Listen up, brides. Don’t attempt to wedding dress your maids in some puffy-sleeved, kelly green, satin-and-lace confection that makes them look pallid, plump, and sexless. (Trust us, it’s been done.) Try to remember that these are your bestest friends in the whole world, and since they are most likely paying for them, it would be great it they could wear their outfits again.
Here are some dos, don’ts, and basic truths to consider when choosing your bridesmaid wedding dresses:
Don’t jump on a trend without thinking of how your friends will look and feel.
Do Try to find a style and color that is flattering to the different sizes and skin tones of your bridesmaids.
Do Try to keep the price at something that everyone can afford. $200 is a good figure to keep in mind, but if you can do it for less, everyone will be happier.
Do Consider letting your bridesmaids wear clothing of their own choice. What you lose in uniformity will be made up for in comfort and happiness, which will be apparent in the way they carry themselves and smile. A variation on this theme is to let them wear wedding dresses of their own choosing as long as they are a certain color.
Do Consider wedding dress length: Formal and semiformal weddings call for long, ballerina-length, or tea-length wedding dresses. At an informal or daytime wedding, bridesmaid wedding dresses can be the same length as the bride’s wedding dress, short or long.
A Few More Words of Advice:
Do consider body types — if one maid is voluptuous, another’s rail-thin and yet another is tiny and boyish, you can’t wedge them all into something skin-tight or cleavage-revealing. Very few figures are flattered by a big old contrasting-color bow on the butt or hundreds of tiny, ballooning pleats. Simple, elegant designs are the most flattering to all figures.
Don’t put everyone in seafoam green, sweetie. Perhaps you have your wedding colors in mind, but are these really colors you would ask your friends to wrap themselves in? Be careful about colors that rarely occur in nature, or only on football uniforms. Remember, some colors are truly neutral — navy blue and even black are good choices for formal weddings.
Do remember your friends aren’t filthy rich. They don’t buy wedding dresses that look terrible on them and toss them out after one occasion, just for laughs. Think about wedding dresses they could REALLY wear again.
Above all, you want your friends to like you before, during, and after the ceremony. Our best advice: Don’t jump on a trend without thinking of how your friends will feel and look.
Brides old and new are being encouraged to wear their wedding dress for work to raise money for a breast cancer charity.
The fundraising Brides at Work event will take place on September 17 in aid of Breakthrough Breast Cancer, and the charity hopes people across the UK will don their wedding outfits for work.
As well as brides, people are being asked to go to work dressed as grooms, bridesmaids, best men, mothers of the bride or ushers, as part of the charity day.
Chris Askew, director of fundraising at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: “Breakthrough Breast Cancer is thrilled to be benefiting from Brides at Work, a brilliant new fundraising campaign encouraging brides to put on their wedding dresses again all while raising vital funds for our pioneering research, campaigning and education work.
“We look forward to seeing bridal parties in unexpected places on Friday September 17.
“Sadly, nearly 46,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the UK; Breakthrough Breast Cancer is a pioneering charity dedicated to saving lives and changing futures through research, campaigning and education – removing the fear of breast cancer for good.”
A pink-themed wedding auction has also been launched by the National Wedding Show in the run up to Brides at Work, with all money raised going to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.
The auction items include a wedding dress designed by Jenny Packham worth more than £2,500, limited edition pink wedding shoes, a cupcake tower and a groom’s suit.
The auction will be live until October 10. To view items or bid go to www.nwsauction.co.uk/lots.
Breakthrough Breast Cancer is a charity that aims to save lives through enabling and ensuring access to improvements in breast cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Christina Hendricks fell “in love” with the lilac Zac Posen wedding dress she wore to the Emmy Awards as soon as she saw it.
The actress portrays Joan Holloway in US drama Mad Men, which was named best TV drama for the third year in a row.
Christina is renowned for her voluptuous figure, and showed it off in the wedding dress which boasted a deep V at the front, and was fitted to accentuate her small waist.
The star knew the gown was the perfect choice when she first laid eyes on it, and was thrilled when she tried it on and realised it didn’t need much altering.
“I saw it in his collection, and I was in love with it. I’ve been wanting to wear this wedding dress, this colour, for a long time. It just reminded me of Old Hollywood,” she told People magazine.
“All they had to do was tweak the shoulders a little bit to make sure they were the right length, and it was a perfect!”
Christina added she was pleased her choice was praised by industry professionals as she is never sure whether she has gone the right way. She tries not to obsess about what she wears to ceremonies, often deciding on a wedding dress quickly and with minimum fuss.
Stylist Jessica Paster was bowled over by Christina’s Posen gown, saying it was the perfect choice for her curves.
“It was made for her, and it’s a beautiful colour, and the feathers added a little pizazz to it,” she said.
Actress-and-singer Jessica Simpson was also a fan, even taking to Twitter to discuss it.
“Christina Hendricks is my pick for the Emmys’ best-wedding dressed lady … Kyra Sedgwick comes in as runner-up!” she wrote.
Christina’s co-star January Jones wore a bright blue Versace gown, which split opinion. The gown included a tight-fitted bodice, while the skirt fanned out and was long at the back and short at the front.
“Donatella’s been so generous to me. I saw this in Italian Vogue a few months ago and asked for it,” January explained. “It’s hard to get a couture wedding dress. I’m a little bit worried about sitting in it all night.”
Blue was a theme at the event, with a number of stars, including Glee’s Lea Michele, also opting for the colour. She donned a figure-hugging Oscar de la Renta wedding dress with ruffled detailing, and was praised by the creative director of the American edition of Elle magazine Joe Zee.
“We’ve seen a lot of blue on the red carpet and I think you are by far the best,” he said. “You are red carpet rock star tonight. You have my vote for best wedding dressed tonight.”
Stephanie Sims – AHN Entertainment Reporter
New York, NY, United States (AHN) – Say Yes to the wedding dress, TLC’s popular show that profiles Kleinfeld Bridal salon in New York City and the brides-to-be as they look for their perfect wedding dress, is moving into different markets this year.
Say Yes to the wedding dress is becoming a franchise; Say Yes to the wedding dress: Atlanta debuted on July 30. Set in Bridals by Lori, Say Yes to the wedding dress is now not only filmed in NYC, but also Atlanta, as the show profiles southern brides-to-be.
In addition, Kleinfelds will feature a new sector of brides-to-be, and these brides sometimes need more help when it comes to wedding dress shopping.
On Friday, October 1 at 9pm ET/PT, TLC will premiere the new six-part series Say Yes to the wedding dress: Big Bliss, featuring plus-size brides. Taped inside Kleinfeld’s, each half-hour episode follows the emotional journey of plus-size brides as they shop to fulfill their dream wedding dress fantasy.
From a plus-size bride who wants to look “trashy” on her wedding day to one who gets her dream proposal as she chooses her perfect wedding dress, Say Yes to the wedding dress: Big Bliss features brides who have struggled with weight issues their entire lives. But these confident and curvaceous brides-to-be will stop at nothing in order to find the perfect wedding dress that will fit their personality as well as their body type on their big day.
And don’t worry: TLC’s original hit series, Say Yes to the wedding dress, will return for a sixth season in February 2011; the network has ordered 18 hour-long episodes.
Ali and Roberto, the Bachlorette couple are made for eac other. According to the latest news, Ali has chosen a designer for her wedding dress. Ali Fedotowsky and Roberto martinez have not finalized the news of their marriage yet, but the good news is that Ali Fedotowsky has revealed an information of her wedding dress designer.
According to the reports from US Magazine, Ali Fedotowsky has a deigner in mind to design her wedding dress. Ali was found saying,,”I’m leaning towards Monique Lhuillier. I like her. I like the flowiness of her dresses.”
If every things goes well then Ali Fedotowsky would follow the footsteps of Molly Malany, the Bachlor winner, who wore the wedding dress that was deigned by Monique Lhuillier. With all these new things popping up, it can be expected that, The Bachlorette couple’s marriage, Ali and Roberto Marriage is coming up soon.
Irish brides are flocking to high end wedding dress stores in Ireland to get the “Chelsea Clinton bridal look” despite the recession that’s looming over the country.
After Clinton donned a Vera Wang stunner two weeks ago the designer’s store in Dublin has been inundated with requests for the wedding dress or something similar.
The manager of the Dublin store, Sarah Kelly told the Herald newspaper that several engaged women have contacted the store asking about the $10,000 wedding dress.
“Once women saw the pictures of Chelsea Clinton, there were a good few calls and people popping in to say that they wanted it.
“Her wedding dress was practically the exact same as the one we have here, except she had a different bodice. And now a lot of brides are asking for that beautiful Swarovski crystal belt that she had,” she said.
Kelly said Irish women are also showing a big interest in singer Alicia Key’s wedding dress.
“Alicia Keys’ wedding dress is also here and because it’s this beautiful Grecian style, lots of women have been trying it on,” said Kelly.
And newlywed Hilary Duff’s wedding dress is also sparking interest.
“A lot of people asked to come in and see it. It’s an absolutely fabulous wedding dress, it’s a part of our spring/ summer 2011 collection so we’ll be getting it in a couple of months.
“We had a preview of it a few weeks ago for four days and there was a lot of interest,” Ms Kelly explained.
A NEW business is being launched to help budget-strapped brides to be find their dream wedding dress.
Minshull’s Garden Centre, in Crewe, will be offering brides to be and newlyweds the opportunity to buy or sell wedding wedding dresses, bridesmaid wedding dresses and mother of the bride outfits at its next wedding fayre.
The fayre, which will take place on October 2-3, will showcase wedding dresses and provide customers an area for the wedding dress to be tried on and a wedding dressmaker who can advise of any possible alterations.
Staff at Minshull’s hope to be able to offer clients the service of buying and selling pre-owned wedding wedding dresses as a regular addition to the business after the event.
Charlotte Minshull said:
“We’re appealing to budget strapped or eco-conscious brides to be and to newlyweds who are looking to get some cash to help them on in their new marriage.
“Other websites advertise pre-owned outfits but you don’t get to try the wedding dresses on and you have to arrange a suitable time to visit that person’s home, which takes time.”
For more information and to preview wedding dresses, visitwww.minshulls.co.uk or www.somethingoldsomethingnew.me.uk.
Some recently married women in Ottawa are putting on their wedding dresses for a second photo shoot, but not the formal portraits that go into wedding albums.
They’re taking their expensive, once-in-a-lifetime wedding dress to an industrial site or waterway and jumping in. For some, it’s an artistic statement, a chance to recycle an emotion-charged piece of clothing. For others, it’s simply fun.
“I’m not going to get married again. You get married and you’re done with the wedding dress. It’s going to hang in the closet. Let’s wear it again and do something cool,” said Dana Salares, who got married a year ago.
Salares said she had a big, rushed wedding: “I wasn’t relaxed … we didn’t have a lot of pictures where we just looked like we were having the time of our lives.”
She didn’t like her wedding photos: ” I just wanted to be perfect. I didn’t look like myself.”
Now she’s jumping into a pond in her $2,000 wedding dress. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
Rebecca Visscher, newlywed, in a non-traditional setting. (Mélanie Rebane/M Photography)
Rebecca Visscher scoured the racks for months before walking down the aisle in a $1,300 designer wedding dress.
“I promised I wouldn’t get trashed on my wedding,” but it’s different now, she said. “You get to just have fun, let loose and take your hair down literally and take some great pictures with your favourite wedding dress.”
For photographer Mélanie Rebane, it’s all about dropping Cinderella brides into big, sloppy messes for an edgy, untraditional shot.
“I can’t throw someone in the water on their wedding day,” she said. “I can’t get them dirty. They’re far too precious with their wedding dress.”
Called trash the wedding dress or rock the frock, the idea started at destination weddings in the Caribbean with cheaper wedding dresss, where brides would go to a beach and jump in, wedding dress an all.
Since then, it has spread as photographers encouraged brides to burn their wedding dress or throw paint on it, Rebane said.
Visscher didn’t go that far. She had her picture taken in a sewer pipe, a big change from wrapping the wedding dress in acid-free paper and putting it away for a daughter who may never wear it.
New album, tour and a wedding: Katy Perry says she’s struggling to keep it together (surely her army of assistants can help)
New album, tour and a wedding: Katy Perry says she’s struggling to keep it together (surely her army of assistants can help)
It’s a hard life being a pop star – or so Katy Perry seems to think.
The U.S. singer, who released her second album Teenage Dream today, says she is getting stressed out over her hectic schedule.
With an impending wedding, a new record on the go and a promo tour, admittedly the starlet does have a lot on her plate
However Miss Perry, who is to wed British comic Russell Brand later this year, is not exactly in short supply of help (or money) in order to lighten the load.
Speaking to People magazine, she revealed: ‘Most people have breakdowns just over weddings, and I’m planning mine and my tour.
‘I really have to learn to breathe and delegate.’
Her staunchly religious evangelical parents, no doubt, will be relieved to hear their daughter has ruled out wearing latex for her big day.
Katy added:’I'm definitely not going to get married in latex. When I wear latex onstage, I sweat. I could wring out those wedding dresses- and I don’t want to do that at my wedding.’
California Gurl Katy, 25, was pictured out and about today in New York, where she is set to appear on tonight’s The Late Show With David Letterman.
Despite her busy diary, she still found time to make two outfit changes, starting the day off in a green floral print wedding dress teamed with a fluffy pink cardigan and purple Christian Louboutin heels, before later emerging from her New York hotel in a form-fitting peachy halter neck number.
Unsurprisingly, perhaps, the career-driven celeb has admitted she is too busy to have children at the moment with 35-year-old Brand.
However she said she would like to be a mother one day. Speaking to Britain’s OK! magazine, she said: ‘I see myself as a professional right now and hopefully when I decided it’s time for children, I’ll be able to devote myself to that.’
Perry added that she isn’t sure whether she will ever work with her funny-guy fiance.
She said: ‘I don’t know. I think that’s always one of those things that can get quite sensitive. There’s a place to be professional and a place to be intimate and some things they can’t co-exist.
AUSTIN — The calls started as soon as word went out that five costumes worn by Vivien Leigh in Gone With the Wind needed refurbishing.
Tailors, seam-stresses, dry cleaners, women who make their own clothes – they’ve all called the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas, offering their services.
“We’ve been overwhelmed by the response,” said Jill Morena, collection assistant for costumes and personal effects at the center, a humanities library and museum. “People want to help; they want to feel involved in this process.”
The best way to do that, the people at the Ransom Center say, is to make a donation.
A campaign to raise $30,000 to restore the costumes – including the deep-green curtain wedding dress and Scarlett O’Hara’s first wedding dress – is under way. They hope the costumes, all but one too fragile to be displayed now, will be exhibition-ready in time for a 2014 show marking the film’s 75th anniversary.
The money will pay for the services of a textile conservator, who will assess the wedding dresses and determine what needs to be done to preserve them. It also will cover restoration costs and pay for the construction of five custom mannequins.
“Vivien Leigh was quite a bit smaller than the average retail mannequin,” said Steve Wilson, the center’s curator of film.
The racy burgundy gown that Rhett Butler forces Scarlett to wear to Melanie’s birthday party is the only one currently sturdy enough to withstand being exhibited, Wilson said. Even it could use some attention: The waist is starting to sag, he said, and some seams are starting to tear.
Part of the costumes’ value, Wilson said, is the story they tell about the care that went into the film’s making.
“These are very high-level costumes,” he said.
The wedding gown – a creamy outfit with hundreds of leaves all over it – is on screen for less than 30 seconds.
It’s also so big that it swallows Leigh up. That’s because the wedding was a hasty affair, and costume designer Walter Plunkett figured Scarlett would have worn her mother’s unaltered wedding dress. So he designed a gown that would have been in fashion decades earlier, and he fitted it to Barbara O’Neill, who played Scarlett’s mother.
That wedding dress and the other, more-delicate costumes haven’t been displayed in decades.
One – the silk gown threaded with green ribbon that Scarlett wears when she meets Rhett Butler – already had fallen apart when it arrived at UT as part of the massive David O. Selznik collection, Wilson said.
“We got the Selznik collection in the early ’80s, but between 1935 and 1984 – this was essentially true of all of these costumes – they were loved to death,” he said. “They were exhibited all the time.”
Hanging the wedding dresses on mannequins for months at a time weakens the fabric, Morena said, as does all the handling that goes into putting up and pulling down an exhibit.
To protect the costumes while ensuring people could see the designs for themselves, the center had copies made shortly after the costumes arrived.
The wear-and-tear on the original costumes isn’t glaringly visible. The wedding gown has some small rips along the seams; the cuffs on the curtain wedding dress are a bit frayed.
The main thing that comes across is the craftsmanship.
“They really are just stunningly beautiful costumes,” Morena said.
