Designer Spotlight

When I first saw some of the dresses from designer Amsale I wasn't a huge fan. After revisiting her designs I've come to really enjoy her creations.  I feel like her dresses are for the traditional bride who enjoys a splash of whimsy.

All images were taken from www.amsale.com. 

10 Ways to Avoid Becoming a Bridezilla

Planning a wedding is stressful but it is not an excuse for you to yell and scream at everyone around you. Follow these tips to avoid becoming a bridezilla and both you and your family members will be much happier after you have said “I do.”

#10 – Set a Budget

            If you set a budget you will be less likely to go crazy at every vendor and spend extremely large sums of money. A major ‘bridezilla’ move is to spend, spend, spend; especially if you are spending someone else’s money. Be smart with your budget and make sure you stick to it! (see previous post about setting a budget)

#9 – Keep an Open Mind

            Many people will try to offer you their opinions during the wedding planning process. You absolutely do not have to use anyone’s ideas, but you can at least listen and nod politely. Then if you want to scream into a pillow later you can, but don’t ever yell at your grandma and tell her she doesn’t know what she is talking about.

#8 – Accept the fact that not everyone will look perfect

            You may not agree with your cousin’s new hair color, or you might cringe at the fact that your maid-of-honor is going to be eight-months pregnant at your wedding but you need to get over it. These people love you and want to support you on your wedding day, even if you have different opinions on what is stylish. Don’t ever remove someone from the wedding party or un-invite someone because of their appearance.

#7 – Don’t treat your bridesmaids like employees

            It’s okay to ask your friends to pick-up their own dresses, or to wear their hair in a certain up-do on your big day.  It is not okay to ask your bridesmaids to attend weekly meetings or to run all your errands. If you need someone to do those things you should hire a wedding planner. You want to stay friends with these girls after your wedding so make sure you treat them well.

#6 – Spend time with your friends, family members, co-workers, etc.

            Make sure that during your wedding planning you still have a life. Don’t ever quit your job or miss the birth of a niece or nephew just because you are planning a wedding. Your prior relationships and responsibilities are very important and you should not neglect those just because you are planning a wedding. And most importantly, make sure you spend time with your fiancé!

#5 – Prepare yourself to hear the word ‘no’

            You might have grand visions of having your wedding on the top of the highest rooftop in the city, but then you are told it’s simply not possible. Instead of throwing a tantrum like a 2-year-old you need to be prepared to adjust your wedding vision based on what actually is possible. You will still be able to make your wedding beautiful, even if it’s not the original vision you had in mind.

#4 – Treat your vendors like professionals

            Just because you are paying these people does not give you the right to treat them like garbage. Don’t call your caterer every day, and don’t send your florist fifteen emails every day. Make sure you discuss your vision for your wedding and then leave it up to them. They do this for a living so you need to put your trust in them.

#3 – Don’t worry about what someone is wearing

            It’s inevitable that someone will show up to your wedding wearing something you hate. In fact, it’s becoming even more likely someone will show up wearing white (especially after Pippa Middleton’s dress at the royal wedding). You will still stand out as the blushing bride so don’t let this one person ruin your day. If you feel very strongly about a dress code you can include that in your invitations but even then you should expect someone to not get the memo.

#2 – Have a range of items on your registry

            You should always have a good amount of price ranges on your registry. Don’t ever expect that everyone will give you an extremely nice gift, and if that is all you have on your registry you are just going to be disappointed when you don’t receive those items. A registry should act as a guide for your guests not as a laundry list of over-the-top things you are expecting.

#1 – Be prepared to expand your guest list

            While it’s true you are the bride and it’s your special day, it is also a special day for your fiancé, your parents, his parents, etc. You can not expect to be the only one compiling a guest list for your wedding. This will have to be a team effort and you need to keep an open mind.  Remember, you are joining two families together on your wedding day and having a huge fight with your in-laws over a couple guests is not a great way to start your marriage.

Budget

I think there is a misconception out there that weddings have to cost thousands upon thousands of dollars. While it’s true it will be an expensive event, I’m a firm believer you don’t need to spend your life savings, or take out a second mortgage to finance your wedding. Budget can be a scary word but by setting a firm budget you can achieve a wedding for the amount of money that will be right for you and your situation.

The first thing I ask a bride is “what is your budget?” You should always set your budget before any of the planning begins. It will be too difficult to set a budget after you have already ordered the dress, flowers and reception center. At that point you may have already blown past your budget!

If you are struggling with knowing how much to spend on a wedding I think the best first step is to decide what element of your wedding is most important to you. This will help determine which aspect of your wedding will take up the most money. For some brides this might be the dress; for others it is the photography. Whatever it is for you, it is smart to identify this element before any of your planning begins, and before you set your budget.

Don’t feel bad if you don’t have a ton of money to spend on your wedding. Like I said before, I absolutely believe you can plan a wedding on a budget and I think it’s very important to always have that budget in mind during the planning process. There are many ways you will be able to put your own personal touches into your wedding, and in the end that is what your special day should be about.

Weather

Spring weddings are accompanied by an unexpected and uncontrollable element: weather.  Especially in a four-season state like Utah, you never know what kind of weather you will get on your wedding day. It's a good idea to be prepared for all weather situations.  Preparing beforehand should help alleviate some of your stress in case you happen to wake up on your wedding day and there are dark clouds looming.

If possible, talk to your reception center and see if they have an indoor/outdoor option. That way your festivities can be moved inside in case of bad weather. If they don't have an indoor option, ask about tents or other coverings.

Another good idea is to have a coat, cape or shawl on hand in case the temperature drops. This way you won't need to cover up your wedding dress with someone's coat; you will be prepared with something that compliments your ensemble.

Have some fun, colorful umbrellas on hand in case it rains. Your guests will be very appreciative and that way you can control the color scheme of the umbrella's instead of everyone bringing their own.

Of course you will cross your fingers for good weather on your special day, but sadly the weather is one of those things you can't control. Prepare for the worst and then you can hopefully keep this stress of your shoulders.

2011 Trends

Want to know what's hot in weddings this year?  Check out my article on 2011 wedding trends: http://blog.thebrideandgroom.com/utah-wedding-planning/wedding-trends-for-2011-by-w-weddings/

Lavendar Weddings

Check out my article on using Lavendar for your wedding color: http://blog.thebrideandgroom.com/utah-wedding-planning/creating-the-perfect-lavender-weddingwedding-color-lavender/

Modesty

It seems the majority of wedding dress designers started cutting the sleeves off wedding dresses a long time ago. It's all about strapless and sweetheart necklines, but that does not work for everyone.  Luckily there are still ways to have sleeves on your wedding dress without it looking boring.

A couple weeks ago on TLC's 'Say Yes to the Dress' an LDS girl from Utah visited the store looking for a wedding dress.  She made it clear that she would need sleeves added to whatever dress she found.  I actually liked both of her dress choices even better when they added the sleeves.

For this dress they put little cap sleeves on the side which was really beautiful. They would have needed to raise the neckline in the front as well, but I'm sure they could do that.



I don't think this was the exact dress she tried on, but it is a similar style. For this dress they added a lace jacket and it made the dress look very elegant.

The downside is alterations such as these will get very pricey. You must keep that in mind when setting the budget for your dress.

Luckily there are dresses out there that you wouldn't need to add sleeves; they come designed that way and they are gorgeous. You will need to look a little harder for these gems but it is worth it!

More White

Here are some more details on an all-white wedding: http://blog.thebrideandgroom.com/tips-ideas/creating-a-whimsical-white-weddingwedding-color-white/

WHITE

I've been thinking a lot this week about all-white weddings. I was skeptical at first but after thinking about it more I think an all-white wedding could be spectacular!

Stay tuned for more details on an all-white wedding.

Designer Spotlight

Maggie Sottero gowns are some of the most beautiful wedding gowns you will find and the company is actually based here in Utah.

For buying information visit their website: http://www.maggiesottero.com/

Here are a few of my favorites:



Special Touches

As a bride you should be the center of attention on your wedding day. You should not be afraid to add a few special touches to your dress or maybe your hair; it is your time to shine. Stay true to your style and always remember; you will look at your wedding photos for the rest of your life so try to avoid doing anything you will seriously regret in ten years.

Wedding fashion has become much more personalized in the last few years. It is now perfectly acceptable to add a splash of color to your wedding dress, or to add more sparkle.

Another way to jazz up your wedding attire is with your hair. Bridal hair accessories are everywhere and you can do headbands, beaded pieces or of course, flowers.

One of my favorite ways to add a special touch to your wedding wardrobe is with your shoes. They will be hidden most of the time but you will know they are there and they can make for some wonderful photos.