By Georgina Clatworthy

Finding your perfect wedding dress is one of the most exciting aspects of your wedding planning, but what you need to keep in mind when you begin your search is that it has little do with the dress and more with how you and the dress fit together.  The key to finding the right one is knowing which wedding dress styles will suit you best.

A wedding dress may look beautiful on the hanger but when you try it on it is a different story.  Similarly it may look awkward on the hanger but fabulous as soon as you put it on.  Finding your perfect wedding dress is knowing which styles to look for to accentuate all your best bits and to hide your worst!

The secret to choosing the right style of wedding dress is to find the best dress for your body shape.  You will need to find one which will draw all the attention to your best assets and which will de-emphasize your less than perfect ones.  In many ways what you want to achieve is an optical illusion with your wedding dress.

The are four basic body shapes and everyone of us will fall into one of them:

• The Pear – this shape has narrow shoulders and wider hips. A pear shape is usually two different dress sizes top and bottom.
• The Inverted Triangle – broad shoulders and narrow hips makes an inverted triangle the opposite of the pear.
• The Rectangle – you are pretty much the same size from your shoulders to your hips and may have a slightly ‘boyish’ figure.
• The Hourglass – Your hips and bust are the same size and you have a smaller, defined waist.

The right style for each of these body shapes is too detailed to go into here, but here is a quick guide for each body shape on the wedding dress styles you should look for:

The Pear – A-line or princess cut wedding dress styles are best for the pear shape.  You need a style which will move with you and not be too clingy.  Avoid anything that will add weight to your lower half and avoid detailing on the skirt which will draw the eye to that area.

The Inverted Triangle – Choose a simple bodice and a skirt accented with lace, embroidery, beads or crystals.  Look for waistlines with a U or V shape (Basque style) which will help to create a waistline.

The Rectangle – Look out for sleek and sophisticated dress styles which will not define your shape.  If you want to give the illusion of curves then choose a princess style which will give definition to your hips and waist.

The Hourglass – This is the easiest bodyshape to find a style for as most wedding dresses are designed for the hourglass.  You can pretty much choose whatever you want as long as your top half does not look too full.  Sheath and mermaid styles will accentuate your curves whilst Basque or dropped waistlines will emphasize a natural waist.

By Georgina Clatworthy

The vintage look is big with wedding designers at the moment, with chic fifties style dresses gracing the catwalks at the recent new season launch.  However, if the idea of a truly vintage wedding dress appeals to you then there are a few things you will need to consider.

Firstly you will need to think about which era you want your vintage dress from.  I would recommend going back no further than the 1930’s as vintage dresses older than this may not be wearable.  Other popular era’s include the 1940’s, 50’s, and 60’s.

Sourcing your vintage wedding dress can also be tricky but there are a few places you can look.  The internet gives us access to vendors around the world when previously it would not have been possible to purchase a vintage 1940’s gown from Australia!  There are several websites dedicated to vintage clothing and more specifically vintage wedding dresses.  Ebay and Etsy are other good sites for vintage dresses and accessories.

Try thrift stores and look out for yard sales and auctions where vintage clothing can often pop up unexpectedly.  Scour the local classifieds and if your have friends and family in other locations ask them to look out for you too.

Finding a vintage wedding dress can take time, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time within your wedding planning to find the right dress for you.  Finally, ask your friends and relatives if anyone has a vintage wedding dress you could use.  Perhaps your grandmother or mother still has her dress and would be only too delighted to let you wear it too.

A word of warning about vintage wedding dresses.  In previous decades women tended to be much smaller in terms of dress size than we are today.  Whilst it is not impossible to find larger sized wedding dresses of a bygone era, it can be difficult.  Pure silk also does not tend to fair well over long periods of time and can become discolored and split as the natural fibers break down.  If a dress has been properly stored with acid free papers and kept dry and free from moisture then there is a better chance of it still being wearable.

You may be able to have a vintage dress altered to fit you better, particularly if there is a lot of fabric in the dress.  But do find a skilled seamstress to take this on for you.  Any alterations to a vintage dress could be obvious is not done correctly because of color differences in threads and fabrics.

If you cannot find a vintage wedding dress to fit or suit you then you still have other options.  Many of the major dress pattern makers release their vintage designs, including wedding dresses, to the market and there are also vintage pattern libraries online where you can find authentic and original wedding dress patterns.

As mentioned at the beginning many of the major designers are designing styles with vintage looks in mind and you will find many different dresses to choose from.  You could also look at theatre costumes and top end fancy dress stores, if you can find a store that supplies or stocks dresses used in films and TV then you could strike gold!

By Georgina Clatworthy

Your wedding cake will be a major portion of your budget and the showpiece of your reception so do it justice by choosing from a range of equally fabulous wedding cake toppers to provide the crowning glory!

Traditional wedding cake toppers where small scale models of the bride and groom, sometimes designed to mimic the characteristics of the couple and the brides wedding dress.  Today though there is a world of choice for wedding cake toppers and you can find a topper to suit any wedding style or theme.

Have a custom made topper made from clay which will add a fun and whimsical touch to your wedding cake.  You can have them made to mimic a favorite pastime you may both share or you could be modeled doing your jobs, particularly good if you are in the armed forces or police force for instance.  You can also have them made to replicate your wedding oufits by sending a photograph of your wedding dress and suit to the model maker.

Fresh flowers are a traditional alternative to a model topper and you can ask your florist to make these for you as part of your wedding flowers.  You can also have faux flowers made from silk, fabric or paper or have them made from fondant icing or sugar craft.  A good cake decorator can make flowers from icing which will look just like the real thing!

Beaded crowns are a modern version of wedding cake toppers but they look fantastic and very glamorous.  Some online stores will stock ready made versions, but in general you may have to have them made to order.  This is good for you as you can then have them made to fit with your wedding colors and sized according to the size of your top tier.

A nice touch for your wedding cake topper is to use the one you parents used on their wedding cake.  Problems could arise however, should both sets of parents still have their toppers!  Check out websites like Etsy for some wonderful vintage cake toppers from many different eras.  You could also have one custom made in a vintage style if you wished.

Finally, there is a range of modern versions of traditional cake toppers.  Some of this are a little risqué and others are great fun.  Consider a bride ‘reeling’ her groom in on a fishing line or the bride standing patiently on the top tier whilst the groom climbs his way up the cake to her!

By Georgina Clatworthy

Your wedding dress will be a major purchase and considering you will only wear it once, you will want to make sure you get it right.  When it comes to putting down the wedding dress cost on your wedding budget many may simply pluck a figure out of the air and hope it is enough.

Finding out how much a wedding dress will cost can be a little tricky.  Many magazines will show prices which the designer gave them at the time of printing, but these can vary from bridal store to bridal store.  Ringing a bridal store and asking for a quote is not possible either, as each dress will have a different price tag attached, according to the designer, the fabric, the style and the shape.

So what can you do? Well much comes down to your own expectations of what you can afford and what you want from your wedding dress.  You know it will be expensive and  can cost you several hundred dollars at least.  Then add to that the cost of the shoes, lingerie and headdress, and your total wedding outfit cost is soon zooming towards the $1000 mark.

In order to understand how much a wedding dress will cost you need to know something about how they are manufactured.  Couture dresses are at the higher end of the market and include famous design labels and small scale outlets producing custom made dresses designed exclusively for clients.  The fabrics they are cut from are usually the best quality silks, satins and laces and they will often include a high degree of hand sewn embellishments and detailing.  Couture gowns are usually made to fit the client perfectly and involves the taking of very detailed measurements.

At the other end of the scale are wedding dresses from lesser known labels which are massed produced in factories in countries like China.  These dresses are cut from lower grade silks and satins and manmade fibers.  Detailing may not be as intricate as with couture gowns and hand sewn decorations will be minimal.  These dresses are usually made to order according to a standard dress size chart and it is then up to the bride to have the gown altered to the correct fit.

There are also wedding dresses from mainstream designers which fit in between these two types, which may also be mass produced for the global market, but which will be made from good quality fabrics with some hand sewn detailing and with some degree of couture techniques applied.  The majority of bridal gowns bought will be within this range.

Typically you can expect to pay the following for a wedding dress from any of these markets:

• Couture label – $3000+
• Mainstream label – $700 – $3000
• Mass Produced – $150 – $700

When calculating how much a wedding dress will cost you, you need to include the cost of alterations, which can be one or more depending on the fit of the dress to begin with, any added extras such as choosing a different fabric, having custom embroidery or altering the style to include a longer train etc.

When you attend an appointment at the bridal store you are under no obligation to purchase there and then.  Take your time and make sure you get detailed quotes for any dresses you like which you can then use to adjust your initial budget should you need to.

By Georgina Clatworthy

Your wedding colors will provide the backdrop to your wedding day and be the basis on which you decide all your decorations, flowers and finishing touches.  Coming up with wedding color ideas needn’t be difficult, but choosing the right scheme for you can be a little trickier.

The traditional wedding color scheme sees white teaming up with pink and usually the pink is pale or baby pink.  In recent years brown has been the big trend in wedding color schemes, however this year has seen jewel colors taking center stage such as emerald, fuchsia and aqua.  But you don’t need to follow trends when it comes to choosing your wedding colors and as with so many other aspects of your day, it should really be a personal choice about what you like and what reflects your personality.

Choosing the wedding colors is normally the domain of the bride, let’s face it, how many grooms would want to pick out color schemes?  But you should still run your ideas past your intended, after it is his wedding too and he may just have some good ideas to impart as well.

As mentioned earlier your wedding colors need to reflect your own tastes and personality, but also consider the following when making your choices:

• The time of year or season of your wedding
• Your wedding theme if having one
• Your reception venue
• Your favorite flowers

The time of year in which your wedding falls will have some impact on the colors you choose.  Different seasons do have associations with different colors.  For instance, spring time is pastel colors, summer is primary and bold colors, fall is browns, red and gold, winter is blue, white and deep colors such as green, burgundy and midnight blue.

If you are having a wedding theme then your color choices could be dictated by that.  A beach wedding theme could see you choosing aqua blue, sea green and brown, a 1920’s wedding would be black and white with silver and a medieval wedding theme would be rich shades of green, blue and purple with gold.  Think about your theme carefully and do some research if needed to discover authentic style, colors and designs which you can use to make your theme work.

Your choice of reception venue could make or break your wedding color scheme so it can be a good idea to pay it a second visit and to note down the colors and decorations already in existence.  Also look at existing fixtures and fittings and how the light works within the venue.  If the room is dimly lit with natural light for much of the day then a scheme with dark colors may be too gloomy.  Strong natural light could make a very light colored scheme too bright but darker colors would have a nice counteract effect.  Also think about how the existing decorations, fixtures and fittings would work.  Elaborate ballrooms and grand receptions can easily overpower or clash with a scheme with dominant colors.

If you have a favorite flower which you want included in your wedding flowers then you may have to design your wedding colors around it.  Sunflowers for instance, with their bright yellow petals and brown centers would look out of place in a pink and white scheme, but would be better suited to a scheme which included coral and lavender purple.  Roses come in many different colors so you will probably be able to find a color to match your preferred wedding colors.

Don’t be afraid to be bold with your choices.  If you like bright and bold colors then include them in your wedding colors – they say who you are.

By Georgina Clatworthy

The top trend for this year has been for small, intimate weddings with a focus on luxury and glamour.  This trend looks set to continue into 2010 too and with the economic crisis still hitting wedding budgets hard, planning a small wedding is a necessity for many couples.

Despite what you may think, planning a small wedding can in some respects be harder than planning a big wedding.  You will need to adopt an air of ruthlessness with regards to elements such as the choice of venues and all those finishing touches.  But it is the guest list where you will really need to be ruthless and resist the urge to invite every man and his dog!

If you have a large family or if both of you have large families, then the guest list can present a seriously big headache.  The best option is to prioritize everyone around you and to think carefully about just how big or small you want your wedding to be.  Naturally close relatives and friends should be top of the list, some of which may be members of your wedding party too.

The size of the guest list can be determined better by the size of your wedding budget and in particular the amount of money you have set aside for the reception.  Remember that each guest equals one meal, one chair, one place setting, one wedding favor, one wedding invitation and associated stationery, one or two glasses of champagne and one piece of wedding cake.  If you can break your costs down in this manner you will get an idea of how much each guest will cost you and you will be better able to determine how many guests you can afford to invite.

Another way to limit the guest list is by choosing a venue where only a small number of guests can be accommodated.  Private gardens such as your parent’s home would be a good choice, particularly if you are on a tight budget or look for restaurants and small inns which can offer intimate surroundings for a small number of guests.

Consider limiting your daytime guests to immediate family and friends, then inviting everyone else to an evening party.  You can have a formal meal in the daytime and a cheaper buffet for more guests in the evening to save you money on catering.  Another alternative is to have your wedding late in the day and pay for just an evening buffet later on when your evening guests arrive. 

Small weddings do not have to short on fabulous details either and in many ways you can afford to splash out on items such as wedding favors, table centerpieces and your wedding cake because you will not need to buy so many.  Watch your budget carefully though as it can be easy to think you have more money to spend than you actually do because you are having fewer guests.

By Georgina Clatworthy

Although we wouldn’t like to admit it, sometimes we just cannot afford to have everything we want! And in these difficult economic times, couples everywhere busy with their wedding planning are having to scale back their ideas.  Having a cheap wedding reception is usually top of the list as this party is the most expensive part of any wedding.

But how can you create a cheap reception without compromising on your own dreams and one the level of hospitality you give your guests?  What is comes down to is being creative, shopping around and learning the fine art of negotiation!

Firstly you will need to find your reception venue and a package you can afford.  Having set a realistic sum within your wedding budget for the venue itself you need to set about arranging appointments at various locations.  One way in which you can save yourself a fortune on venue hire is to have your wedding reception at home in your garden or that of your parents.

If you, your parents or someone you know has enough space to erect a marquee, or if you trust the weather, to simply have the entire party outdoors, then ask them if you can hold your wedding reception there.  Two things though – they may not want hundreds of people using the facilities of there home, so you will need to arrange bathroom facilities on site.  Also consider your catering – how will you make and heat all the food needed to feed everyone?  More on that later.

A marquee is a cheap solution to hiring a bricks and mortar venue, but you can think outside of the box and look for other unusual venues such as barns, halls, and municipal buildings, all of which will cost you less than hiring formal function rooms at hotels or country clubs.

Catering a wedding reception can be very expensive. However, if you have your wedding late on in the day you need only pay out for food once and supply one meal for all your daytime and evening guests.  Consider a buffet which is often much cheaper to lay on than a formal sit down three course dinner.  Or go for classy sophistication and have a later afternoon cocktail party with simple canapés and champagne.  You could also cater the reception yourself or ask your guests to each bring along a dish for a buffet.  Coordinate it so you don’t get two or more of any dish and so you get enough food to go around – you could be surprised at what turns up!

You will need tables and chairs, glassware, crockery and cutlery, as well as table linens and napkins.  If you are having a marquee then you will probably get all of this within the package.  Some catering companies will add in crockery, cutlery, glassware and table linens into their packages and most venues will have all of this in place too.  Your other option is to find a hire company and negotiate a price for hiring everything.  A props firm is a good idea as you can also get your room and table decorations from them too.

Save money by making your own reception centerpieces.  A tall pillar candle in a glass vase with some pebbles in the bottom, is a simple and inexpensive centerpiece. Or beg, borrow or steal some decorative vases, dishes, bowls or plates to use.  Use garden flowers or even your wedding favors as centerpiece decorations.  Have mini cakes or cupcakes instead of a formal wedding cake and hand these out as wedding favors too.

Finally, save money on your drinks bill by using sparkling wine or Cava instead of champagne for the toasts and have a pay bar in the evening.  You could even dispense with the champagne altogether and simple have everyone’s glasses refilled with whatever drink they prefer for the toasts.

By Georgina Clatworthy

Finding perfect wedding reception sites can be as troublesome as finding your perfect wedding dress!  You may have an idea in mind, but can you find it?  Reception sites are wide ranging these days, so finding the right one can really come down to whichever steals your heart.

Typically, reception sites will be hotels, restaurants, function rooms and halls.  But there are also other more abstract and unusual sites to consider.  How about some of these:

• Parks
• Gardens
• Zoos
• Fun fairs
• Museums
• Ranches
• Vineyards
• Farmyards
• Barns
• Country clubs
• Country houses
• Private homes or gardens
• Sports venues
• Beaches

Much really depends upon your budget and the style and theme of wedding you want.  The time of year of your wedding is another crucial factor. Outdoor weddings are popular for warmer summer months, with parks, beaches and gardens being favorite venues; whilst ranches, barns and country houses play host to weddings all year round. 

Consider how a certain type of venue would fit with your wedding, and in particular your wedding theme (if having one) and the look and feel you want for your day.  If you want a traditional and formal wedding, then a country house, club or ballroom would probably be more suited to you; whilst a relaxed, casual wedding would fit better with a beach location or garden.

Try to visit several different types of wedding reception site and get a feel for the atmosphere that could be created and how it would fit with your wedding.  If a particularly perfect venue is out of your price range, then think about how you could recreate it elsewhere.  Perhaps a large marquee in a park or garden would provide the perfect blank canvas for you to work with.

There are several other considerations for wedding reception sites.  The most important of which is accessibility.  Can your guests find it easily, particularly those from out of town and what about elderly or disabled guests?  Does the venue have all the facilities you require?  What about catering, furniture and car parking?  The perfect venue may not seem so perfect when you take into account all the additional expenditure required to create your prefect wedding reception.

Whilst there is a case for letting your heart rule your head – it is your wedding day after all – you do need to keep some perspective.  Try to visit any potential venues at different times of the day to get an idea of what the light is like and any views.  A beautifully light venue could look very different in the late afternoon and your wonderful reception could be plunged into gloomy darkness.

All wedding reception sites need to be considered on their merits and terms of how they fit with your wedding wish list and budget.  I am firmly of the belief though that you will know when you have found the right one, from the minute you walk through the door!

By Georgina Clatworthy

Your wedding reception will be the biggest party you will ever organize and one of the most expensive, so it is important you approach wedding reception planning properly.  Many of the details and elements you will consider during your wedding planning will be for your reception, including table centerpieces, wedding favors and the catering. 

After deciding on your wedding date, the style of your wedding and your guest list, it is time to consider the format of your wedding reception.  You may want to have a wedding theme, which will help you to design the entire look and feel of the day; you should also choose your wedding colors at this point.  From here you can begin thinking about the smaller details such as catering, your wedding cake and how you will decorate your reception venue.

Of course, all of this is elementary if you do not have a venue in which to hold your wedding reception.  So after choosing your theme and color scheme it is time to start looking at venues.  Take your time and visit as many as you can, however do not delay n your final decision as the best venues will be booked up early and you could end up disappointed.

Be sure to check that any potential venue can accommodate the number of guests you intend to invite, is not too far away from your ceremony venue and most importantly is affordable!  Also question whether the venue will fit with you wedding theme if you are having one and ask to see the room where your reception will be held.

Next you will need to think about the catering.  Your venue may be providing this for you or you may have to source external caterers to meet your needs.  Whichever it is, arrange to meet with them to discuss menus and to have tasting sessions.  You should also enquire about table linens, crockery, cutlery and glassware.  If you don’t like what is on offer then again you will need to source these externally.

Put together a scrapbook or designers mood board to help you coordinate your color scheme and details such as your centerpieces, table settings, wedding cake design and wedding favors.  Doing this can help you to see how colors and designs will fit together and give you a clear plan to work to when setting up the room.  Your next task is to think about your centerpieces which you may have made for you by your florist or you may want to make them yourself.  Finally you will need to coordinate your favors to match your finished scheme.

Aside from all the fancy details you will also need to think about the layout of the room and where your guests will be seated.  Check the furniture that is in the reception room already and enquire whether this is what will be available to you, also ask if they will arrange the room for you.  At the same time you should also be giving some thought to whether or not you want live musicians playing during the wedding breakfast as you will need to accommodate them somewhere within the room.  Put together a seating plan which shows the layout of the room and where each guest will be seated.

Towards the end of your wedding planning you will need to confirm final numbers with your caterers and reception venue.  Now you can work with these vendors to plan your schedule for the day as not having a clear schedule could lead you to be charged staff overtime charges and other expenses for running on longer than expected.

The day before your wedding you will need to set up the room ready for the next day.  Some venues will be happy to allow you access, whilst others will do the setting up for you in part or in whole.  Make sure you arrange with them from the beginning when it will be possible to gain access to set up the reception.  Most brides will want to oversee this at the very least so make sure you can.

By Georgina Clatworthy

Planning a wedding can be a daunting prospect.  After your initial excitement at getting engaged dies down it is likely to dawn on you’re the mammoth task you have ahead in organizing the biggest party of your lives.  But if you are clever and adopt some creative wedding planning ideas, you can breeze through it all with efficiency and ease!

Firstly, you need to get organized.  You will need to a sturdy notebook which you can fit in your handbook so you can take it with you to all your appointments.  A little notebook is also useful when you need to jot down some ideas on the spur of the moment, or perhaps you have just thought of something important which you don’t want to forget.

Set up a spreadsheet on your computer to help you keep track of your wedding budget.  Your budget will determine everything where your wedding is concerned so you need to know how you have to spend, how much you can spend on each element and detail and when money comes in or goes out.

When it comes to planning your wedding and how it will look and feel, now is the time to be creative.  You may have been to many weddings in your lifetime to date, but how many of them stick in your mind as being fabulous?  Perhaps there are elements from someone else’s wedding that you would like to use on your big day or maybe you have a theme in mind that has got you buzzing with ideas.

It is worthwhile doing some brainstorming with your husband-to-be to discover what you both want from your wedding, what you would both like to have incorporated into the day and the style of wedding you would both like.  Discuss things like location, wedding date, size of the guest list and how formal you would like it to be.  From the notes that you make you can then create a list of priorities that include in order all things that are most important to your wedding day.  This list will not only help you to assign the budget properly but also to help you keep focus on what is important throughout your planning phase.

You can also repeat this brainstorming session with close friends and family, particularly those whom you would like in your wedding party.  Getting the opinion of others can highlight things that you might have missed and give you plenty of other ideas to think about.  It could also be beneficial to do these little sessions throughout your wedding planning, especially when you feel overwhelmed with details and have lots of decisions to make.  For instance, a brainstorm over your wedding favors could help you to isolate those favors which would best suit your wedding and to come up with some creative packaging and presentation ideas.

In essence wedding planning will see you making no end of lists and checklists as you wade through the mountain of tasks and details that have to be decided upon.  Keep your paperwork up to date and to hand so you can refer to it whenever you need to.  Discuss all your ideas with those around you and also take on board any advice and ideas others may give to you, you never know when someone might come up with a little gem!