New Season of Gowns

So I just bought the new Martha Stewart Weddings. It looks like it's going to be a great season for wedding gowns.

Finally some gowns with straps. Working at the bridal salon I hear it all the time. "Where are the gowns with the straps?" One idea is if your dream gown doesn't have straps, ask if you can order extra fabric and have some straps made in alterations.

Flowers and Bows. I am definitely noticing both on the new dresses. Don't be afraid of these details. They may look like a lot when their on the hanger but try them on, they will look different. These are also great details that you can add in to other aspects of your wedding. If your dress has a bow on it, use that bow on the invitations or bouquets. If your dress has a very specific flower have a graphic designer copy the flower and use it on your invitations. Little details like this tie everything together and add great personality.

My favorite gown of the season- Eridanus by Valentino Sposa from Pronovias. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! It is simple, elegant and in my absolute favorite fabric- silk mikado. This fabric glows in candle light.




Check out La Sposa's new collection as well. They may not look like much online but let me tell you in person and on brides they are stunning.

Your Wedding Photography

We spoke with local photographer Laura Dombrowski for some tips on finding
the right photographer to fit your style.

Choosing a wedding photographer is harder than ever these days. The digital age has
brought out the photographer in everyone. Use caution when selecting your wedding
photographer because distinguishing between the professionals and amateurs can be tricky.
Here are a few tips to help you find a high quality, professional photographer for your
special day.

1. Quality of their photographs. You have to love their images. On their website they display
their best. Do you like their style? Ask them about their style: photojournalism, traditional,
fine art, etc. Do you want more candids or posed portraits? When you meet with them ask to
see lots of photographs. Check out prints too. Ask to see all of the photos from one wedding.

2. Price. You pay for what you get. Simple as that. Prices can range from $2,000 to $20,000.
What is the difference? Why can one person charge $2,000 and another charge $20,000? It is
based on experience? Think of it as a lawyer. Lawyers that are just starting out get a
standard hourly rate. The more experience and the more cases one lawyer wins, the more
valuable he/she is. Winning some awards and high publicity cases will push him/her to the
next level making that lawyer in high demand. Same with photographers, I started out low. I
had no experience and no portfolio. I had to start somewhere. Now I have experience and I
am booking up faster each year. Also, I have been published and won a couple of awards! My
prices now reflect that. Figure out your budget and find the best photographer in that range.
Don't be scared to ask a photographer outside your range to see if they have other less
expensive packages available. I am always working with couples on their budget.

3. Check to see if they are a part of any professional organizations. Wedding Portrait
Photographers Internationals (WPPI) or Wedding Photojournalists Association (WPJA).

4. Ask how long they have been shooting weddings.

5. Look at their photography other than weddings: personal work, commercial work, etc.

6. Ask to talk to a previous client.

7. Equipment: Cannon and Nikon are the standard for professionals. But more importantly
than the brand, do they have back up equipment?

8. How long after the wedding do you get to see your images and album design? I have all
the images online less than 2 weeks after the wedding day. I usually have the album design
completed within 4 weeks.

Good luck selecting a photographer. Research a lot! Narrow down to three photographers
and go meet them. That meeting will help you make your choice. Remember that you are
going to be spending a lot of time with the photographer on the day of your wedding and
throughout the year. Finding the right personality match can make all the difference!

Your wedding day makeup

We spoke with Carissa of Wedding Makeup by Carissa-

The thought of having someone else prepare how you will look for the most important
day of your life is a little daunting to say the least. Especially when you don't know them.
Finding a makeup artist isn't an easy task, especially since most don't have websites and of
course a portfolio will only feature the best photos. Here are a few tips in finding the
perfect artist for your perfect day.

Hit the counters- Some of the best training for artists is from the big companies
themselves, the girls are trained regularly throughout the year and practice daily. It's how
I got my start and I still know many people throughout various departments, chances are
they know someone who has gone out on their own if you'd prefer a freelance artist. Just
find find someone with a personal style that matches your own.

Ask questions - A million questions should be answered before the actual makeup application
takes place. What lines does she use? How does she maintain hygiene standards? Is she
prepared for older women or younger girls needing services at the wedding? Will she charge
full price for a little gloss or shimmer on a junior bridesmaid? How was she trained? What
happens in emergencies if she can't show up for some reason? So much of what I do has little
to do with makeup and more to do with education.

Make sure a run-through is included- This really isn't a service that just happens the day of,
you should know exactly how you will look for your wedding well before the big day. I always
provide a run-through where we choose a look together, and I document exactly what I used
so I can duplicate it again. Could I just show up and provide beautiful makeup for all parties
involved? Absolutely, but I want the bride to be at ease which is what it's all about.

Be realistic- Yes I know that Angelina Jolie looks amazing with her signature cat eye and
nude lips, but you might not. Sometimes it's a dance between my clients and myself where
they know what they want and I know what will actually work. Be open minded and see what
possibilities arise.

About me- I've been a makeup artist for 12 years making countless Colorado brides look
beautiful. I'm also a beauty writer keeping women plugged into the latest beatuy.

I am open to answering questions, feel free to visit me at:

http://ColoradoWeddingMakeup.com

http://HookedOnBeauty.com

An Emotional Engagement

As a wedding planner I am dedicated to understanding every aspect of weddings and marriage, including the engagement. Since I work with couples throughout their engagement I really wanted to understand this process of the marriage better. I found a book called Emotionally Engaged by Allison Moir-Smith. First off I want to recommend this book to every engaged, or about to be engaged girl. I loved this book because it ensures you that everything you feel is perfect to feel. No body expects you to be the perfect perky "bride to be" all of the time. The author has a background in psychology so she explains psychologically what changes during your engagement. Her main goal in writing the book is to challenge brides to feel and explore all of their feelings through out their engagement.

This book had a strong impact on me for two reasons. 1. I am an "almost" engaged girl so it helped me process my feelings I was starting to have. 2. I work with so many brides who put on a happy face for their moms and bridesmaids and get so wrapped up in the stigma of "bride to be" that they finally snap. This is where the show Bridezillas becomes reality television. It is never healthy to bottle up all your emotions, especially during an incredibly stressful and emotional process like an engagement.

I urge all fiances and brides to open up to somebody about your feelings. Either a friend or your fiance or even a therapist. I have personally seen the difference in brides who express their stress and frustration throughout their engagement and those who do not. My job as a planner is to make your engagement less stressful so you can enjoy it, so feel what you want and enjoy being engaged. It is such a short amount of time in your relationship together. You will only be engaged to eachother once, so cherish it and all the changes that come with it.

WHAT THE HECK IS TAFFETA???????

Shopping for your wedding dress is so exciting, it can also be tiring and frustrating. There are so many fabrics, so many styles, and so many choices. I am going to try and explain a few of these things so it is less confusing.

Here are the most common fabrics you will try on.
Taffeta: A lightweight crisp material. It has a lustrous, smooth finish. It can be plain or finely ribbed. Paper taffeta is crisp, almost crunchy; it makes a really great swooshing sound. Tissue taffeta is thin, almost transparent. Usually used as an overlay. Taffeta is made of silk, cotton, rayon, and synthetics.

Shantung: It has a plain weave, usually very rough with a random pattern. It has a nubby texture produced by weaving uneven fabrics together. It is made of silk or synthetics.

Duchesse Satin: A good winter fabric. Lightweight, glossy, has a sort of antique sheen. It is made of silk or rayon. Silk-faced satin is heavier than duchess satin but with the same appearance.

Organza: I always confuse organza and taffeta. Organza is crisp, sheer, very lightweight. It has a stiff texture. It has a really pretty luster.

Point d’esprit: Sheer, almost transparent cotton. It has dots on in which are woven into a pattern.

Net: It is a heavyweight mesh like wave. There are 3 types of net:
Maline: very fine variation
Marquisette: Soft, transparent, weightless
Tulle: Hexagonal holes. Made of silk, rayon, and nylon.
Most veils are made of nylon netting.

Chiffon: Soft, light, transparent. Simple weave out of silk, cotton, rayon and synthetics.

Eyelet: Great spring or summer fabric. Cotton or linen fabric with open work pattern of round holes. Finished at edges with embroidery.

Georgette: Sheer, lightweight crepe with a dull texture.

Satin: Densely woven, smooth, unbroken surface. Lustrous on one side matte on the other. Made of silk rayon and blends. Satin is your basic shiny wedding dress fabric. It is very classic.

Crepe: Great summer fabric. Soft, light, thin. It has a crinkled or ridged texture. There are 3 types of crepe fabric-
Crepe charmeuse: pebbly texture that lays flat and clings
Crepe de chine: Informal, good for fall or winter
Four ply crepe: Heavier than crepe de chine but has a flat texture. No luster, also good for fall or winter.

Linen: This is such a great fabric for beach weddings or informal summer or spring weddings. It is crisp and lightweight.



Now I don’t expect that after reading these definitions you will be able to name every fabric you see in a bridal salon. These are also not the only fabrics you will try on but these are a few of the most common. I think it is important to know what sort of fabric you want, and you may not know until you see them on but this is a good place to start, or to come after you have been shopping to be able to compare the fabrics you tried on during the day.

Some interesting facts about wedding gowns:

Woman in Japan have always married in white but other brides did not take this tradition until the late 18th century. Until then brides either wore their “Sunday best” or married in blue.
White was put in the etiquette books as the new trend in 1860 after Queen Victoria wore white. She was the first royal bride not to where the heavily brocaded silver gown. Since then white has been the color of choice for the wedding dress.

How do I choose just one?

Your first appointment is going to consist mainly of finding things you do not like. Don't get discouraged when you hate EVERYTHING you put on. Yes some woman step into one dress, fall in love, and they are done. Is this normal? Not really. You have never worn a wedding dress, how could you possibly know what you will like, or what will look good on your body type?

Here are my tips for finding your gown.

1. DO NOT believe what you read in magazines.
I have a problem, I admit it. I own every issue of every wedding magazine I can get my hands on, and I read them. In many magazines their is a chart. Which shape gown will look best on your body. DO NOT believe these articles. Never fail they are not very accurate.

The basic shapes of a gown are sheath, mermaid, a-line, ballgown.

A sheath gown has a straight skirt. It does not generally have many layers of fabric and does not hug tightly to your body. These gowns are great for tall woman, they are also great for beach weddings because they are generally very light and airy gowns.

A mermaid, fish tail, trumpet gown is one of the more controversial gowns. Some people say if you are short and curvy you can't wear them. WRONG. A mermaid gown hugs your curves, this is definitely the sexiest of all the gowns. It hugs through your waist and hips and then flairs either at your upper thighs are right around your knees. A few things to notice about these gowns-most of them will have fabric that goes one direction on the top and then have a pretty harsh line where the gown begins to flare and then have a different type of fabric or fabric that moves in a different direction on the bottom. This type of mermaid is something you will either love or hate. Designers also design mermaid gowns that have a less harsh difference where the gown begins to flare. The point about these gowns that I cannot stress enough is that if you are curvy you can wear these gowns. They actually look best on very curvy woman. Don't be afraid of the mermaid gown.

A-line gowns are very traditional and very easy to wear. Depending on the designer the A skirt can be fuller or smaller. These gowns flare from the hip so they are very flattering if you are more of a pear shape. Many A-line gowns have some sort of rouching or different fabric on the bodice and then have a plane skirt. Some A-line skirts have pick ups in them, or as they are often called, the wedding cake skirts. Yes pick ups sort of look like fondant on a cake, but I gurantee you that they look very different and actually very elegant when you get them on your body. Remember, you will never know what a gown looks like until it is on.

The Ball gown is perhaps the most traditional shape gown ever. Ball gowns are hard to wear if you are short because they flare from the waist rather than the hip. This makes you look like you have a shorter torso than you do. Most ball gowns have a pretty extreme flare from the waist so you will get a bit of a puff on both sides of the hips. Personally I love ball gowns. They're so classic, they're so gorgeous, but they have to have the right setting. You don't want your gown to overpower your wedding so your venue must be grand enough to compete with your gown. Try at least one ball gown on just for the experience. There are so many layers that most of them stand on their own and there is nothing more girly feeling than twirling around in a giant ball gown.


As I have mentioned before, do not be afraid to try on all different shape and size gowns. Look for something that you will feel comfortable in all day, and most importantly, look for a gown that you can picture yourself in on your wedding day.

What to Expect at Your First Appointment

Now that you have scheduled your first appointment, what should you expect?

Always arrive to your appointments on time. If you are late that is only taking time away from you. Consultants generally will not let your appointment run over your allotted time because it will make the next appointment late.

When you arrive more than likely they will have you fill out an information card. Name, date, wedding location, wedding date, etc. This is so they can file your dress style selections under your name so if you come back in for a follow up appointment they know what gowns you're coming for.

Then your consultant will give you a tour of their gowns. Some salons have the gowns displayed by style-sheath, mermaid, aline, ball gown or they will separate them by designers. Most gowns are sampled in sizes between 8 and 12. So in normal sizes they are 6-10. Don't worry if you are smaller or bigger than those sizes, consultants are trained in how to clip the gowns so they will fit well.

Once you pick out the gowns you want to try your consultant will take you and who ever you brought along back to the dressing rooms.

Most consultants will come in the room with you to help you get into the gowns. You'll realize as you start going to more appointments that it's easier to get help getting into the gowns. Some of them have inner corsets that must be hooked up and the zippers can be a pain to work.Don't worry, your consultant has seen it all. Your appointments should be about pampering you and making you feel special, so let them help you.

Don't worry if your entire first appointment you do not find anything you like. Most of the time the first appointment is narrowing out what you hate. Maybe you don't like strapless gowns, or big full skirts. You will never know what you like or do not like until you try them on.

My BIGGEST tip for your first appointment. TRY ON EVERYTHING! Unless you were a debutante chances are you have never worn a dress like a wedding gown. They're hot, they're itchy, but more importantly they're so beautiful.

Most brides come in with an idea of what they want. They want a very simple a-line gown, and by the time they're done they have chosen a very sleek mermaid gown with beautiful apliques.

You can't judge a wedding dress by what it looks like on a hanger. I can not stress enough that they look completely different on. Even if you only like one thing about the dress try it on.

In the end the more styles you try on the more clarity you will get on what style will make you feel the most beautiful on your perfect day.