared to show your military ID including deployment papers. I have heard that they require that either the bride herself be in the military OR that the groom be deployed to Iraq or Afganistan, but I have not been able to verify that. Of course, you can be certain that they will want some assurance that the bride actually be a bride - in other words, that she is engaged.

As this is a give away, remember that stock might be limited so if you are interested do not delay as you can be certain everything is first come, first served. Still, this sounds like a great way to reinforce to our military personel how much they are valued by helping at least a few miltary brides to stretch their budget with a free wedding dress.

Tomorrow I will continue with the current series on ways to prepare for your wedding and protect your budget at the same time.

Olympic Wedding Planning Tip

First things first... Congratulations Michael Phelps!

For those who have been so buried in wedding plans and buying autumn wedding favors to know what I am talking about, Michael Phelps is an Olympic swimmer who just this past weekend became the individual to win the most gold medals in one Olympic games. The old record holder was also a swimmer by the name of Mark Spitz.

Amazing. His hard work and dedication, combined with his talent has paid off. But...

There is no way he would have ever accomplished this feat without his support people. He is in the limelight, but all the people working quietly in the background are what enabled his work and talent to pay off.

If they weren't there, if he had been enough of a prima donna that his coaches, trainers, teammates, and family didn't want anything to do with him... He might not have even reached the Olympics, much less set the record for the most victories in a Olympiad.

What does this have to do with wedding planning?

Everything!

The wedding is, for most people, the biggest party they will ever throw. There is no way they should be trying to do it alone. But far too often brides shoot themselves in the foot by treating their support people poorly. Don't do it.

There is no need. Just like the winner of the gold medal, the bride in the wedding is the center of attention. She doesn't need to remind anyone of that fact or treat anyone poorly - all that does is drive people away and diminish the celebration of the new marriage.

Ten Wedding Disaster Prevention Tips: Part 2

Today’s wedding day disaster prevention tip has to do with you and how you relate to the people around you. Simply put it is this: Don't give other people power over your wedding. The wedding celebration is something that you and your husband will have to look back on for years as 'your big day'. To everyone else, it is a celebration. Letting anyone other than yourself and your husband-to-be dictate what your wedding day will look like is a sure fire way to make your wedding day a total disaster.

In numerous societies around the world the wedding is as much a rite of passage as it is a celebration. If you have not done so already take advantage of this opportunity to establish your independence and start with the wedding planning process. To do otherwise is to invite a wedding day disaster – if only because your memories will be of a celebration that didn’t have your fingerprints on it. But how do you prevent giving others too much power over your wedding?

The Problems Leading to Such Wedding Day Disasters:

Relatives that hold your wedding for ransom: Far too often the individual footing the bill tries to use the purse strings as a method of controlling your celebration. It is your celebration. If someone is only willing to give you the money as long as you will plan it their way, do not take the money. You would be better off with a simple ceremony in a nice dress and suit standing on the shore of a local lake followed by a campfire with a handful of friends than to give in to anyone that wants to hold your wedding ransom.

The Urge to be a People Pleaser: Far too often a young couple will subjugate their desires to please others. Often it is an older sister who is pressuring the bride to include a specific element such as a particular style of bridesmaids’ dresses. Often well intentioned mothers try to guide their daughters based on what florists & pastry chefs were capable of twenty some years earlier. But sisters and mothers are not the only offenders. Girlfriends are sometimes guilty of trying to subconsciously create or test out their own wedding ideas on your wedding.

Solution: Preventing Wedding Day Disasters

Regardless of the reason for the pressure, most young couples feel pressure to build their wedding celebration in a way that is not of their own choosing. Resist the urge to give in. It does not matter how well intentioned the individual is or is not. You need to plan your wedding in a manner that is, (1) in keeping with who you are, and (2) in keeping with the money (without strings) that you have to spend.

• Dream with Your Husband-To-Be: Do a little dreaming. Decide what you would like.
  
• Investigate the Cost of Your Dream Wedding: Then do some investigation to find out how much each wedding professional will cost as well as the total cost of the wedding. You don't want your wedding to be a disaster simply because you didn't budget well.
  
• Prioritize: If you do not have an unlimited budget (and who of us do?) then decide what elements are the most important and which are the least important. Then make your purchases. Spend your money on the dress, if that is most important, and choose an inexpensive venue or do away with the reception dinner all together, or the band, or the d.j., or the cake, or the…
  
  Yes, the interpersonal aspects can get messy. There is no denying that. And it is easy to fear that your refusal to give into pressure will lead to a wedding day disaster of a pushy loved one giving you the cold shoulder or worse on your big day. But the more likely scenario is that giving in invites just such a disaster in terms of a marred wedding memory when just a mature attitude and a little bit of planning are all you really need to both get the wedding you want and get most of the pressure off your back.

Bridezilla Warning Signs

There is a bridezilla in every bride - there was one in me when I was getting married - the only question is whether it is controlled or not. The first step toward controlling it is recognizing the warning signs of the wedding disaster that has been named "Bridezilla".

The reason any bride can turn from sweet to a monster is simple: Every bride cares about her wedding day. But like anything, her focus can get twisted and the young woman who just wanted to create a perfect celebration of the love that she shares with her future husband can turn on the people she loves and before she knows it, she has missed the warning signs and bridezilla rears its fearsome mug.

Some bridezilla warning signs are subtle, giving the bride a flashing yellow light that the bride needs to slow down and regroup. A wise young lady will then take the opportunity to put everything back into perspective, refocusing on the people she loves and whom are working so hard to help her mount the celebration.

Other warning signs are anything but subtle. They are reality slapping you in the face announcing that you missed the subtle signs entirely and went straight to bridezilla. If you see yourself in any of the warning signs of this category it's time to hit your knees and make it right – because the dirty little secret is that a bridezilla ultimately ruins her own wedding.

Read the Bridezilla Warning Signs

Use Your Wedding to Build Your Marriage

During the months prior to your wedding day it's easy to forget that you are building more than a wedding - you are building your marriage. It sounds ominous, but it's really a great opportunity. During the period of time when you plan your wedding you can learn more about each other's strengths and weaknesses than you probably have had an opportunity to learn before. That knowledge, in turn, will provide you with a good start as you build your marriage.

The key, though, is to remember that your first job is to build your marriage - even above the wedding.

She Says

Far too often brides note that their groom isn't approaching the preparations for the wedding the same way that she does and forgets that there is a real difference in the way men and women approach the tasks of life. Instead they assume his apparent silence means he doesn't care about the wedding.

He Says

At the same time, when the groom sees his bride-to-be click into planning mode he finds that he is engaged to someone totally different from the woman he thought he knew. As a result he often withdraws or redirects his attention as he tries to regain his balance.

Unfortunately, this problem is... more