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Tailored to Perfection: 3 Essential Tips for Seamless Wedding Dress Alterations!

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Every bride has a unique body shape. So, buying your wedding gown is just the beginning, as any gown you buy off-the-rack will require a few tweaks, to make it look as though it was made just for you. Once you buy your gown, you have to go through the difficult task of altering the dress, so it fits you perfectly.

As your wedding dress is a complicated and fitted garment, you will often need more than just one alteration session to get it right. So, it is essential to buy your gown sooner than later, and fix your appointments early, so your gown is ready in time for your wedding. Here are some tips to help you make the task easier.

Buy a dress in the optimal size

Wedding dresses come in a range of sizes, and you should buy one that fits you closely. This will help you attain your perfect fit with minimum changes. Every change you make will cost money. So, find one that fits you best and you will have to spend less.

To do so, first refer to the measurement charts of the collection, and choose the size that matches your measurements. Also compare with dresses in sizes just bigger and smaller, so you can see which of these suit your height, bust, hip and waist measurements best.

Even if you plan to lose weight before your wedding, don’t make the mistake of ordering a gown that is smaller than your current size. Taking in a gown is easier than adding inches to it. Don’t risk struggling with a too-tight bodice, should you be unable to shed those extra pounds on time.

Pay attention to the parts you want to retain

When a dress is altered, parts of it may have to be taken off. Say, the reason you love your chosen dress is for the contrast of its dainty wide scalloped hemline with the plain skirt, but the dress is too long for you. After the alteration, if the hemline is moved up and the motifs flow from your knees instead of at your calves, you lose the feature you loved the most. So, choose a gown that is measured for your frame, to ensure that the dress will finally look like you intended it to.

Take all your accessories along and request custom changes 

If you want the gown sized right, make sure you attend your alteration sessions in shoes with the same heel height and similar innerwear to what you will be wearing on your wedding day. Buy your wedding shoes before your first fitting, so you can wear it when you try your wedding dress.

If you feel the strapless design you chose is too difficult to handle, and you feel like you’ll be tugging at it all day, you can ask your seamstress to add straps or detachable sleeves. However, do this only if you feel uncomfortable even after the bust fitting is done.

Similarly, you can take off layers from a skirt that feels too bulky or have the neckline or back dipped further, if you choose to. A good seamstress can help you customize your dress to look just like you want it to.

Whether you want to buy the right wedding gown, or need a good alteration service, visit Best for Bride for the right solution.

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5 last things to do on the day before your wedding

Your wedding day is finally here!

In the hectic pace of planning and arranging everything, you are likely to overlook some detail or the other. To avoid any last minute snags, here is a checklist of things to do the day before the wedding. Follow this and the last few hours leading up to your wedding will be relaxed with everything under control.

Put out your wedding dress and accessories

Not only should you lay out your wedding dress, you should also inspect every detail one last time. The last thing you want is to find a missing button on the morning of your wedding and panic over it. Do it the day before and you have plenty of time to fix any likely problems.

Also arrange all the things you need in the morning—your make-up, inner-wear, perfume and accessories in one place, so you needn’t run around searching for anything once you start dressing. Make sure that everything is arranged in a location, that nobody has access to, so nothing is tampered with.

Call your vendors for last-minute confirmations

Although you are certain that everything will go perfectly, you can still call up all the vendors and ensure everything is as per plan. If anything, it will put your mind at ease to know that everything is progressing smoothly, and not be worried of likely issues.

Hand over your emergency bridal kit to your MoH and run the plans by her

Every bride has to have an emergency bridal kit for any likely mishap on the wedding day. Put your kit together with all the essential fixes, and hand it over to your MoH the day-before, so she can carry it with her to the venue. Also, spend some time sharing notes over the duties of the bridesmaids and ensure that you and your MoH are on the same page. She can then see to it that the bridal party handles their responsibilities as per your expectations. Get your MoH to check that the bridesmaids are all set for your wedding day, their dresses are in order and they are aware of all other necessary details.

Prep your house and check with out-of-town guests

Photos will be taken from the moment you wake up on your wedding day. So, get your house looking great and neat on the day before, and you needn’t worry about it in the morning. Put out a few baskets to corral any strewn items and just tuck them into corners to sort out later. Also, co-ordinate with out-of-town guests and make sure they are where they ought to be. A good idea would be to entrust this responsibility to family or friends, and just check to see that everything is as per plan.

Spend some time relaxing on your own

You have a stressful day ahead, so make sure you get some “me” time the day before to relax and unwind. Indulge in a scented bath or home facial, listen to some calming music or take a nap. Imagine a perfect wedding day and it will be just that. Rejuvenate yourself and you will be ready for the long day ahead of you.

For more valuable wedding tips and advice, as well as to pick out the perfect wedding dress, visit us on Best for Bride.

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Guide to Barn Weddings

Barn weddings are becoming increasingly popular. As couples embrace the rustic chic style, barns and other country settings are in big demand as wedding venues. Though much of the process of using a barn for a wedding venue is the same as using any other type of venue, there are a few differences. What should you know when planning a barn wedding?

When planning the layout for the wedding or reception inside a barn, know the shape and dimensions of the building as well as any interior obstacles and the locations of the doors. It may help you to draw a diagram to plan out the seating arrangements and locations of tables and other items that you’ll be bringing into the space.

The barn offers protection in rain, but what is it like in sweltering heat. What could the weather mean for your wedding and guests? Barns typically aren’t climate controlled. Winter weddings may require you to bring in heaters. Summer wedding may require fans. If you are having a winter or summer barn wedding, you may want to call different barn venues and ask if they have the necessary heating or cooling.

Will you need to spray for mosquitoes the day before the wedding? Ask the owner what weather or insect issues there may be for you and plan accordingly. Barns may or may not have finished floors. Some barns that are rented for weddings have natural dirt floors. This can be a problem if your guests are dressed in formal attire such as long dresses.

Many other types of wedding venues have a kitchen space. Barns, even those regularly rented for weddings, rarely have kitchens. Make sure the barn will have the necessary space and equipment that you or the caterer will need. Some caterers require a working kitchen. Therefore, the availability of the kitchen also may affect your choice of caterer.

Is there ample parking close to the barn? May some guests need to walk farther than others? If so, you may want to have older adults park close and ask others to park farther from the barn. Check with the venue management to see if there will be enough restrooms for your guests. In some cases, couples need to rent bathrooms for their barn weddings.

Know where the electrical outlets are. If possible, plan your reception set up for the best use of the outlets. Don’t overload an outlet or you may end up in the dark. A common way to plan the use of outlets is to dedicate each outlet needed for one particular use. For example, if an outlet is used for coffee, don’t let the band use it. The band’s outlet should only be used for the band.

For more information about how to plan select the perfect venue for your wedding, take a look at the Best for Bride blog.

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Wedding Flowers: Bouquet shapes and how to choose the right one

You have chosen the perfect wedding dress, jewelry to match, the hairstyle to sport and shoes to glide down the aisle. You’re almost the perfect bride, except for one small detail that will add the finishing touches – your wedding bouquet!

Bridal bouquets are not just a bunch of flowers that are put together at random. When chosen well, your bouquet will complete your bridal look perfectly. How do you get it right?

Let us look at the different shapes in which wedding bouquets are available, and find the choice that is the right size and shape for your figure.

Circular bouquets: Nosegays and Posies

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The round bouquet is a popular traditional choice. It can be created from the same flowers or an assortment of blooms that are neatly arranged in a circular fashion. Nosegays and posies are extensions of the classic round bouquet, but are smaller in size. In nosegays the flowers are arranged tightly, the cluster is small and the stems are all cut to the same length. Posies are small bouquets that are usually tied with a ribbon.

This shape is generally versatile, and all three go extremely well with classic ball gowns or A-line dresses. Posies particularly suit petite brides. You can choose the size of the round bouquet, or the arrangement of the flowers to complement your figure, so it helps to balance out your look.

Hand tied bouquet

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You can understand from the name itself that these bouquets have a casual look and feel. The chosen bunch of flowers are gathered together and simply tied with a ribbon. Unlike the other prim and perfect bouquet designs, hand-tied bouquets are loosely tied to create a messy look, with the stems and foliage showing. It is an apt choice for an outdoor wedding, and you can adjust the size and choice of flowers to match your size.

Cascade bouquet

By Photo by and (c)2007 Jina Lee (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Credits: Jina Lee CC-BY-SA-3.0
This is a rich bouquet with flowers that flow downwards to resemble a mini-waterfall. The style was a hit in the 1980’s and is one of the most creative arrangements. An assortment of flowers are necessary to create the luscious cascade, and it is often mixed with lavish specks of green. It is also known as the teardrop bouquet, when the thickness of the arrangement thins towards the ends of the bouquet.

The flowers chosen for the bouquet will determine whether it is traditional or modern. The contemporary choice includes orchids and lilies, while the traditional choice has roses. Since the bouquet falls downwards, it has a slimming effect which works well for plus-size brides. The dramatic design also matches mermaid or ball gown skirts.

Presentation bouquets

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This style is similar to the ones we see at pageants. Long stemmed flowers are tied together and the bouquet is held across the body to rest in the crook of the arm. It has a formal touch and suits all body shapes.

Composite bouquets

This is a bouquet that takes time and effort to create. An individual big flower is crafted out of hundreds of small petals from individual flowers, which are glued or tied together. It is more expensive than the other bouquets, but is a unique and stunning design worth its price.

Now that you know the technical differences between the various bouquets available, you should be able to choose the one that is right for you. Visit Best for Bride for more wedding advice and tips.