The most important thing to keep in mind is that your wedding day hairstyle should feel right for you. This is not the time for experimentation!

The most popular bridal hairstyles for 2013 are:

Swept to the side, Braids, Low bun, Bun with loose curls, Half up / Half down.

Swept to the side:

This is by far the most popular bridal hairstyle, as many brides opt for the relaxed and romantic look of hair swept to the side. The hair is curled and then softly swept and pinned to one side. The ideal place to position a hair accessory is at the centre of the pinned side.

Braids:

Soft braids have made a comeback, as many brides love the sweet and romantic look that they create. Braids work with hair that is all down, as well as all up, or even half up / half down. Headbands, wreaths and flowers are lovely hair accessories to wear with a braided hairstyle.

Low bun:

A low bun is a softer version of the slick, high bun. Many brides love the idea of having their hair all up, but prefer a soft look. By having your hair in a low bun, you can easily wear a veil at the top of the bun, which looks heavenly. A pretty beaded comb or flower can be easily positioned at the top of the bun, just above the veil.

Bun with loose curls:

Perhaps you fancy a bun, but would like it to be less structured. Then consider a low bun with loose curls which is a soft and romantic look. A beaded comb or flower placed on one side of the head or at the top of the bun looks charming with this hairstyle.

Half up / half down:

The half up / half down hairstyle is very versatile, and works exceptionally well with longer hair. It is ideal for positioning a veil a little further back on the head. A headpiece can be placed at the top of the head. A side comb looks lovely with this type of hairstyle as well.

Credits: blogspot.com, theknot.com, trendingimage.com, confettidaydreams.com

What sort of hairstyle have you chosen for your wedding day? Or what style did you have? I’d love to hear from you!

The beach has long been favored as a romantic wedding destination. Many bridal couples love the romance that the beach offers, and the idea of having your nuptials beachside is truly enchanting.

Beach weddings are generally much more relaxed and informal than traditional weddings, and this is largely the appeal of them. In fact, many couples who elope often choose a beach destination for their nuptials. Imagine getting married on a beach in Hawaii! What could be more romantic?

Planning a beach wedding is quite different to planning a traditional wedding. Everything needs to be appropriate for the beach, from your dress, veil and accessories, your groom’s attire, bridesmaids dresses and groomsmen’s attire.

If you are considering having your wedding at the beach, here are four things to keep in mind:

1. The weather: As we all know, the weather can be so unpredictable, even in tropical locations where the weather is fairly stable. If you have your heart set on a beach wedding, it’s a good idea to have an indoor back-up plan, just in case the weather is not favorable for an outdoor wedding on your big day.

2. The sand: No matter how pretty the sand looks, it will get into everything! It will get into your shoes, the hem of your dress, and perhaps your hair as well, if it is windy. A suggestion is to have sandals or slip-ons instead of closed shoes. Better yet, you could go barefoot! Choose a wedding dress that does not have a train at the back and can be easily lifted off the ground, to minimize any sandy residue on your dress. For your veil, choose one that does not touch the ground, as it will be much easier to manage. For a headpiece, choose a beaded side comb or headband, rather than a heavy head piece. Your jewellery should be light and comfortable to wear. The most popular bridal jewellery for beach weddings is freshwater pearl or mother of pearl jewellery, as it so beautifully echoes the beach.   Wedding flowers should be soft, with an earthy feel to them.

3. The wind: Even if it’s not raining, wind can pose a problem as well, especially strong wind. Keep in mind that everything will get blown around – your hair, dress, veil, flowers, and so on. The same suggestions apply here as for the sandy issues, mentioned above. On a positive note, the wind can create some amazing photos! Having your veil blowing in the wind looks absolutely stunning. Most wedding photographers love beach photography, due to the striking natural beauty of the beach.

4. The number of guests: If your wedding is to be held at a tropical destination that is far from home, the number of guests who can attend will be quite limited. Most often, beach weddings are attended by the closest family members, and perhaps a few friends, particularly if they have to pay their own way to get there. Couples who opt for a beach wedding are usually quite happy with that though!

A beach wedding definitely has its challenges, but whether you are blessed with sunny skies and balmy weather or wind and rain on the day of your wedding, it will be truly memorable.

Pretty coloured bridal belt featuring flower embellishments

The latest bridal accessory that many brides are choosing is the bridal belt.

A bridal belt can add stunning detail and embellish your wedding dress perfectly, by adding a beautiful highlight at the waist.

Bridal belts are available in many different sizes and colours, and with a wide range of embellishments ranging from crystals, diamantes or rhinestones, pearls, lace, flowers, and various trims.

A bridal belt can be easily coordinated with your wedding dress. By considering the design features on your dress, choose a bridal belt that will match its design and style.

For example, if your dress has lace all over, consider a sparkly rhinestone or crystal belt. If your dress is a slim fitting design in silk, consider a belt with lace or flowers on it, for a feminine touch. For a ball gown wedding dress, consider a coloured belt with rhinestones or flower embellishment, which will highlight the waist.

Coloured bridal belts are a great way to incorporate your wedding theme colour or the colour of your bridesmaids dresses into your wedding dress. For example, if your bridesmaids dresses are purple, you could wear a purple belt which is embellished with sparkly crystals or rhinestones, or a pretty flower made in the same color as your dress.

When choosing a bridal belt, keep in mind that it should compliment your wedding dress, and therefore add beautiful detail, rather than compete or clash with your dress.

Bridal belts featuring rhinestones
Photo credit: weddingsbylilly.com

Bridal belt made of lace with flower embellishment

You probably had no idea how many shades of white there are until you started wedding dress shopping!

Wedding dress designers and manufacturers offer many different shades of white, including pure white (the whitest white), silk white, diamond white, off white, candle white, soft white, light ivory, ivory, cream, champagne, and the list goes on.

Once you settle on a wedding dress and place your order, it is important to ask for a fabric swatch of it, so that you can take that with you when choosing your bridal accessories.

The bridal accessories that will need to be coordinated with your dress are your veil, hair piece and shoes, and perhaps a bridal clutch bag. Having a fabric swatch will also be helpful when coordinating the outfits for your bridal party.

How to choose the shade of white that suits you:

The two things to consider are your skin tone and hair colour.

If you have very pale skin, you should avoid very white dresses. A warmer shade such as ivory or champagne would be a good choice for you. Pure white dresses looks great with olive or slightly darker skin.

Your hair colour is also a factor. For blonde or red hair, ivory is the best choice.
If you have dark hair, then white or pale ivory dresses looks great.

Many girls also find the idea of wearing a stark white dress quite daunting, especially if they never wear white. Try on several dresses in different shades to decide which colour looks best on you.

All of us are on a budget these days, and planning your wedding on a budget can be quite challenging. Today we are starting a series on money saving tips for weddings, which I hope will inspire you to look outside the square and see which areas of your wedding can be trimmed back, without compromising on the things that you must have.

When it comes to your wedding dress, it can hard to hold back, especially when you have found “The One” and it costs much more than you had expected or dreamed it would! Here are my five tips to help you get the dress of your dreams, without breaking the bank.

1. Cut the cost. If that designer wedding dress is just way out of your price range, consider asking the designer if it can be made with less expensive fabrics, lace or embellishments. For example, have the dress made in polyester satin instead of silk; use cheaper embroidered tulle rather than French lace; pare down the embellishments, rather than have lots of them.

2. Modify the design. If the price is still out of your range, ask if the design can be modified to bring the price down. For example, instead of having twelve layers of tulle in the skirt, find out if it can have six. Instead of having a full lace bodice, have lace accents.

3. Have it made for you. Another option is to have your dress made by a professional dressmaker or couturier. Many skilled dressmakers can make an impeccable wedding dress for you, at around half of the price charged by designer bridal boutiques. And, the added advantage is that you can have your dress made exactly how you want it.

4. Go pre-loved. If you are on a very tight budget, consider buying a pre-loved gown. After the big day, many brides are only too happy to part with their dress for around half of what they paid for it. There are many websites where pre-loved wedding dresses are available for sale. If possible, meet the seller and try on the dress, to decide if it is right for you. Keep in mind that you may need to have alterations done, but this is a great way to save money.

5. Look for clearance sales. Once or twice a year, bridal shops have a clearance sale, where they sell their stock to make way for the new designs that are coming in. You could find a bargain! Of course you cannot be too picky, as they will usually be discounting their floor stock, not gowns that need to be ordered in. You will need to look for what they have available in your size, and keep in mind that alterations may be necessary.

Next we will look at how to accessorize your dress, without breaking the bank.

My favourite wedding dress fabric is lace. Lace is the ultimate in luxury, and symbolises beauty and romance. Lace is virtually synonymous with weddings, and it is for this reason that many brides choose lace for their wedding dress.

Wedding dresses made from lace have a regal look to them, and it is often the fabric of choice for royal wedding gowns, such as the beautiful Kate Middleton’s wedding gown.

There are so many laces available. French laces are the most luxurious, and come in lightweight and unbeaded varieties, corded varieties, and heavily beaded varieties. Wide lace is perfect for a gown that features lace from top to bottom, or lace on the entire bodice. Narrow lace trims are great for trimming a gown, such as on the neckline or hem. Lace trims are fabulous as veil edgings, for a dramatic effect.

LACE VS EMBROIDERED TULLE

Lace is different to embroidered tulle. True lace is made on lace weaving looms by very traditional methods. In fact there are very few companies in the world who make real lace. Lace manufacturers are mostly in Europe, particularly France and Italy.

True lace is not to be confused with embroidered tulle, which is often referred to as lace. Embroidered tulle is much more widely made around the world, particularly in India and China. It can be difficult to tell the difference between true lace and embroidered tulle. The easiest way to tell is by the price, as French laces are far more expensive than their Asian counterparts.

Embroidered tulle is basically a tulle fabric base with embroidered patterns sewn on top. Lace is different, as it is made of yarns twisted around each other to form intricate patterns. Lace is made on weaving machines that are dedicated to making specific patterns. This is why true lace is far more costly than embroidered tulle.

WEDDING GOWNS FEATURING LACE

Lace wedding gowns are truly breathtaking. A wedding dress can have lace all over, or lace accents on the bodice or skirt. The most luxurious veil choice for a lace wedding dress is a lace edged veil, known as a mantilla veil.

These are some stunning wedding gowns featuring lace, by Spanish wedding gown designer, Pronovias. The Pronovias brand is well respected around the world as having the most luxurious and alluring wedding gowns.

This completes our series on wedding dress fabrics. I hope you have learned something about fabrics, and I hope that I have inspired you in your search for the right fabrics for your wedding dress.

If you have any questions, or just need some help, pleas ask! I’d love to hear from you

Wedding dresses made from these silk fabrics have a luxurious look to them. These silks are often the fabrics of choice for royal wedding dresses.

Duchess silk satin has a sheen to it on the right side, and is matte on the back. Silk dupion and silk taffeta are crisp and the same on both sides. The difference between these two is that silk taffeta is smooth, while silk dupion has some fine slubs through it, giving it some texture. Silk dupion is similar to raw silk, but with fewer slubs through it. The slubs are not imperfections, but rather a characteristic of the fabric.

Because of the crispness of these silks, they are suitable for dresses which are full and voluminous. Additionally, they are perfect for body-hugging corset gowns. Dress features may include a fitted, structured bodice; tightly ruched or draped bodice; full ball gown skirt with bustle; or A-line skirt with swept up feature. Such silks are also used for fitted sheath gowns. Gowns made of these fabrics are often embellished with fine lace, pearls, crystals, or other trims.

If you would like a princess wedding gown or a structured corset wedding gown, consider using duchess silk, silk taffeta or silk dupion as the main fabric. Gowns by Maggie Sottero and Sottero and Midgley.

I hope this has been helpful to you. If you have any questions or just need some help, please ask! I’d love to hear from you!

Sydney gown by Maggie Sottero

Landyn gown by Maggie Sottero

Figure hugging glamour, the Sydney gown is stunning! I love the fitted and draped bodice that goes down to the thighs, then flares out into a mermaid train. Just breathtaking!

I love the beautiful beading detail on the bodice of the Landyn gown. Nice to see a wedding gown that is not strapless for a change!

The design detail at the back is absolutely stunning (below).  Beautiful beadwork at the top, and I love the way it drapes to the side then goes down into a mermaid train. Simply stunning!

Landyn gown by Maggie Sottero

Guinevere gown by Sottero & Midgley

The Guinevere gown is very sophisticated and graceful. I love the neckline and bodice, with the subtle beading just below the bust. This dress is graceful and elegant.

The McKenna gown (below) features a beautiful draped and swept up feature on the skirt. Very classy.

McKenna gown by Sottero & Midgley

Rebecca gown by Maggie Sottero

The Rebecca gown features draping all over, with a fitted draped bodice and gorgeous swept up bustle feature in the skirt. Absolutely breathtaking!

Rebecca gown by Maggie Sottero 

Brides are spoiled for choice at Christel Shoes, who make the most amazing sparkly shoes.

But what if you’re already married, and would love to have a gorgeous pair of heels in a luscious shade to wear to a special event, or even just to dress up an outfit for a special night out?

Christel Shoes are available for anyone, from brides, bridesmaids, mothers of the bride or groom, and anyone who desires a truly special pair of shoes. With the alluring shoes available from Christel Shoes, you can have that showstopping red pair of heels you have always wanted!

They have over forty designs to choose from, and they can customize your shoes to your requirements. You can choose from closed toe or peep toe shoes, and there are four heel heights to choose from: flats, 8cm, 12cm and 14cm.

Their shoes are made from leather, and are embellished with diamontes, crystals, pearls and anything else that looks fabulous on a shoe.

Here are some of their most popular shoe designs, a feast for the eyes!

Image from SugarLoveWeddings via PolkaDotBride

When selecting your bridesmaids dresses, consider your bridesmaids’ figures, height and hair colouring. Unless your girls are relatively similar in size, it can be difficult to find dresses that work equally well on all of them.

Rather than having one dress design that all of your bridesmaids have to wear, consider choosing different designs but all made in the same colour and fabric. This way, you might have one strapless dress, one dress with straps, and one with a halter neck, for example. Because they will all be in the same colour and fabric, they will be quite easy to identify as the bridal party, and each bridesmaid will be quite happy to wear a dress that suits her.

Another idea is to have the same design, but in different shades of the same colour. Or the same design but made in different fabrics. Or totally different designs, but in a similar shade (as per image above).

Whatever you do, make sure that you choose your wedding dress first! Bridesmaids dresses must co-ordinate with your gown, not the other way around.

Elegance Chapel ST veil by Wedding Veils Australia

For many brides, a veil is an absolute must on their wedding day. But for some brides, a veil is seen as too traditional or unnecessary. Personally, I believe that a bride just doesn’t look like a bride – unless she is wearing a veil!

So here are five GOOD reasons to wear a veil on your wedding day:

1. A veil makes you look like a bride!

In all my years of experience with brides, the veil is what transforms a girl in a pretty white dress, into a bride. Once the veil goes on, it is then that the waterworks begin! The bride’s mother, sister and / or friends often burst into tears once the veil goes on the bride’s head, as the upcoming wedding becomes a reality.

2. A veil completes your bridal outfit.

A bride’s ensemble involves more than just a dress. There are many accessories that are neeeded in order to complete the bride’s attire. Bridal accessories such as a head piece, jewellery and shoes are essential. But the veil is the defining bridal accessory that really completes the bride’s ensemble. Also having a veil gives you the opportunity to add an extra touch of glamour to your bridal look, as your veil can feature glittering crystals, gorgeous lace, embroidery, or whatever takes your fancy.

3. Your wedding day is the only time you will ever get to wear a veil.

Let’s be honest, is there any other time in your life that you would wear a veil? Veils are for brides, and if you decide not to wear one, you will have missed the opportunity. I almost didn’t wear a veil on my wedding day, because of finances being short at the time, and then a close friend who had just been married let me borrow her veil. I was so thankful to her and I am so glad that I did wear a beautiful veil on my wedding day, because my wedding photos looked sensational with that veil.

4. Veils make for fabulous photos!

Photographers love veils, and nothing beats a gorgeous long veil blowing in the breeze. I received a testimonial from one of my brides who told me that when the photographer saw her veil, he exclaimed, “Now that’s a veil!” She had so much fun with her veil, and the photographer loved taking creative photos of it. My bride told me that she was so glad she wore a veil, as she would have missed all those amazing photo ops had she not worn one.

5. Veils are traditional.

Weddings are filled with traditions that have been passed down through the generations. Wearing a veil is an absolute must if you are a traditional bride, especially for the walk down the aisle. For a modern bride, a veil can add bridal flair to a non-traditional gown, while adding an element of tradition at the same time.

Romance Chapel ST veil by Wedding Veils Australia