Vera Wang recently released a sneak peek at her 2012 Spring wedding dress collection. Wow! This collection may be the most fashion-forward to date. With a wide variety of silhouettes, from ball gowns to mermaid dresses, there is truly something for every bride’s taste. She also focuses on color, featuring celadon green, charcoal, nudes, and pink hues.

Vera’s choice of fabrics and design in the Spring 2012 wedding dress line include:

• Razor cut lace and organza
• Horsehair
• French tulle
• Satin
• Soft floral layering

Another trend that Vera Wang seems to love is the enormous bow headpieces. They look to be made from horsehair and are meant to the be the statement accessory piece. Ladies, if you go for this look, keep the rest of your accessories to a minimun. These headpieces are probably going to be controversial, but, like them or not, they are the wave of bridal future. Kudos, Vera for never disappointing, and never being afraid to shock us just a bit!

Perhaps the most common use of dichroic is for making jewelry. For women, there are several options, including a necklace pendant, bracelet, or set of earrings. Men too will appreciate a masculine pendant or ring, however, a chrome, stainless steel money clip with a custom made and set dichroic accent piece would definitely be more suiting.

There are literally hundreds, maybe even thousands, of glass artists who work with dichroic. Finding one isn’t the problem, finding one who uses top of the line materials, pays attention to detail, and does overall quality work while being easy to communicate with is. So make sure to shop around and to speak with many different artists. Below is a list of reputable businesses where you can have custom made dichroic pieces made.

Best places for buying and having dichroic items made:

Ronda Terry

Glass by Erica

Dichroic Jewelry

Gotta Have Glass

Jewelry isn’t the only form of dichroic-crafted gifts that you can give to your wedding party. There are dozens of other types of dichroic crafts, including personal items, such as cufflinks, tiepins, and hair barrettes. Other ideas include home décor gifts, examples include coasters, candy dishes, and ashtrays. Larger items can be made too, for instance, heat resistant serving plates, fruit bowls, and wall decorations.

As mentioned, giving the perfect gift really shows that you are grateful, so don’t get too caught up on finding the best dichroic piece for each member of your party. Find those who would most appreciate wearing a beautiful piece of jewelry or hanging a handmade piece of glass art on their wall, and shop for them. Gift giving is a gift in itself, as the best gift is one in which the recipient really wants, so search high and low and choose yours wisely.

See more:
Choosing Your Bridesmaid Gift: 10 Great Ideas
Wedding Planners: William’s and Kate’s Inner Circle

Tips for Finding your Perfect Bridal Shoes

Don’t stress about finding your bridal shoes. It is a fairly easy process if you go in prepared. Below are some tips tips to help you out!

Think about what type of formal shoes you like to wear in everyday life… and then spruce them up from there.

Consider buying two pairs–one for the ceremony and one for the reception.  This way, you can show off your shoes in pictures, but still be comfortable the rest of the evening.

Get creative with color.  Don’t try to match your shoes to your dress exactly.  Consider silver, gold, red, or even blue. This year the pop of color at the feet is huge! Plus, if you choose a blue, you have the “something blue” covered… double duty! Another trend is to add a brooch to each shoe for bling.

Go to all types of shoe stores.  A bridal shoe does not have to be purchased in a bridal store. Plus, you may save a lot of money shopping at a department store!

When you find a pair you like, wear them around for about ten minutes to make sure they are comfy. No bride wants to suffer through sore feet all day or night.

Make sure you know the correct heel height you need.  Your dress should not drag on the ground. An ideal heel height is half an inch to an inch above the ground, depending on what you prefer.  

Possibly go for a comfortable pair of shoes that you can wear after your wedding day. Again, we are back to the versatile colored shoes.  Why buy a great pair of shoes that you can only wear once?

Bring support, like a friend who has already been married.  Since she spent the time looking, she will have plenty of advice.

Shop in a friend’s or sister’s closet.  You never know what you will find and this could be something “borrowed” on your big day.

Start sopping early.  Shoes are a key element of your outfit. Don’t wait until the last minute. 

Your bridesmaids are most likely close friends and family. Therefore, choosing a bridesmaid gift can be stressful to some brides, as you want to find something that everyone will love. Traditional gifts are always popular, but don’t be afraid to be creative and think outside the box. Below are 10 great gift ideas for your bridesmaids that include both creative and traditional ideas.

1. Personalized Photo Album: Choose a small yet stylish photo album for each bridesmaid. Take the time to go through old photographs of the two of you. Choose your favorites and have copies made (black and white is a great option here). Fill the photo album and you have created a gift that will touch her heart and last a lifetime.

2. Spa Gift Card: Being in a wedding can be exhausting! So, buy your gals a gift card to a spa in their area. The amount will vary on your budget (but try to keep the minimum to $25). With this gift, they can relax after wearing those heels all night.

3. Engraved Jewelry Box: This is a great way for bridesmaids to store their bridesmaid jewelry. However, get personal with the engraving. It is best to have a different sentiment for each bridesmaid. This way, they will know you took the time to pick something especially for them.

4. Personalized Framed Poem: If you are the creative type, write a poem for your bridesmaids and have it bound in a beautiful frame. If writing is not your thing, simply look through poetry books and find the right poem for each bridesmaid and have that framed. This idea is sure to bring tears!

5. Monogramed Goodie Bag: Choose a chic drawstring bag that can be monogramed with the bridesmaid’s initial and fill it with perfumes, lotions, sprays, jewelry, gift cards, and anything else suits them. This is a great way to give your bridesmaids a little bit of everything.

6. Girls Night Out: After the wedding, plan a girls night out! Go to a nice restaurant, go see movie, or go dancing. Now that the wedding day is over, you and your bridesmaids can kick back and have some fun.

7. Prepare a Special Dinner: Are you an awesome cook? If so, host a four-course dinner party in your bridesmaids’ honor — feature the finest wine you can afford and the most luxurious dishes you can prepare. Talk about impressive and personable!

8. Jewelry: Jewelry is probably the most popular and traditional gift idea. However, if you go this way, be sure and choose different pieces for each bridesmaid. Again, making them feel individualized and special.

9. Individual Gift Cards: When you think personal, gift cards may not be what you think of. However, if you choose a different gift card for each gal, that makes it personal. What is their favorite boutique? Shoe store? Antique store? So many possibilities.

10. A Cute Handbag: What lady doesn’t love purses? Choose a color that matches the bridesmaid dresses, yet can still be used after the wedding. Different styles for each bridesmaid will give it that personal touch.

Wedding Gown Designer: Martin Grant

After the final dress exhibited at a Kleinfeld bridal show in NYC turned out to be black plaid, causing a stir in its own right, the question as to whether plaid wedding dresses are a style that anyone should think of for their wedding came to the forefront.

The truth is that many Scottish weddings have not only plaid wedding dresses at times, but the men will wear plaid kilts, including the entire wedding party. Tartan, to be more accurate, is definitely a Scottish style, and the pride they show in it is inspiring.

Wedding Gown Desiger: Luisa Beccaria

The thing is, plaid not only offers something different from the norm than what most traditional American wedding couples might wear, but there are many more options in colors and their mix than with regular wedding gown. For instance a design company known as Kilts By Susan offers 29 different tartan designs made out of Scottish wool. Some wedding dresses are totally plaid, whereas others are a mixture of tartan patterns and traditional lace, silk, and satin.

The styles of plaid wedding dresses are pretty much the same as styles of dresses made with other fabrics as well. Imagine a mermaid style wedding dress with a tartan red and white flair. Or a strapless blue and white A-line with a red belt at the waist. You really don’t have to imagine it; examples of dresses like that are out on the internet.

What kind of prices will you pay for a plaid dress? That pretty much depends on the fabric used to make it. If you’re having a wedding dress made out of cotton, it’s going to cost less than Scottish wool. Scottish wool, though not always expensive, is considered an exotic fabric when it comes to wedding dresses, so the costs could come in between, $1,500 and $2,000 per dress. Wool can also create a lot of heat, so if you live in warm areas and you want to wear it, you’ll need to make sure where you’re getting married is kept fairly cool.

Some wedding experts are thinking that plaid might be the new fashion style for 2010. I’m not sure it will go that far, but it’s a nice option for some brides to explore if they’re looking for something different.

See More:
How to Convert a Regular Plaid Pattern to a Tartan Plaid
How to Dress for a Scottish Wedding
History of Plaid

Wedding Crashers the Movie

Having a little bit of fun with this one, but in actuality, there really are wedding crashers, people who decide to act as if they’re guests of the wedding party but in actuality don’t know either the bride or the groom, and probably not anyone else at the wedding, including the reception. So, though this is tongue in cheek, it’s also fairly truthful, and possibly highlights some signs to look for.

1. They sit by themselves in the middle of the pews on one side or the other. This keeps them away from family and ushers and, if there’s a lot of people, makes them more inconspicuous if there are a lot of people at the wedding.

2. They’re dressed very blandly. This is because they weren’t sure whose wedding they were going to sneak into and didn’t want to stand out.

3. When the wedding is over, they’re the first ones out after the wedding party, but they go out a different way than everyone else.

4. You don’t see them again until the reception. Crashers don’t want to mingle with everyone else outside the church because that’s too early for them to get into conversation that might out them. A true crasher needs to get into the reception. Therefore, they’re sitting in the car, waiting to follow everyone else to where the reception is taking place.

5. Upon arriving at the reception, they wait in the car until more people show up. Crashers need to blend, and no blending takes place without more bodies to hide in.

Vince Vaughn & Owen Wilson as Wedding Crashers

6. When they finally do come inside, they head directly for the snack area without looking at or talking to anyone else. This is the bonanza, the real reason why they came. Well, at least one of the real reasons they came, to eat.

7. They go to the bar to see if the drinks are free. This is the other reason they came. If it’s an open car the skies the limit. But they need to eat first because they want to try to space things out as long as possible, so they need something in their stomachs to help absorb the early alcohol.

8. They sit at a table about as far away from the wedding party as they can get. This is the smartest strategy because that’s usually where the fringe friends and co-workers sit. At this point, one can easily come up with a story for how they know either the bride or groom. They’re going to base whatever they say off what others at the table say first.

9. After the main meal, they start hitting on almost anyone. It doesn’t matter if the crasher is male or female, it’s time for some fun. The crasher has already gotten away with everything else and is fed and lubricated. At this juncture, they really feel like they’re part of the family and friends contingent.

10. They make a grand exit immediately after the cake. They’ll be bold enough to seek out the bride and groom to thank them for the good time, and smart enough to drop the name of one of the people they met at the reception. This is to plant the seed in the minds of the couple to ask the name that was dropped later on who that person was. After all, what’s the point of being a crasher if no one knows they were crashed?

It seems that being a wedding gown designer was bred into Claire Pettibone as a young girl when she attended a wedding at the age of 4 and decided she wanted to make wedding gowns.  Growing up in New York City, she ended up going to and graduating from the Otis Parsons School of Design in Los Angeles with a degree in fashion design.

Her first big success was in the Beverly Hills area, where, with her husband, she launched her first designs to rave reviews.  Years later she established her credibility throughout the entire country with another show in New York City.  Her designs are so exclusive that, even though they’re all over the world, only 29 stores have licenses to market them new, including her own salon in Beverly Hills, Claire Pettibone Flagship.

Pettibone’s wedding dress style is reminiscent of styles from the 1940′s and 1950′s.  Many of her creations could stand alone as evening gowns, but that doesn’t mean their simplistic.  They have a very comfortable looking style, soft and flowing, with lace and embroidery touches.  She makes them with all styles of sleeves and necklines, and tends to stay away from tight bodices.  These dresses move with the brides, so no stiff satin wedding gowns for her.  You might have layered dresses, dresses with flowers, even ruffles, and there’s nothing saying her wedding dresses will all be white, or at least pure white.

As a matter of face, her 2010 Cherry Blossom collection of wedding gowns had a mixture of muted whites and shimmering dresses that almost looked like silver, with beautiful touches of lace netting and embroidery.  One of the dresses even had a thin red belt, while another flaunted a big pink flower in the middle of the bodice area, which included a pink belt and a pink tassle; talk about taking chances!  Yet, it all fit, and that’s what makes Pettibone a favorite wedding dress designer.

See more:
Claire Pettibone Official Website
Claire Pettibone Botique
Claire Pettibone Facebook Page

Photo Credit: www.centralpark.com

Think about it. You’ve been married for a few years now, and you sit down one day and start thinking about what you might have changed if you had the opportunity to do your wedding over. Maybe you’re getting married a second time and want to do things a little bit differently.

It’s a question posed to many couples, and it could serve as something that couples who are thinking about getting married should think about. After all, those who don’t learn from the lessons history offers are doomed to repeat it; so I’ve heard.

The number one regret of most people in looking back at their wedding day is how much money they spent. Some couples spend so much money on their wedding that they’re paying for it years later. Sometimes the debt is so high that they can’t even qualify for things such as a car or mortgage because they still can’t afford it. The thought of getting married can sometimes take away a person’s common sense as to whether they can afford everything they want or not.

The next regret, strange as it may seem for most guys, is that they allowed too many outside influences to eliminate things they wanted. Most of the blame goes on the mother’s of both the bride and the groom. Brides might have some idea of who they want to invite to the wedding, but the mothers will add people because they’re the ones who determine which family members are “must” invites. Sometimes fathers will give input if the family happens to be wealthy, but that’s not always the case. Mothers will also give “advice” on things such as the wedding dress, the reception, and almost everything else. It’s unsolicited, but has to be taken more into account than advice from anyone else; after all, they are the mothers.

The final big regret relates to the first regret. Many brides and grooms wished that they had even more money so they could have had more of what they really wanted. Grooms usually wanted more for the honeymoon, being able to plan for bigger and better things up front, since no one is sure what kind of money they might receive on their wedding day. Brides usually wanted more of everything else; more flowers, more food choices, more limousines, more flash, etc. Even those brides who seemed to have it all wanted more things.

That last one is the one regret, however, where most couples agree that it was probably best that they were limited. After all, look at what they’re still trying to pay off.

See more:
Wedding Day Regrets
Second Wedding Ideas
Getting Remarried in Style

Photo Credit: www.the6chicks.com

While the soon-to-be-groom is off on his bachelor party having a great time, sometimes the bride-to-be is at her bachelorette party and not having as good a time as she should. Since that hardly seems fair, here are 5 tips for soon-to-be brides to help them have a good time.

1. Stop thinking about what your fiancé might be doing. I almost hate to say this, but he’s not thinking about you at all. Nope, isn’t happening. An early lesson to learn is that you can’t control the actions of another adult, especially if you’re not together. If you can’t trust him at this point you probably shouldn’t be getting married. So, forget him for the night.

2. Don’t touch the stripper. I gave this same advice to the groom, but there’s a major difference here. Female strippers, unless it’s at a club, come with bodyguards. Male strippers sometimes show up with a cameraman. That means something’s probably going on the internet when they get home. So, even though you might be encouraged, ask yourself if you want to be in a starring role in an unscripted porno film.

3. Go ahead and dance with a guy at the dance club if you’re asked. You’re not married yet, and dancing is pretty harmless, unless it’s one of those slow grinds where the guy is trying to show you what he’s got. In that case, treat him as you would have on any other day and leave him embarrassed on the dance floor.

4. Don’t drink too much. I gave this advice to the groom as well, but in your case, you may not be paying attention to what and how much you’re drinking. As I told the groom, if you’re getting married the next day, you’re going to feel horrible all day; even if you’re not getting married the next day, you’re going to feel horrible, and you won’t look all that good either.

5. Don’t get yourself worked up thinking about the upcoming wedding. This happens more often with brides than with grooms, and if things are going to go wrong, once again there’s nothing more you can do to make things go better. The expectation is that you’ve checked and checked and checked everything a few times to make sure you didn’t forget anything. Just put it out of your mind and enjoy one last night of freedom.

See more:
Bachelorette Party Ideas
Hosting A Bachelorette Party
Bachelorette Party Supplies