Choosing the Right Bridal Shoes

by Wedding Style Guru Posted on May 14, 2012

Shoes are an essential component to any bride’s attire. Choosing the right pair means a more comfortable bride and a more fashionable look. Choosing the wrong pair means clashing attire in photographs, uncomfortable blisters for weeks after the wedding and a stressed bride in every picture. Great bridal shoes are easy to find when a few simple tips are followed.

A bride should purchase her dress before she purchases shoes. Bridal shoes come in an array of fabrics and dye lot choices, and the perfect pair should accentuate the dress. When a bride has her dress in hand, it is easier for her to find a complimenting pair of shoes that finishes off her style.

When hunting for a pair of bridal shoes, it is important to consider the height of the heel. Brides who choose a heel that is too high risk falling over on the dance floor or tripping as they walk down the aisle. This is both embarrassing and uncomfortable. A good rule of thumb is to purchase heels that are no more than 2 to 3 inches in height. Exceptions can be made for brides who have a lot of experience wearing higher heels.

Once a bride has found her perfect shoes, it is beneficial if she takes some time to break them in. Shoes often feel stiff when they are new, and it can take a while to make them comfortable. A bride also needs time to feel confident about the heel height and style of the shoes. Wearing shoes for an hour or two each day, for several days prior to the wedding, helps to ensure that the bride stays comfortable through hours of standing, walking and dancing. This also allows time for a bride to change her mind about the shoes if they are not the right pair.

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Would you Wed in a Mini Dress?

by Wedding Style Guru Posted on May 8, 2012

A long dress is a dressy dress. Most wedding dresses are long because that’s how you look special, especially if there’s a long trail sweeping the grounds behind you… It’s interesting that even as the fashion evolved and women’s dresses got shorter and shorter, wedding gowns held up their length, if not got longer than it’s even comfortable. Is it to compensate for the fact that modern women no longer wear a maxi in daily life, but are still reminiscing this classical feminine look? Or because wedding gowns are made of such fine fabrics, we want to show off their flowy-silky texture by using extra yards of material? One thing is certain, the majority of brides-to-be, as much as they experiment with the design of the top part of the dress, will still settle for nothing less than a long voluminous skirt.

Yet maybe we shouldn’t fully discount the idea of a mini wedding dress. Quite a few slender girls don’t mind showing some leg; shortening the skirt even if just at the front is a sure way to do it. Mini dresses work for a more casual wedding look (especially if it’s not the first wedding and the bride would rather tone things down). A beach wedding is another perfect occasion to wear a mini since the wet sand will quickly ruin the hem of a long dress.  Wearing a mini-dress with a flared skirt will make any bride look more youthful, and a tight-fitting dress of above-the-knee length is a top choice of stylish ladies with minimalistic preferences. Adding some ruffles to the skirt will create an eccentric baby-doll style that more daring brides might be eager to try. And wearing a mini-dress with an oversized long trail is another risky combination that many modern brides find appealing.

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Proposing on Live TV? Bad Idea!

by Wedding Style Guru Posted on April 26, 2012

We hear stories all the time. Some of us even witness televised proposals that occur during live broadcast of a sports game, concert or TV show.  The videos get posted on YouTube and are guaranteed to get a solid number of views, many of them going viral overnight. But is this very public form of a marriage proposal such a good idea?  Let’s see…

Some guys think the baseball game is a perfect setting for a surprise proposition that will be aired on the giant stadium screen if not on live TV. And you get the cheers from the viewers who, like the bride-to-be, suspected nothing minutes earlier. Others come up with the idea of a televised proposal as they get tickets to the taping of a TV program, that is to be aired on a popular cable TV channel.  It doesn’t really matter where it will happen because with a public proposal you are guaranteed these 3 things: a crowd of cheering strangers, one shocked girl and a video to share with your future children and grandchildren. And the cherry on top of the cake is that for a few minutes you will steal the spotlight from the main attraction. Sounds appealing, right? Not for everyone.

The majority of girls are rather old-fashioned when it comes to something as serious as a wedding proposal. Their most anticipated scenario is a candle-lit dinner at a fancy restaurant, flowers and champagne, intimate atmosphere and a ring hidden in the dessert. They believe it should be a very private act, meant to be shared by the couple only (girlfriends well get all the details later). They want to look their best during the special moment: girls are more likely to wear a glamorous dress to a dinner than during a baseball game. They like to be surprised but they also like to suspect and anticipate what is about to happen, and devour every moment of this anticipation. What they don’t like is TV cameras zoomed straight on them, especially if they wear no makeup and have this ugly old baseball hat on their head.

But that’s not even the core of the problem. A girl who has to deal with an unexpected proposal, can get things under control by saying “I will think about it”, or, if the answer is a definite ‘no’, to state her reasons and soften  the blow. Being in public limits your choices – it’s either saying ‘yes’, or making a run for it. And this is precisely what many girls do in the failed public proposals, they run away from the cameras to spare themselves and the heartbroken guys from further humiliation.

 

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Tangerine Tango: Wedding Color of the Year 2012

by Wedding Style Guru Posted on April 23, 2012

Many brides like to plan their weddings around a color theme. For 2012, the color of the year by Pantone is Tangerine Tango. This lovely reddish orange can complement a wedding of any season in several different ways. One of the most obvious choices is to have the bridesmaid dresses in tangerine tango. If this color does not work for everyone, another idea is to have black or white dresses with tangerine tango accents, such as shoes, necklaces, belts, or scarves. The bride herself can also wear this fun color in her shoes, jewelry, or a sash.

Wedding invitations are a great way to feature tangerine tango and are the first glimpse to guests of the color theme of the wedding. This color can be the backdrop of the invitations or it can be used as the ink color on a darkly shaded paper such as navy blue, gray, or black.

Flowers are an extremely important part of any wedding. The bouquets carried by the bride and her bridesmaids can easily incorporate tangerine tango through the following flowers in the orange color family: marigolds, roses, tulips, zinnias, or dahlias. Tangerine tango can be the main color of the bouquets or it can used sparsely to provide a pop of bright color among other mutely shaded flowers. For table centerpieces, tangerine tango flowers can again be the main feature or the tables can be decorated with orange candles, glass stones, or paper decorations.

Tangerine tango is a versatile color that can make a wedding really stand out among otherwise staid counterparts.

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Mirror, Mirror Wedding Gowns

by Wedding Style Guru Posted on April 12, 2012

I just watched Mirror, Mirror with Julia Roberts this past weekend. That was a rather interesting adaptation of a well-known fairytale, the ending alone is worth watching it (spoiler: no, Snow White does not bite the apple…) The topic of marriage and wedding is central to the story line: remember how many times the Queen gets married, still feeling excited about every new occasion? Or was it yet another chance to wear yet another wedding dress? And her last bridal gown is simply stunning.  Some might have felt overwhelmed but the skirt volume – it made me wonder how on earth she could have fit into the tiny carriage with all those layers of fabric. The dress was a perfect match for the Queen’s grand ambitions. It can easily inspire some brides looking to walk the isle like a royalty. The elaborate wedding gown was designed by Eiko Ishioka and thousands Swarovsky elements were put into use to make the dress as stunning as we saw it on the screen. Don’t you just love the elaborate corset, made of silk flower petals, complemented by the silky vines on the skirt? Frankly, when the Queen stepped from the carriage wearing this masterpiece – it was a mesmerizing moment.

What surprised me was that Snow White’s wedding dress was nothing like what we would expect from the classic fairy tale beauty. No soft milky satin adorned with lace and pearls. What we got instead were bright contrasting colors and rough shapes. As if neon blue material used for the dress wasn’t screaming enough, its boldness was emphasized by an over-sized bright orange bow on the back. But the dress was symbolical of the transformation that Snow White underwent in the movie: turning from a helpless sentimental victim into a strong and confident femme fatale. She still looked amazing in that dress, just displaying a different kind of style and beauty: dangerous but so luring. You just can’t keep your eyes off her gorgeous attire – definitely a hint to take by the future brides who want to stand out, shock and remain in the memory of their wedding guests forever.

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Wedding Colors – Purple Inspiration

by Wedding Style Guru Posted on April 10, 2012

Purple has been considered the royal color for centuries. It means wealth and luxury, passion and intrigue. It’s definitely not one of the soothing, relaxing colors: it never fails to draw attention, provoke, inspire. If you are looking for a color combination for your wedding that will create a bright contrast, make everything appear more artistic and eccentric, add some extra excitement with an element of mystique – then purple should be at the center of your color palette. Softened by white, light pink and lilac, purple will create a unique, almost smoky atmosphere that will puzzle and fluster your guests.

If you don’t want to steer away from the classical white bridal gown, accessorize it with bright purple and lilac elements  – be it a feather hair peace, a purple silk sash, a bouquet of bright purple and white orchids or a pair of extravagant purple bridal shoes. Send out purple wedding invitations, decorate your reception hall with purple candles, lanterns and balloon sculptures and don’t forget to decorate your wedding cake using a matching color palette. People can admire or hate your choice but one thing will be clear: you are not afraid to experiment and stand out, you make radical choices and you stick with them because this is who you are.

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