Wedding Dress Styles Part II

Posted on March 8, 2015 by Mary P Karnes

WEDDING DRESS STYLES PART II

MERMAID

Bonus for the dress above. Not only is it the coveted “Mermaid” style, but it has a lace bodice, and oodles of fabric ruffles on the bottom. This is a gorgeous dress, the “Mermaid” a gorgeous style. But take heed… it demands a model thin figure. Had it been “the thing” when I married, I would have been far too short for it. It requires a tall, thin stature.

SHEATH

The sheath is often neglected by brides to be. For most, it doesn’t have enough, “Big Romance” bling. But it can be spectacular with the right figure -think Carolyn Bissett Kennedy. It also flatters all age groups of brides, and you can add your own “pop” of sparkle like the bride above did with her belt.

TEA LENGTH

I wrote a whole blog post on “Tea Length” wedding dresses. Check it out in my “Archives”! I think the tea length is a perfect choice for a more casual wedding, and it looks great on everyone. You needn’t wear a full skirt like the dress above, but the full skirt lends a delightful “50’s” feel.

MINI

What about the “Mini”? Much like the tea length , the wedding would have to be much more casual but what a sophisticated look! And if you have the legs for it….why not show them off? With this short length, you could wear it again. Today, most women don’t recycle their wedding gown, but in my mother’s day, they were more practically minded, and it was not unheard of to wear your wedding dress/ suit again for another grad occasion. Would YOU consider it? We often follow the trnds celebrities start. I recently saw a picture of Natalie Portman at an event decked out in HER wedding dress – food for thought…

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Image #1 rusolclothing.com

Image #2 designurge.com

Image #3 www.pinterest.com

Image #4 blog.jjshouse.com
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Wedding Gown Styles

Posted on March 5, 2015 by Mary P Karnes

You’re engaged! After you select, secure and make a deposit on your venue…you need to start looking for your wedding gown. Do your research, and in today’s world, that means going on-line. When I was a bride 31 years ago, it was all about “Bride’s Magazine.” Am I right, ladies?!? My friends and I would look at it’s hallowed pages and dream. Today’s brides do the same thing, only on a computer.

When you’re ready to go to an actual store, it’s a great idea to pick some styles you like, and that you think will flatter your figure, and print them out. Some large salons, like Kleinfeld’s in New York, request that you create an on-line account on their website. Prior to your reserved appointment, you are instructed to go to their website, and select the wedding gown styles you favor.

We’ll talk about four today. First up, the Ball Gown. This dress is flattering to most brides. The full skirt can showcase a tiny waist, and if needed, mask generous hips. It is also many young women’s ideal of the perfect wedding dress.

The “A Line” dress below, has similar characteristics and advantages of the ball gown, without the grandeur. A young, as well as more mature bride, would feel comfortable in this style.

The “Modified A Line” below has a slimmer silhouette still, and a slightly lower waist-line. When we were shopping for the girls’ dresses, one year apart, the bridal consultant told us that a large percentage of brides request “A lines” or “Modified A lines,” But there just were not many options for the salon to order from venders. It’s such a flattering style, I was surprised. But when do designers ever listen to us?

The “Trumpet” style, featured below, has similar details of a mermaid gown.

The trumpet and mermaid are both form fitting. The mermaid’s flare is more so, hitting at the knee or below. The trumpet flares out mid thigh. Not only is it more comfortable and gives the bride more freedom of movement, it’s also more forgiving of an imperfect figure. But women love the mermaid, making it one of the most popular styles.

Next time…more on the mermaid, sheath, tea-length and mini. What will be YOUR choice?
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Image #2 www.rainingblossoms.com

Imag #3 www.alizeebridal.com

Image #4 www.jlmcouture.com

Imag e#5 www.qualitybridals.com
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Vintage Wedding Gowns

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Mary P Karnes

Vintage wedding gowns. Nothing says romance more. And the thing I like about vintage, is that all age groups can wear it — provided you have the figure for it. Take the top photo — it’s GORGEOUS…but really…who could wear it, but a 14 year old girl…And for her, the style wouldn’t be appropriate.

Vintage/Retro, what’s the difference, you ask?? Well, according to pollybland.com:

“vintage:Although widely misused, the term “vintage” refers to an item that is at least 20 years old or more (there you go, you 1980’s fans!) I know I hate seeing it misused and overused because it is such a fanatic thing today for something to be “vintage.” One of my teachers at school insists that the term vintage should not be applied to any object under 50 years old. This is currently up in the air, but at least twenty years is the accepted age to deem objects under the “vintage” category. True vintage could be categorized at least 50 years old. “New vintage” is a term I’ve heard describing 1980’s barely vintage items.

Retro: retro simply refers to anything that looks out of style for the current time period. This could be clothing that was popular in the late 1990’s (not technically vintage, yet) or any new design that references designs or ideas of the past. This also seems to be somewhat interchangeable with the word, “vintage inspired.” The 1970’s are often referred to as “retro” although they are technically over 40 years old… which can be (in my eyes) considered “vintage.” “

Not sure you want an “old-fashioned gown”, but want some feminine romance in your ensemble? Look at the shoes below? You could wear a burlap sack and still look like a bride wearing these!

Want another little bit of old-world flare? Try something like the embellished belts below and add a bit of zing to a more simple gown.

We women all know how important our hair is, but do we think of it as an accessory? The bride below did. Her hair and jeweled comb are the perfect compliment to her vintage gown.

Remember, when you’re the bride, there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. Your choice is always the right one..

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Preserve Your Wedding Bouquet

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Mary P Karnes

If you want to preserve your wedding bouquet, you need to plan ahead. Before your wedding, choose the method you would like to use to preserve your flowers. There are several. According to www.theknot.com, (click on the link below is you want to read the entire article), the simplest is the “Press and Frame” method. This is quite easy to ‘do it yourself.’ You just press a few blooms from your bouquet and display them in a frame.

Another method is the “The Shadow Box or Glass Dome.” This allows you do display flowers from your bouquet in their original form. If you choose this style, it is not one to do yourself. Contact a reputable preservationist. You will want to have them selected with their contact info so you can have a reliable friend or relative ship your flowers to them asap – probably while you are on your honeymoon! Remember to have a box available to ship to the preservationist – or they may even request you send it in a type of temperature controlled box. If so, it may be something they provide, and you will need to have it on hand before the wedding.

You can also check with the florist who provided the flowers for your wedding. Maybe they offer a preservation serve. This will save on the cost and hassle of shipping.

I had certain blooms from my bridal bouquet professionally preserved after my wedding thirty-one years ago. They held up beautifully for about 25 years. They began to look a little shabby at that point. Then one day I knocked the glass jar they were housed in off my dresser. It was a sad day…But in all reality, it save me the gut wrenching decision of whether to keep them or not. Flowers can last only so long. Unless they’re bronzed… 🙂 Which is not a bad idea, either…