~ Wedding dresses are white in the Western world in part because of Queen Victoria’s marriage in 1840, when she wore a white dress. In some religions, it does symbolize purity, but Queen Victoria’s wedding made it more popular for brides.

~ Before Queen Victoria’s wedding, blue was commonly worn for weddings because it was associated with virginity and innocence.

~ In many Asian countries, red is worn because it symbolizes luck, happiness, and joy.

~ Spanish tradition in the Roman Catholic church says that a bride should wear black, believe it or not. This symbolizes that the couple will remain together until death.

~ During the Civil War, United States brides wore purple to honor the courage of the dead.

~ Many medieval brides wore green to symbolize a wealth and an association with nature.

~ In many African countries, it is traditional to wear a print that represents your village, and some brides are honoring this tradition, even if they don’t live in their hometowns anymore (and even if their family hasn’t for several generations).

~ Take the neckline a bit lower. You don’t have to have a neckline that plunges to your waist, but many vintage gowns have very high necklines. Opening up the dress a bit can instantly make it look a little more modern.

~ Add a colored sash. Your vintage dress can be spiced up with a brilliant dash of color.

~ Shorten the sleeves. It might not work to completely remove them, but by shortening them slightly to 3/4 sleeves or cap sleeves, as well as by making them fitted to your arms instead of loose, you’ll add a modern flair to the dress.

If you don’t want to alter the traditional gown, another option you have is to compromise and have a new dress made for you that honors the old dress. Use the same type of fabric, and take elements that you do like about the traditional gown to make your own beautiful gown.

Photo by Kevin Borland

If you can afford to have your dress professionally stored in a sealed box, that’s the best option. If you want to store your dress yourself, here are some things you should keep in mind to avoid storage problems:

~ Have the dress dry cleaned before storage. Even if you only wore the gown for a short time and it doesn’t look dirty, it is. The oils from your body, residue from your flowers, and lingering perfume you were wearing may not show up on the dress now, but over time, they’ll cause yellowing. Send the dress to the dry cleaners to avoid stains that seem to magically appear in the future.

~ Use archival-quality storage containers. The cardboard boxes that many dry cleaning companies sell, as well as typical garment bags and other boxes, aren’t safe for your dress because of the acid they release over time. This will cause the dress to yellow and become fragile during years of storage. Instead, look for boxes that are made with polypropylene (look for recycling code #5) or buy a kit especially made for gown storage.

~ Store your dress flat instead of hanging it. While heavy, plastic hangers work well to store your dress before the wedding, avoid hanging your dress for years on end, even with high-quality hangers. You’ll be putting stress on the straps or sleeves if you do.

Here are some tips you can use to pick the right type of dress for you:

~ Consider your guests. If your wedding will be mostly family, will they be upset or offended if you don’t embrace your culture? It is your wedding, but be sensitive to your family’s wishes. If you can’t stand the thought of wearing a traditional gown for the entire day, wear a more traditional gown for the ceremony and choose a modern dress for the reception.

~ Try on both types of gowns. You may think you want one type or another, but once you see the gowns on you, you might change your mind. Go with your gut – when you try on your dress, you’ll know.

~ Think about other ways to honor your culture. If you don’t want the traditional gown, think about some other ways you can include your heritage in the ceremony or reception. That way, you can wear the dress you want but still honor your culture.

You can check out the Impressions Bridal website for more full figured dress designs.

Pros:

• You don’t have to settle for a dress you don’t absolutely love.
• You won’t have to pay for alterations, since the dress is made for you.
• No other bride anywhere will have your dress.

Cons:

• Designing a dress from scratch or significantly altering a design is extremely expensive.
• You need to allow for extra time to have the dress made.
• You’ll have to commit to the dress design before you actually try it on, and the design might look better in your head.

You can check out all of these dresses, as well as many other gowns, at the Janet Nelson Kumar website.

Even at-home whitening products can get expensive, costing around $40 per month for at least three months before you see significant results. Here are some tips you can use to naturally whiten your teeth in the months leading up to your wedding, and without busting your budget:

• Stop smoking. The cigarettes will yellow your teeth. Keep in mind that if you kiss someone who smokes or are around it in your home, it will also yellow your teeth, so think about asking your fiance to stop as well.
• Replace tea, coffee, and dark sodas with water and light-colored beverages.
• Chew whitening gum. This won’t suddenly give you teeth that sparkle, but every little bit helps.
• Switch to whitening tooth paste. Yes, it really does work over time.
• Brush with a small amount of baking soda. It tastes terrible, but it whitens your teeth better than most products on the market.

Your dentist can also talk to you about some other at-home fixes or even get you set up on a payment plan to cover the cost of professional whitening over time. It’s your wedding day – your teeth should be every bit as white as your dress.

It’s better to be safe than sorry. You don’t know if they’ll be calling for rain on your wedding day, but just in case, consider purchasing one of these bridal umbrellas. It’s the perfect accessory to keep your dress dry and your make-up in place. Thinkwedding.com has some great options available, like the one pictured.

A standard umbrella, like the one you have at home or keep in your car, is typically 42 inches. You might want a larger size for your wedding day, though, so they also have 60-inch and 48-inch versions available. If you decide to purchase umbrellas for your entire wedding party, you can also consider smaller 34-inch umbrellas for your flower girls.

Before you make your purchase, however, check with your limo or car service (if that’s how you’re getting to your wedding). Some have umbrellas on hand to help guests in a rainy situation, so they might have large white umbrellas that you can use for free.

Here are some of the dresses from their collection:

Emerald Couturiers
69279 Main St (PO Box 913)
Blountsville, AL 35031
800.999.7509