Being asked to be a bridesmaid in a wedding is an honor. Not everyone would have that opportunity. Being a bridesmaid is a chance for you to be part of the most precious day of a couple’s life. Of course, when you’re requested to be one, this pride comes with the opportunity of wearing a bridesmaid dress.

But do you really know what you’re supposed to do in exchange for being in a stunning bridesmaid dress? Did the bride express what kind of help she needs from you being one of her bridesmaids? Or are you just expected to walk down the aisle along with the other members of the wedding entourage and sit and stand as the celebrant says so?

The fact is, being a bridesmaid carries a number of responsibilities. While these may not be explicitly expressed (because more often than not a couple only hopes to have a complete roster in the entourage), you are actually saying yes to a number of responsibilities the moment you accepted the invitation and the moment you agreed to be in a theme-styled bridesmaid dress.

Here are a few things that any bridesmaid is expected to do:

Idea Generator and Provider

Yes, while making the plans, you must be able to help the bride think of ideas about wedding dresses, wedding favours and wedding invitations, among others. These things are too girly for the groom to get involved with. This is where the bride could well benefit from your presence. If she requests you to go hop from one place to another for venue scouting, go ahead. Who knows, she might even take your suggestion of a bridesmaid dress design.

Since it is already stressful for the bride to be in the wedding, she may have moments where no ideas will come out from her head. You could then provide her with your suggestions. After all, you are coming from an “outside perspective” and an outsider’s point of view is always helpful.

Companion

When the situation calls for it, you must accompany the bride for fittings and even in registering for wedding gifts. You can even go the extra mile and be in-charge of gathering all the other members of the entourage for fitting and measurement adjustments. After all, you don’t want anyone, especially not you, to be wearing a bridesmaid dress that looks like a hand-me-down.

Fashion Consultant

Of course a bride would hire her own make-up artists but it wouldn’t hurt if you can assist in her dress and makeup. In her effort to look stunning, the bride would always look for confirmation that her makeup looks good on her. Be that source of confirmation.

Usherette

Especially during the reception, usher the couple’s guests in. Lead them to their seats. You are wearing a fabulous bridesmaid dress so put that into good use and be seen.

Sometimes, visitors would request for pictures with the couple, so offer your hand and be the “photographer.”

Being a bridesmaid is more than just wearing a bridesmaid dress. You have some duties to attend to as you are actually a major player in ensuring the success of the wedding ceremony. So do your job cheerfully and “beautifully” — in that stunning bridesmaid dress.

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There are many superstitious beliefs attached to weddings. And this is not only true to the wedding ceremony itself; some superstitions travel as far back as wedding preparation.

Yes, you can claim to be a 21st-century individual and you can contend that superstitions would no longer apply these days. However, your parents, your groom’s parents, and your grandparents will never run out of reminders regarding these beliefs — however crazy they may sound when put in today’s context.

Here are a few superstitions about weddings in general and wedding dresses in particular. And by their nature, these beliefs may or may not have explanations. Let’s revisit some of them.

1. It is said that it is unlucky for a bride to make her own wedding dress. While this may come as a very attractive idea to hit up on those savings, you might want to think again.

However, borrowed wedding dresses are lucky — for you, at least. Seriously though, would you ever allow someone to borrow your wedding dress? A keepsake of one of the most important days of your life? Well, this whole wedding-dress-practice is mostly seen among mother-daughter or grandmother-grandchild relationships. In these cases, wedding dresses can be labelled as sort of an heirloom.

2. Worried about the weather? Well, when it rains during your wedding day, you don’t actually have to panic. Many cultures consider it as lucky because the pouring rain signifies blessings –the heavier the downpour, the more blessings for you and your husband!

The worrisome part comes in because of the fact that no one would feel comfortable wearing wet and dirty wedding dresses. This issue would be more pronounced especially if you are having a garden wedding!

3. “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” Ever wondered what this famous phrase is for? A new bride should have some “things” old, new, borrowed and blue. But there’s actually another phrase that’s been deleted, and this is: sixpence for my shoe. What do all these mean?

“Old” symbolizes the bride’s life before the wedding; “new” is symbolical of new beginnings; “borrowed” is all about luck — especially when such an item is borrowed from another bride; “blue” actually represents the color of pre-Victorian wedding dresses. Lastly, “sixpence for my shoe” denotes wealth and financial stability.

4. In some Asian cultures, in the Philippines for example, wedding dresses should only be worn on the wedding day itself. Otherwise, something bad will happen and the wedding will not push through. With such a belief, the need for proper fitting and careful measurements are paramount. Imagine wearing a wedding dress that’s inches bigger than you!

Despite the modernity of our times, some superstitions still survive. In fact, they are practiced still. It may be sound unscientific if you believe and practice what superstition says about weddings and wedding dresses. However, there’s no harm in abiding by them right? You will not lose anything.

On the other side, if you completely ignore what the “oldies” believe to be true, you might feel guilty and you may become anxious. Of course, when something bad happens, your parents, or grandparents would then blame you for not believing in superstition.

Therefore, to make everyone happy, why not accept these superstitious beliefs as they are? This way, you can dress for the occasion, and for tradition.

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There’s no stopping the Internet. This powerful and modern fountain of information could even be of service to you if you are planning and preparing for your wedding and looking for an online bridal store.

Yes, weddings are special moments and it is but proper that you deal with the planning stage with careful and meticulous eyes. As such, you need the services of a bridal shop that has a physical presence. But who says that an online bridal store cannot do this task as dutifully as your local shops? In fact, online bridal shops have advantages over the traditional wedding stores located within your vicinity.

Let’s take a look at some of them.

No Need for Tedious Shortlisting

With an online bridal store, you can accomplish a lot of tasks in no time. And the better part is, you don’t have to physically hop from one shop to another just so you can get what you want. You don’t even have to spend for transportation or lunch because your feet grew tired of walking.

If you employ the services of an online bridal store, you can view numerous selections of wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses and even wedding favours in less than an hour.

You may contend that some things would look different on photos and in real “life.” Yes, this is true but you could always use an online bridal store in doing your shortlist. You don’t have to decide on what wedding dress to choose by merely looking at pictures. This internet-based service is there to cut the selection process short, and an online bridal store can do this job effectively.

No Need to Deal with Physical Stress

Needless to say, some of the stress associated with wedding preparation has to do with the physical aspect. You need to visit a number of shops and malls just so you will find what you are looking for. With an online bridal store, however, you don’t have to do this.

In addition, if you are someone who is not comfortable with face-to-face interactions, then you could truly make use of an online bridal store. This service merely requires a few exchanges of emails, some chat or a number of phone calls, at most. Therefore, you can do away with physical stress all in all.

No geographical limit

The beauty of employing the services of an online bridal store comes with no limits. In this sense, you are not bounded by geographical limitations, weather conditions, or even language barrier. With an online bridal store, you can take advantage of the wedding dress designs of the whole world.

Imagine using your local bridal shop and then find yourself being told that only their other branch — located on the other side of the world — has the design that you want. If you use an online bridal store, however, this would not happen to you. You simply have to order it from another online provider, and viola, you will get what you want in no time!

Sometimes, using the Internet is way better than doing it the traditional means. And sometimes, using an online bridal store would prove to be more efficient and less costly — this is especially true when your specs are not that common, and you don’t have the luxury of time to plan for the wedding.

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Looking for the perfect store to shop for your wedding necessities, such as bridesmaid dresses, mother of the bride dresses, and of course, your wedding gown, is not easy. You could always choose to go searching for those items the traditional way, i.e. hopping from one shop to another. Or, you could make use of the Internet to make your job easier.

But from thousands of online bridal shops, how do you know which one to choose? How do you ensure that you did the right thing in choosing a particular online bridal shop?

Well, make this task handy by taking the following suggestions:

1. Get Referrals

As with anything else, the referral system is one of the best ways in properly choosing an online bridal shop. If you know of people who have done the same thing, ask them. They would be more than willing to share what they know about online bridal stores.

If, however, you don’t have friends and other close acquaintances that have been into the same endeavor, then let the Internet do the talking. Surely, the websites of these online bridal shops have promoted themselves through customer feedback.

Sometimes, however, relying on customer testimonials alone is not that objective since normally, no online bridal shop would put in negative feedback on its site. That would be negative advertising for them.

Don’t worry though as there are a number of wedding forums available. Still using the internet, you can search for reputable wedding forums, sign up and ask for the best online bridal shops. Surely, they will have various responses but if you are just patient enough, then you’ll find yourself dialling the number of the best online bridal shop in no time.

2. Go for Functionality

Online bridal shops differ from each other according to their flagship products or services. While most of them promote wedding dresses, some actually focus on other wedding items, such as wedding favours and wedding invitations.

Therefore, when choosing your online bridal shop, get the one that can properly address your need. For instance, if you are letting a celebrity designer in your locality to make your wedding gown, then don’t look for online bridal shops that specialize on wedding dresses.

3. Get an easy-to-remember name

Most of the time, online bridal shop names are easy enough to remember. After all, that is their way of landing themselves on top of the page ranks. Therefore, take advantage of this marketing strategy. Online bridal shops that have the URL’s of “onlinebridalshop”, the “bridalshop” and “shopofbrides” are stores that would easily retain on your memory. Choose them.

Thanks to the Internet, you don’t have to go from one shop to another, spend at least three hours in every shop and go from one state to another just so you’ll find the perfect wedding items that you need. The Internet is truly a wonder.

And since every modern individual would take advantage of modernity, get into the groove as well. There’s barely nothing that the Internet cannot do. Therefore, make use of it. Hire the services of an online bridal shop now.

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For any mother of the bride, weddings will always be soulful, sentimental and meaningful occasions. Giving away a daughter’s hand in marriage will always be hard, especially for someone who has cared for her child and who has always been there for her since her conception.

But weddings are inevitable. You don’t want to be living under your parents’ roof for eternity. When your time to start your own family has come, how do you appease your mother? How do you appease the one person in this world who has always been there for you? Is it enough to get her the best among a wide selection of mother of the bride dresses?

Dress Her Up

Perhaps not. But getting the best among the mother of the bride dresses can do half the job, actually. Yes, by ensuring that your mom looks her best on the most important day of your life, you are telling her that you also want her to remember your wedding day as hers. After all, she has been in such a momentous occasion, only this time, she’s in one of those mother of the bride dresses.

Making your mom look and feel great during your big day is also a way of thanking her for taking care of you all these years. Had it not been for her, you may not even be in your wedding day today. Therefore, it’s but proper that she dons on the most fabulous of those mother of the bride dresses so she could also take the limelight — just enough though for her not to steal your thunder away.

Get into the Drama

If your mom cries during your wedding day, don’t panic. It is normal. Let her have it. It only means that she cares for you enough that it’s hard for her not to call you her baby anymore. You should be alarmed if during your wedding day, your mother does not display any kind of emotion.

Since some crying time is expected, make sure that you, and your mom, wear waterproof make-up. Otherwise, people would think that they are in the wrong party. You’d look like a lost Halloween character. And since you’ve chosen a one-of-a-kind gown, from among a myriad of mother of the bride dresses, make sure that a hanky would come in handy. There’s nothing worse than a smudged mother of the bride gown!

Give Her the Support She Needs

How wonderful it would have been if there are mother-of-the-bride-maids! They could come in handy since every bride’s mother would always have some wheezy moments — especially during the wedding ceremony.

Since there are none, then do these duties yourself, or better yet, assign it to someone who’s close to your mom. If she’s supposed to give a speech for example, then have your friend help her out in making that piece. As moms grow more mature, they get more stage fright, especially when they have to talk about their daughters, and the private moments that they have with you.

Every wedding is stressful, even to the mother of the bride. To make things lighter and to set a better mood, there are always some tips that you can make use of to make your moment truly MOMENTOUS. The ones mentioned above are just a few of them.

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As bad as it may sound, sometimes, things would not really go your way. Sometimes, things would not come out according to planned. This is especially stressful and nerve-racking when this happens during your wedding.

What do you do when days before the big day, your supplier for your wedding favours tells you that they cannot deliver your orders on time? Or worse, what would you do if upon follow-up, you get the response: “I’m sorry madamme, but I’ afraid that we don’t have a record of your order.”

Of course, your initial reaction would be to burst into flames. While it is rational to have an emotional outburst and probably file an official complaint to the representative that has handled you, there’s another side of this story that needs to be taken care of as well, and fast!

Yes, you need to have a backup plan. You need to come up with emergency wedding favours! Nobody would blame you if you don’t have wedding favours to distribute during your big day but you definitely would not want this possibility to even surface. Thus, you need to gather yourself and be in the game of planning again — this time, focusing on wedding favours.

Here are a few ideas:

DVD’s

This is something that is personalized and easy to come by. You can distribute DVD copies of the highlights of your life as a couple. Of course, you can also put in baby pictures of you and your groom, and some basic wedding details, such as the venue, date.

Giving DVD’s as wedding favours is also convenient. You don’t even have to contact a professional just so these will be reproduced. As long as you have a laptop, some blank DVD’s and a printer, then you’re good to go. This type of wedding keepsake is truly a do-it-yourself item.

Scented Candles

Yes, you may rant at how common and how ordinary scented candles as wedding favours are. However, if you just put in a dash of creativity into these candles, then it would look like these simple items were not really your second choice after all.

You can even buy these little babies in bulk in your favorite department store so you don’t have to deal with another supplier. After which, you can hire the services of a candle expert so he/she can then put a creative touch into these. In a matter of days, these common mall displays will cease to become ordinary and will be transformed into great wedding favours.

Porcelain Figurines

There are little shops in the malls that sell cute figurines of various designs — bride-and-groom, dolphins, cakes, flowers. Name it, they have it. All you have to do is pick a design and print little tags. These tags would then bear your names (yours and your husband’s, of course) and the date of your wedding. Viola, you have come up with fast but effective wedding favours!

Yes, it would have been better if things ran according to planned so you don’t have to be forced to deal with an emergency situation. But, if bad luck comes to you, then you don’t fret. You use that opportunity to turn things around and make the most out of the situation, especially if that happens on the most important day of your life, your wedding day!

Did you know that in ancient times, the task of informing guests regarding the details of an upcoming wedding is not done through wedding invitations? Yes, back when paper and stationery sets are not yet invented, spreading the word about tying-of-the-knot events were done using different means.

The Town Crier

When the printing press was not yet in existence, weddings are announced using a Town Crier. Typically, he is a gentleman with a loud voice and who roams around town to inform everyone about an upcoming wedding. Basically, everyone who has heard about such an announcement is invited to the wedding. In other words, one’s sense of hearing is a guest’s wedding invitation.

Calligraphy

Then during the medieval era, illiteracy was rampant. Because most people cannot read and write, the use of wedding invitations was only limited to the members of the nobility and to the affluent. Wedding invitations are done by using the services of monks and other people who are skilled in the art of calligraphy.

Because only the rich and affluent could afford the services of these skilled professionals, those in the lower and middle class had to make do of the town criers still.

Engraving

When engraving was invented in 1642, quality wedding invitations became accessible to the middle class. Engraving here means handwriting the text in reverse to any metallic object with the use of a carving tool. This engraved metal is then used to mass-print the wedding invitations.

Perhaps, this became the roots of mass wedding invitations that you see today.

“Double Envelopes”

When wedding invitations were to be hand delivered by a “horseman,” the possibility of damage is high. This gave rise to the idea of putting wedding invitations in two envelopes in order to protect these precious papers. Today, you can still see invitations placed in double envelopes because these are still to be sent to other parts of the world using a courier service provider. Of course, if you are the bride, you don’t want your guests receiving dilapidated and crumpled bits of paper.

The Modern Means

After the World War II, the use of “fine wedding stationery” came about. This then led to how you see wedding invitations today. This was also coupled with a number of different printing techniques including thermography, letterpress printing and laser printing. The third is promoted by many wedding experts because it is said to be the least expensive printing method.

You see, as with the other aspects in a wedding ceremony preparation, wedding invitations have also evolved. It has travelled from being a lowly auditory function to an elaborate written material that features different font types, styles, colors, sizes, and even scents.

You can see that even before, when the world still lacked a touch of modernity, the task of spreading the word about weddings was still carried out. You can see that people have used their creativity and ingenuity in making special announcements.

Today, however, you can still make use of that creativity – but not anymore in how the prehistoric people handled it. Creativity can be poured in your unique design of wedding invitations.

The history of wedding cakes and the tradition attached to them are rich. Before wedding cakes came to be what they are now, they’ve passed a lot of stages, all of which are equally interesting and intriguing.

During the Roman times, the concept of elaborate wedding cake decorations and icings was not yet a reality. For instance, the groom is supposed to eat part of the wedding loaf. He would then break the remaining portion and it must be broken over the bride’s head. This symbolizes the groom’s dominance over the bride. This tradition, however, has long been eradicated possibly because of its chauvinistic implications.

Also, in the olden times, small cakes (more like today’s cupcakes) are stacked to form the wedding cakes. The notion of a white wedding cake is also very popular and was connected to affluence. Because ingredients used to make up the white icing are hard to come by, only those who can afford to travel to other places just to get hold of these cake “materials” can come up with white wedding cakes.

Interestingly, in the 17th century, the idea of sleeping on a piece of cake became very popular. They say that if you put a piece of the wedding cake underneath your pillow, you will dream about your future spouse. In the 18th century, this tradition on wedding cakes evolved into the brides passing tiny cake crumbs through their wedding rings. These crumbs are then placed underneath the pillows.

Later on, the traditional wedding cake slicing that we see today came about. The bride, with the help of the groom, creates two slices, and together, they eat that part of the cake. As this is the first task that that the couple does together, this act symbolizes their never-ending promise of supporting each other for the rest of their married life.

Then came the multi-layered and elaborately designed cakes of many colors that we see today. Wedding cakes are not only white in color; today, the couple can experiment with different colors, usually making it consistent with the theme and the motif of the wedding.

Still, another interesting fact about this tradition is that the couple tries to save the topmost tier of their wedding cakes. They preserve and freeze it for use during their first anniversary. But you don’t get to see this anymore today as the elaborate decorations make the cake more vulnerable.

What proved to be a traditional and simple creation of cakes — or loaves of bread as in the olden times — now became a design extravaganza. Numerous cake and pastry houses specialize on the design of wedding cakes. The internet even has a wide selection of wedding cakes.

In conclusion, just like the wedding ceremony itself, the history and tradition of wedding cakes have come a long way. Some practices have long been eradicated while others survived the test of time and modernity.

If you prefer a traditional wedding, then you’d surely insert some of the practices that survived in the ceremony and at the reception. Otherwise, you can skip these and just go directly to the sole purpose of the occasion. The most important thing however, is that you’ve respected the solemnity of the event and the importance of this sacrament.

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As the worldwide economic recession continues to haunt all of us, it is depressing to know that even wedding budgets have to be cut down as well. If you’re getting married anytime soon, then surely you have been stressing your brains and hearts out just to cover every wedding preparation detail with your meagre budget. How could such funds take care of all the wedding invitations, bridesmaid dresses, wedding favours and of course, your bridal gown?

Fret no more as there’s one department of the entire wedding-day-traditional-preparation that you can cut cost on, your wedding invitations! Yes, these important and official bearers of the good news need not be expensive. Here are a few tips on how to save on your expenses for wedding invitations.

Learn About the Trade

They say that an informed customer gets the most reasonable deals. And this is also true in wedding invitations. These cards could cost you a lot if you don’t know what you’re getting into. Use the internet to know about the common printing methods. Naturally, most the elegant printing method could cost you more. If a simpler technique could get your message across, then by all means, use it. Experts suggest laser printing as this is the least expensive.

You also should learn about papers when designing your wedding invitations. Visit various stores first before you buy the stationery item of your choice. You’ll learn than paper boutiques have higher mark up’s as compared to bookstores and other general merchandise outlets.

Go for the Basics

Letting go of the extras in wedding invitations could really make you save. Do away with those buttons, strings and other decorative items. Keep your cards as simple but as informative as ever. You’d thank yourself for doing so come mailing time as an extra weight would also cost you more.

Invite Less People

If you really are tight on budget, then nobody would blame you for inviting only the most important people in your — and your fiancé’s — life. This is truly one of the surest ways to save on your expenses on wedding invitations. Naturally, because you have less people to inform and to gather for your special day, you have less notices to send out.

Use the Internet

Get practical. Use electronic invitation cards for friends who have regular access to the Internet. Surely, your comrades won’t mind. It’s more convenient for them as well as they don’t have to carry those stationery sets on their way to your wedding.

Plus, you can send these electronic wedding invitations to as many people as you can (at a time), provided that you have their email addresses, of course! Not only will this technique let you save on cost, but on your time as well. With electronic wedding invitations, a simple mouse click — or a series of clicks, to be more realistic about it — would replace the effort of writing down the addresses on each envelope and mailing them.

You see, wedding invitations (and weddings, in general) need not be expensive to become successful. As long as they fulfill their primary goal – that is in informing everyone about your big day – then you’re good to go. You need spend so much on it. After all, the ceremony itself is just the start of your life together… you still have the rest of your life to prepare for.

Thousand of wedding dresses are rented, made, sewn, worn, sealed and handed down each single year. If you were to pile them all up, they would all basically look the same. So how do you go about to make your own wedding dresses stand out? Here are a few tips for having stand-out wedding dresses:

1. Splash in a bit of your favorite shade.

Think of Gwen Stefani’s luxurious wedding dress. Instead of merely settling for pristine white, add a little spunk to your wedding dresses. You may blend in a few pastels near the hem of your wedding gown, or add a few dainty miniature flowers at the fold.

2. Add a little sparkle

Other than spunk, you could also add in sparkle and sheen to your otherwise bland wedding dresses. Add a touch of sparkle with a few Swarovski crystals or beadworks to you wedding dresses. Just avoid overdoing it. Otherwise you would end up like a walking disco ball.

3. Be yourself

You can never do your wedding gown justice if you don’t wear it comfortably enough. Be yourself and wear it the way you would wear it and not how some stiff, self-conscious and awkward bride would. Have fun in your wedding dresses and wear it with confidence. No one else in the entire room looks more gorgeous than you.

For those wearing a plus-size wedding attire, fear not. It is not the size that makes you or breaks you. It is how you wear it and how you feel when you are wearing it. It is your day, you are the best looking chap in the room, you know.

4. Add a little pizzazz

If you want to wear a pair of ruby red Dorothy heels with your wedding dresses, go ahead. Accessorize and add in a bit of your personality. However, you have to be very careful with this. Be sure you won’t go overboard. Accessorize carefully, not thoroughly.

You could add in few of the pieces that makes you uniquely you. Flower lovers, show your passion. Wear a halo made with the best flowers or have a few miniature flowers added into your wedding dresses. Just make sure you do not end up looking like a giant bundle of wedding favors. You might lead your guests scrambling to take you home.

5. Accessorize with a smile

Despite what people say, your mood really brings down or destroys an outfit. Even if you are indeed wearing the world’s most gorgeous wedding dresses, made with the world’s finest silk and embroidered with the best jewels, but your face – especially your eyes – reflect the anxiety, the doubts, the self-consciousness, you will not be doing your gorgeous wedding dress any justice.

Smile and enjoy the occasion. Your wedding day is supposed to be the best day of your life. Walk down the aisle with positive thoughts and do not dwell on apprehensions. In addition, do not feel conscious wearing your wedding dresses. You will not believe how a sunny smile can drastically change everything.

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