Accessorize Your Wedding Attire with a Stunning Bridal Handbag
February 21, 2010
Bridal handbags, or wedding purses, come in all shapes and sizes with many dashing designs, and with just enough room to carry those small personal items such as touch-up powder, eye liner, lipstick, deodorant, a comb or brush, keys, handkerchiefs, or maybe even a little spare change! After the wedding, there are always photos, reception food and drink, and a time of fellowship with family and friends.
Types of Bridal Handbags
Bridal handbags are usually very small and easy to carry. They may be decorated with sequins, beads, crystals, lace, ribbons, miniature tassels, or precious stones. Wedding handbags are usually made of materials such as satin, silk, nylon, or polyester.
There are three basic styles of handbags for brides: clutch, fancy, and structured. Clutch bridal purses are typically made of silk or satin, have an inner lining, and do not have straps or handles. Fancy handbags are usually made with elegant designs embellished with precious stones, crystals, or beads. Structured wedding handbags have a stable bottom and are usually made of satin, silk, nylon, or polyester.
Accentuate Your Wedding Dress
Bridal handbags are a great accessory for your wedding attire. Choose a bridal purse that matches or complements your dress, jewelry, tiara, and wedding shoes. If your dress has lace and white pearls, find a wedding purse decorated with lace and white pearls (or beads that resemble pearls).
Choose a bridal handbag that fits your style and your figure. The handbag should be easy to handle and not too large. It should add a touch of elegance without dominating the reception photos.
Wedding Handbags as Bridesmaid Gifts
Wedding handbags can also be ordered to match the dresses of bridesmaids and given as gifts from the bride. Choose handbags that your bridesmaids can use for other occasions, not only at the wedding. Every woman and girl loves a new handbag, so these make excellent gifts!
Themed Wedding Shoes
January 2, 2010
A bride’s wedding shoes are not limited to stilettos, mules, pumps, and kitten heels in ivory and satin. Today, the added flexibility of themed weddings allows brides to express themselves with the footwear of their choice.
Since most brides are treated like royalties on their wedding days, the fairy tale theme is highly appropriate. Fairy tale brides can play with their dress and shoes more than the classic, traditional bride. Common choices of fairy tale brides include ball gowns and princess dresses with matching tiaras. Wedding shoes are, by far, trickier.
Outdoor garden weddings are also popular. Gardens with summer themes allow for dresses with airy fabrics and materials. To complement the “airiness” of the bridal dress, shoes should be airy and lightweight like sandals. Wedding shoes for outdoor wedding should be comfortable and relaxed to complement the relaxed and summery setting.
More adventurous brides prefer beach weddings. Since the usual dresses for beach weddings show a lot of skin (think tube, haltered, short dresses), the wedding shoes should follow. Embellished flip-flops and thong sandals with sparkly rhinestone details complement the beach vibe.
Recently, travel-themed and ethnic weddings are getting popular with jetsetter couples. Wedding dresses and the decors of the venue evoke images from the theme. A geisha-inspired dress merits wooden platforms as wedding shoes as much as a Princess Jasmine-inspired outfit matches satin slippers.
The gradual flexibility of wedding traditions allows for more personal and intimate weddings. Wedding shoes provide opportunities for little surprises and brides are welcome to take them. A wedding is, first and foremost, the bride’s day.
The Proper Wedding Attire For Guests At A Wedding
December 26, 2009
It is not that hard to choose the proper wedding attire to wear when going to a wedding. As some people would say it, just look better than your best when attending someone’s wedding.
The Clues Are on the Invitation
A question that may come to mind when choosing what wedding attire to wear is exactly that: What should you wear to a wedding? The answer to your question lies on the wedding invitation itself. If the wedding invitation you have in your hand is embossed and engraved and talks in a very formal language, it only goes to show that the wedding is a formal event.
Church weddings with reception at a fancy restaurant always call for dressier wedding attire. If it is a wedding at a beach or a destination wedding, it is perfectly acceptable to wear something more laid back.
Daytime or Evening?
Perhaps a more important clue that you should pay attention to in deciding what wedding attire to wear is the time of the wedding. For daytime weddings, you do not need to show up in formal wedding attire.
As for evening weddings, formal wedding attire is usually the required dress code, but that still depends on whether the wedding is black-tie optional or strictly black tie. If the event is just black-tie optional, you can wear a dark suit or a cocktail dress. With strictly black tie weddings, the appropriate wedding attire is a formal ball gown.
Inappropriate Wedding Attire
* It is white. White is a color that only the bride should wear at a wedding. Do not wear white to a wedding, whether it is daytime or evening.
* Denims are a huge no-no, even in casual weddings.
* Wear something modest and subdued. The bride is the star of the wedding and it is in very bad form if you show up in wedding attire that is flashier than the bride’s wedding gown.
Always look your best in the proper wedding attire when you come to a wedding.
The Perfect Costumes for a Medieval Wedding
December 19, 2009
More couples than ever are celebrating the beginning of their life together in full Renaissance costumes. And even the guests are getting in on the act, playing their parts and dressing in period garb. If your nuptials will have a medieval flair, you need the proper clothing and accessories. Here are some guidelines to get you started.
For Him
One of the most romantic looks for the groom is a cotton lace-up wedding shirt. For extra elegance, look for a shirt with rows of tiny tucks going down the sleeves and below the lace-up front. The shirts usually come in natural, black, and white, so he can wear the color appropriate to the season and time of day of your wedding.
As for pants, depending on the season and time of day, you can opt for long twill breeches or knee-length twill breeches. The former are baggy, and usually feature both a button front and a drawstring at the waist, as well as drawstring cuffs. As the name implies, knee-length twill breeches h
ave cuffs that tie just below the knee. You can typically buy them in a wide variety of colors, such as royal blue, tan, black, burgundy, or forest green.
For Her
For a more formal touch, there are chemises that feature extraordinarily long, hanging sheer sleeves and a gathered neckline. Similarly, a chemise with metallic gold trim at the square neckline is eye-catching.
As for your gown, you can go with something as simple as a cotton twill surcoat or as ornate as an Irish dress with a fleur-de-lis brocade bodice. You may even want to create your own gown; if so, there are numerous patterns from which you can choose.
For Both of You
If you’re planning a medieval wedding, you’ll also need the proper accessories. Dragons symbolize passion, monogamy, and love, so incorporating dragons into the ceremony or reception is wonderfully appropriate.