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How to Dress All Your Bridesmaids to Look Their Best By Alex Daniels

You want your wedding to be fabulous. Fantastic, even! But there are so many headaches to deal with, so many problems to resolve. One of the biggies is bridesmaid dresses. On the one hand, these are your best friends, sisters and cousins, each one unique and special in her own way. On the other hand, they have to somehow all look the consummate bridesmaid because how the bridal party looks is second in importance only to your own dress.

Many brides become concerned about dresses for bridesmaids who are more full-figured. It's really very simple, just select a dress that has more emphasis up top. What you're looking for is a bodice, lace, embroidery or even beads. The skirt portion should be unadorned and de-emphasized. In particular, look for heavier fabrics and/or soft pleats.

Whatever you do, don't go for the plunging neckline or anything dramatic along that vein. Also, don't panic and go the opposite direction either. A scoop, square or V neckline will show off her figure best. Be sure to stay away from clingy fabrics or designs that are overly-done and noticeably add thickness to the dress.

For particularly thin bridesmaids you can take almost an opposite route. Take advantage of full skirts to fill out her figure and use gathers to over-emphasize the curves of her figure. In this case beaded, embroidered or other fabrics that have texture and added thickness are going to be your ally. And don't fall into the trap of thinking that all the girls need to match. They don't. Many brides have only pairs of girls that match, or even each girl in an entirely different dress and color!

So take a deep breath and breathe easy. Once you've got the bridesmaid dresses down you'll have a million other things to worry about. Good luck and may your wedding be everything you've ever dreamed of!

Bridal Show Do's and Don'ts

OK, here is an amazing stat. Did you know that 70% of all of the engagements that happen each year will happen on Christmas/New Year's/ Valentine's Day? I don't know if the gentlemen are just lacking for originality, or if the romance of the season is just too good to pass up? What is the result of the 70%??? Thousands of newly (excited) engaged brides flood the bridal show market each year, which is why, in New England, we have these shows from January - March. 

A bridal show is the ultimate way to shop for wedding services. Unlike a magazine or web site, you can see, touch, sample, and question everything wedding related at these events! Here are a few tips of what to look for and what NOT to look for in a bridal show vendor. Now first and foremost, please remember that the vendors have paid to be here! They can pay up to $1500 for a small booth just to have the chance to fight the other vendors to romance your business. This fierce competition can lead to less than desirable behavior at times. These rare moments can make some bridal show attendees shy and unwilling to talk with the vendors.  Big mistake! 

Rule # 1: Talk with the vendors! The best way to find out whether or not a service is right for you is to always have a conversation. You will determine, usually in the first few minutes, whether a service is right for you. If a vendor is pushy or will not take “NO” for an answer, put down the literature and say, "Thank you for your time." Then move on. I feel that if a vendor is a "Hard Sell," they must be desperate for work. If they are that desperate, maybe they are not that busy? If they are not that busy, maybe they are just not very good at what they do? Just my theory... 

Rule # 2: Look beyond the candy! Some vendors use the craziest things to lure you into their booth. I have seen things like cookies, dancing girls, water dispensers, and Hummers. Ask yourself, what does any of this have to do with the service the vendor is providing? Chances are that if the vendor has the need for gimmicks to get you into the booth, the substance of the product may be lacking? 

Rule # 3: Trust the quality of the paperwork. This area might be the second best way to evaluate a vendor, after speaking with them one on one, of course. If you receive a handout that has been made on a home computer, if the handout looks and feels CHEAP, or if it lacks information, then usually the service lacks as well. 
When you dump all of the contents of your bridal show bag onto your kitchen table, look for the paperwork that is of quality. If it is well prepared, informative, and well presented, then chances are the service vendor puts the same care into their customers as they put into their paperwork. 

Rule # 4: Beware the Bridal show specials! People love a deal. If you really think you are getting a deal at a bridal show, think again. Many "show specials" are fake. You think you are getting a deal, so you book. In reality, the vendor is charging you the same as if you meet then outside the show. They raise the normal rate for the show to make the "Show special" look that much more attractive. Oldest trick in the book! The deals you can get are the ones you don't want. 
Some vendors will get into quoting wars with other vendors at the show. YES, you might be able to beat down a vendor if you play them against another service provider at the show, but this is a sign of desperateness and you might not like the service you have after the smoke clears. Some vendors will also give you the lowest level of service possible, if you beat them down on price. "Small price = Small service.” 

Did anyone ever hear the phrase, "You get what you pay for?" If a vendor does not negotiate price, that is usually the sure sign of a stable, quality, reputable business. Watch out for Bridal show prize boxes! They are usually a way for the vendor to market you after the show. You actually win nothing except a mail box full of junk literature and phone solicitation. Don't fall for gimmicks. Look for substance. 

Rule # 5: If it looks and sounds too good to be true, usually it is too good to be true. I would encourage any bride-to-be to get out and enjoy a bridal show. It is a big part of the experience of getting married. Just be careful and realistic when speaking with vendors.

Best wishes to all those that are getting married. Hope to see you at the next bridal show.

Wedding Registry

Forget coasters, toasters and oven roasters. These days, more and more prospective brides and grooms are registering for cold hard cash. Since its launch in April 2002 nearly 3,000 couples have signed up with www.TheBigDay.com, which let's couples register for cash for their honeymoon instead of presents. The registries allow friends and family members to help pay for everything from down payment on a new home to the honeymoon. In order to make the guest feel like they are buying something instead of just sending them a check, couples can list choices for how the cash will be spent.
Remember, unlike traditional department store registries, which are typically FREE, on-line cash registries often charge service fees:

http://www.felcite.com  -- Unlike store-based wedding and gift registries, Felcite.com act as a personal shopping service. Felcite.com post your gift list on a password protected web page where your friends can purchase the whole gift or make a partial contribution. Felcite.com will collect and consolidate payments and then send the order to the appropriate merchant for delivery to you.

Registration is free. Registrants do not pay a fee. Felcite.com makes money from merchant commissions and discounts. On cash gifts Felcite.com will charge gift givers a 4.9% handling fee. On physical gifts, gift givers pay shipping and taxes. Shipping includes all costs associated with the order.
• Register any gift, from any store, for any occasion. Use us for your wedding registry, baby registry, bridal registry, Christmas registry, Quincenera, graduation registry, general wish list, etc.
• Register Cash Gifts like a Donation, A Honeymoon Fund, or a College Fund.
• Partial Purchase Option (patent pending) that allows gift givers to contribute as much (or as little) as they like toward an expensive gift.
• Free party planning services such as a free web announcement page, on-line RSVP service and photo album and E-invitation system.
• Automatic Gift List Update and comprehensive gift summary to simplify thank you notes.
• Toll Free Phone Number for gift givers who are not on-line

http://www.thebigday.com  - It's a lot like a traditional wedding registry, except:
* Instead of china, toasters, and flatware, you get portions of your honeymoon paid for!
* Instead of hoping for department store items that you don't already have, you choose fun honeymoon activities!
* Instead of your guests having to trek to those stores in hopes of finding in-stock items on your registry, they can shop online from home!

thebigday.com even gives you your own free wedding web page! It's a great resource for your guests to find out about wedding ceremony details, read the story of how you met, see a photo of the two of you, RSVP online, or click through to any of your wedding registries.

thebigday.com also has a honeymoon registry
* There's no signup fee, no setup fee, no upfront cost, and you don't need to make your travel arrangements through thebigday.com.
* thebigday.com deduct a service charge of 9% of the total contributed by your guests. So, at honeymoon time, thebigday.com will send you a check for the total cash contributions minus 9%.

Roughly one-third of the 9% service charge goes to pay the credit card processing fees that are charged to thebigday.com. The remainder goes to pay for the costs of running our Data center, staffing in our Call Center, and postage and printing.

http://www.giftpile.com - giftpile.com is strictly an online honeymoon registry. There is a one-time $125 prepaid fee to setup and maintain your registry. Registered couples email Giftpile their activities wishlist. The activities wishlist are items you have already pre-booked with a travel agency and/or hope to experience on your honeymoon. Giftpile will publish these activities online and wait for your friends and family to donate towards the activities of your honeymoon.  Registered couples receive 100 announcement cards that they can insert into the invitations. If you send Giftpile a list of your friends and family's email addresses, Giftpile can make email announcements that you have registered for an Online Honeymoon Registry.

Wedding Ceremony Classic Music Suggestions

Prelude - Whilst guests are seated
Bach: Gavotte in D Major
Beethoven: Romance in F
Bach: Allegro From “Brandenburg Concerto#4”
Handel: Air From “Water Music
Massenet: Meditation from Thais

Processional - For Bride Walking Down The Aisle
Clarke: Trumpet Voluntary
Pachelbel: Canon In D
Bach: Air on the G String
Wagner: “Wedding March” From Lohengrin

Ceremony - Optional Music During Ceremony
Bach: Jesu Joy Of Man’s Desire From “Cantata#147”
Vivaldi: Allegro From “Spring” Of The Four Season
Shubert: “Ave Maria”
Bach: “Sheep May Safely Graze”

Recessional - After Bride & Groom Have Exchanged Vows
Mendelssohn: “Wedding March”
Handel: “Queen of Sheba” From Solomon
Mouret: Rondeau
Bach: Gavotte in D Major