Choosing Bridesmaid Dresses for the Bride-to-be’s Wedding Party 

We know that finding the perfect wedding dress can be a challenge for the bride-to-be however there are so many dresses, styles and different trends to choose from which makes it a little easier.   But finding the perfect bridesmaid dress that will look great on everyone and not over power the bride can be tricky.  The problem that many brides face when choosing a bridesmaid dress is that they want to make everyone happy. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard bridesmaids complain about the dress they have to wear because they hate the color, length or shape on their individual bodies.  How does the bride-to-be make a fair decision so everyone is happy spending money on a dress they may never wear again? 

Bridesmaid Dress Trend for the Bride-to- be: Mismatching

Today brides are saying goodbye to traditional matching bridesmaid dresses by simply mixing up the color or style of the dress. Mismatching allows each bridesmaid to wear a dress that is flattering to their bodies and allows each bridesmaid to express their personality and individual style. Not only that, bridesmaids will most likely wear their dress again since the bride-to-be is giving them the option to choose a dress they personally like! This way you won’t have to hear your bridesmaids complain about how much they had to spend on a dress that makes them look fat or they just don’t like. Some may say this mismatch trend will make the bridal party look sloppy as a whole in photos but if done the right way, it will leave your bridal party looking stylish and unique!  Not only that, mismatching helps display the bride and her gown better by breaking up the monotony of all the dresses. 

Important Mismatching Tips for the  Bride-to-be

The bride-to-be must set specific guidelines for the colors she wants to use for her dresses. The most important guideline you must follow if you do decide to mismatch is to choose the color!  If the dresses are all the same color it won’t matter if the styles are different.  Next pick a theme or a concept you are trying to get across- i.e.. vintage, girly, retro, modern or simple.  This will have a lot to do with the style of your dress so it is always important to pick out your wedding dress before starting to look for bridesmaid dresses. Now comes the fun part where you let your girls pick out the dress they like the most based on your guidelines.  There are some great stores like JCrew that have numerous styles in the same color so you know the colors will match and they can just pick out the style they like.  It should also be pretty easy to find a JCrew store in any major city that carries bridesmaid gowns so that no matter where they live they can go try them on.  In the end, everyone is happy and the bridesmaids will probably wear their dress again.  Not to mention the fact that since they picked the best dress for their figure, everyone will look great.  For this reason mismatching is becoming more common and popular.  Even celebrities such as Molly Sims have recently been seen following this trend. She followed this trend simply because she did not want her bridesmaids to look like typical bridesmaids, so she had the fabulous Elizabeth Kennedy design a collection of cohesive yet mismatched gowns. The great thing about mismatching is that the possibilities are endless! You can choose anything- strapless, one shoulder, lace, chiffon, silk, short length or floor length! Mismatching bridesmaid dresses and styles will definitely be around for awhile and maybe even forever as it brings not only color to the ceremony but personality and style as well! 

Why buy a sample designer wedding dresses?

With how the economy has been recently most of us are not as quick to spend our money like we used to.  Now brides are even more budget conscious when planning for their wedding and are looking for the best deals ever especially on their dress. Sample designer wedding dresses allow brides on a budget to purchase a designer gown at a much lower cost. When I say “much lower” I mean MUCH LOWER!!!! Big designer names like Vera Wang, Amsale, and Christos gowns can be purchased up to 80% off retail value! There is no need to spend thousands of dollars on designer dresses anymore because you can easily purchase an authentic designer gown with money left over!

What exactly are sample designer wedding dresses and where do I find one?

Every year bridal salons purchase wedding dresses from sizes 8-12 that show that designer's latest collection.  These gowns are used as “samples” to show the bride- to -be the different kinds of dresses they can purhcase.  If they like the dress they will then order it in the size closet to their measurements. When these  bridal salons are ready to give up these sample designer wedding dresses Bride Couture is there to take them off their hands.  Bridal salons sell these samples for many reasons like the gown may be discontinued by the designer, they need to make more room for new inventory, or the salon has stopped carrying a specific designer all together.  And who benefits from this?  THE BRIDE!  There are bridal salons that only carry designer sample gowns such as Bride Couture in San Diego, CA where you can come in for a private appointment or shop online.  You can even order up to 4 gowns to try at once!  Just make sure that whoever you buy a sample gown from online has a return policy if the gown does not work out.

Is it hard to find sample designer wedding dresses that are in great condition and in my size?

There are many great reasons why sample designer wedding dresses are perfect.  They have not been worn by a bride at her wedding so no alterations have been made and they are not second hand! These dresses have only been tried on in the store so you will still be the only bride to wear this gown on her wedding day. For those of you who may be skeptical with purchasing a sample gown online we would advise you make sure you ask the seller of the condition of the gown. For example, are there missing beads, straps, fabric tears, stains, does the zipper work, etc.  And as I mentioned before, all the reputable online salons that sell sample gowns should have a return policy and typically have minor repairs like borken zippers and missing beads fixed before selling the gown.  As far as size goes, typically sample gowns are a label size  8 to 12 which in “wedding world” means it is a street size 6 to 10 since they run 1 to 2 sizes small. So if these sizes are too big for you they can be sized down a few sizes and if they are too small they can be sized up one or two sizes by a professional wedding gown seamstress. Overall, if you a bride with exquisite taste and a smart head on her shoulders who wants to wear a desginer wedding dress on her big day without breaking the bank, then sample designer wedding dresses are meant for you! 

Mermaid style wedding dresses are for everyone!

A traditional wedding dress consists of a full-skirted white satin gown, having both a high neck and sleeves. Over time, wedding fashions have evolved tremendously and now we see a variety of styles of dresses such as ball gowns, lace, A-lines, trumpets, and mermaid style wedding dresses.  A mermaid style gown looks exactly how it sounds, like a mermaid! This dress fits closely to the body from the chest to the knee then flares out to the hem just as a “mermaid” tail would look. More and more brides are choosing this look because it emphasizes their best assets perfectly unlike the traditional ball gown or A-line style. Many celebrities have chosen this trend such as Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Fergie and Christina Aguilera. However, because of how extremely tight fitting mermaid style wedding dresses appear brides would rather say no thanks!

You don’t have to be super thin and tall to pull off mermaid style wedding dresses

Despite what many brides believe you don’t need to be super thin and statuesque to rock a mermaid style gown.  However, you must certainly  be comfortable flaunting your assets in order to pull off this dramatic look as it will accentuate all those gorgeous curves.  Although mermaid style wedding dresses are not for everyone you will never know until you try one on!  These gowns definitely hug the body and show every single curve but typically they do so in a way that is va va voom by highlighting the smallest part of your waist and giving you a dramatic hour glass shape. Curvier celebrities such as Beyonce Knowles have made the mermaid style very popular on the red carpet. Not only that, shorter celebrities such as Kim Kardashian who is only 5ft looked stunning in her strapless mermaid dress at her wedding because they have the affect of making you look taller.  Obvioulsy the length of her marriage has nothing to do with this style of gown ;-) So if you have beautiful curves and are proud of them choose mermaid style wedding dresses so show them off! 

Afraid that mermaid style wedding dresses will be too sexy or non- traditional?      

The mermaid style actually comes in all different styles and fabrics so if you are worried about them looking too non-traditional, informal or inappropriate, think again! The mermaid style comes in all different neck lengths and sleeve lengths giving you the option as to how much skin you want to cover or reveal. Choosing a mermaid style with a high neckline and sleeves will still show off those curves without showing too much skin.  But sometimes less is more sexy!  If you choose to show off your skin and give more of a seductive look you can opt for a halter strapless or a plunging neckline.  For those of you who may feel this dress is too sexy, you can still wear a mermaid style wedding dress without it being skin tight.  There are many mermaid style wedding dresses that lightly hug the curves of your body but may be made our of a more flowy silk crepe or lace material. The mermaid style can also give both an informal and formal look by the various skirt styles available. You can either have the skirt flare out above the knee, at the knee, or below the knee, in which each will give a different silhouette and style. To make it even more formal your skirt can have a chapel or cathedral train making the dress look very elegant and amazing! In the end,  whether you are into mermaid style wedding dresses really depensd on your personal taste but don't think you can't pull one off until you try it.  So whether you think this style is right for you or not give it a chance!

Lace Wedding Dress Trend for 2012

The classical lace wedding dress has been a timeless look for decades and seems to be the new trend for 2012. Queen Victoria popularized lace gowns in 1840 when she married Prince Albert, and in 2012, lace is still being worn! Lace is a type of fabric that will never go out of style because there are now so many types of lace fabrics to choose from. Not only that, lace can be seen throughout the dress as little bits and pieces and not just on the whole dress; this way, you have the option of separating the lace throughout the gown such as on the sash around the waist or on the veil. Either way, any type of lace addition to the dress will surely bring everyone’s attention to the bride.

When is the best time to wear a Lace wedding dress?

What’s neat about a lace wedding dresses is that they can be worn for either a daytime or evening wedding. Lace gowns can be worn at a traditional Christmas wedding and even a summertime garden or beach wedding. The first thing you need to decide when choosing a lace wedding dress is figure out which lace suites you best. Here we will describe some of the different types of lace fabrics to choose from as many brides are unaware of the variety of lace that is available. 

The most inexpensive type of lace is called Chantilly lace which is a synthetic lace that contains a floral or ribbon design on a plain net background or organza.  It is typically more flimsy and flowy than other laces.  Next we have a solid dramatic lace called Spanish lace which features flat roses on a net background. One of my favorite lace designs is the Venetian lace which features floral, foliage and geometric patterns on a heavier weight lace. The most popular lace for wedding gowns is definitely Alencon lace which is often referred to as the “Queen of Lace” which features a pattern of a floral design on a sheer net background.  This type of lace is much more substantial and sturdy than other laces and holds its shape very well.  Most brides seem to choose this lace because of its ability to handle a large amount of different embellishments such as beads, glass and crystals. Duchesse Lace is a Belgian lace which also features a floral design however the floral pattern is spread out randomly. Last we have the Guipure lace which is not supported by a net background and is more of a heavy, stiff lace. 

Choosing the right Lace Wedding Dress...

Once you figure out which lace suites you best, the task of choosing a lace wedding dress becomes much easier. In 2011 we saw celebrities walking down the aisle in different styles of lace such as Kate Middleton who wore a beautiful French Chantilly lace and English Cluny lace gown and Molly Sims, in a dropped waist lace sheath gown which featured a lace trim overlay at the neckline. So, whether you decide to add a touch of lace to your wedding gown or have your entire gown covered in lace, a lace wedding dress is the way to go in 2012!