Wedding Gowns & Bridal Fashion

It’s not just brides to-be who are involved in frenzy preparations, but grooms too take a lot of interest in planning their weddings.

The new breed of “groomzillas”, men fanatical about favours and even more high-maintenance about their wedding look, are outshining brides-to be in planning their D-day.

According to Hitched.co.uk, more and more grooms are joining wedding forums, with numbers soaring from one in 50 to one in 10 since 2002.

“Grooms like the attention as well as brides and they are increasingly particular about every element and about impressing their friends,” the Daily Express quoted wedding planner Mark Niemierko, who offers grooms personal shopping days where they browse at tailors and have manicures, as saying.

Couples these days pay for much of their wedding themselves, and they also want to make their investment count.

“Many of our grooms find it hard to take a back seat,” said James Lord of wedding planners Love and Lord.

“We have many a fashion crisis, with grooms changing twice during the day and telling guests what to wear,” he added.

Perfect Wedding Guide, the nation’s number one local wedding guide, will host a Bridal Show on Sunday, September 14, 2008 from 1pm - 4:30pm at the Marriott Durham at the Civic Center located at 201 Foster Street in downtown Durham, NC. Brides and grooms will have the opportunity to meet and discuss their big day with over 50 Triangle Wedding Professionals while discovering the latest wedding products and services.

Two elegant strolling fashion shows will be presented by Jayna Bella Bridal Boutique of Roxboro. Brides and their guests will be able to get an up close look at the gowns and formal wear as the models stroll through the room in this intimate and personal setting.

“Brides have so many plans and decisions to make before their wedding day. It could be overwhelming. This bridal show will give them the wonderful opportunity to discuss their dream wedding and interview wedding experts in person,” says Triangle Perfect Wedding Guide Publisher, Gail Galloway. “Brides and grooms will have a chance to sample delicious food and cakes, view photographer’s work, meet DJ’s and entertainers, smell gorgeous fresh flowers, plan their honeymoon, pick a reception site, secure guest accommodations and more all in one day.”

During the Perfect Wedding Guide Bridal Show thousands of dollars in door prizes will be given to some winning attendees. One lucky bride-to-be will win a romantic mountain honeymoon getaway, compliments of Rye Creek Lodge. The first 100 brides to arrive will receive a coupon book worth over $1,000 in wedding products and services.

Tickets for the Perfect Wedding Guide Bridal Show are $7.00 at the door or guests can pre-register online at www.the-triangle.perfectweddingguide.com to save $2.00 per person.

For more information about the event, media passes, interviews, or vendor information, please call Gail Galloway at (336) 676-9631 or email her at gail@pwg.com.

About Perfect Wedding Guide

Perfect Wedding Guide is a wedding planning resource for brides published and online in over 40 metropolitan areas around the country. For further information, please visit http://www.perfectweddingguide.com.

The demure bride casting furtive glances veiled behind her  ghunghat  , the scented sensuousness of henna-stained hands, the hint of unexplored pleasures behind her pursed lips - the sacred  sutra  of an Indian wedding. “New-age brides are extremely well-toned. They want to flaunt skin - either a revealing back, bare shoulders or a form flattering silhouette to accentuate their curves,” observes couturier Suneet Varma of the contemporary  dulhan  who’s taking wedding couture to dizzying new heights.

“Gone are the days when a bride’s mother or mother-in-law predetermined her wedding finery. Bridal wear is now definitive, glam and chic,” adds designer Ritu Kumar.

In an age of lavish, theme weddings in exotic locales, high-profile guest lists and buoyant budgets - auspicious experimentation is what sells. Weddings are no longer sedate. Most ceremonies preceding the main function comprise glitzy theme nights full of high octave revelry. It’s at these playgrounds of passion that the modern bride showcases her no-holds-barred avatar. “The bridal garb is highly stylised, slick, favouring skin show. The look is more streamlined with a predominant Western influence. Even the colour palette has evolved from reds and maroons to hot pink, wine, coral, dusty rose and tonal gold and silver. No longer does the bride want to be caged within an elaborate tapestry. She has wings and wants to fly,” says designer Rohit Bal, who’s designed the trousseau for actress Liz Hurley. “Liz wanted to look and feel like a sex goddess. I created a white lehenga embellished with diamonds worn seductively low and teamed with a three-inch high blouse revealing her midriff,” adds Bal of his videshi client. Surprisingly, the desi bridal entourage isn’t lagging behind when it comes to dropping their hemlines. And aiding her quest for a sinfully, sensuous wardrobe is a new creed of designers combining red carpet glamour with ethnic ethereal. “Brides hailing from smaller metros like Ludhiana and Patna want to innovate more with plunging necklines, deeper backs and necks,” holds designer Pam Mehta. “Lehengas structured like draped gowns accentuated with Western motifs and controlled bling are replacing the heavily ornamented lehengas. Brides today walk in for a head-totoe consultation armed with international fashion magazines. They want to be dripping Oscar night razzmatazz,” says designer Rakesh Agarwal, who recently created an embroidered bikini worn under a shimmering kaftan for a sangeet ceremony on a yacht in Bangkok and a three-layered, chiffon skirt teamed with a bejewelled T-shirt, costing Rs 60,000. “Backless gown lehengas, fishtail skirts with a winding trail, off shoulder corsets and halter blouses with diamonte chains are haute. Modern bridal wear incorporates elements of raunchy lingerie with an infusion of French lace and tie-ups. With outfits becoming bolder, we’ve infused elements of corsetry with built-in bras inside their outfits,” adds Agarwal. Designer Gaurav Gupta believes the modern look of brides is being inspired by medieval Grecian goddesses. “Offshoulder and one shoulder dress saris accessorised with stoles and Victorian broaches impart a neo-classical look,” adds Gupta.

Cashing in on the bridal boom are international couture brands. “Brides are going an extra mile to be different. A lot of them spend Rs 85,000 for an haute couture gown,” says Kalyani Chawla.

Brazen and bootylicious, the new-age diva’s also seen sculpting her body basics. “Brides are getting henna patterns and the names of their husbands written on their navel. It’s a very sexy combination with low waisted lehengas,” says Bollywood mehendi artist Veena Nagda, as tattoo artist Lokesh quips in, “70 per cent of my clients these days are to-be-brides who come to get their husband’s name tattooed on their shoulders and lower back.”

Bringing sexy back, the bride basks in an unbridled sensory saga. But is her diminishing choli a reflection of a waning value system? Bal has the final say, “Before the Mughal era, our auspicious costumes were downright sexy. The apsaras wore bustiers, resembling modern-day boob tubes, while the cholis were meant to be barely there. The modern bride is simply reinventing her.”

Are you or is someone you know in a dilemma over wedding preparations? The answer may be to hop onto a plane to Taiwan.

For those not in the loop, Taiwan has become a bridal services hub for couples from all corners of the world — anything from wedding photography to custom-made bridalwear is readily available.

The best place to start is Zhongshan (Jhongshan) North Road or Taipei Bridal Street which is situated right in the heart of the Taiwanese capital.

Countless mannequins garbed in extravagant wedding gowns dot both sides of the street. This is indeed a future bride’s paradise and possibly a groom’s worst nightmare!I headed for a posh bridal boutique called Julia owned by the husband-and-wife team of Mai Tsan Wei and Julia Muh. Muh is the dressmaker while hubby takes the photos.

The boutique boasts A-List celebrities and socialites among its customers. “Most of our customers can afford to be lavish in their spending,” said Muh. The boutique ranks among the top five bridal boutiques in the country, and also attracts customers from overseas. “People travel all the way from Hong Kong, the United States, Canada, Singapore and Malaysia to engage our services because we offer personalised bridal gowns and professional photo shoots,” she added.

As Muh took me and my fellow journalists on a tour of her boutique, I observed how every customer was being given undivided attention by the staff. Muh’s wedding gowns were impressive: intricate, classic and stunning, reflecting Muh’s partiality for European and American haute couture.

She uses mostly expensive fabric from branded fashion houses such as Dior and Gucci. “I design elegant gowns that are likely to be in fashion for a longer time than just one season,” she explained. After a crash course on bridal couture by Muh, I left for Ching Jing mountain to witness 99 couples in their wedding wear getting their photos taken. The event was organised by the Bridal Boutique Association of Taipei and the Taiwan Tourism Board.

During my stay at the mountain top resort, a little bird told me that there was a Malay couple from Malaysia participating in the event.

I was thrilled and determined to interview them about their choice of setting for their wedding pictures. Imagine my disappointment when I was informed by the tour manager that they weren’t keen on media attention.

Still, I did manage to speak to a few couples, despite the language barrier.

Wu Jin Fa and Xu Yi Xiang stood out. The couple had been married three decades and had never organised a wedding reception until now!

“I did not wear a wedding gown then, only a plain and simple dress because we had a civil marriage ceremony,” said Xu.

The Taiwan trip was a surprise wedding anniversary gift for her.

“I didn’t know anything until I reached the hotel in Taipei. I felt strange when reading about the wedding dress fitting session in the itinerary. Added Wu: “She (Xu) deserves it. She had been there for me through thick and thin. It feels like we’re getting married all over again.”

Chen Miao Long and Ji Li Ling from Singapore, on the other hand, are bridal photo addicts. “We have done this quite a number of times,” said Ji.

“Our first was two years after our wedding. We flew into London, bringing along a photographer whose trip we sponsored. And then we did a European tour. We took pictures in London, Venice and Paris,” said Ji.

Shanghai was the venue for their wedding photos during another trip. It’s an expensive hobby, the couple admits.

“But as long as Ji is happy, I am also happy to do it. She’s a natural in front of the camera. Instead of taking cues from the photographers, she takes over the shoot,” said Chen, laughing.

At 6am, with the temperature below 10º Celsius, I witnessed 99 couples posing in front of photographers.

I was amazed at how willing the brides were to brave the cold and hike up the mountain in revealing designer wedding gowns and high heels for the session. Ah, the things people do when they’re in love!

Jenny Packham is a leading British designer, specializing in party dresses, evening gowns and bridal wear. Honored as Hollywood Style Designer of the Year 2006 and British Bridal Dress Designer of the Year 2007, Jenny Packham’s luxury design house has gained international renown.

Her celebrity clients include Keira Knightley, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, Nelly Furtado, and Sarah Jessica Parker.

This week Packham presented her new eveningwear collection as part of the Russian Fashion Week “Autumn/Winter-2009″, the biggest fashion event of its kind in Russia. After the show, she gave an interview to RIA Novosti correspondent Narine Prazyan.

How do you feel when you see celebrities wearing dresses designed by you?
- To me it is what we call ‘the icing on the cake’. To me it’s very important to design a dress, and I think it’s good when somebody buys it, and buys lots of them. And I think if a celebrity chooses it then that seems better really.

Have you always wanted to be a designer?
- Yes, always. I mean I started when I was about eleven making my own clothes. I didn’t ever make a conscious decision, but I’ve always wanted to do eveningwear as well.

What inspires you when creating evening and wedding dresses?
- Well, it’s just so enjoyable really. I have a fantastic team of people now, and to make a collection is an opportunity to really show what they can do, with cutting, manufacturing… What inspires me is making more and more glamorous, beautiful evening dresses. And every time I try to do something better than I’ve ever done before.

Jenny Packham dresses have become must-haves among Russian celebrities. How do you explain that?
- I know it sounds slightly corny but I think with a wedding dress, and I have to say the same of an evening dress, I think that someone has to fall in love with a dress, they have to really want it. And when I design a dress I have to give it those qualities to make someone think: “Oh, I have to have this dress, I feel so fantastic in it!” Hopefully they felt like that. That they have to have one.

Do you have your own favorite dress? Could you describe it? Who is the designer?
- I know it’s very general but I have a beautiful Prada dress. I think for me Prada is something to really aspire to. The manufacturing, the beauty in the cutting… But generally I wear a lot of black, quite simple clothing.

Is there a celebrity you would particularly like to design an evening dress for?
- I would love to design a dress for Nicole Kidman or Kate Blanchett. I think for me they are kind of personified… sort of feminism, it is very appealing really, they are very contemporary.

In one of the interviews you said that your eveningwear is designed for contemporary women living in the city. What do you think of historical clothing? Would you like to create a collection for a historical movie, for example?
- Especially with bridal wear, I did a whole load of research on it. And I did a lot of work on the history of bridal wear. When I was at college I did a lot of history of fashion and I think the more you know about the history of things, for example, why women wear white dresses, the more you understand, the more depth there is to your designing. So I think it would be a challenge to do a film. And I think recreating an old garment is a great thing. If you know the Marie Antoinette film, she recreates the old garments in a really modern way. I think that would be interesting. To recreate old garment is interesting, if you can do something to it to liberate it. I think it would be great. 

It’s not the first time you’re taking part in Russian Fashion Week. Would you say a few words about it, about the Russian fashion market in general?
- I think there is such enthusiasm here to really create a fashion industry. You have two fashion weeks, it’s incredible. You know Milan, for example, has only one fashion week. I think there is so much here to get into. And you know we always have such a great time here, it’s always such a joy to do.

Source: RIA Novosti

The organization and planning of the whole wedding ceremony is an exhausting task for any bride. Have all right to have the regalia ready for hunting and affordable wedding gowns, shoes and accessories matching the reserve venue and completion of the menu is enough to leave anyone out of breath fairly. In addition, all these things cost a lot of money and if they are not careful about their spending, which can go haywire and even land in debt. But it is not absolutely necessary that you have to spend a bomb to make your wedding beautiful and elegant. After all, a wedding is the union of two souls and that has to do with emotion and very little about money. If you keep within a budget and spend wisely, you can still have a wonderful wedding their expenses without going through the roof. Here are tips on how you can make your wedding an unforgettable affair in a small budget: Set your budget first, plan your budget and stay within it. Small changes in the budget are acceptable but don? T make too many dramatic changes. Start planning your spending enough time at hand so you can choose their purchases carefully to keep within budget. Start early Start shopping early to take advantage of various offers, settlement offers and discounts are often available in the off season. But make sure you buy good quality but affordable to the themes of his regalia, as her wedding dress, matching shoes, accessories, etc. and not just buy cheap. There is no need to hire wedding planners You don? T need to hire any plan or wedding coordinator. Instead of involving his family and friends at their wedding arrangements. They would be more than happy to assist in the preparations. You will be surprised to see how his young cousins come with creative ideas to make your wedding wonderful. Cree their invitation cards to spend a bomb on an invitation card is useless because nobody cares to maintain or preserve at the end of the day. Therefore, make their own invitations and not having to make some professionals. Take a look at the network in some elegant designs, take your printing and bravo to be ready with their invitation cards. I like balloons more flowers bouquets of flowers are expensive, especially during the wedding season. Instead use balloon bouquets that are less costly and make the venue as decorative and attractive as the flowers. Decorate the place with colorful balloons and see how the whole atmosphere becomes festive. Use candles as a centerpiece Instead of putting an elaborate bouquets of flowers in table centerpiece, place candles especially if you’re having the wedding ceremony in the evening. Not only candles illuminate the entire place in a beautiful soft glow, but also make the place seem inviting. You can choose long candles or floating candles. Get disposable cameras rather than hire a professional photographer, buy disposable cameras and put them on the tables. Get some responsible friend or relative to take snaps of their wedding. Let the smallest clicking some too. Children can also reach great looking images. Choose style buffet five course seated dinner is expensive. So we decided to have a buffet. It doesn? T matter much if the waiter was serving food to customers or clients are serving themselves. At the end of the day what matters is that food should be delicious. Food is served in buffet appetizing and costs less. Keep it simple cocktails as well. Order the local bakery cake Order the wedding cake from a local bakery. There is no need to address some very expensive baker to create an attractive cake for you. Shops local bakery can do a wonderful job of making beautiful cakes and charge reasonable prices. Shop online wedding dresses To find a wedding dress of your dreams, check the online stores. Shopping online stock an amazing collection of wedding dresses at affordable prices ranging from tea-length, empire style, prices of clothing and style more. There is no shortage of variety on the Internet. All you have to do is spend some time in investigating the network and control of affordable, yet elegant wedding dresses online. Shop online accessories Like wedding dress, it’s best to go shopping for accessories such as unity candle, ring bearer’s pillow, toasting glasses, and girls basket of flowers on the Internet. The benefit of buying online is that you can compare the different issues in different website sitting comfortably at home. Create your veils and headpiece Use your creativity to make their own veils and headpiece. Headpieces veils and are very easy to do. Just pick up some boats bridal book and put your creativity to good use. This way you can save a little. Giving favors losing a boyfriend and girlfriend generally favors giving all guests for gracing the occasion with his presence. But if you want to save costs, then there is no harm in jumping favors. Your guests won? T mind not obtain favors. After all, family and friends are there simply to enjoy the occasion.

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/fashion-articles/how-to-have-a-wonderful-wedding-on-an-affordable-budget-508319.html

Options like charity stores, websites and sample dresses mean style does not have to be compromised on the big day. You may only wear it once but for some women their wedding dress will be the dearest item of clothing they ever buy. Trying to establish the cost of a wedding dress is like measuring the proverbial piece of string.

While every bride-to-be wants to look her best, style does not have to cost the earth and a number of options are available to brides looking to buy a more reasonably priced dress.

A number of charities run wedding shops, but don’t be put off by memories of shabby charity shops from days gone by. As part of a wider shift towards mainstream retailing, charities offer a competitive alternative to high-street wedding boutiques and also donating a little money to a good cause can serve as a nice antidote to wedding excesses.

Barnardos Brand New Bridal offers brides-to-be new and designer wedding dresses at a fraction of the original cost. The gowns are donated by retailers, with a full range of sizes and styles available.

The bridal store, which launched three years ago, is located upstairs at the Barnardos shop in Dun Laoghaire.

Prices at the Barnados bridal store range from €150 to about €900, with most dresses retailing for about one third of their standard price. The store also stocks veils, bridal shoes and dresses for bridesmaids, with these less ornate dresses costing about €150 on average. Due to the popularity of Barnados Dublin bridal shop, the charity is opening a new bridal outlet in Carlow later this month.

At the end of June, Oxfam launched its new bridal website to raise awareness of its dedicated bridal boutique, which is on the second floor of the charity’s George’s Street shop in Dublin.

A large chunk of the wedding dresses sold in the shop are new, donated by wedding retailers and designers. According to figures from Oxfam up to 95 per cent of the stock is new, while the remainder is donated by brides after their wedding day. The average price of a dress in Oxfam’s bridal store is between €200 and €400, but dresses on its discount rail can sell for as little as €70.

Both Oxfam and Barnados require bargain hunters to make an appointment to view their bridal range.

Another option for brides on a budget is to purchase their dress online. One Dublin bride ordered a dress by popular Spanish designer Pronovias from an American bridal website for €750, which includes the cost of postage and packaging.

Prior to ordering the dress, she tried it on in an Irish bridal shop, where the exact same dress retailed for €1,850. If you opt for a high-street bridal boutique, you can expect to pay more for your dress.

Irish bridal designer Kathy de Stafford runs three stores nationwide, one in Dublin city centre, one in Nenagh in Tipperary and a couture store in Howth in Dublin. In the city centre store and the Nenagh outlet, sample dresses - ones that have been on the rail in the shop for potential buyers to try on - retail for about €700.

The cost of a standard dress starts from about €1,400, with some brides paying up to €5,200 for one of De Stafford’s own designs.

Prices start from €299 at Marian Gale’s bridal boutique in Donnybrook, Dublin. Dresses in this price range are ‘off the peg’ options and prices increase up to €2,900 for more elaborate and bespoke pieces.

One of the newer additions to the Irish bridal scene, Amore Bridalwear in Youghal in Cork, opened its doors earlier this year. Its dresses range in price from €1,100 up to €2,700, with the average spend by a bride typically being about €1,600.

De Stafford’s couture option in Howth stocks high-end fashion brands, such as Valentino, with pr ices ranging from €2,000 for lesser-known designers up to €11,000 or so for dresses by well-known designer labels.

And it’s not just the dresses that make a dent in your bank account. The groom’s suit, although less discussed, can also be a rather costly purchase. Another option for the groom is to rent a suit or tuxedo for the day.

Menswear store Black Tie offers both rental and retail options. A three-piece suit costs between €105 and €125 to rent, depending on the style of jacket chosen. If you opt for a tuxedo on your wedding day, you will pay between €97.40 and €117.40 to rent one, while purchasing a new tuxedo from Black Tie costs between €295 and €495.

The store also sells on its rental suits, which retail for between €300 and €450.

Case study 1: ‘Overseas wedding still pricey’

1. When did you get engaged?
At the end of April in New York

2. When are you getting married?
Late September next year.

3. Have you picked a venue yet?
Yes, but it is not confirmed yet. It is overseas, so we are meeting them next weekend.

4. How many guests do you intend to have at your wedding?
About 150.

5. Are wedding venues cheaper, dearer or as you expected in terms of cost?
There is no charge for our venue, but the meal is expensive. As it is overseas, some aspects are more expensive than here, while others are cheaper. It all seems to balance out in the end, though.

6. What’s your budget for your wedding dress?
About €5,000.

7. What will be the biggest expense of your wedding?
Rooms and flights for our families.

8. Are there any costs that you are prepared to cut?
We are willing to have a lower-key honeymoon to facilitate a good weekend for our wedding.
We won’t bother with elaborate cars and might see about making the favours. Also, we will try and use contacts to get a good deal on stationery and things like that.

9. What tips would you offer to other couples looking to shave a little off the cost of their wedding?
Invite fewer guests!

10. What’s the total budget for your wedding?
About €75,000.

Case study 2: ‘Don’t be afraid to bargain’

1. When did you get engaged?
March of this year.

2. When are you getting married?
August 2010.

3. Have you picked a venue yet? If so, where?
Barberstown Castle, Straffan, Co. Kildare.

4. How many guests do you intend to have at your wedding?
About 120.

5. Are wedding venues cheaper, dearer or as you expected in terms of cost?
Some venues charge for room hire which I think is a bit much given how much you will pay for food and drinks on the day. Our venue charges just for the food and drinks. Of course the room cost is obviously built into the price but compared to other venues that did charge for hire, our venue’s prices are the same and in some cases cheaper.

6. What’s your budget for your wedding dress?
I haven’t started to look at wedding dresses properly at this stage. For now I am mentally budgeting between €2,500 and €5,000.

7. What will be the biggest expense of your wedding?
The biggest expense by far will be the venue in terms of food and drink. It will be worth every penny, though, as we love our venue.

8. Are there any costs that you are prepared to cut?
Not really. We are having what we consider to be a fairly straightforward wedding with minimal fuss.

9. What tips would you offer to other couples looking to shave a little off the cost of their wedding?
The biggest lesson I have learned so far is: don’t be afraid to ask! As we are getting married in two years’ time, any of the suppliers we have spoken to that we are interested in working with have agreed to give us the current prices. If a supplier isn’t able to do this but we really want to use them then we ask for more value for our money.
Make invitations yourself or buy online, make mass booklets yourself or do a flower arrangement course and buy flowers from the flower market and make arrangements yourself. If someone in the family or a friend is a dab-hand with flowers, you could ask them to help with the flowers or suggest it as a wedding gift.

10. What’s the total budget for your wedding?
Hoping to get the whole thing done for about €25,000 but I think it may end up closer to €30,000.The honeymoon will be separate!

Case study 3: ‘Make your own invitations’

1. When did you get engaged?
Christmas 2007 – a very happy day!

2. When are you getting married?
Summer 2009.

3. Have you picked a venue yet? If so, where?
Yes. Carton House in Maynooth.

4. How many guests do you intend to have at your wedding?
160.

5. Are wedding venues cheaper, dearer or as you expected in terms of cost?
Far more expensive, with minimum numbers that make it very expensive. We have to pay for 160,whether the numbers actually show or not.

6. What is your budget for your wedding dress?
€4,000

7. What will be the biggest expense of your wedding?
The venue and the wedding dress and suit.

8. Are there any costs that you are prepared to cut?
Yes. We want simple invitations and no little tokens on the tables.

9. What tips would you offer to other couples looking to shave a little off the cost of their wedding?
Make your own invitations, have only one witness each, get a skilled friend to do your make-up and shop around for a band. There are too many sub-standard, over-priced chancers out there. There is no reason to pay more than €2,000 for a band.

10. What’s the total budget for your wedding?
I suppose about €35,000.