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5 tips to make sure your wedding dress is sold online

Wedding dresses hold memories, but cannot always be kept forever. Many brides choose to sell their wedding dress after their weddings, and often do this online. There is huge demand for pre-loved wedding gowns and you can easily find a bride who can give your wedding dress another chance. Here are some tips that will help you make sure your wedding dress is sold online.

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Get it cleaned and ready for sale as soon as possible

Nobody wants a wedding dress that looks shabby. Whether you intend to sell your dress or save it for yourself, get it cleaned immediately after the wedding. Wedding dresses should be professionally cleaned and boxed, so they do not age. If there are any stains, make sure you have it specifically targeted and your cleaner gets it out. Have it displayed in an attractive manner, so that your buyers feel you have taken the pains to care for your dress and they think it is a worthwhile investment.

Be reasonable with your price

Don’t expect to recoup the entire amount, even if you sell the dress just days after the wedding. The reason women look at used wedding dresses is to save cash this way, or else they would just go with a brand new one. The Daily mail suggests that used dresses be priced at 50% of their original cost, if they are in excellent condition and less than two years old. This way your buyer gets a better deal going with your gown, than choosing a similar one on sale.

Advertise in all the right places

Make sure that you place your ads wherever possible and with all the relevant details. You can never be sure of where brides will look for their dresses. Also, put aside some time when you can attend to potential buyers who want to look at the dress.

Support your advertisement with real photos

Brides searching for second hand dresses want to see a clean, well-maintained dress that they can use as such. So, post a few pictures of yourself wearing the gown and make sure that these pictures look good. The pictures that you post online should clearly show off the various features of the dress, including the details in the front and on the back. Have it taken without the veil or other accessories, and the pictures should be well-lit and clear. If there are any interesting details, like embellishments, add close-up pictures of them and supporting descriptions to make it more attractive.

Give plenty of information regarding the dress

List the information provided by the manufacturer, including the model number, original price and dress size. Also, write about any alterations you have made and whether they are reversible. If the dress has any damages or stains, make sure you mention that too. Buyers want to know all that they can about a dress before considering your offer, so the more details you provide the sooner they will be convinced whether they want the dress. If you are ready to negotiate, fix your limits so you don’t make a hasty sale that you will regret later.

To choose your wedding dress online, or to rent it if you do not want to buy one for your own wedding, visit us online at Best for Bride.

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Tabletop Elegance: Inspiring Ideas for Show-Stopping Wedding Centerpieces!

You may not give much thought to the centerpieces for your wedding reception tables, but they are more important than you think. Your wedding guests will spend a lot of time at their tables, as they have their dinner and chat with each other. So, these centerpieces will be in constant focus. Their arrangement will reflect the tone of the wedding and set the ambiance.

While some venues offer a few custom centerpiece options to choose from, you can also opt for your own design and find one that is suitable for the theme of your party. Let us look at the different factors you should pay attention to when designing your centerpieces, so you can maximize their effect.

Height of the display

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This is an important criterion to pay attention to when choosing your centerpiece designs. A centerpiece that is too tall will obscure the view of the guests who sit across each other, and it will be difficult for them to communicate. So, your centerpiece should be low. You can still create an impact by designing the centerpieces to be unique and with interesting design elements. The only time you can go with higher centerpieces is when the design is elongated but not broad. This way, it will not obstruct the view, and will allow guests to talk to each other comfortably.

Width or size

The centerpiece should be compact and not spread out. It should be proportional to the size of the table, and the arrangement should be neat and attractive. Depending on whether the tables are round or long, choose a centerpiece that has the right proportions. A single centerpiece or a cohesive group that occupies a circle in the center is ideal for round tables. Well-spaced tall arrangements on a table runner through the center will be good for long tables.

Choosing the design elements

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Flowers and candles are the popular choices for centerpieces. Apart from these, you can also use balloons, crystals, gemstones, jars, pebbles, shells, fruits or anything else that you can think of. The elements you choose should blend well with the theme. A clear vase with shells at the base and floating candles on top for a beach wedding would be appropriate. You can also make use of seasonal flowers and fruits to add color to the centerpieces, and also get them at a lesser price. Ensure you keep the color palette consistent and don’t go overboard with details. It is always the simpler designs that create more impact.

Choose variations for more visual interest

It isn’t necessary that all your tables are decked up the same way. In fact, it is more attractive if each table was personalized differently. Keep the colors consistent and the designs similar, but make slight variations in the arrangement. This will be more interesting. You could alternate two color combinations for each table, or even change the heights and designs of the centerpieces from one table to another. When you alternate styles, the only thing to remember is all the pieces should be tied together with a few unifying factors and not look too distinct.

For more wedding decor tips and advice, visit us on Best for Bride.

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Winter wedding cake trends

Each season has its distinct personality, and incorporating the natural elements of the season adds more interest to a wedding. With winter upon us, and the cold weather dictating everything for the rest of the year, we think it is a good idea to take a look at some winter wedding cake trends.

Come along, as we find out more about the happening trends in delicious and delightful wedding cakes, this winter. And, don’t forget to tell us which of these trends you will be incorporating into your winter wedding.

Generous with ruffles

This video on the Vancouver Sun, mentions that decorating cakes with ruffles is one of the most popular trends in winter cakes this year.  The design for the cake is usually inspired by the bridal dress, or by the ruffles that are part of the wedding décor and bridesmaids outfits. Ruffles may be featured on just one tier, or even extended to include all the tiers of the cake. The design feature has a fresh and airy feel, and the cake doesn’t require any additional element, as this in itself gives it a signature touch.

 Vividly white wedding cakes

Winter and white are almost synonymous. White wedding cakes are a tribute to the season, and they are always tasteful and classic. Couples now choose to go with stark white tiered wedding cakes, decorated with white embellishments that keep the look monochromatic and exquisite. Details like petals, pearls, silver embellishments and piped embroidery are the top choices in cake decorations.

Image Credit: Dion Gillard [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Naked wedding cakes

Here, the wedding cake is not covered by layers of frosting or fondant. Instead, it is kept original, with the crumb showing through. The seasonal elements are added between the layers, for taste and texture. Winter favorites are fruits available during the season, such as appleas, pears and perssimons. Although the cake may look rough and exposed, it is a welcome change that is easy on the palette and the stomach. Perfect for a rich, warm dessert, the natural colors of the layers make it attractive.

Naked Cake
Image Credits: Camila Aguiar, [CC BY 2.0], via Flickr

Memorably metallic masterpieces

The sheen of metal best suits the wintry landscape and is a reflection of the cool winter ambiance. Taking inspiration from the tinsel trends highlighted every holiday season, wedding cakes with metallic accents in gold, silver and copper are a favorite. There are also cakes that are entirely covered with a metallic finish, that dazzle, shine and scintillate as works of art. With metal, less is more, and the cake finish is usually simple and straight.

Wedding Themed Card box/Towel Cake combo
Image Credits: Sherlene, via Flick

Don’t you love these winter wedding cake trends? We believe that at least some of them are here to stay. Visit our wedding cake gallery at Best for Bride, for more interesting ideas to base your wedding cake design on.

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Things to remember when planning a long-distance wedding

Planning a Beach Wedding - The Ultimate Guide

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Long-distance wedding planning isn’t for the faint hearted. The challenges are huge; you may be worried about not being able to inspect everything first-hand and having to guess how it will turn out instead of overseeing it yourself.

Nevertheless, long-distance weddings are the rage, and many couples consider this the ultimate romantic wedding. Travel Weekly reports that one in six couples who got engaged in the past year chose to have a destination wedding.  The good news is that most of the couples who choose destination weddings have loved it and had no regrets. So, if a long distance wedding is what you want, cool down and believe you can pull it off too. We will help you with what you need to do it right. So, here goes.

Find a representative to take over your role

You cannot have everything running smoothly and coordinated without someone to oversee the plans. Enter an on-site coordinator! If you have family or friends staying in the locality, who are willing to help, you are one lucky girl. Otherwise, consider hiring a professional wedding planner. Your wedding planner will research vendors, find locations, bargain on your behalf and help you better than you could do so by yourself. If you have already decided the venue, check if they have a manager or coordinator who can do the rest of the arrangements for you. Make sure that the person you choose for the job is experienced and reliable, as you cannot afford any mistakes.

Let pictures do the talking

You know how impossible it may seem to get your idea across because what you envision translates to something entirely different for another person? This is a major challenge where your bouquets and party décor are concerned. So, take the help of pictures. Snip pictures off magazines, download them online and send them across to your representative with clear instructions on what you want. This will make it a lot easier to convey the idea and get what you want.

Be flexible with the details

There is only so much you can do to perfect something when you aren’t around to oversee it personally. Be flexible with the details and go with whatever has the least room for error. If your vendors have online links with pictures, make use of this option. Do everything well ahead of time, so you do not have to stress over details at the last minute. Trust your on-site representative and believe that whatever you get is the best possible.

Follow up

Just because you aren’t in-town, don’t delegate the task of following up with your vendors to anyone else. Make sure you have contracts with all the vendors, and are clear on the emergency cancellation alternatives. Call up your vendors at regular intervals to find out if everything is going as per plan. If it is possible, plan a trip to the wedding venue before the big day so you know everything is progressing smoothly.

With a little foresight and well-thought out plans, your destination wedding will be a smashing hit. At Best for Bride, we have the perfect collection of wedding dresses that will make you the perfect bride for the day. Check out our wedding dress gallery today and find one that will bring out your best.