Celebrity Inspired Wedding Gowns (for less!) Ok, so your favorite celebrity fashion icon wore an amazing dress to their wedding, and you totally want to wear it too! But...it's out of your budget. Or unavailable to the public. Here are alternatives to some of the most talked about celebrity wedding gowns of the past few years. Cause we can't all get a custom couture dress, right?? Reese Witherspoon   Actual Dress : Monique Lhuillier (Custom) This dress was probably upwards of $10,000US. It was custom created for Reese, therefore it cannot be purchased. Here are some alternatives!                                                                                                 Same Designer: Love Reese's look? Try "Candy" by Monique Lhuillier. The blush color and slightly fitted skirt mimics Reese's feminine, ethereal look. Try it with a dark pink satin ribbon as a belt! (Retail: Around $7,000US). Monique makes many gowns in this gor

Everything you need to know before you go to try on wedding gowns! The first time you walk into a bridal salon, it can be extremely overwhelming. Even if you have done your homework and have some ideas as to what you like, that style may not look good on your body! When you see rows and rows of white dresse s, you can get a bit panicked! But relax, and follow these simple tips to having a successful appointment at the bridal shop! Do Some Homework Before you head to the salon, look online and decide which styles and fabrics appeal to you. Even if you have never set foot in a bridal shop, you can still look at a few photos and decide what type of  look(s) catch your eye. You can either print photos, write down styles, or just get to know which fabrics you like. Here is a bit of background on dress styles and fabric! Vocabulary you should know: A-line: shaped like an "A", not too "poofy" but still away from the body rather than skin-tight. This is also an e

Should You Hire a Wedding Planner? Are you busy with a full time job? Do you want help making decisions about your wedding? Do you want someone to organize all of your wedding details? Do you want someone there with you on the day of your wedding to make sure everything runs smoothly? Hiring a wedding planner is something many brides today consider. Planning your wedding can be stressful, and there is only so much you can ask your maid of honor to do. Sometimes it is beneficial to hire someone either to help plan the entire affair, or to be there on the day of your wedding as your "right hand man" to make sure everything goes as planned! You do not necessarily need a wedding planner or coordinator there for the whole day. Once you are dressed, everyone is accounted for, all deliveries are made, etc. you are generally ready to relax and just enjoy the ceremony and reception. It is sometimes helpful for a coordinator to stay to help people find their seats, or t

I HATE my __________________. As a bridal consultant, I hear it all. Every girl hates something about her body. Now, you can choose to cover it up, but why let a few flaws dictate what style dress you wear on your big day? Want a strapless dress but hate your arms? Get the arms you want AND the dress you want! Don't settle for sleeves, flaunt your body. Here are the most common areas of the body that brides complain about- and how to tone them! ARMS Best exercises: Push ups, Rows with Dumbells, Lateral Pull Down Work your chest and back to get rid of extra armpit skin! It's not just about your arms, your back and chest need to gain muscle in order to make this unsightly flab go away! BACK You may have never even considered this- but dresses with a low back can show back fat and even pinch your skin making you look like you have rolls. Keep in mind- the problem isn't always YOU, it can be the fit of the dress!! Loosening a dress a tiny bit can get rid o

Help! My bridesmaids are all different shapes and sizes! Hey brides! Just wanted to give my advice on an issue that I see all the time: bridesmaids' dresses. Choosing a dress for all of your girls to wear is tough! Your girls are probably all different sizes with different skin tones and hair color. There are a few things you can do to help your girls feel confident in their dresses and feel like they have a bit of a choice! (Even though you are the bride and ultimately, it's your decision). So, things that can be tough: Strapless If you have a larger girl, or perhaps a girl with a large bust, she may not feel comfortable in strapless. Another thing I see is when a bride has a junior bridesmaid who is not quite old enough to show cleavage. So... Add straps! You can add straps to all of the dresses or just for the girls who want them. Your seamstress (or sometimes even the dress company) can easily add straps to any strapless dress. And don't worry- even if some girl

Hey brides! A few weeks ago I attended the NYC Bridal Market where I saw some amazing new trends for this year's wedding season. Something that I saw everywhere was back coverage!! This look is so elegant and can be modest but sexy at the same time. Another great idea- have your seamstress make removable straps or a removable piece for your arms. That way, you can be covered and conservative during your ceremony, and change to a more fun look for your reception! I think this trend is going to be huge in the fall and winter too. In the colder months, you need a dress with a bit more coverage, but you still want to be in a gorgeous gown! I am loving this new trend! At the  bridal boutique I work at- Michele Bridal in Westbrook, CT- we just ordered some new dresses for fall and so many of them had gorgeous detail on the back. Here are some gorgeous back coverage looks: Would love to hear what YOU think! Would you wear a dress like this? Are you loving this new tr

I need to decrease my budget for... So, you bought the dress of your dreams, but now you have to cut your budget for flowers! These types of things happen. Budgets can change during your wedding planning process. You may decide to splurge on one aspect of your wedding, but that money has to come from some other part of your budget! Here are ways to cut your budget for certain parts of your wedding so you can keep costs down but still have a beautiful wedding! Flowers Ok, so the food and your dress went a little over budget...spend a little less on flowers! Here are some cost effective ideas... Try less expensive flowers Baby's breath is a fairly inexpensive flower that can make a BIG statement. Look at those centerpieces! Baby's breath is great because it creates volume and creates the look of a large, full arrangement! It can also be used for bridesmaid's bouquets...simple but still so cute! Reuse your bridesmaid's bouquets Ok, so we have ta

Love it or Hate it : Patterned Bridesmaid's Dresses This is something you don't see very often : bridesmaid dresses that aren't just one plain color. How do you feel about this look? I think that with the right venue and accessories, this can be an adorable, unique element to a wedding! Also, patterned dresses may be less expensive than your typical bridesmaid dress at a wedding shop.  I also think that patterned dresses are more of something your maids will wear again! Especially if you choose a cute pattern that will flatter all of your girls! Also, with a patterned dress, you may be able to get away with more simple bridesmaid bouquets. Make sure you don't have too much going on with the dresses and the flowers! So, what do you think? Patterned Bridesmaid Dresses: Yay or Nay??

How to choose a dress based on your body type Until you try on pretty much every style wedding dress, you aren't going to know what looks good on you. You really need to go into dress shopping with an open mind and try on things you wouldn't normally choose.  I swear to you, at the bridal shop where I work I see the same situation all the time. A woman comes in and and says, for example "I definitely don't want lace, strapless, or fit and flare". And guess what dress they end up choosing? A strapless, lace, fit and flare. Honestly! When you go dress shopping, always always always try on at least one dress that you would never ever pick, it just might be the one! Here are some guidelines for certain body types  If you have: A Full Chest Girls who have large breasts often want to cover them up. Nobody wants to be busting out of their dress in front of grandma and their new in-laws. Gi rls who are self conscious about their full chests often go for this s