How to select your wedding veil

You need to consider three elements when selecting your wedding veil:

• your height
• the length of your dress and
• the detailing and color.
  
  If you are less than 5'4" you should select an elbow length veil (30” long). If you are over 5”7" you should select a fingertip veil (36” long). If you are in between those heights, you can select either length -- it just depends on whether you prefer a short length (elbow) or longer length (fingertip).
  
  
  You should consider Placement of the veil on your head, if you are wearing it towards the back of your head, the veil will be longer.
  
  
  Make sure your veil works well with the detailing (on the back on the back of your dress) and the overall design of your dress. Your veil length should cut just above or below any focal point on your dress. Don’t choose a veil length that ends right where your bodice begins because it cuts you in half visually (something just above or just below). If you have a sharply defined waistline, don't select a veil that ends at the waistline – something slightly above or below it.
  We suggest you use a tape measure to see where the different length veils will fall while wearing your dress. Now you’re ready to select the type of veil that you want. Wedding veils are described as:
  
  Elbow Length: Generally selected for shorter gowns, without a train. This length will show detailing at the waist of the gown. An elbow length veil best compliments a dress with a full skirt. The veil should end below a low cut back but above the start of the skirt. Used for formal and semi-formal weddings.
  
  
  Fingertip Length: Can be worn with any gown longer than tea length. It falls right at the fingertips of the bride if her hands are at her side and is used for formal and semi-formal weddings.
  
  
  Chapel Veil: This veil is three yards long, looks best with a long-sleeved, full-length gown.
  
  
  Cathedral Length: Most often selected for a formal wedding. The veil will extend onto the floor, at least six inches past the train. Cathedral length veil looks best when worn with a cathedral or semi-cathedral length gown.
  
  
  Blusher: A shoulder-length layer of the veil that is worn over the face. Typically combined with other lengths and used for both formal and semi-formal weddings. Don't underestimate how much the blusher will soften and transform your appearance.
  

How to Select Your Wedding Jewelry?

The bride's jewelry, along with her other accessories, as a general rule should reflect the formality of the wedding celebration. A small, informal wedding calls for simple jewelry, while large, formal wedding calls for more elaborate jewelry.

The style of the bridal gown also plays a major roll in the selection of jewelry. Many of today's most popular gowns are strapless or have low necklines. This is a perfect style to showcase a wonderful necklace and earrings. Gowns with high necklines may be better of to forgo the necklace and concentrate on the perfect earrings.

As a general rule to more glitter and detailing on the gown the simpler the jewelry, while a more plain gown can support more decorative selections.

Necklace Length

The various lengths of necklaces include the, choker, the collar, and princess, matinee, and opera lengths. In general you may want to follow these guidelines in selection of the necklace length to best flatter your gowns neckline:

The Choker: One to three strands worn close around the neck is the most classic version and works well with a jewel or bateau neckline. If too much skin is showing it may get lost.

The Collar: Made up of three or more strands that fit securely around the middle neck. This Victorian style looks lovely with a plunging or strapless neckline.

The Princess: Perfect for strapless gowns, this length falls below the hollow of the neck in front -- perfect support for a pendant. This style is most often 16" looks great with almost every bridal gown neckline, except a high neckline.

The Matinee: Longer than the Princess but shorter than the Opera, this style hits the top of the bust and looks great with a bateau, jewel, or a lower neckline with sheer fabric covering the décolletage area. It shouldn't hit the top of the dress because then the necklace and the dress are fighting for attention.

The Opera: This long single strand falls below the bust and looks classic with a very high neckline. Not often a good choice for bridal gowns or bridesmaid dresses.


Other things to consider

Keep your earrings simple if your necklace is large or grand.
Bracelets can be worn with sleeveless, short-sleeve, and three-quarter sleeve gowns. It is possible to combine a bracelet with gloves as a dramatic accessory worn over tight-fitted gloves, but not many feel comfortable with this look.
A watch can be worn if it is an unusual antique or family heirloom, but most watches are not appropriate wedding jewelry for the bride or the bridesmaids.
Choice of Earring

Keep this in mind when selecting earring styles:
A button earring accentuates a round face.
A dangle earring widens a narrow face.
A squared earring adds interest to a long face.
If you are wearing a Tiara you may not want to wear earrings.
If you are not wearing a necklace you may want your earrings to be larger. It is all a matter of balance.

Wearing a Tiara

Want to feel like a princess?! Spend your special day crowned by a glittering tiara. But consider keeping the other jewelry simple, small pearl earrings and a simple necklace or let your tiara be the point of focus and leave off any extra jewelry.

Appropriate Jewelry for Bridesmaids

Most bridesmaid ensembles can be enhanced with earrings and perhaps a necklace or bracelet. All bridesmaids should wear jewelry that is the same color and style. It can match or contrast with the color of the dress. We recommend that you keep the bridal party jewelry simple, yet elegant. Jewelry is a great gift for the bride to consider giving her bridesmaid, and maid of honor and by doing so you can control the total look the day of the wedding.

The Type of Jewelry Most Often Selected For Weddings

Brides have worn pearls for centuries as a symbol of purity and perfection. In ancient Rome, the pearl was the ultimate symbol of wealth and social standing, while the ancient Greeks associated the pearl with love, marriage, and unrivaled beauty. The Greeks also believed the pearl would promote marital harmony.

Today's modern brides often includes rhinestones, diamonds faux diamonds, sometimes called CZ's, crystals, gemstones and or a combination of them all in their wedding jewelry. It's really a matter of personal style and budget.

The important thing is to make sure your jewelry does not over power the dress and that the color works with the gown. For example a white bridal gown looks best with white pearls and silver. An ivory gown looks better with ivory pearls and gold. A pale pink or beige tone gown looks best with ivory and gold accents or faux gemstones that match or are slightly lighter. Rhinestones, crystals, diamonds, or faux diamonds (CZs) can work with all gown colors but it is best to use a silver setting with white and a gold setting with other gown colors. Of course, all rules are made to be broken so what makes you feel the most special

Getting Your Hair Ready for the Wedding

Schedule your wedding day hair appointment at least eight weeks ahead. Make an appointment for a practice session at least a month ahead of the wedding date (if you are having make up too you may want to do a practice session for that too!). Bring a Polaroid or digital camera to take photos of the front, sides, and back of your hair so you will be able to re-create it on the wedding day.

Record your travel time from the salon to where you are getting dressed for the wedding or better yet see if the hair stylist can come to you. Add extra time for make-up if the salon is not applying it.

Ask for more than one stylist to help with the wedding party. Three stylists for a party of six is the best bet for staying on schedule. Schedule all nail appointments for the day before, this saves time on the wedding day. Don't expect to get your favorite stylist to do your wedding hair if you desire an intricate Updo. This is a specialty service and best left for the resident salon expert.

Bring a picture of your dress and your headpiece, tiara, and/or veil with you to the salon for your practice appointment. Then relax. You will look great on your wedding day.

Selecting the Best Gown Style for Your Figure

You definitely want to find a wedding gown with the perfect fit and style to enhance your figure. Selecting the most appropriate silhouette for your body type is easy with our online guide!

First, let's take a quick look at the basic gown silhouettes.

Princess or A-Line. A-Line or princess silhouette has seams starting at the bust or shoulders and flowing down to a flared skirt. The top of the dress gracefully blends into the skirt.


Sheath. This silhouette closely follows the line of the body.


Ball Gown. The ball gown silhouette is similar to the A-Line; only it has a much fuller skirt and typically features a full bodice that is distinctly separate from the skirt.


Empire. The Empire silhouette has a high waist look, often with a seam under the bust line and typically a slimmer skirt.

Now take a look at which silhouettes work best for each body style. Remember these are basic rules and can be broken. It is best to try on all the silhouettes to see which looks best on you.

If you have an hour-glass figure, small waist and larger hips and chest:
Try
An A-Line gown paired with a v-neck or scoop neck to fully flatter your figure.

Avoid
The Empire silhouette, which may hide your figure or make it look disproportioned. A ball-gown, if the skirt isn't overly full, can also be a good choice.

Short Waisted and Petite Figures:
Try
An A-Line gown can elongate your waist and make you appear taller. Since the top of the dress gently blends into the flared skirt, it often provides a long and lean silhouette.

Avoid
A large ball gown can make you appear smaller.

Tall and Thin:
Try
A ball gown or a Sheath silhouette.

Avoid
You can wear any silhouette. If you want to appear less tall or thin avoid the A-line or Sheath.

Pear Shaped:
Try
Selecting a gown that will draw attention to the upper half of your body. The Silhouette isn't quite as important as the neckline you select. Flatter your shoulders and chest while drawing focus away from hips.

Avoid
The Sheath silhouette, it draws attention to the hips.

Full Figure and Plus Size:
Try
An A-Line will flatter practically any figure.

Avoid
Sheaths, thin straps, and sleeveless gowns. Consider a scoop or v-neck to flatter your chest and neck.

Bridal Gown Shopping Hints

One of the most important decisions you will make when planning your wedding is selecting "the perfect gown," that makes you feel really special. Whether you know exactly what you are looking for, or if you're beginning your search with little more than a general idea, there are several things you should consider before purchasing your gown.

Your gown should reflect your personality, taste and style.

Be sure to try on as many different styles as possible. After all, this is a once-in-a-lifetime event. Choosing the perfect gown should be fun!

Take a camera along, just in case permission is granted and you can take a photo of the gowns you like. Having a picture, "in hand," will be helpful in making your final choice.

Listen to others, but don't be pressured into buying a gown that you do not "love".

When you find the "perfect gown," buy it. Period . . . End of story . . . Stop looking.

Whether shopping with your mom, best friend or alone, it will be helpful for you to have an understanding of the type of gowns and what may look best on your body type.

How to Select a Tiara

First, select your wedding gown. Now, decide how you want to wear your hair. Most tiaras can be worn with many different hairstyles. Short hair brides look absolutely beautiful wearing a tiara but choose a lighter, more delicate tiara that won't require lots of pinning to hold it in place. Try headband styles or tiaras with a more petite shape.

Now you’re ready to select your tiara.

Match pattern in the detailing of your gown to the pattern in the tiara. If you have floral pattern in your gown, look for a headpiece with similar detailing. A modern, plain white gown usually looks best with a tiara with straight lines or a geometric pattern. If your dress has pearls in the detailing - select a tiara with some or all pearls. If your dress has crystals, select a headpiece with crystal accents.

A tiara with only Austrian crystals (rhinestones) and no pearls will match any gown. A tiara with pearls should match either the gown (pearl accents on the gown) or the pearl necklace and earrings. Most pearl tiaras go well with off-white or ivory gowns, but brighter white pearls may not work with an ivory gown.

Keep your accessories in balance. Make sure that all the pieces of the bridal ensemble work together and that no one piece overwhelms another.

Guidelines for color Selection:
White Gowns: Choose a tiara that is silver-tone, rhinestone, or white pearl.
Ivory and Off-White Gowns: Choose a tiara that is gold-tone or ivory pearls.
Diamond white gowns (Lighter than off-white but not white): Either gold or silver tone.

Wedding Flower - How to Get Started

Today, brides and grooms use wedding flowers to decorate their big day with personal style. The first hurdle? Finding a reliable floral designer. Here's a three-step guide to getting (and working with) a first- rate florist.

STEP 1: Finding a Florist....Been to a wedding or party with fabulous flowers? Ask the hosts for the florist's name. Your wedding site manager can give you names, too. If the florist has worked in the space before, he or she will have a good sense of the dynamics (high ceilings beg for tall table arrangements, while splendid Gothic interiors call for subtle palettes).


STEP 2: Allow Plenty of Time...Reserve your florist three to six months in advance. Allow even more time if the florist is very popular, or if you're marrying during high season (June through September).


STEP 3: Do Your Research...If you're no expert in flower types and terminology, visit your local bookstore or library and look for books about flower arranging. Pinpoint designs you like and flowers you favor. Bring these books (or color copies of specific arrangements) with you when you meet with your florist.