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Hot Bridal Trends For This Spring And Summer

wedding dresses

Fashion is about change…every year, new styles and details trickle down from the runways of Paris and New York, influencing and inspiring today’s most talented bridal designers. If you’re looking for cutting-edge style that is truly of the moment, you’ll love this guide to the hottest wedding gown trends for this spring and summer. When you choose a trendy design, you’ll capture the spirit of the times on your wedding day…

Most women can’t afford Paris couture…however, savvy bridal designers know how to use elements of high-fashion to add visual interest and charm to more affordable wedding dresses. You can enjoy these unique design features, fabrics, and embellishment,  while still staying on budget.

Accessories can also give you the couture effect…your bridal rings, veil, tiara, and wedding shoes will all contribute to the perfect, of-the-moment ensemble. Here are some trends to watch for as you browse our wedding boutique and decide exactly what will work with your body type, coloring, and personal style:

Strapless

wedding gowns

The strapless white wedding dress offers a classic silhouette to spring and summer brides-to-be. A tight bodice should be complemented by a frothy, voluminous skirt and lots of gorgeous embellishments, including crystals, silk flowers, and appliqués. With such a dramatic style, accessories should be minimal, but high-impact. Floral headpieces, choker necklaces, and sheer, lightweight veils offer the perfect balance to a princess-style, strapless wedding gown…

Mermaid

wedding dress

If you’re proud of your curves and you want to make the most of them on your wedding day, consider a striking fishtail bridal gown. These sorts of dresses follow the lines of the body, hugging your curves until mid-thigh, when they become more frothy and full.

A high-fashion mermaid wedding dress will offer a little more sexiness and pizazz than a typical princess-style bridal gown. This type of design can also features pretty details such as pleating, ruffles, and filmy overlays made of thin silk or tulle. If you’re interested in wearing a fishtail gown, consider skipping a traditional veil – the lines of your dress will stand out more if your hairstyle is simple and natural. A fashionable pendant (chokers are the hottest trend for 2011) may be all you need to accessorize your runway-inspired mermaid gown!

Lace

bridal gowns

Lace offers romance and pure femininity…classic and lovely, lacy, fashionable wedding dresses are truly one of the hottest styles for this spring and summer. Bridal week fashion shows featured lots of stunning gowns in creamy off-white, pearl, pale rose-beige, and snow-white.

Many of the dresses shown this year have vintage elements, inspired by classic brides, such as the Duchess of Windsor (Wallis Simpson) and Grace Kelly. Look for a combination of delicate lacework, stiff taffeta, and satin or silk. This spring, gowns were elegant – never flashy or revealing…which makes them perfect choices for a more formal wedding.

To get the runway look, accessorize your lace bridal dress with a Great Gatsby-style cloche hat or dramatic veil – and then heighten this refined effect with elbow-length, white satin gloves.

Consider Your Own Body Type When Studying High-Fashion Trends

Every woman is different…no single trend will suit everyone. To choose the best trend for your body type, coloring, and personal style, consider the silhouettes you wear for special occasions. When you dress up, do you opt for a cinched waist, and a fuller skirt that bypasses the hips and thighs? Or do you prefer body-conscious styles that hug your curves and streamline your figure?

Knowing your preferred cut is the key to choosing the right trend for you. When you understand your body and its relationship to fabric, shape, and shimmer, you will be able to add the right trendy elements to your wedding outfit. Have fun with it, and you’ll get a runway effect that dazzles your friends and family…and your handsome groom-to-be!

If you’re a beautiful Canadian bride-to-be, browse the best bridal shops in Toronto for high-style choices that are designed to flatter and inspire!

 

 

 

 

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How To Be A Truly Traditional Bride

Classic beauty never goes out of style – if you’ve always longed for a traditional wedding with all of the bells and whistles, you’ll need a wedding gown that is truly timeless.

Traditional brides keep it classy – nothing is too flashy, bodices don’t dip too low for good taste, and wedding shoes, veils, and accessories are simple and elegant.

If you’re looking for tips on becoming the most classic, lovely bride you can be, you’ll enjoy our quick guide to timeless beauty for today’s traditional brides:

Rituals And Traditions Will Add Meaning To Your Wedding

Today, traditional brides always choose white bridal gowns – this ritual began in Victorian England, and it was instituted by Queen Victoria, who believed in the purity and angelic symbolism of pure white.

Other early 19th century rituals were also taken into account before brides-to-be selected their wedding dresses – for example, it was considered unlucky to marry in a gown you made yourself. The truly traditional bride will always choose a bridal dress created by someone else…

If you dream of a very traditional wedding day, the charming custom of wearing “something old and something new, something borrowed, something blue” should also be a part of your wedding rituals.

Something old symbolizes your old life as a single woman…and something new illustrates your journey into a new life as a married woman.

Something borrowed echoes the influences of your friends and family…something blue is derived from ancient Jewish wedding traditions…this soothing color is believed to be a symbol of faithfulness in love…

English brides in the Victorian Age also put a silver coin (sixpence) in their shoe…this tradition was believed to bring good luck and material success to the new couple after their wedding…

Traditional Beauty Is Simple And Feminine…Never Overdone…

Creating traditional beauty in your wedding ensemble can be as simple as wearing a circlet of wildflowers in your hair…brides in the Emerald Isle followed this ritual for centuries.

If you prefer a classic veil, you may enjoy knowing that it is symbolic of chastity! The first wedding veils worn in ancient Greek ceremonies were yellow – in Rome, they were red!

Simple makeup and soft, touchable hair are the hallmarks of the classic bride – whether you hair is worn up or down – both styles are quite traditional – it should be classic and feminine.

Don`t wear too much powder – keep your skin youthful and dewy with a great moisturizer…blotting papers are a cute, and very traditional, way of cutting shine without adding more powder!

Look at works of art from online gallery tours – women of previous centuries were always captured while showing off flowing curls, luminous skin, and natural beauty.

A fake spray tan may look great at the beach, but it won’t really evoke classic beauty at your wedding. It’s all about making the most of your natural hair texture and your God-given coloring!

Embrace your own beauty with a classic wedding gown, elegant veil, and dainty wedding bands.

Other Fun Wedding Traditions To Enjoy

Today, many brides also follow the ritual of not being seen by their groom-to-be before the wedding – being spotted by your future husband before you walk down the aisle is thought to be bad luck.

In certain cultures, a ritual bath is practiced by brides before they are dressed in their wedding gowns – this cleansing ceremony is believed to purify the bride-to-be before her marriage.

Plan Your Trousseau

This fun tradition is French in origin – the word trousseau mean “bundle”. Your trousseau is a special set of clothing and accessories, designed to be worn on your honeymoon. If you’re interested in wedding rituals, you’ll truly enjoy filling a trunk or suitcase with a “bundle” of new items! This may not be as wonderful as finding perfect wedding dresses, but it can still be very fulfilling! Traditionally, the bundle may also include some new items for the home…

We hope you’ve enjoyed this look at traditional bridal rituals. Your wedding is one of the most important days of your life…if you value the rituals of the past, add in some of them to your own wedding day. You’ll connect with history and symbolism as you prepare to start a whole new chapter in your life!