Wedding Dress Shopping with Tracey

Choosing The Gown

One of the biggest items to tick off the list when planning your wedding is choosing your wedding dress.

For Tracey we were lucky enough to come across Felicitys Bridal.

 

When booking your FREE 1 Hour consultation we were greeted by Felicity herself along with her very able team of assistants.   Tracey was made to feel really special right from the start and in such a welcoming friendly environment, she successfully found the dress of her dreams.

  

 

Here are a few of Felicity’s tips to help you get over the wedding dress hurdle with less sweat.

 

The Dress comes First.   Although it may go both ways, the theme of your dress should follow your desired theme - or vice versa.   Some couples choose a theme before choosing a gown, and in effect, they make the gown fit the theme they have chosen.   But for some people, the choice of gown comes first, and the theme of the wedding follows on from there.   So if the gown that catches the bride's fancy is intricately beaded and elegant, then the the wedding may tend to be more formal.   If the bride chooses a floaty, simple gown, then the wedding may follow a less formal route. 

Don't Overwhelm Yourself with Choices.   Yes, it may be tempting to try every hown that comes your way.   But what if you find yourself buried under a pile of 20 or so gowns you think you really like and can't make a decision?   That sort of scenario will prove to be a terrible headache - not to mention a great source of stress.  

To avoid this, try making decisions in stages.   At Felicity's you are given coloured pegs when you first arrive that you can peg onto the dresses you want to try on.    You could vote off the least liked one and then re-evaluate the remaining gowns.

Another method is trying 5 gowns and then choosing two of the best.   These "champions" will be put against another gown.   Continue the tournament until you get to the perfect gown.

It may become tempting so say, "Aw, but I do like that other gown as well!"  Try to make sure you make the final decision among a maximum of 5 gowns.    If you end up choosing something just to make a decision or end up with the perfect gown but forever asking yourself whether you made the right decision or not.

• Be sure to have your wedding gown looking good in all angles.   Although the back is an important feature, the front is even more important!  Most of your photos will be taken from the front and of course throughout the day everyone will be talking to you and interacting with you while looking at you front on.   Look at your side view as well.   It is important to know that you will look fabulous no matter what angle you are captured. 
  
  Choose Wisely and choose a wise companion; take along one or two of your closest friends or confidants who know a thing or two about wedding dresses and style.  Their advice will come in handy when choosing a gown. Too many opinons can be confusing. Trust your instincts. Afterall you are the one who wil lbe wearing the gown all day and looking back on it for years to come.

So, with this part now done, another visit then took place with her bridesmaids.   Once again a lovely selection of bridesmaids dresses and such great service, the girls quickly managed to choose their dresses.  

 

Next appointment is the fittings!!

 

Written for Felicity’s Bridal by www.weddingforyou.co.nz

Save Money On Your Wedding Dress

If you don’t want to shell out a lot of money on your wedding dress, you are not alone. I know many who have saved a lot of money on their dress by buying something that was deeply discounted because it was a year off-season. If you're not able to find a wedding dress this way, it might be better to consider purchasing a second-hand wedding dress. Don't dismiss this idea, remember there are many brides to be who use their mother's or grandmother's wedding dress on the day. I know wearing a second-hand dress is not the same, but remember the principle is the same.

Most wedding dresses have only been used once, depending on where you purchase them.

Anyway, wedding dresses are usually worn once then cleaned and stored away, or even sold. Some used wedding dresses are sometimes brand new. There are occasions weddings are cancelled and the bride wants to urgently get rid of her dress. Usually the bride wants to get her money back and also the memory of the day that never happened.  Yes very sad but a reality.

You should be able to find second-hand wedding dresses everywhere.   There are many online sites you can purchase these from. Don’t forget to check auction sites like eBay, TradeMe (if in New Zealand) and classifieds for your area. You have to consider what size you want, and perhaps what style, and this will make your search for used wedding dresses a little easier by helping you weed out what won’t fit or what you don’t like early. If you're really only wanting a second-hand wedding dress for fancy dress or Halloween, just go down to your local fancy dress store, second-hand shop or thrift shop. 

There is the added expense of cleaning a second-hand wedding dress, so make sure you keep that in mind when purchasing.

It is probably important you get your dress cleaned if second-hand, even if the previous owner claims they had already cleaned it.  You will also still have to pay for alterations, but these shouldn’t be too bad. All these added expenses beats paying thousands for a new wedding dress when you could possibly get it as cheap as $200. If you are really lucky, you will find a dress that fits perfectly, but this is a rarity. Most bridal stores will do alterations for you if you make an appointment, even if you didn’t get your dress through them. Make sure you call ahead to find out though. If they can't do it themselves, they may be able to pass you on to someone else.

So good luck in your search for that perfect wedding dress!

13 Great Wedding Tips to Save Money on Your Wedding

·         Cut your guest list down. You'll save in many areas, e.g. catering costs, wedding invitations,  place settings, etc. Yes I know some people will be disappointed they're not invited, but people are quite understanding nowadays.  I'm sure, as long as you explain they'll be fine. 

·         Why have your wedding on a Saturday.  Why not change to a Friday instead.  The added bonus is you have all day Saturday and/or Sunday to catch up with family and friends before going off  on your honeymoon. 

·         Honeymoon - keep an eye out for holiday specials before your wedding. 

·         Plan your wedding for off-peak season.  You'll be amazed at how much you will save in many areas, i.e. wedding venues.    

·         Shop in off -peak season for extra decor.  You can pick up pretty red or pink vases after Valentines Day or modern black after Halloween.

·         Hold the ceremony and reception at the same place.  Some suppliers charge by the hour so you'll make savings on travel time.

·         Flowers - use more greenery than flowers or look around your neighborhood,  or family and friends' gardens, see what you can find in their gardens.  Maybe stick to just one or two kinds of flowers. Buy flowers that are in season.  You can also include non-floral decorations, like lanterns.

·         Collect wines on special during the year before your wedding.  If you pick up two bottles of wine a week for a whole year, that's 52 bottles of wine.  Red wine is better as it matures, but white wine, make sure it's not too old.

·         Cakes - order a small one or two-tiered cake and then supplement cake with a larger sheet cake (hidden out the back).  Remember fruit cake can be more expensive than a banana or chocolate cake.

·         Reuse the wedding flowers to put on the cake table if you've got a small and simple cake.

·         Do your own wedding invites on the computer, or there are a lot of printing websites with specials all the time. Take advantage of these.

·         Make your cake part of the wedding favours.

·         Photographs - ask a few of your best friends to take photos for you, the more organized photos, and ask friends for copies of theirs after the wedding.  You may find them on Facebook later on anyway.

Your Wedding Reception Food

One thing people often remember when going to wedding receptions is the food, whether it's good or bad. Yes, I know the cost is important, but something you should consider when you are choosing your wedding menu is your guests.

I know it's your wedding, but you are spending a lot of money so you want people to like what is being served. Let me give you some tips so your guests can enjoy your reception food.

 

How about giving them a choice

 

It's always a great idea to offer them a choice on what they'd like to eat.  There's other things to remember like people with food allergies, vegetarians, people on diets.  By providing them different choices they can choose what they would like to eat.  If you have a tight budget, it's okay to have two options.

 

Keep it simple

Just because dishes may not look fancy, it doesn't mean that it won't taste good. If guests are faced with something that they aren't sure what it is, they may be reluctant to eat it so don't go for things that people can't identify or too fancy.  So simple is good.  

 

A extremely popular choice at the moment are the cupcakes.  They can be more cost effective and easy to eat.  Lots of colour can brighten up your reception.  So why not try them yourself.

 

Keep it clean

 

Everyone at your wedding reception will probably be wearing their best clothes. So it's a good idea to stay away from food that is very messy or could cause stains that's difficult to remove later.

 

Remember, you will probably be wearing a white dress. The last thing you will want is to have something spilt on that beautiful wedding dress and ruining it.  Be careful.

 

Think about what you have had at other wedding receptions you've been too, what you liked or didn't like about them. It's a good way to plan your own wedding reception menu.  Put excitement into planning your wedding reception menu. 

 

Wedding Reception

The wedding reception is something that most people really look forward to after the wedding ceremony has finished. Finding the perfect wedding reception locality is part of making your whole day successful.  Affordability is also something you have to take into consideration. Don't just rent any venue or hall without first checking it out and evaluating it properly. Make sure it's going to accommodate everybody well for the night /day. You wouldn't want people to feel crowded and making it uncomfortable to enjoy the event.

You will probably want to decorate for the wedding reception in advance. The decorating is usually  completed the night before the wedding ceremony by the wedding party. It could be after the wedding rehearsal dinner and ceremony have taken place. You'd want to use similar colours to your wedding as the main part of decorating. This can include ribbons, bows, flowers and various other types of decorations. Click here wedding decorations ideas.

Decorating the tables needs to be carefully looked at as well. Floral arrangements are often used as centrepieces.  Be careful they are not too tall though so as to block your view to the dance floor and of the wedding party. Putting nice decorations on the table as well as a nice gift or wedding favour for each guest is very popular. These mementos are a great way to thank them for coming.

Of course you serve food at a wedding reception so you will need to decide what you want to offer your guests. You can have something small like sandwiches or side dishes but the most popular wedding breakfast is a 2 course meal, main meal and dessert.  If you don't want a dessert, the wedding cake at the end of the night is suffice.  You can choose just about anything you like. But it all depends on cost, so cost per person is something you need to take into consideration when you are planning your wedding.
Drinks - may want to offer alcohol but it is fine if you do not want to. You should offer plenty of non- alcoholic beverages too for people who choose not to drink alcohol.
Wedding cake - yes of course you have to focus on the famous wedding cake because people will be waiting all night long to get a slice of it!

The wedding reception is a time to celebrate a new union between two people. While there is plenty of planning involved in it, try to have some fun with it. If you get too worried about the wedding reception you won't be able to relax and enjoy any of what is going on. 

 

Getting Married | Going to the Races

Finding the perfect pair of shoes quite often means having to spend a little more than planned so that we have the perfect match that goes with our outfits.  

We arrive at the celebration venue only to find that it involves walking across the soft ground or across the sand.  Sometimes we even find ourselves feeling guilty with our stiletto heels creating holes in the soft brand new polished floors. 


Feeling like you have the highest heels in the group and standing proud with your purchase and a proud woman in heels, the thought of your gorgeous high heels being damaged does not put a smile on your face.

So when we found these fantastic high heel protectors for grass we were ecstatic.  These heel covers are just perfect for getting married, going to the races, and any occasion where you just don't want to damage your brand new  sexy shoes.


We love our clean heels heel stoppers and you can be assured that these high heel protectors really do work.   They are really flexible and stop you sinking into the soft ground

Say Your Own Vows – Personalised Wedding Vows

Your wedding is your own.  And in today's society, people have been constantly scouring every book for any way to make their wedding as personal and as unique as possible.  One way to do this is to whip up your own wedding vows.

Traditionally, couples to be wed do not have much of a say in what goes into many of the words spoken during the wedding ceremony.  Today, it is increasingly getting easier to personalise and influence what is said during the ceremony – within reasonable bounds, though.

If you desire to make your wedding vows unique and personal, you are not alone.  Many other couples incorporate feelings, and intimate messages into their wedding vows.  It has an added effect of making your wedding more touching, dramatic, and memorable.

Talk with the Officiant Ahead of Time If you would like to personalise your wedding vows, first notify your Officiant to find out the legalities, guidelines and rules in drafting your own wedding vows.  He or she will typically give pointers and examples to help you draw up your own vows.  Furthermore, the Officiant will inform you of the parts of the vow that are expected to be said. 

The Topic It may include promises, such as "I will swear upon my life to do ..." or it may be heartfelt messages for each other, or even hopes for each other plans for the future and such.  You may also opt to create a mixture of each to spice up your wedding vows.  Although norms vary from culture to culture, as a general rule, the wedding vow should not take too long to recite.  Keep it concise yet meaningful.  Remember, you will have to recite this, and long recitations tend to make the memory suffer. 

Make it Official After creating a draft of the vows you wish to exchange, it would do well to meet up with the Officiant again and show him a draft of your vows.  Although in the end, it is ultimately your decision that is followed, do take heed of the Officiant's advice, as it is usually sound and has been honed by experience.

Practice; It is a good idea to practice your vows before the wedding.  Although there is no rule against reading vows, a thoroughly practiced, heartfelt rendition of the vow will definitely make a lasting impact on your partner and the people witnessing the ceremony.  As mentioned earlier, avoid overly long vows as they tend to be less remembered and are harder to memorize, not to mention quite inconvenient to others.  You may do so, however, if you feel the need is justified.

The Performance When reciting your vows during the wedding, always keep calm. People who are tense tend to speak to fast, and since the wedding vow is a very important part of the wedding, you will want to take your time in the spotlight.  Loosen up, so that in case you forget a line or two during the exchange of vows, you will at least be able to bounce back with something from your heart.  If you desire so, you may also keep a written version of you vows with you.  You might want to read it surreptitiously though.

Good luck on your wedding, and may the sweet words you utter during the exchange of vows never lose their meaning for rest of your days!

Wedding Favours for a Romantic Wedding

 

A Wedding can be planned in a variety of different themes.  Weddings can have themes based on the seasons, on a holiday, on the beach, on science fiction, on a period of history or any other theme imaginable. However, the underlying theme of any wedding should always be love and romance. Even weddings which may not have a particular theme will likely convey the message of love and romance. This article will provide ideas for wedding favours which will help you to give your guests a reminder of your wedding which will help to invoke the feeling of love and romance. Whether you are planning a particularly romantic wedding or a wedding based on another theme you might want to consider giving favours which are related to romance.

Anything invoking a feeling of love will be an appropriate wedding favour for a romantic wedding. One great example is a silver picture frame with the word love inscribed into the silver. This is a very simple favour but it is also one which accurately conveys the message of love. Your guests may choose to put a picture of you and your partner in the frame to serve as a definite reminder of you and your wedding or they can use the picture frame in any way they  wish. However, if  they decide to use the frame, it will likely always remind them of your wedding. Each time they see the frame displayed in their home, they will fondly remember how much fun they had at your wedding.

Coasters can also be given as favours for a romantic wedding. This may not seem like a particularly romantic gift because it is more of a practical item but you can find ways to make this simple gift more romantic in nature. For example coasters can be purchased in a heart shape or in a design which reflects the theme of love and romance. A coaster displaying a picture of a bride and a groom is one way to do this. The coasters can also simply have the word love written on them or can be decorated with heart shapes to make them seem more romantic. There are even heart shaped coasters available which are designed specifically for wine glasses. These coasters are much smaller than average coasters and can create a very attractive appearance.

Books can also be an excellent idea for wedding favours for a romantic wedding. Again, this may sound as though it will not be particularly romantic because books are typically viewed as being very practical items. However, your choice of book can greatly influence whether or not it is appropriate for a favour at a romantic wedding. A book such as a book of love poems or quotations related to love would be very appropriate to give as favours at a romantic wedding. With a little creativity you may also find other books which are appropriate. For example if you and your partner are particularly fond of a certain classical romance novel you might consider giving each of your guests a copy of this book.

A CD filled with love songs is another great favour idea for a romantic wedding. You can download some of the love songs you and your partner enjoy or songs which you plan to feature at the wedding and put these songs on a CD for each of your guests. You may even want to decorate the CD cover with a portrait of the two of your or with another image which will invoke the message of love and romance. This is not only a romantic gift but it is also a gift which can be very inexpensive. Many savvy brides and grooms may even be able to create these CDs on their own with their home computer. However, even if they do not have the time or the resources to do this, it should be rather inexpensive for the couple to find someone to do this for them.

Wedding Dance | Dance Floor Activities

Dance Floor Activities

Dancing is an essential component at most wedding receptions. We look forward to the couple's "first wedding dance" and the special father daughter wedding dance. It's also a place to get loose and funky, if you're a guest or a member of the wedding party.

But what if the wedding planners decided to add some fun and surprise to the dance floor by adding fun activities there? This doesn't mean a rousing version of the "Bunny Hop", which, while maybe essential, is hardly unique.

There are, however, many fun games and activities you can add to your dance floor activities that are sure to be a hit.

Try a fun game of the "chicken dance". Ok, so that doesn't sound too original. But if most of your guests are just sitting at their tables, watching a few brave couples dancing, or just finishing their meals, you might want to get everyone up and having fun. Try this game.

The DJ announces a number. Everyone looks under his or her chair, where there is a number. Depending on the number of guests at the wedding, there might be only numbers "1" and "2" or more, up to 5.

So, say the DJ announces number "4". Each person checks under their chair to see what their number is. These numbers can be written simply on a piece of masking tape and affixed to the underside of the chairs when the reception is being set up. Each "4" in this scenario will head to the dance floor to do the chicken dance with the other "4s". Not only does this get people out of their chairs and on to the dance floor, they get to know other wedding reception guests they might not otherwise know.

One dance floor activity that's gaining popularity is to bring in a dance teacher for the wedding reception. As a kind of pre-dance activity, the teacher will quickly walk people through their paces on the dance floor, perhaps teaching a bit of the waltz or, for something completely different, a little bit of the tango, before the music officially begins and dancing commences.

Having a dance teacher do a bit of teaching not only livens up the reception right from the start, but it gets people out on the dance floor who might otherwise be too self-conscious normally to get out there and let it all hang out. And practically speaking, it will likely make the wedding guests feel more confident in their skills before the "official" dancing begins.

Another fun activity to get everyone on the dance floor, including even the most reticent, is something you can refer to as the "snowball" dance. This is a good way to jumpstart the dancing at the beginning of the evening.

Here's how the "snowball" dance works. The wedding party, bride and groom included, will head to the dance floor for a fun dance. The music for this dance should be fast, something with a disco beat or a fast song that most people have at least a passing familiarity with. After a bit of wedding party dancing, the music stops. The female members of the wedding party move into the crowd and bring back one male each. The male members of the wedding party do the same, but they bring in female guests. The dancing then begins again. This is repeated until all the guests are dancing. It's truly a snowball effect!

Good Wedding Songs

Wedding Songs List To Celebrate The Day

Wedding songs play a vital role throughout the entire wedding day. Best Wedding songs help create the mood and ambience of the day from start to end. Choosing the right wedding songs can also help accentuate the emotional significance of the occasion for a more memorable celebration.

In earlier years many weddings showcased traditional wedding songs. However, nowadays there is no limit to the type of wedding songs that couples can choose to play on their wedding day. Selecting wedding songs is also one of the fun things that couples can do to prepare for their wedding day.

Most couples prefer choosing a wedding songs list that have a significant meaning to them in order to create a more unique and personal atmosphere for their wedding day. A song that was played on their first date or songs of the couple's favourite artist are typical selections for wedding songs of many couples.

Things to remember when selecting wedding songs

When selecting good wedding songs, it is important to take into consideration the venue for the ceremony. Most wedding ceremonies often take place in a church, couples should first check with the minister if there are any restrictions to the type of wedding songs that can be played. Some churches have concerns regarding the kind of wedding songs that should be played during the sacrament of matrimony.

Other venues may not have a strict policy regarding the variety of wedding songs to be played. However it is still a good idea to choose wedding songs for the ceremony that would not turn the occasion into a comedy act. It is best to reserve the entertaining wedding songs for the reception where everyone can cut loose to the music.

Another important factor to consider is the selection of the band or DJ who will play the wedding songs during the reception. Couples with a more traditional wedding theme may opt for a classical ensemble to perform wedding songs at their reception. For an intimate gathering a solo pianist, flute trio or string quartet serve as an ideal choice to play classical wedding songs.

For a more contemporary wedding theme, there are a number of professional bands that cater specifically to wedding receptions. Couples can also choose to hire a DJ to play wedding songs at the reception.

Planning the wedding songs

Couples need to select a number of wedding songs for different parts of the wedding. There are essentially six parts of the wedding ceremony that would require music. The type of wedding songs for the prelude music is used to welcome family and friends to the ceremony. Happy and festive wedding songs can help set the tone for the entire wedding day.

Wedding songs for the processional of the wedding party marks the start of the ceremony. The songs are meant to usher in the wedding party and to prepare the guests for the entrance of the bride. The bride's processional is the critical moment of the ceremony. Though many would opt for the traditional bridal march, it is also a good idea to select different wedding songs that can make it more memorable.

The interludes are the various moments during the ceremony wherein a number of wedding songs can help enhance the overwhelming emotion of the occasion. Wedding songs during the recessional should be festive to celebrate the official union of the couple. The postlude wedding songs are meant to create a pleasant atmosphere to thank guests for coming to the ceremony.

Wedding Shoes

Wedding Shoes, Buying  And Preparation

A bride should be blooming and perfect, just like the wedding and the wedding day, and for a perfect bride, there should be perfect wedding shoes for bride. To help you in buying the perfect pair here is a guide that you can follow to buy that perfect pair for that very special day.

Choosing a colour

There are different shades of white, diamond white, pearl white, satin white, etc. If you're all for a traditional wedding you can have white, but if you're one of the radials who like colourful gowns instead of plain white ones, you can still match the colour of your shoes to your gown.

Style

Aside from colour, style should be your next priority, your shoes should fit the occasion and the place, and if you have a garden wedding or a beach wedding it's not advisable to wear stilettos. For an evening event, you can use strappy evening sandals. Remember both shoe and dress need not be fancy, quite the opposite, wear fancy shoes for a simple dress and simple shoes for an extravagant dress, so that they sort of balance each other.

Comfort

Now after choosing the style and colour, you must try your shoes on, remember you'd be wearing your shoes for the whole day, and maybe on the reception as well, you'd be expected to be in those shoes for more than four hours, and during the reception, might be asked to dance in them, you don't want to get blisters on your special day so make sure that your shoes a re comfortable.

Also, buy shoes towards the end of the day. The foot expands during the course of the day and you want to buy shoes when your feet are at its largest size.

* Tip: Wear your shoes inside the house before the wedding, do this until you can wear your shoes for 4-5 hours without hurting, this will make sure that the shoes are soft and comfortable on your wedding day, just don't wear them outside.

Your dress and your shoes

Fabric

Wedding shoes should also match your dress, the type of fabric for your shoes is usually determined by the type of fabric of the hem of your gown. Wear satin shoes for shiny fabrics and lacy shoes for a lacy gown. You can also use crepe shoes for fabrics that have a matte finish.

Details

If you want details on your shoes like crystals or rhinestones, make sure that the colour, sheen and style match those of your dress, don't wear bejewelled shoes on a gown that doesn't have a single bit of crystal on it or you'll look like an upside down lampshade when the lights hit you.

Extra shoes

If you think that your dancing shoes should be different than your actual wedding shoes, and you'd want an extra one, make sure that the heels of your extra shoes match those of your actual shoes so that your gown doesn't look too short or too long when you wear them.

Alterations

Remember to bring your shoes with you when you're getting your dress made or altered, this will make sure that the length of your gown matches the heels of your shoes, you won't want your dress to drag or to look like its too short don't you?