Olga Pomeransky, Author at The Best Bridal Store - Your source for everything you want to know about weddings

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5 Biggest Wedding Dress Mistakes

Bring along your most trusted entourage

Your wedding dress is more than likely going to be the most important dress that you will ever wear in your entire lifetime, so it is important that you pick the right one. Nevertheless, you will more than likely want to bring your friends and family along to be part of this special ritual of dress choosing, but even so, are 10 different opinions really going to make choosing your dress any easier? It’s recommended in bringing just 2 people along with you, perhaps your mother or sister, and perhaps your best friend. These individuals are more than likely going to have your best interests at heart and not what they would like to wear.

Avoid trying on to many bridal dresses

It’s not uncommon for brides to try on hundreds upon hundreds of dresses without finding one that is perfect for them. Typically a bride shouldn’t try on any more than 10 dresses. The more dresses you try on, the more confusion you are likely to cause. “Oh but I like this one, but that one has crystals, this one is prettier”. Abolish these questions by sticking to a limit.

On the other hand, some brides continue to try on countless dresses because they don’t wish to end the shopping experience. Most little girls dream of trying on countless dresses for their big day, and many brides like to hang on to that dream without committing to a choice. Don’t get distracted by the bountiful amounts of dresses.

Being Swayed by Steep Discounts

Do not be lured in by the 75% discount of that designer dress in the window. The biggest mistake brides make is choosing to purchase a gown that has an enormous ‘today only’ discount. Not only are you running the risk of impulse buying to save some money, but you could end up with a dress you never really wanted, or may be damaged.

Heavily discounted dresses have more than likely been worn by countless brides. This means the dress could be stained, torn, or in some way damaged. If you are set on buying a heavily discounted bridal dress, check for damages carefully. If you come across something that cannot be easily fixed, don’t buy! Brides can easily spend hundreds of dollars on fixing a dress.

Avoid setting your heart on the wrong size

“I am planning on losing weight for my wedding day”. A phrase that is extremely common. Make sure that you play it safe when it comes to sizing your dress and pick something that fits your current size. If you do end up losing weight (congratulations!), your dress can easily be taken in, (usually up to four dress sizes). Or on the other hand, if the diet doesn’t go to plan, dresses can also be let out an entire size without affecting the appearance of the dress.

Stick with the style you originally planned on

So many brides-to-be walk out of a store, or purchase a wedding dress online with something entirely different than what they originally wanted or planned for. It’s recommended that you bring pictures of the bridal dresses that you like, with you. Nevertheless, if the representative in the store offers you another alternative, give it a try. Not all of our dream dresses suit our shapes girls, and we need to remember that! But with your wedding image snippets, you can keep on the right lights or nearer to the style you were looking for.

Need inspiration or advice on which bridal dress to choose? Visit www.bestforbride.com today!

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Choosing the Best Bridesmaid Dresses

As the bride, you may only be thinking about the way your bridesmaids will look standing next to you, more focused on the design of their dresses and not having much regard towards the other, finer aspects of their apparel. Follow this advice, and not only will you be happy with the results, but so will your bridesmaids!

And trust me when I say that unhappy bridesmaids are not something you want on your wedding day.

First off, yes, design is important, but don’t be stuck in the ways of having a single style for all of your bridesmaids. Everyone is made differently, every single body has a different shape, and one size does not fit all. Having a uniform look may be important to you, but I can tell you from experience that just because a design looks good on one body type does not mean it will look good on every other body type present, and if your bridesmaids do not feel like they look good, their discomfort will show.

Second, aim to get a dress style/color that your bridesmaids will get to wear more than once. Bridesmaids’ dresses can be pretty pricey, and getting more use out of them is always a plus. Color, too, matters. Your first priority is going to have a color that matches your wedding theme. That should be your priority, but you should also keep in mind the complexion of your Bridesmaids to make sure the color dresses don’t make them look sick, or clash horribly with their hair, etc. They will thank you for it.

This Alfred Angelo, chiffon cocktail dress is perfect for a Bridesmaid dress, but is also perfect for wearing out on the town. Your Bridesmaid will love it.

Third, be mindful of comfort. Your main concern might be to make sure the bridal party looks flawless, or you might see your Bridesmaids as mainly being accessories to you. That is all well and good, because this is your day after all, but remember that your Bridesmaids are going to be wearing their dresses for the entire night, which means they will be dancing in them during your reception. Pick a style and material that is comfortable enough to where they won’t resent you for the rest of their lives for making them wear it for hours on end.

This Jasmine dress is long and flowing. It is not too tight, nor too poufy, so it will be easy to move in and fun to dance in. The straps will keep it secure without needing much, if any, adjustment throughout the night. It’s perfect.

BestForBride.com has an amazing selection of Bridesmaid dresses. From long-sleeve to strapless, floor-length to cocktail, and a plethora of colors and designers; you’re sure to find the perfect dress for every one of your Bridesmaids. Simply go to http://www.bestforbride.com/bridesmaids.html and browse the selection!

Your wedding is going to be one of the most important days of your life, and your happiness matters most, but don’t neglect the other members of your wedding party! Remember, your Bridesmaids are your friends and your family, and you want them to be just as happy and smiling just as brightly as you are when you’re standing on that altar. The right dress will make that so much easier!

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Your invitations set the tone for your wedding?

“Your invitations set the tone for your wedding”, is perhaps the most common and redundant phrase you will hear while you and your betrothed scrupulously plan that once in a lifetime milestone celebration. Your invitations are a reflection of your personalities and a visual representation of your love. Thus, they not only provide your guests with the first glimpse of this special day but they also set the expectations. A word of advice, don’t delay or skimp out on the most important preview of this spectacular day.

Having worked as a seasoned bridal consultant for 4 years and a wedding invitation shop manager for 2 years in my past life, I have quite a bit of insight into the planning process. Aside from the romantic notions, there are some very practical reasons why your invitations should be at the top of your wedding planning checklist. For the next 6-12 months your invitations will serve as your guide for almost every aspect of your wedding planning. I suggest getting your invitations 4-6 months before the wedding date. Turnaround and production time generally takes 1-2 months and you want to make sure your guests have plenty of time to make arrangements in their schedule for your special day. If you are having a destination wedding, send out your invites or a save-the-date card 1 year prior to your wedding day.

What is more important, however, is that by creating a custom invitation with a professional designer, you can nail down the look, theme, and colour scheme for your wedding. This “wedding scheme” is like an inspiration board of all your ideas, which will be required for almost every aspect of your planning. For example, many cake artists will ask you for the invitation as the inspiration for a cake. How will you coordinate your bridesmaids’ dresses? Nowadays brides are stepping away from the conformities of a single colour and choosing to do an ombré effect with their bridesmaids wearing various transitional colours. What about your bridal gown accessories? Will your shoes match your bridesmaids’ dresses or your bouquet? Or perhaps you want to match your groom’s accessories to your own, and the bridesmaids’ accessories to the groomsmen? And don’t forget the colour of your bouquet(s) and flower decorations. Decisions, decisions! All of these elements make up the look and feel of your wedding. All of these should reflect you and the groom on that special day.

Enter your multifaceted fairy-godmother bridal guru. Yes I am boasting, but ask any of my brides and they will confirm that their planning became a lot simpler after contacting me for invitations. I will become your personal wedding planning advisor. Once we sit down with your ideas, I will help you conceptualize your bridal vision. The invitations will become your mini inspiration board and will serve as a guide and help you make decisions in all the other items on your checklist. I am here to make your life a lot simpler and the process enjoyable.

Here are some helpful hints from White Dove about invitations, but if you are a bit overwhelmed with all the above aforementioned, please do take a breather, maybe grab a latte?

Here goes…

Guest Sift: The first decision you should make before looking at invitation styles is the guest list. Sift, sift, sift. An easy way to make sure you don’t forget anyone is to separate the guests into categories, such as: bride’s friends, groom’s friends, bride’s family and their friends, groom’s family and their friends, mutual friends, and others. Write each category at the top of a sheet of paper and brainstorm. Take the appropriate papers to your family as well as your fiancé’s family to see if anyone was left off. When a number of all invited guests is reached, divide this number by two and add 25-50. The remaining number should be the amount of invitations you order, with the extra going towards potential extra guests or lost mail.

Create a timeline and sense of urgency: Technically, invitations should be mailed 8-10 weeks (2 – 2.5 months) prior to a wedding. However, more than that is too early as many will put off RSVP’ing and then forget altogether. You should have your final headcount 1-1.5 months before the wedding. The sooner you receive your final guest attendance count by RSVP, the easier it will be to finalize your quantities and menu items (in case of food sensitivities or allergies) with your caterer, seating arrangements (seating charts), and rentals. Also, depending on your invitation choices, you may need as much as two months more for design and printing time, so be sure not to cut it too close. Ordering your invites early can save you money for rush fees and expedited shipping.

It’s a simple equation:

order invitations early = receive replies early = save money and your nerves

Count Carefully: Be sure to count mailing addresses and not invited guests! Remember, many guests are invited as couples or as a family. If you have 100 total invited guests, you may only need 65 invitations. Add approximately 10 to 15 extras for last minute guest-list additions.

Creative reply cards and website: Reply postcards are a really popular and great way to save money by avoiding the envelope. They can be well designed with a vintage emblem to look like an old postcard. You can also leave a blank space for your guests to reply with a note. Another idea I pitch to clients is that they can create their own wedding website for free and use it to communicate with their gusts as well as set up virtual RSVP. For the older generation of less tech-savvy guests like grandparents and foreign family members who speak a different language, you can purchase the physical reply cards. This will substantially lower your overall cost!

Avoid using address labels if possible: You really don’t want your wedding invitations to look like a mass mailed corporate office mailer. My best suggestion is to hand write them yourself or get your family and bridal party involved! It’s a great way to spend some quality time…just tell them it’s a little party with lots of food and goodies (wink, wink) and then casually have each person address 10 envelopes for you. 10 people addressing 10 envelopes = 100 envelopes. Easy breezy and you had a fun time doing it! Who doesn’t love to see a hand-addressed envelope waiting for them in their mailbox? It’s that extra personal touch. Just an FYI, when you order with White Dove Invitations, we will always provide an additional 10 envelopes with your order for free just in case.

Be neurotic about postage and mailing:Make sure that your invitations have the correct postage. Go to the Post Office to send them out and get them weighed. Ensure the ink and handwriting is clear and legible so that your good tidings arrive to their intended destinations. Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3…Mail one invitation to yourself as a test to ensure that you used proper postage. It’ll also be a keepsake with a postmark from your local post-office.

Hope these tips are helpful! Just remember, you only have one opportunity to make a first impression, so make it count.

Xo xo,

Alexandra

Invitation artisan for White Dove Invitations

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Wedding Invitation Etiquette

Invitations aren’t just about picking the perfect paper, colors or designs. Not only do they allow couples to show off their unique style and personalities, but they also provide wedding guests with a small glimpse of the highly anticipated event by giving them details and more. Wedding invitations these days are more creative, colorful and gorgeous, but one thing stays the same – wedding invitation etiquette. Many of the exact same rules from yesteryear still apply – from what information to include or how to address people. Here are some tips to have perfectly personalized and worded wedding invitations.

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