Chances are your wedding dress will be the most important clothing purchase of your life. Yes, you will only wear it once; but, will you ever wear another dress more anticipated and more talked about? And while this is indeed an important clothing decision, you have probably never gone through the process of purchasing a wedding gown until now. Thankfully, I have rounded up useful advice to get you started on your way to walking down the aisle in the dress of your dreams.
Start Shopping Early -
Time is of the essence. Most likely, you did not get engaged after a week of dating, so why would you want to rush such an important shopping decision? Planning a wedding is stressful, and the last thing you want to add to your worries is dress shopping. You need time. Not only do you need time to shop, but keep in mind that you will also need time to wait for your dress to arrive and time for fittings. Try to start looking for your perfect wedding dress right after you are engaged. You should aim to purchase your wedding gown at least 6 months before your wedding date, as this will ensure enough time to wait for your gown to arrive and have it tailored.
Wedding only 5 months away, and you haven't even tried on your first dress? Don't panic. While shopping early is preferred, you can always buy a dress off the rack, and many bridal salons can turn a dress around more quickly if necessary. You just may have to be a little more flexible in your dress choice.
Educate Yourself -
Wedding dresses come with their own unique glossary of terms (or jargon, as you may want to call it). Before stepping foot into a bridal salon, try to brush up on your vocabulary. There are terms for gown silhouette (the basic shape of the gown), neckline, bodice, sleeves, trains etc. Learn the basics and try to narrow down which options you prefer and which ones best suit your figure. Overwhelmed? This wedding dress styles guide provides detailed descriptions on every type of wedding gown.
Envision Your Perfect Wedding Dress -
Many bridal salons do not allow you to simply browse through all their wedding dresses. They first ask you a few questions about your wedding and your overall style and bring dresses that reflect your vision to you. Therefore, it's best to have an idea of what you want before you shop. After you have educated yourself on the various parts of a dress, think about what wedding dress style suits you. Always dreamed of being a princess? A ball gown silhouette is probably your best bet. Dream of showing off a figure sculpted by hard work at the gym? A sheath dress may be perfect for you. Keep in mind that your dress, while suiting your personal style, should also suit your wedding venue. A formal ball gown is probably not appropriate for a beach wedding in the sand, while a sundress may not work in a cathedral.
Know Where to Shop -
The most popular choice is the bridal salon, known for a high level of customer service. Bridal salons exist almost everywhere; you can search our local wedding services section for ones nearest you. Of course, all bridal salons are not the same. Some feature wedding gowns from multiple designers, others feature only gowns from one specific designer custom for their particular store. Price ranges vary as well. While many bridal salons offer gowns starting as low as $300, prices at other stores can start as high as $4000. Call and inquire before choosing a store. Brides on a tighter budget can try an outlet. Bridal outlets offer hundreds of dresses, often from past seasons, at a discounted price.
Determine Your Budget -
It's best to have an idea of what you would like to spend before stepping into a bridal salon. This will save you the hassle of going to salons out of your price range or allowing the sales clerk to bring you dresses you cannot afford. The average cost of a wedding dress is around $800. Shop around online and in magazines to get an idea of how much wedding dresses cost and how much you want to spend. In general, your wedding gown shouldn't exceed 10 percent of the cost of the wedding reception.
Now that you know the basics, this complete wedding dresses guide can walk you through the rest of the process of finding the right wedding gown for yo
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Saturday, August 30, 2008
New high-end wedding venue may not have trouble getting customers even with weak economy
Well, high-end, bling-bling, first-class - that's how you could describe the new Mallard Island Yacht Club at the site of what was Margo's Marina.
Plush carpeting, wide-plank Brazilian cherry wood floors and crown molding that resembles frosting on a wedding cake accent the Tiffany blue ceiling in the main ballroom of the area's newest high-end wedding venue.
But in a slumping economy, are people saying "I do" to high-end weddings?
Event coordinator Kathi Evans, owner of All the Best Weddings, Celebrations and Events in Toms River, says yes.
"I already have two weddings booked at Mallard Island for next year," said Evans.
For the discriminating bride and groom, budget is not something to fret over, although there are some brides and grooms who are watching their wallets during this weak economy, Evans said.
"There are some people that the economy doesn't affect, and those people will always get what they want. Other brides out there may be on a smaller budget and try to get what they want," she said.
Evans said, for example, if a bride on a budget wants a venue such as Mallard Island for her wedding, she may scale back on food, guests or flowers. Both couples had already booked the Mallard Island Yacht Club before enlisting Evans' services, she said.
"There really aren't many places to have high-end weddings unless you can rent an estate somewhere. Here there is really no place other than Mallard Island and Bonnet Island where you get that high-end effect when you walk in," she said.
Developer Christopher Vernon owns Mallard Island Yacht Club, Cedar Bonnet Island Estate along the Route 72 Causeway and the Quarter Deck Inn in Ship Bottom.
In a sport coat, pink Ralph Lauren polo shirt and khakis, developer and owner Christopher Vernon was the portrait of the Hamptons on Friday afternoon as workers rushed around him preparing the facility for its big reveal Sunday. Designers joked about his ability to throw great parties, as though he were a New Jersey version of music mogul Sean John Combs, also known as "Diddy."
"It's as high-end as you can get in New Jersey with the water right at your doorstep," Vernon said, leaning on a gold chair at a table with perfectly pressed linens.
His properties have created a little industry within Long Beach Island and the mainland, according to Vernon.
"It will give work to caterers, photographers, hotels and florists," he said.
Vernon referred to the Mallard Island site's extreme makeover as a project of will that took a little longer than two years to complete. This extra time gave his team more time to be creative, he said.
The club, which towers above the west end of the Route 72 Causeway, is reminiscent of "Gone with the Wind," he said. Its red roof, massive columns and wrap-around decking would be fitting on the Mays River in South Carolina, matching the style of the prestigious southern yacht clubs, Vernon added.
"When you're inside you can't see the land; it's all water, so it's like you're in a ship," he said.
Vernon said he traveled to Princeton University and the Ritz Carlton in Boston to draw inspiration for many of the facility's decorative and architectural features. In fact, the men's restroom on the first floor of the club is pulled directly out of Boston's Ritz Carlton.
The facility is chockfull of details, right down to hardware securing the window treatments in the main ballroom that features the Mallard Island Yacht Club's crests. Porthole mirrors inside the gold-doored elevator offer a glimpse into forever as they reflect each other.
They are in the process of naming 10 bedrooms on the second floor that each have individual decorative themes - Barbados-infused, botanical, seashore but feminine - and bathrooms featuring heated towel racks. But most importantly, all have a view of the Barnegat Bay, Vernon said.
An exit off the second floor leads to a walkway a bride will take to the bayside ceremonial boathouse, a renovated bait and tackle shop, where couples will exchange their vows.
"The bride will come down these steps to where she will meet her father and then to the brick walkway," Vernon said climbing down the stairs slowly in his docksiders.
But it isn't all about the bride. To the right of the boathouse is the groom's shack, where the husband-to-be and his groomsmen will hang out until the ceremony begins.
"This was an old army barracks that was purchased for 75 cents in 1935 from Fort Dix. It was brought here and used as a clamshack," he said.
Most recently, the quaint wooden shack was used for Jet Ski rentals. Inside there is an original army barracks sink and 150-year-old pumpkin-pine wood floor. But modernization will come soon with a bar and flat screen television, Vernon said.
"I wanted something spectacular at the gateway to Long Beach Island," he said. "We exceeded the concept as well as our budget."
Pricing for events at the site has not yet been announced.
Sunday, the Mallard Island Yacht Club will have its debut when Vernon hosts a fundraiser for the St. Francis Community Center in Brant Beach, Long Beach Township. Tickets are still available by calling the center at 609-494-8861 or purchasing them at the door. Tickets are $125 and are tax deductible. Yacht club attire is suggested.
Plush carpeting, wide-plank Brazilian cherry wood floors and crown molding that resembles frosting on a wedding cake accent the Tiffany blue ceiling in the main ballroom of the area's newest high-end wedding venue.
But in a slumping economy, are people saying "I do" to high-end weddings?
Event coordinator Kathi Evans, owner of All the Best Weddings, Celebrations and Events in Toms River, says yes.
"I already have two weddings booked at Mallard Island for next year," said Evans.
For the discriminating bride and groom, budget is not something to fret over, although there are some brides and grooms who are watching their wallets during this weak economy, Evans said.
"There are some people that the economy doesn't affect, and those people will always get what they want. Other brides out there may be on a smaller budget and try to get what they want," she said.
Evans said, for example, if a bride on a budget wants a venue such as Mallard Island for her wedding, she may scale back on food, guests or flowers. Both couples had already booked the Mallard Island Yacht Club before enlisting Evans' services, she said.
"There really aren't many places to have high-end weddings unless you can rent an estate somewhere. Here there is really no place other than Mallard Island and Bonnet Island where you get that high-end effect when you walk in," she said.
Developer Christopher Vernon owns Mallard Island Yacht Club, Cedar Bonnet Island Estate along the Route 72 Causeway and the Quarter Deck Inn in Ship Bottom.
In a sport coat, pink Ralph Lauren polo shirt and khakis, developer and owner Christopher Vernon was the portrait of the Hamptons on Friday afternoon as workers rushed around him preparing the facility for its big reveal Sunday. Designers joked about his ability to throw great parties, as though he were a New Jersey version of music mogul Sean John Combs, also known as "Diddy."
"It's as high-end as you can get in New Jersey with the water right at your doorstep," Vernon said, leaning on a gold chair at a table with perfectly pressed linens.
His properties have created a little industry within Long Beach Island and the mainland, according to Vernon.
"It will give work to caterers, photographers, hotels and florists," he said.
Vernon referred to the Mallard Island site's extreme makeover as a project of will that took a little longer than two years to complete. This extra time gave his team more time to be creative, he said.
The club, which towers above the west end of the Route 72 Causeway, is reminiscent of "Gone with the Wind," he said. Its red roof, massive columns and wrap-around decking would be fitting on the Mays River in South Carolina, matching the style of the prestigious southern yacht clubs, Vernon added.
"When you're inside you can't see the land; it's all water, so it's like you're in a ship," he said.
Vernon said he traveled to Princeton University and the Ritz Carlton in Boston to draw inspiration for many of the facility's decorative and architectural features. In fact, the men's restroom on the first floor of the club is pulled directly out of Boston's Ritz Carlton.
The facility is chockfull of details, right down to hardware securing the window treatments in the main ballroom that features the Mallard Island Yacht Club's crests. Porthole mirrors inside the gold-doored elevator offer a glimpse into forever as they reflect each other.
They are in the process of naming 10 bedrooms on the second floor that each have individual decorative themes - Barbados-infused, botanical, seashore but feminine - and bathrooms featuring heated towel racks. But most importantly, all have a view of the Barnegat Bay, Vernon said.
An exit off the second floor leads to a walkway a bride will take to the bayside ceremonial boathouse, a renovated bait and tackle shop, where couples will exchange their vows.
"The bride will come down these steps to where she will meet her father and then to the brick walkway," Vernon said climbing down the stairs slowly in his docksiders.
But it isn't all about the bride. To the right of the boathouse is the groom's shack, where the husband-to-be and his groomsmen will hang out until the ceremony begins.
"This was an old army barracks that was purchased for 75 cents in 1935 from Fort Dix. It was brought here and used as a clamshack," he said.
Most recently, the quaint wooden shack was used for Jet Ski rentals. Inside there is an original army barracks sink and 150-year-old pumpkin-pine wood floor. But modernization will come soon with a bar and flat screen television, Vernon said.
"I wanted something spectacular at the gateway to Long Beach Island," he said. "We exceeded the concept as well as our budget."
Pricing for events at the site has not yet been announced.
Sunday, the Mallard Island Yacht Club will have its debut when Vernon hosts a fundraiser for the St. Francis Community Center in Brant Beach, Long Beach Township. Tickets are still available by calling the center at 609-494-8861 or purchasing them at the door. Tickets are $125 and are tax deductible. Yacht club attire is suggested.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Beach Wedding
Considering having a Beach Wedding? You will need to consider a area of the greater Fort Lauderdale Beach and Miami Beach and Palm Beach area’s great Fort Lauderdale Beach Weddings and Miami Beach Weddings for a romantic Florida Beach. I simply love weddings!
Friday, February 15, 2008
Fairfield Museum is site for swift wedding
Guys, I've seen this article just now:
A Valentine's Day wedding at the Fairfield Museum and History Center on the Town Green
proved once again that there is a first time for everything.
"We've never had a wedding here," said Holly Hamilton, visitor services manager for the
museum, which opened at 370 Beach Road last September.
It was the big day for Donna Marie Anderson, a stay-at-home mom, and her man, Larry Witte, a
corporate executive in New York City.
The couple moved to the Black Rock section of Bridgeport from California last year, and
after a number of years together and a 4-year-old son, Brennan, they decided to tie the knot
on Valentine's Day.
"We thought it was romantic," Donna Marie said.
The couple got their license at Fairfield Town
Hall Thursday morning, and asked where to find a justice of the peace.
"It's amazing how fast you can get married in Connecticut. It's faster than Las Vegas,"
Donna Marie said.
They found a justice of the peace downtown, not far from Town Hall, at Diamond Jewelers.
"I've done weddings everywhere. I would have married them on the beach," said Howard
Diamond, the store's owner.
The couple asked Diamond what a good warm location would be for their brief ceremony, and he
suggested the new museum.
Then, Donna Marie put on the white satin Celtic-style gown she had purchased three years
ago, for a wedding plan that was delayed by logistical complications.
This time around, they kept it simple. Hamilton acted as the couple's witness.
The marital vows took place in the subtle light of the museum's library room, next to bay
windows that showed the darkness outside. It was 6:30 p.m. when Diamond pronounced them
husband and wife and invited them to share their first married kiss, the groom in a black
tuxedo.
The cameras flashed and the couple beamed. Their son danced a little dance of happiness
around their feet.
The honeymoon is undecided.
"There are a lot of nice places we can go," Witte said, explaining how it will be a family
honeymoon with Brennan in tow.
Tony Spinelli, who covers the region for ConnPost.com, can be reached at 330-6361.
I only have one comment, "I LOVE it!"
Conventional relationships leave students wanting more
I only have one comment on relationships, but it doesn't include this:
When my alarm sounds in the mornings, I wake and slide my boots on my sheets-softened feet and walk two inches taller to class. I return to my sheets where that extra two inches of confidence is sloughed off; a time when one becomes susceptible to the loneliness that comes when naked feet obtain warmth from sheets and not other naked feet.
This is the stuff of lonesome times so easily arising in our hungry, adolescent soul searching, when we want the comfort of a partner or miss the presence of a long-distance lover. Being in a committed relationship is something that most of us want to experience in our time here, and monogamy is something that has been placed on a pedestal since the beginning of religiously sanctioned unions. But now we must deny the whole idea of “finding true love†and “soul mates†and question if humans truly are inherently monogamous.
David Barash and Judith Eve Lipton co-wrote the book “The Monogamy Myth: Fidelity and Infidelity in Animals and People.†They argue, “Monogamists are going against some of the deepest-seated evolutionary inclinations with which biology has endowed most creatures, Homo sapiens included.†Through study of monogamy in the animal kingdom (which is very rare, according to Barash and Lipton) and patterns in which men and women wander from monogamous relationships, we are obligated to give attention to the idea that monogamy is our own creation, and this is why it concerns us so greatly.
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the last reported divorce rate for a calendar year is 38 percent in 2005. We are all aware of this high rate, exemplified in some cases by the genuine interest and intrigue exhibited when one says that their parents are still together. Is this evidence in defense of the idea that we are not meant to be monogamous? “Hooking up†is not a new term, and author Laura Sessions Stepp (author of “Unhookedâ€) suggests that women “hook up,†or engage in some sort of non-emotional, sexual act, because women are increasingly goal-oriented in their professional lives and believe that a non-committed “hook up†would not obstruct their ambitions.
When a good friend of mine, an insightful English major, was asked to give a definition of monogamy, he wrote: monogamy-1) a state of being, not unlike marriage, resulting from idiot religiosity; 2) two lovers lacking imagination, curable by direct application of grain alcohol at an office party.â€
Essentially everyone dreams of soul mate or perfect match, but now is the time for us to tell those standard images of monogamy like beach weddings and Hawaii honeymoons to screw off. Thanks to my spirited friend for personifying my point, which comes to: monogamy stems from historically held social norms that, in the end, create a path that we end up believing is the only one to true happiness. Monogamy is not something built into our DNA, but rather a convention of comfort that we turn to because we all want to be loved, and because it is so ingrained in us that we cannot imagine a life of happiness without a mate.
I believe that monogamous relationships are successful for people because they believe in them, and that they can work for the young adult who accepts their benefits as truths. Do not cheapen the importance of your own happiness by assuming that you can only find it only in another pair of arms. Not all “hook-ups†must be without emotion, not all relationships must imply long-term commitment and self-sacrifice, and self-love is the most important variety of love.
I am not encouraging rampant bed-hopping, but rather for you to be open to something other than “settling down†once you find who you think is that solitary special someone. Grab hold of those lonely thoughts and take them for something more than “nobody loves me†dribble. Love is not just another pair of feet in your bed, and life can still be pretty good with all of that extra mattress space.
Now, see my point?
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