Posted on by Olga Pomeransky — 2 Comments

Wedding Toasts 101

At many weddings, some guests are asked to give a speech or propose a toast during the reception. Normally, this is done by the best man, but many weddings are now asking the maid of honor to complete one as well.

If you have been asked to make a toast at a wedding, there are some very important thing that you should remember to do when you are writing your speech. Below are the top ten things to consider when writing a toast.

Timing

A good speech should be between 1 and 4 minutes. Wedding toasts tend to be boring if they go on too long, so make sure that you keep yours short and sweet. The main idea behind your toast is to deliver it with sincerity.

Announcement

People will need to have time to fill their glasses before your speech begins. In order to make sure that everyone has a full glass, make an announcement a few minutes before you plan to give your toast.

Stand

You should always stand when you are giving a toast and hold the glass in your right hand.

Personal

Your toast should be personal and meaningful. It is fine to use humor or even quotes when making your toast. One of the most popular options is the story regarding how the bride and groom met.

Humor

Humor is a terrific thing to add to your speech, but you should make sure that the humor you choose is appropriate and in good taste.

Tone

Always use your normal tone of voice. You should avoid using elaborate hand gestures or alter your voice in strange ways.

Practice

It is best to practice your toast before you are expected to present it. Speaking in public can be intimidating and for those who are not experienced with it will fare better with practice.

Eye Contact

When you are making your speech, you should look around the room while you make your toast. Making eye contact is also a bonus, especially with the bride and groom.

Deep Breath

Take your time and don’t rush through the speech. You should speak clearly so that everyone will be able to understand you.

Cheers

Your speech should always finish with congratulations or some sort of blessing for the couple. This is the main purpose of the toast and you should make sure to include it at the end.

Conclusion

When you are writing your speech, make sure that you are keeping the topic suitable for the entire audience. While you want to be personal, it is best to avoid an overly personal story about the couple because it can be embarrassing, both for you and for them.

If you have been asked to make a speech at a wedding, it means that you are an important part of the couple’s life. You should take this as an honor and make sure that you present them with a toast that will show how much you appreciate their friendship.

The bride and groom will be looking for a special moment to enjoy a toast made from the people they love the most and to make use of those special glasses that they have purchased. Make sure that the speech that you present gives them this special moment.

Best for Bride

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Posted on by Olga Pomeransky — 1 Comment

Master the Art of Elegance: A Step-by-Step Guide to Bustling Your Wedding Dress!

A bustle brings the back of a wedding dress off the floor so the bride is not hampered by the train during the wedding reception. Bustles are very common. Different styles of bustles can be used. The bustle may require the addition of hook and eye or ties to the wedding dress.

The bustle is created during alterations. Since bustles are so common, brides may wonder why wedding dresses do not have bustle attachments in place. The bustle requires that the hem of the dress be brought up to a height that keeps it off the floor. The back of the skirt is typically raised so that it is just above the floor. Therefore, the person doing bridal dress alterations can adjust the bustle to account for the preferred bustle style, the bride’s height, and shoes so that the bustle is the correct length.

For an over-bustle, the train is brought up on the outside of the skirt and attached to the waist of the dress with a hook and eye or button and loop. A covered button may be added to the back of the wedding dress with a small loop attached under the train. A long train may require additional hook and eye attachments. These can be camouflaged with lace appliqués or other subtle embellishments.

An under-bustle is tucking the length of the train under the wedding gown. The under-bustle sometimes is called the French or Victorian bustle. Ribbons are sewn on the inside of the dress. Different colours of ribbons often are used. After the ceremony, the bride may need assistance to tie the ribbons to make the bustle.

The bride and her assistant need to tie the matching ribbons together to draw the gown up in the bustle. A one-point French bustle uses only one pair of ribbons while the three-point bustle uses three pairs that will need to be tied. Three-point bustles are best for long trains.

An Austrian bustle uses a system of loops. The bride pulls the string in the loops, and the train is gathered upwards. Instead of folds like the other bustles, this is a gathering of the fabric. A royal bustle uses multiple ties. The fabric is gathered up at each of these points. So, it’s somewhat like an Austrian bustle with three or more points. A bubble hem is a folding up of the length of the dress at the hem. This method may require numerous bustle points for a long train.

The cost of a bustle can vary by type and the number of points needed to be added to the dress to create the bustle. The bride will want to go to a room away from her guests to bust up the dress, especially for the bustles that require her to lift her dress to access the underside. Some wedding dress seamstresses recommend the bride have two or three women ready to help her bustle her dress after the ceremony.

A wedding dress is a crucial way to express yourself during your special day. Our blog at Best for Bride contains many helpful wedding dress advice, like choosing the style and learning about modern trends.

Posted on by Olga Pomeransky — 3 Comments

How to handle it when others try to take over your wedding

Wedding planning is not an easy feat, with thousands of decisions to make and hundreds of arrangements to complete. To add to all this stress is the fact that every wedding party will have at least one person, if not more, who tries to take over the reins and run your wedding for you. If you are a person who cannot say “NO”, you are in for a tough time when these people begin to run the show.

So, what do you do when you feel things are slowly slipping out of your hands? Do you just bite it down and let it be? Or do you put your foot down, and take back control? Let us look at how you can tackle such situations appropriately.

Tactically saying No

From choosing the wedding colors to fixing the guest list and booking vendors, you will have to listen to hundreds of opinions. Do listen to all of them, but do not commit without thinking it through. The best approach is to thank them for their help, and tell them that you will be in touch if you decide this is the option you want.

Remember that at some point of your wedding, you will have to disagree with someone. So, don’t feel guilty about it. Appreciate their well-intended advice or suggestion, but don’t feel you have to go with it if you aren’t comfortable. This is just how weddings work, realize it and it will be easier for you.

Work together and find middle ground

This is important when the people involved are contributing or very dear to you. For example, it may be your parents or in-laws. The fact that they are contributing may lead them to believe that they are entitled to make certain decisions. They may want to invite more of their guests than you would like to have at the wedding, or they may consider choosing the menu.

Although it is your wedding, in such a scenario you should remember that these people have earned the right to their opinion. An amicable solution is the best approach. Discuss several options where the menu is concerned and find one that both of you are satisfied with. Ask them to drop a few guests, while you too do the same. Compromise on matters that don’t have a huge impact, so that everyone is happy in the end.

Delegate tasks that are not crucial

Hand over few responsibilities to your overly eager friends and relatives, so they don’t feel like you are ignoring them entirely. This may be to follow up on a vendor booking, make a list of entertainment options or to check that the deliveries arrive on time. Even so, keep the bigger decisions to yourself. Make it a point to appreciate their help, and thank them profusely for their involvement. This should keep them happy, but out of your way.

Having a perfect wedding is not only about having a hassle-free day. It is also about the happiness you and your wedding party share. So, let this day be fun for all. Though you can’t please everyone, try to tackle difficult situations and bossy relatives sensibly, so no one is offended.

For more wedding advice and tips, as well as to choose your wedding dress visit us at Best for Bride.

Posted on by Olga Pomeransky — 1 Comment

Wedding dress selection for Petite Brides made easy

Women come in different shapes and sizes, with no two of them exactly alike. While it is important to find a beautiful wedding dress, it is also necessary that it suits your build if you are to look fabulous on your wedding day. Most dresses, including bridal gowns, are designed for the average woman, who is at least 165cm tall. It is not as easy to find a dress that satisfies your preferences if you are on either end of the size spectrum, than if you are an average-sized woman. However, it is possible.

You may not have too many choices, but you can still find a fantastic dress, if you know what features would look best on you. Here, we will take a look at the dress styles that particularly favor petite brides.

Who is a petite bride?

Petite women have small body frames. They are short, with tiny waists. Petite sized dresses are designed and specially created for women who have a height of 160cm (5ft 3 in) or less.

A petite woman wouldn’t look good in a dress that isn’t designed for petite measurements. This is because, it isn’t easy to alter a regular dress to a petite size without introducing too many tucks and seams. This would spoil the overall finish, and the dress may not look elegant on a small-built woman.

What should petite brides look for in a dress?

A petite bride would benefit from a dress that creates the illusion of few extra inches. This is possible by choosing a gown with a waistline above the natural waist. An empire waist gown, or one that gathers under the bust and flows into the skirt from a cleverly elevated waistline will elongate your torso.

Another pattern suitable for petites is the fit and flare style, where the dress snugly clings to the body all the way from the bust, to your waist and hips and flares out into a layered skirt at the knees. This creates the illusion of height. There is another benefit to choosing such a mermaid-inspired gown. With this pattern, you can flaunt your best feature—a slim, natural waist that many women would die for.

If you are petite, you are born to look gorgeous in a close-fitting sheath pattern. There aren’t many other body types who can carry off this look, like you can.

What to avoid in your wedding dress

While details add splendor and sophistication, you should restrict the amount of embellishments if you are a petite bride. A detailed bodice would be great, but be wary of huge waistbands, bows or too many details in the skirt.

Avoid a dress with a dropped waist, or a heavily layered skirt that will drown you. Instead, look for ruffles that cascade down the side, or add texture to the bodice.

Your wedding day is all about looking glamorous and feeling so. Show off your best features—your well-toned shoulders, slim waist and huge smile, and you will be the perfectly petite bride.

For dresses that are exclusively designed for petite brides, check out our Perfectly Petite collection at BestforBride and make your pick.