How to Look Good in a Tuxedo on Your Wedding Day

Ten Tips to Looking Fabulous in Your Wedding Tuxedo
Copyright © 2008 Janine Giorgenti

You have proposed marriage to the woman of your dreams. Her acceptance means that now, you must prepare for the big day! You will stand beside your bride in that "picture perfect moment," a snapshot in time which will forever adorn your mantel.

Choosing the perfect tuxedo and accessories is vital, thus making the task daunting. Here are some guidelines to make it easier for you to choose the perfect formal wear for your wedding.

1) "Get With" the Theme! And Don't Forget the Bride!
Don't look out of place at your own wedding! Weddings can have themes ranging from The Great Gatsby, to Art Deco, Renaissance, Nouveau... It's your party and you're the co-star. So, dress the part! Choose a tuxedo that complements your bride's gown. For instance, if it's a traditional wedding, dress in a classic tux. If it is a modern wedding or themed wedding, then dress according to the theme and style.

2) "Don't Sweat It!"
Consider the climate and time of year. If you are getting married in the south in mid-summer, you should go with a lighter, more breathable fabric. If your theme is a beach wedding, opt for white instead of the traditional black tux. In the winter months, a traditional tux may do the trick.

3) Like "Night and Day."
Are you planning an evening or daytime wedding? The general rule is that evening weddings or those after 6pm are considered more formal. Such a wedding calls for full dress, including tux, tuxedo shirt, cummerbund or vest, tie or bow tie, cufflinks and studs and tuxedo shoes.
For daytime weddings, your attire can be less formal. Although a tux is still appropriate, some couples opt for a dressy suit with tuxedo accessories.

4) It's All About You!
Find your personal style and show some flair, whether it is the style of your tux shirt or the cufflinks and studs that you choose. A touch here and there can really make the look your own.

5) Don't Be Late For Your Own Wedding!
Don't procrastinate! This is not something you sit on until a couple of weeks before your wedding. Finding the right tuxedo takes time, as do fittings to make it look just right. Alterations can take a few weeks. If you're having the tux custom made, allow 2 months.

6) It Just Ain't Fitting!
Make sure it fits. There should be no pulling, puckering, sagging or drooping. The length should cover your socks when you are walking but not puddle on the floor when you are standing. A professional will be able to help you make the right choices and get a fit that will be both comfortable and flattering.

7) Ahhhhhh, This Feels Good!
Yes, you can be comfortable in a tuxedo, if it fits well and is made from a nice, high-quality fabric. When you figure in the photo sessions, the wedding ceremony and the reception, not to mention all that dancing, you will be wearing this tuxedo for quite a while.

8) When a Little "Bling" Will Do!
Tuxedo shirts require cufflinks and studs. Here is where you can flaunt your personal taste, by choosing from simple gold knots to gorgeous inlays. You don't have to spend a fortune. Unless the set is under a jeweler's loupe, costume cufflinks and studs will achieve the same look.

9) Who Wants "Pre-owned," Anyway!
Consider buying rather than renting. A tuxedo is no more expensive than a good quality suit. You would never rent a suit, so why rent a tux? Plus, you don't know who's worn it before... yuck! The fit will look better and the fabric will feel great on a tuxedo that you buy or have made... Most importantly, you get to keep it.

10) You Are My Sunshine!
Polish and shine! Shoes finish off your look. Make sure they are clean and polished. Black patent leather is the standard. If you buy new, don't forget to break them in. The last thing you want to think about during this momentous occasion is how much your feet hurt.
So enjoy yourself and have the time of your life!

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Janine Giorgenti is a renowned fourth generation Italian designer, image consultant and custom clothier. Visit her website at http://www.bestcustomtuxedo.com/ for more style advice and fashion tips.

Choosing a Wedding Dress for the Beach

Pick a Beach Wedding Dress
Copyright © 2008 Al Alexander


You have decided to have a gorgeous wedding on the beach. Beach wedding dresses are usually made of lighter material. The more casual bridal gown still delivers images of class and style. Most often women looking for a beach wedding gown make sure that the hemline doesn't got all the way to the sand. Beach wedding dresses are not just for the skinny brides. Bigger brides can look just as beautiful in their beach wedding dress.

The key in picking your beach wedding gown is to pick a dress that matches your figure. It is important for everyone to look their best on their special day. Finding a dress that compliments your specific body type and figure is the key to looking gorgeous. A good plus size dress should flatten your curves instead of making them look bigger. Handling your curves is the key to plus size beach wedding gowns.

Look for a dress that fits well and doesn't dig into your skin. The high quality beach wedding gowns should be soft to the touch, with no itchiness. Beach wedding gowns should be made of breathable materials to keep your dress soaking up sweat. The breathable materials will keep your gown staying white all day long. This will keep your dress flowing and beautiful through the ceremony and reception.

A-line dresses make for the best plus size gowns. A full skirt dress should be avoided. Always look for a dress that will flatter your figure.

A high quality beach wedding dress is formed with lightweight, flowing materials. Stay away from heavy or cumbersome gowns. Popular materials are linen, silk, lace, gauze, rayon, or light cotton.

Sarongs are now becoming the rage for beach weddings. Wear a one piece, for a strapless mini gown style, or use as a skirt with matching halter top. Search online for the best prices for bridal dress shops.

The top styles for beach wedding dress are strapless or spaghetti strap gowns. It is typically hotter for beach weddings and this important to take into account when picking your dress. Remember to always pick a dress the matches your figure. Lacy sleeves are a great option for people who have larger arms.

Beach weddings are starting to become exceptionally popular. You now can have a high end and stylish wedding dress for your beach wedding. Search online for the latest styles to match your figure.

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Find the latest styles of wedding dresses and beach wedding dresses at Bridal Online Store.

Plus Size Vintage Wedding Dresses

Are you looking for a plus size vintage wedding dress? Regardless of your size you should be able to find a selection of plus size vintage wedding dresses online and in your local wedding dress boutiques. If you can't find a plus size vintage wedding dress that is right for you, you may want to consider getting one made for you. You can visit a wedding dress designer, take photos of what sort of styles you like and get one made for you that fits your womanly curves perfectly.

Here is an article about finding plus size wedding dresses:

Plus Size Wedding Dress - Feel Good
By Andrea Dilea

There are a lot of factors to consider when you are planning a wedding. How many guests will you have? What food and which cake will you serve? Where will you hold the wedding? It can all start to run together. It can be an added stress to try to locate a plus size wedding dress. As a bride you want to look amazing for your important day. This is a dream that is totally reachable even in a plus size wedding dress.

Not too long ago, there were no choices for ladies needing plus size clothes. Everything was about as attractive as a burlap bag. Even wedding fashions bordered on the unwearable. However, things have changed in the marketplace. The discovery of a large and thriving community willing to spend on quality has led to choice. It is no longer a chore to find the perfect plus size wedding dress in any style you want.

If buying off the rack is not your style you can also seek out a local designer or seamstress that specializes in making plus size clothing. An expert dressmaker should be able to advise you on the most flattering designs for your body shape and tailor a precise fit for your body. A unique dress design tailored specifically for you is guaranteed to make you look great.

You may find that your wedding budget can't be stretched to include a custom gown. In that case, you'll be happy to know that there is an alternative. You will find many gently used dresses in consignment shops. In doing so, you will be able to buy a gorgeous gown that's only been worn once but for substantially less cost than a new one. Get out your phone book and contact the consignment shops located near you. You can find out what selection and sizes they have
available by phone which will help you save on both time and gas.

After exhausting these options without any luck, don't give up. You could still make your own dress. All the major pattern lines now carry wedding pattern for women's sizes. This way you can still have your custom made dress and all you have to pay for is the fabric and a few notions. If sewing is not your talent, take a good look at your family. Maybe someone could make the dress as your wedding gift.

Any bride nowadays is very lucky. She can look her most beautiful and feel good by selecting from various gowns in any gown store. It's possible through the net also. Why not try it 6-month before the wedding date?

Andrea writes about Plus Size Clothing. Visit us for plus size deals on a Plus Size Prom Dresses at http://plus-size.discountsonline.com/

Seven Tips for Finding the Right Wedding Suppliers

Organising your wedding is a huge task and it can be daunting at times. Not only do you have to find the perfect venue and a dress that makes you feel beautiful, you also have to find the right photographer, florist, cake designer, music, invitations and more. But, how do you go about finding all these wedding suppliers?

Here are a few tips to help you get started.

(1) Make a To-do list – be organised and get yourself off to a good start by making a to-do list. There are a few things that you will need to organise as soon as possible such as finding a venue, booking caterers and choosing a dress. Other things such as choosing your wedding rings, ordering your cake and selecting stationery can wait until a bit later. Prioritise your list and put a rough date beside each item to help you remember when it needs to be done by.

(2) Get Recommendations from friends – how do you know which suppliers are reputable and provide a high quality service? The best way to determine this is by speaking to friends or relatives who have recently married and ask them which suppliers they chose and which ones they were happy or unhappy with. Nothing can beat a personal recommendation.

(3) Go to Wedding Fairs – wedding fairs can be a lot of fun for you. You can sample a few canopies, wedding cake and perhaps some champagne, while speaking to a lot of different suppliers under one roof. This is a great chance for you to meet potential photographers, cake designers, stationery suppliers, caterers, videographers, dress designers and more, all within a couple of hours.

(4) Look in Wedding Magazines – most wedding magazines have lists of suppliers and classified adverts inside them, usually on the last few pages. Many magazines also have real life stories with information and photos about recently married couples and often details on the suppliers used by the couple.

(5) Use the Internet – sounds obvious, but it makes sense to visit Google or Yahoo and enter the name of your town or area along with what you are looking for e.g. “wedding cakes London” or something similar. This gives you a great opportunity to browse the website of your potential supplier before speaking to them in person. Often this can be a huge time saver as you can immediately eliminate suppliers that are too expensive or that are not to your taste.

(6) Use the Phone – don’t be afraid to phone round a few suppliers before you make the decision to speak to them in person. Many suppliers do not have any information about their prices on their website, so a quick phone call to find this out can save you a lot of time.

(7) Be Prepared – finally, make sure you are prepared! Before you visit a supplier have a think about what you want. Discuss it with your fiancé and with your parents if they are helping to pay for the wedding.

Who Pays for the Bridesmaid's Dress?

Who Pays For Bridesmaid Dresses? (By Yolanda Nash)

A bridesmaid in a wedding is the person, who caters to every need of the bride and helps her in pre-wedding, wedding and post-wedding arrangements. There is usually more than one bridesmaid in a wedding, but the principal bridesmaid is called "The maid of honor" or "The matron of honor" (if she is a married person).

History says that during the Roman period, the bridesmaids used to form a kind of army that helped protect the bride from thieves or scorned suitors on the way to the bridegroom's village. During the later Roman period, the number of bridesmaids was kept at ten to form witnesses to the wedding. In today's times, the bride gets to choose the number of bridesmaids that she would want in her wedding.

The principal bridesmaid or the maid of honor is usually a sister of the bride, a close relative or a friend dear to her. She, with the bride, helps in coordinating all the planning required before and during the wedding.

Before the wedding, she helps the bride in fixing up the venue to the wedding, helps in preparing the wedding list and sending out invitations to various guests, helping the bride with her shopping for the wedding gown and her other requirements, etc. She also coordinates the other preparations for the wedding with the other bridesmaids. She also takes charge of hosting a party called the Bridal shower, where gifts are brought to be given to the bride.

During the wedding, she helps the bride get ready for the wedding and assists in checking on the arrangements in the reception hall. She holds the groom's wedding ring that is handed over to the bride during the ceremony. She also holds the bride's bouquet and assists the bride in managing her veil. At the reception, she makes a toast to the newly wedded couple followed by a speech to congratulate them and to wish them luck with their wedded life. Overall, she acts as a backbone to the bride in seeing that the wedding goes on without a hitch.

As per tradition, the bridesmaids usually dress up in attire that is quite identical to the bride. This is a custom that originated with the belief that the similar clothing will confuse evil spirits as to who the bride is and protect the bride from any harm. Therefore, a bride would want her bridesmaid to be dressed up for the occasion in a dress that would suit her gown.

This brings up the question as to who has to buy the bridesmaid her dress for the wedding. Traditionally, the bridesmaid is expected to buy her own attire and accessories to go with her dress. She is also expected to bear all her other expenses such as travel, cost for hosting the bridal shower, etc.

If you need some wedding favors such as love glass coasters, glass grapes candle favors, beach wedding favors and more we got you covered.
We also have many different wedding gifts such as tote bags, anniversaries, gifts for him and her and more.

Also we have many wedding accessories such as unity candles, ring pillows, guest books and pens and many more accessories for your wedding.

Choosing a Pattern for your Wedding Dress

Are you planning on making your own wedding dress or having someone make your dress for you? If so, this will provide you with a few tips on how to choose a pattern for your dress.

Wedding Dress Patterns - Tips On How To Choose Them
By Melinda Barton

Shopping for wedding dress patterns can be just as daunting a task as shopping for a dress off the rack, even more so, if you will be sewing the dress yourself. There are so many things to consider when looking for just the right wedding dress pattern so that you will be the most stunning of brides on your wedding day.

The good news it that since you or someone else will making the dress from scratch, you will have total control over how your wedding dress will look on your most special day. You will have a custom creation that is unique and designed especially for you alone.

Here are some things to consider when shopping for wedding dress patterns.

The first thing to consider is the style of your wedding. Will it be a traditional wedding, or will you being doing something a little more out of the ordinary and have a themed wedding, such as a Celtic wedding? This of course dictates which type of wedding dress pattern you will be looking for.

Another consideration when looking for your wedding dress pattern will be the location of your wedding. Will it be indoors, or outdoors? If you will be having your wedding outdoors, you will want to consider the time of year and season. If it is in the fall or winter you will want to choose a pattern that help keep you warm, if it is spring or summer you will want something that will help keep you cool. The pattern in conjunction with the fabric that you choose will make a big difference as to your comfort on your special day.

You will want your wedding dress to show off your figure to it's best advantage. Listed below are the 4 basic body types and the goals that you want to keep in mind for yourself based on your body type when choosing your pattern:

Triangle -
your hips are wider than your bust and shoulders. Your goal will be to minimize your lower body and create the illusion of additional upper body width.

Reverse Triangle -
your upper body is wider than your lower body. Your goal will be to emphasize lower body width.

Hourglass -
your bust and hips are larger than your small waist. Your goal will be to create balance.

Rectangle -
your body is long and narrow without a strongly defined waistline. Your goal will be to emphasize width and avoid long vertical lines.

Pick a wedding dress pattern that emphasizes those body features that you want to play up or down.

Since you want your wedding dress to be the most flattering of dresses, there are other things to think about as well, such as the color of the wedding dress.

You want to pick a color that looks the best on you if you are not going with a white or off-white traditional wedding gown. You will want to consider your skin color when picking out your dress color. Your skin color will greatly affect how the gown looks on you. A bride with a lighter skin color has more choices than a bride with a darker skin color.

For brides with a lighter skin color, white or a dress in a darker color will result in a very lovely appearance. Brides with a darker skin color will want to choose their colors while also considering their make up also for the most beautiful appearance. If you have darker skin and do not consider your make up while choosing your fabric and during your fittings, you will not have a true reflection of how you will look on your wedding day.

Since you are making your own dress or having it made, you will be able to embellish it any way you choose. Brides can make fashion statements with fabric. You can range from delicate draping to more dramatic ruffles and fabric flowers. Ruffles, ribbon, ruching, gathering, pleats, fabric flowers, and draping are all special details that you can add to your gown. Just remember to keep your body type in mind when picking your embellishments.

Here are few places where you can start looking for your wedding dress pattern on line.

- Simplicity Patterns has been making patterns for generations. Look them up on the internet and browse through their patterns. They have a large selection of wonderful patterns to choose from.

- Vogue Patterns also offers a stylish selection of bridal patterns. Go to their website and browse through their collection also.

- McCall's, is another trusted name in sewing patterns. They have a marvelous collection of patterns on their website to go look through.

Searching through all the wedding dress patterns may seem overwhelming at first, but by following the tips presented here you will end up with a stunning dress and you will be the most beautiful of bride's on your wedding day.

Melinda Barton is an Internationally recognized wedding planner and author of the book Wedding Planning Secrets

She has given several TV and radio appearances and is passionate about helping everyone succeed in their desire to have the best wedding through simple and easy to use wedding planning secrets.

Should You Go for a Knock off Wedding Dress

Is there anything wrong with buying a knock off wedding dress replica with a small change to suit your needs? You could pay a few thousand dollars for the gown of your dreams, so why pay this much when you can buy the same wedding dress, with a few slight additions you may want for a tenth of the price?

Here are a few questions and answers about knock off wedding dresses.

Where Can I Find Knock-Off Wedding Dresses?

You can find many websites and auctions sites that offer knock-off wedding dresses like these. Normally you have to submit your measurements and wait about 30 days to receive the dress since they are made to order, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the quality.

How Can They Make a Knock-Off Wedding Dress So Cheap?

Normally these gowns are made in countries where the price to make a gown is a lot cheaper - places like China, India and some countries in Eastern Europe.

How Can I Be Sure of the Seller and the Quality?

Like anything in life, no you can’t be 100% sure you’re going to like your knock-off wedding dress – no more than you can be sure you’d love a designer original. You need to research the seller, see if they have any testimonials, and if you're buying off an auction site - check their feedback.

What Is the Average Price of a Knock-Off Wedding Dress?

Prices do vary, but you can normally pick out a gown for between one hundred and two hundred dollars. Not everyone can afford a really expensive gown, so the next best thing is a knock off wedding dress that’s a replica of the original designer you admired.

Yes, they look the same, but normally the knock off wedding dress has slight variations so they don’t affect the copyright of the designer. After all, this is your big day, so why should you go without the design you want when you can get a gown made to your liking, with any additions you want, at a fraction of the price you would expect to see in your local store?