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

Centerpiece secrets...shh! Centerpieces are a huge part of your ceremony. But, they are also a huge part of your budget! There are a lot of ways to budget your centerpieces and a lot of secrets to making a statement without blowing your budget! Secret #1: Less is More Ok, so you want colorful, gorgeous centerpieces, but you want them low cost... Here's a fabulous idea! These are actually from a wedding I helped with last summer. The idea is, you are only paying for 5 flowers (gerbera daisies too which are fairly inexpensive!) but by putting them each in their own vase, you cover a lot more table and have a much larger, statement making centerpiece! You could do all the same color, all different, whatever you want! And I love the larger gerbera in the middle- really gives it some height! Here's another similar centerpiece. This features three different flowers: hydrangea, gerbera daisy, and a few mini roses. We also sprinkled some shells and sea glass on the tabl

Ok ladies...big question...what the heck is Mom wearing?? So, recently at the bridal shop we have been having a hard time pleasing our MOBs and MOGs. Most moms don't want to wear the classic suit, or a dress with a blazer. But, they still want some coverage, especially on the upper arms. So, brides to be, what is YOUR mom wearing? It's tough, especially for moms who want to dress young and trendy, but don't want to be exposed. We actually have a lot of moms who end up buying bridesmaid dresses! Another thing that makes it hard: many mom's dresses are very very dressy. What if you are having a more casual wedding? Here's some styles for moms that I think would work. A bit more trendy and not your typical MOB suit. Would your mom wear these? Let's face it....mom doesn't want to look like an old lady! She wants to be hip and fashionable. Ok, now here's another question. Once you've found your mom's dress....what COLOR does

Brides : What is your color story? Your color story is your color theme for your wedding. What colors are you choosing? Colors that are big right now are blush and Tiffany blue. Everyone seems to want a Tiffany wedding! Is this idea a bit overdone? What do you think? The other color that is SO in is blush. You see it in bridal gowns, as I posted before, but also in flowers and bridesmaids' dresses. There is nothing more gorgeous than blush colored peonies or ranunculus, do you agree? Here's something to watch out for thought: blush can be a VERY hard color to wear. Keep this in mind if you are putting all of your bridesmaids in blush. If they have light skin and light hair, it may not look so great.  When you are looking at bridesmaids' dresses, bring as many girls as you can. I know it is hard to get everyone together so round up anyone you can so you can see what styles and colors look good on everyone! Can't agree on a style? Put everyone in the same color,

Dress Trends for Spring 2013 Ok ladies, what's new for this wedding season? Well, a few things. First of all, sleeves! Very Kate Middleton, very elegant. Great for the girl who wants a little more coverage. I love the designer La Sposa's sleeved dresses; we sell these at the bridal shop where I work.  And for the daring bride: COLOR! This is such a great idea - add a sash to add some color! It could match your bridesmaids, match your flowers, it's totally up to you!  You can also add some detail to the sash. You could pin on a broach, a silk flower, have a simple bow.Play around and see what works best for you! Belts and sashes can totally transform a dress, but you have to be willing to experiment and try different things! Ok, so we've seen color in a sash. How about a colored dress? Blush is very very in right now, and I LOVE it. Here are a couple of Monique Lhuillier examples. Lazaro also makes some gorgeous blush dresses.

Trend Alert : Fun Shoes! Whether custom or colorful, heels or flats, fun shoes are the newest trend in bridal couture!  Ideas I love: Custom Shoes How amazing are these?? Hand painted shoes are the new thing! Add your wedding date, fiancé's name, pictures, theme colors, you name it! Shoes to match your bridesmaids! I love this idea! Wear shoes the color of your bridesmaid's dresses! Sparkle! These are to DIE for! Add a little bling on your feet! What shoe trends have you seen? What shoes are you wearing to your wedding