Wedding Tactics

Melissa Sweet wedding gowns are a line of gowns made by Priscilla of Boston.

The gowns are diverse and appear to appeal to a variety of style preferences.

This Melissa Sweet gown is the MONICA. The surplice bodice is embroidered and the dress is silk garza in ivory.  I actually like the cinching at the waist. I think this gown would be magic on a tall slim bride at a beach or poolside wedding.  This gown feel casual, flirty and fun.

This strapless Melissa Sweet gown called the BILLIE has ruched and ruffled appliques.  The gown comes in white or ivory silk taffeta.   I know style is a very individual thing and this gown does appeal to someone, possibly even many of you, but I don’t like it.  The uneven neckline is very en vogue but it just over complicates this already busy and poofy dress.  The tea length skirt, however, makes it appropriate for an afternoon wedding, a tea-party wedding, garden ceremony and morning occasion.  It would also work well as a second gown for someone who is looking to wear something shorter and more fun feeling for the reception only.

The final Melissa Sweet wedding dress as my mercy is this classic, delicate lacy piece. Known as the HALLIE this strapless gown is very slim with a silhouette bodice.  It is made of French lace and comes in diamond white and ivory. It is also listed in the most expensive category.  I think this dress is gorgeous.  I think this gown is simple and classic, not too busy but gorgeous and romantic.  The gown is formal and fit for a formal evening event.

It’s that time of year again, my favorite, the Fall. Perfect for hayrides, long walks and WEDDINGS, of course! I love bridesmaid gowns for this season because they are always so rich in color and texture. Here are a few of my favorites.

JCrew is selling this elegant, fitted bodice-empire-waist full skirt dress online, not in stores. This classic fit, scoopneck sleeveless dress is excellent for an Autumn wedding. The midweight silk-wool is sleek and shimmering black, blue grey and gold. I actually LOVE that it has on-seam pockets. While not obivious they are exactly what a bridesmaid needs to hold an extra hair pin or a little piece of paper with a speech on it. Retails for $345.

Next up is DaVinci. They make very classic bridesmaid gowns that have a modern twist of a ribboned sash or a funky neckline accompanying a flirty feminine bodice.

I really like this gown but I’m not sure the nude tone at the top will work with many skin-tones. If you like this dress, please have all of your ‘maids try it on for looks before you choose this one. The high waist however will give all figures a nice shape by creating the illusion of height and a narrow waist. Style 9226.

Taffeta is IN!  Iridescent taffeta is extra-IN style!  I love the flirty sashy waist of this gown, especially paired with super high silvery-toned heels. I can see this gown at an evening wedding. the shimmer of the fabric makes this dress extra fancy and fun.  Style 9200.

And we have Raylia Designs. This tank-strap taffeta dress has a square neckline which is flattering on a variety of body types. The skirt is an A-line and the defined waist is very much in style right now and it also creates a waist line if there isn’t one already. Raylia gowns are very affordable too. This is style 8430Z.

According to the National Association of Wedding Ministers:
Wedding Stats:

* The average American engagement is 16 months.
* June is the most popular month for weddings, then August, followed by September October and May
* Every year an average of 2.4 million weddings are performed in the U.S.
* The Wedding Industry is a 50 billion dollar a year industry
* Average age for first-time brides is 25 years, for grooms it’s 27.5
* 175 guests are invited to an average wedding
* One third of engaged couples retain a Wedding Consultant
* An average honeymoon vacation is one week
* The average household income of a newly married couple is $60,000/year
* Couples are waiting longer to get married
* Tuxedoes are typically purchased 5-6 months after the wedding gown
* Median age for remarriage is 34 for women and 37 for men
* Bridesmaids’ gowns are general purchased 3-4 months in advance of the event
* Average size of wedding party: 12
* Most brides (30%) plan their weddings for 7 to 12 months
* Most (about 75%) first-time brides will receive a diamond engagement ring (67% of repeat brides).
* About 15% of weddings include ethnic customs
* 35% of weddings occur in the summer; 29% in the spring; 23% in the fall; 13% in the winter.
* 11% of winter weddings are Christmas weddings
* $22,000 is the average amount spent on a traditional American wedding
* A total of $72 billion is spent on weddings annually in the U.S.
* $19 billion is spent buying presents at wedding gift registries
* The average amount spent on a bridal gown is $800
* David’s Bridal accounts for 20% of all bridal-gown sales, and that percentage is increasing
* The average ring costs $2,000

This ring can be found at Wedding Rings (dot com).

One of my favorite wedding gown designers is Alfred Angelo. They are REAL dresses that fit REAL bodies. They fit over normal sized hips and contain normal sized breasts. And they still look absolutely awesome and gorgeous. And they are affordable! A word of caution: the fabrics don’t feel like a Vera Wang, but these gowns don’t cost even a fraction of a Vera Wang gown.

I know there are some very in styles right now but I am personally a classic-girl through and through. I think the classic styles are CLASSIC because they fit a lot of people, in a flattering way and they never really go out of style.

I really like this gown on a medium-build body. The cinched fabric across the midsection will give anyone the appearance of an even slimmer waist line. The top is very secure and therefore well suited for a larger bust. The shoulder-cap sleeves are also wuite sturdy. You don't get the idea that they are going to break like a spagetti strap and they will make a more conservative dresser feel confident in this sexy but formal and classic gown. This is style #1148.

This gown has a very nice structure to it. I like the square neckline which is well suited for a more delicate and slimmer upper body. It really allows a good set of arms to stand. The spaghetti straps are not what I would recommend for a larger bust but I said before, I like this dress on a slimmer and taller figure. The beading down the front elongates the dress and slims the figure. This is style #1611.

I love this plunging neckline. It is sexy and classic. Perfect for a night wedding or the bride who wants a sexy edge to her wedding. The a-line of the skirt is very elongating and slimming, making this a great gown for a bottom heavy figure. This dress is style #1870.

If you have already chosen a date for your wedding you know firsthand what a delicate little woven web it is to avoid offending people, trying to make people happy and manage to get married before the end of the decade. For all you recently engaged couples who are still “thinking it over” and “not yet settled on a date” … here are some tips, pitfalls to look out for and general complaints you can expect to hear.

The wedding over a holiday weekend debate meant that travel would be more expensive but people wouldn’t necessarily have to take as much time off from work. I thought I would feel guilty for taking someone’s intensely coveted three-day weekend. Although, in hindsight, I didn’t think much about it once the date was chosen and the invitations were in the mail. What seems huge today will be a faint memory tomorrow.

I got engaged in July, and I always knew I wanted a Fall wedding. That meant that we either had a wedding in December (yes, I know, not so much autumn anymore and also soon) … or we waited a year and a half.

I was not going to wait a year and a half.

Marc also said NO to December for that whole too soon reason. Men! If you can train for a marathon in four months; you can plan a wedding in four months.

When we finally decided where we wanted to get married, we just looked at the dates they had available and the openings began in early May. I did not want to get married on Mother’s Day or Memorial Day. May 20th was the earliest that our venue was available, so, that’s how we decided on our date.

I had friends beg me not to get married in December because they had another wedding to attend the week before, also in Florida and that would have been a lot of traveling for them.

My brother-in-law-to-be also asked me to move my wedding date, after I had put down a deposit, because his girlfriend’s sister was getting married the weekend before, and that’s just a lot of wedding-time for them. Sorry guys, you’ll get over it.

So much for my Fall wedding, or my December wedding.

We chose our date based on what was available at our venue. This was really just the beginning of the flexibility I would need to extend for wedding planning.

This Alvina Valenta bridesmaid gown is gorgeous. The cowl neckline is sultry, sexy and trendy. It retails for between $250 and $350, a wee bit expensive for the average bridesmaid but the colors are absolutely breathtaking. I would love to see this gown featured in a fall wedding ceremony held in an event hall, museum or historic mansion.

For a less costly bridal attendant dress consider this fun party dress, I like it in red. Made by Eden Bridals it is part of the Eden Maids line. Expect to find this gown for under $150.

You can also consider dress lines where you can order the same gown in a variety of colors and allow your bridesmaid to choose from any or a few color options. Ideal Bite suggests doing this so that the maids can reuse the gown at an event of their own choosing.

The Benefits ( According to Ideal Bite )

* Reusing. Just wearing a dress once isn’t exactly eco-friendly; typical bridesmaid dresses are made from acetate or polyester - both petroleum byproducts that require a lot of energy to produce.
* Not breaking their banks. Bridesmaid’s dresses cost an average of $138 each, which adds up if you’re like we are and everybody you freakin’ know is getting married.
* A dress they’ll actually wanna keep.

If you want to give the maids more flexibility but don’t want a rainbow of colors at your alter, consider choosing a simple black or brown cocktail gown that they can wear to other occasions.

Authorized pre-owned never-worn wedding gown. Would you bite?

Way back before my wedding and before I even found my perfect dress that I LOVED, I was in New York City for a weekend and wandered into RK Bridals and I found a great Maggie Sottero gown that fit me perfectly, and, it was on sale. So, I did what any engaged gal would do in that situation: I bought the dress.

Then, the next month I went shopping in Florida, where my wedding was going to be held and of course I found a dress, THE DRESS, MY DRESS. And I bought it.

In my defense, the dresses were both extremely low priced, both were just under $500. Which is great, unless you have two dresses and need to sell one of them.

Which brings me to this past week: I left my gorgeous unworn gown at a local bridal shop that sells on consignment. The dress has very classic lines, delicate beading, a chapel train and should fit a very real average sized body.

So now I wait hoping the gown will sell and I will make $337.50, my share of the consignment fee. Given the depreciation expected I will be quite pleased to get my check and since I bought that dress with my money, before our finances were merged, I just might go out and buy myself something to fit my recently baby-ravaged ill-fitted body.

If my dress doesn’t sell in ten months, the amount of time allowed in the consignment contract, I might consider selling it on Ebay or Craigslist, but I much prefer to lose a few dollars and have the professionals fix it up and snip the stray strings for me.
Sometimes it all does work out.

Just because you are having a Spring wedding doesn’t mean you have to have a pastel wedding. Pastel colors are a little muted and if you aren’t into them, don’t feel you have to use those colors just because of the Hallmark-esk association.

If you want an elegant and simple look, consider what this bride did, she had her maids wear a simple black cocktail dress that they could use again. Her flowers add the color. The dresses are shorter than most styles which alone gives the hint of warmer weather.

It should be common knowledge now that the President’s daughter, Jenna is engaged to be married on May 10, 2008. In a recent issue of People magazine there was a one-page spread of the details they are choosing to publicize. So far, all we know is that the couple is planning a private, 200-person affair in Crawford, Texas.

I suppose Jenna has a soft spot in her heart for Texas. I do not. Had my father been the president and my wedding able to be held at the White House, I think I would have jumped at the chance for this one-of-a-kind venue. However, I’ll overlook our differences in venue to offer Jenna some wedding suggestions.

The best wedding themes debuting this season are green, as in, eco-conscious, eco-friendly, earthy and earth friendly. Even the simplest of “green” touches makes for a trendy wedding. Thus, I recommend for the most famous/infamous family in the nation right now, a “green” wedding. Of course, not every details needs to be free of chemicals, free of harm, free of animal testing, etc …

For starters, for the bride of the season I suggest a classy and traditional gown, appropriate for a country wedding at any time of day and well suited for Jenna’s curvy but fit body.

A silk satin, strapless, dropped waist, Gail Garrison gown with a semi-cathedral train.

A dominant color in this classical but earthy wedding is green. Subtle uses of the timeless color: green.

This Ann Taylor bridesmaid gown in meadow green is affordable and well tailored for the average woman’s body. Although it is a shorter length more typical of an afternoon or country-club wedding, the fabric is elegant enough for evening, especially when paired with heels and an up-do hairstyle.

I am usually a fan of a good splash of color but for a “green” wedding I really like the calla lily. In this photo the bouquet is paired with a few strands of bear grass. Bouquets of callas are best when the stems are left open and wrapped with a single strand of ribbon.

And finally, the sweetest part of the wedding, the cake!

The grass is handpainted on white fondant icing. For more detail on this cake, visit the website of the original baker, Sweet Melissa Patisserie.

A runway-ready 2008 Carolina Herrera wedding gown.

For the simple but elegant summer bride, JCrew offers a line of wedding dresses.

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I’ve been writing for Wedding Tactics for a full year now. When I started maintaining this site I didn’t know what it would become and how long I’d be writing. In fact, at the time, 451 Press was still just getting off the ground. In fact, its been pretty amazing watching the network grow along with my site.

My first posting discussed the differences between a marriage and a wedding. The first few months following this entry I used the planning of my own wedding as a guide for what to write about.

A few times I mentioned the issues in gaining a new set of parents and specifically, the mother-in-law.

I wrote a lot about dresses and veils and accessories.
And for a few months I had featured columns on certain days of the week, Trends on Tuesday and Traditions Thursday. I used these headlines as a means to explain traditions like the tossing of the garter.

April was a very popular month on this site. My stats went thru the roof, but that was a very popular wedding time of year. I get asked frequently about the Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue thing. The meaning and its history are detailed here.

One of my all-time favorite posting was about what guests should wear to a wedding. I noticed during the Spring months that several clothing stores were featuring lines of dresses for wedding guests. This is a good guide to style options depending on the wedding venue.

I got married in May. Then, I started a new job in June and my postings got a bit less frequent for awhile. Meanwhile, I did profile some great summer wedding themes.

As the year went on I tried to focus on all the different issues surrounding weddings, including mens clothing, or, tuxedos and a few funny stories too, like this one about a guy who lost his wedding ring.

And, finally, the most recent repeating column, Wedding Tactics: On Location, features vendors and venues in random cities. By featuring actual wedding business providers across the nation, I hope that readers from all states will be attracted to read and follow along and also to ask questions and participate in the Wedding Tactics dialogue. The On-Location feature can be seen here, here and here. And also here.

Thanks to all the readers who made this a successful year for me and 451 Press. I look forward to another even better year here.

Happy New Year!

Eden Bridals is one of my favorites, they have a great variety of classically styled gowns.

This organza gown has an empire waist with beads and lace. The skirt is an A-line and the train is chapel length.

This strapless satin gown has a full skirt and a chapel length train with beading, pearls and crystals.

Venus Bridal has a tasteful selection of mother-of-the-bride gowns. They are slightly conservative but stylish and sexy too. The warm colors of the gowns below are also perfect for weddings in the fall and winter.

I spent months working on this posting. Well, not months, but I started working on it months ago and was saving it for a special occasion, like NaBloPoMo. But now, I’m sad to see it go further down the page and out of sight. Maybe I can just link to it, ya know, like this…

Hey! Do you know what an A-Line skirt is? No? Read about it here!

If you are looking for favors for a wedding or a bachelorette party, consider these delicious and awesomely decorated cookies. Each cookie comes in a cellophane bag with a little ribbon. To see some other wedding related cookie shapes, click here.

Another favor I really like is this double-heart handled coffee scoop. This is a great little token gift because it is something that people can always use. It’s delicate and personal too - the perfect favor.