Using a make-up artist is worth it!

By Claire

I got my makeup professionally done for my wedding and it was so worth it! I wasn’t planning on getting it done because of the cost and I thought I would be able to pull it off myself. But when I told this to my photographer, she made me change my mind very quickly. She said that a professional would apply the makeup properly with the right colors and right amount to ensure that I didn’t look washed out. So, my photographer recommended I get my makeup done at LaBelle Day Spa since she had other clients experience great results http://www.labelledayspas.com/. Wow! She was so right! I let the makeup artist do whatever she thought would bring out my features and make me glow on my special day. She even put fake eyelashes on me (I must admit I was leery at first but ended up loving them!). Paying to have a make-up artist do my makeup was worth every penny! I compare my wedding pictures to other pictures where I have done my own makeup and it is like night and day. I am so glad I took my photographer’s advice and spent the money… well worth it!

The Perfect Gift For Your Bridesmaids!

By Claire

Trying to think of the perfect gift for your bridesmaid’s is such a dilemma and the last thing you need is more stress while planning your wedding! When I got married and was trying to come up with the perfect gift, I thought… why not make their bridesmaid dress their gift. I got all of my girls together for a shopping trip, gave them the guidelines and off we went. The guidelines were that all of the dresses had to be the same color so that they went with the color scheme of my wedding and I wanted them to make sure to choose a dress that they felt comfortable in and would wear again. The color I chose was navy blue which is a timeless color and great for most any occasion. My bridesmaids were very happy that they didn’t have to buy their dresses and that they were gaining a new dress in their closet that they would actually be able to wear again instead of want to toss out like the usual bridesmaids dress! Wouldn’t that make you happy if you were the bridesmaid? I hated the thought of my girlfriends buying their own dresses, wearing them once for my wedding and then wanting to get rid of them. In the end, everyone was happy and I didn’t have to stress out about an extra thing needing to be checked off on my wedding planning to-do list.

Selecting a Photographer

By Andrea

After choosing our reception venue, the next most important thing that my fiance’ and I selected was our photographer. Selecting a good photographer was important to us because photos are the only physical memorabilia from our wedding that we can look back and reminisce upon of our big day. Many times the biggest regret I hear friends say was that they wish they had more pictures or selected a better photographer. In many cases, the photographer is the next biggest wedding expense after the reception – so it is a big decision! There are so many photographers out there and it is a hard process deciding which one to go with. Here are some tips that I thought were particularly helpful during our selection process:

• Consider photographic style – do you prefer a photojournalistic approach or a posed style or a combination of the two? This is the first step in deciding who to interview.
• Make sure you meet and interview the photographer in person before making your final choice - You may like the pictures you see online or in brochures, but meeting the photographer will reveal a lot about him/her. Is he/she pushy? Do you get along with his/her personality? Is the person fun to work with? The photographer will be following you around the whole day, so these are all things that need to be considered. For example, do you prefer a photographer that will direct you where to go/what to do on the big day for pictures, or do you prefer a more laid back approach?
• During the meeting, make sure you ask to view the photographer’s albums – There are a huge variety of albums that are available today! For example there are flush mount albums and there are albums where the photos are matted inside the pages. Make sure that the photographer offers the type of album that you like.
• Getting the photographer to fit within your budget – many times photographers already have pre-selected packages available. However, if your budget does not allow for these pre-selected packages, you can ask the photographer to work with you and develop a customized package for you. Many times they are more than happy to have your business (especially in today’s economy) and will help you get what you what at the price you need.
• Lastly, make sure that you are getting all you want before signing the contract. Are you going to be getting the negatives of the proofs or is that going to be an extra charge? Will you be able to reproduce the images at another store, or will it all have to be done through the photographer? Will the hours you sign for cover your wedding day from start to finish? These may be all be obvious, but it is important not to overlook any of these little details because these extra costs can add up at the end.

You will have one big weight off your shoulders once you select the photographer of your dreams and know that your memories will be captured forever!

What's New?

By Kate

'Hope everyone has a very Happy New Year!

It's been a while since our last post, but many exciting things have been happening in the Perfect Bridal family. We just improved our websites and launched our new online store.

Come visit the all new online store. We have a wide collection of wedding, bridesmaid, flower girl, special occasion dresses and accessories that we are certain you will find something you will like. When you're at our online store, you will have access to shop and purchase the growing list of designer's dresses online. There is also a new feature, 'My Favorites'. which allows you to save a list of your favorite dresses. Dresses can be viewed, added or deleted at anytime. You can also tell a friend about a dress by clicking on ''E-Mail a Friend'' button.

We have already heard from many brides who think this is a great addition to the site, and think that will make dress shopping even easier.

In addition to the designers available at our online store, you can also order from a long list of designers via telephone. In the coming weeks, there will be more designer styles added to our online store. Stay tuned!

Happy Shopping!

Lessons learned from my hybrid wedding

By Elaine

Ok, it wasn’t even a wedding. It was my husband’s 40th birthday party. But it was a bit like a wedding…there were flowers, there was a guestbook, there were gifts…you get the picture.

Many many years ago, I did plan an actual wedding, my own. And the year after that, between my husband and I, we were invited to eleven weddings!! I was in the wedding party of three of these weddings and my husband was in four of them. You can say that I have quite a bit of experience planning, participating, and attending a wedding.

But it wasn’t until this past weekend when I threw my husband’s hybrid wedding/40th birthday bash that I realized that I had almost forgotten the important lessons I learned from my own wedding…many years ago.

1) Remember why you are having a wedding in the first place - it’s to celebrate your decision to share your life with your fiancé. So plan a wedding that will be fun and memorable for the two of you, not for your mother, and especially not for his mother!

2) Everyone works under some kind of a budget, whether it’s big or small. So sit down and figure out what’s important to you and let your budget reflect that. Have you always dreamed of walking down the aisle in a fabulous designer gown? Then, allocate more $$ for the dress. Everyone will be too busy oohing and ahhing over your dress to notice that you went for the simple but tasteful centerpieces.

3) No matter how absorbed you get in the wedding details during the months and months of planning, some time before the actual big day, find a trustworthy and responsible friend (or wedding planner if you can afford one) and delegate it all. The goal is that you will be your most beautiful and relaxed self on the day of the wedding. Besides, who can look beautiful if they are all stressed out over what time the cake cutting is supposed to start?

4) Last of all, remember and cherish every detail on the day of your wedding. This is one day in your entire life and it will go by so fast. Don’t worry if things don’t go exactly as planned. The guests will never notice. Trust me, I’ve been to many weddings where everything seemed to flow perfectly only to find out from the bride afterwards, that very few things actually went according to plan.

View from a bridesmaid – Part 1

By Anne

I was in a close friend’s wedding this past weekend, and observed how the bride enjoyed the wedding as much as the rest of us did. It’s been a long time since I have gone to a wedding (most of my friends are having their 3rd, if not 4th child), let alone being in one, so I was able to see many things with a fresh pair of eyes.

The first thing that came to my mind is that having a wedding in September was a great idea. There is nothing special about being a “June Bride” (although I was one). Of course, this depends on the city in which you are having your ceremony. In San Francisco, where my friend got married, September is probably just as nice as June. It was a great idea because you are probably not competing with many other couples in fighting over the same venue or vendors, and therefore, it may likely be cheaper than having a party in the busier months. The couple was able to have an outdoor ceremony at sunset while the guests still managed to stay relatively warm.

I also love the colors that were used at the wedding. The bridesmaids had on a Jim Hjelm dress in Sienna, a very nice Fall color. The bridal bouquet was all hand-tied bouquet of exclusively calla-lilies, dyed in a similar color. The bridemaids’ bouquets were also very elegant, using simple white calla-lilies and orchids. These 2 flowers were used throughout the cocktail reception and the banquet and created a nice and warm atmosphere.

How to Choose the Perfect Dress

By Kate

As you know, picking a wedding dress is one of the biggest decision you will have to make. The dress shows your sense of style. A-line? Bateau? A bustle? What does it all mean? Feeling pressure to wear ritzy that is straight out from the bridal magazines? There will always be the perfect dress to fit your desire and budget. Don't fret! Let's start with the basics.

I am offering tips on choosing just the right dress:

* Ball gown is a full-skirted gown with a very fitted bodice. Good for slim girls and pear shapes. Slim the hips down.

* A-line is a style that flares out gently along the body; It emphasizes the waistline and create an elongated line. Most forgiving and creates a feminine figure for most body type.

* Sheath fits closely the contours of the body. It could be plain or embellished. Good for tall and thin with no visible curves or the slim and petite with hourglass frame.

* Mermaid is a type of sheath that has outward flare at the bottom. Trumpet is a variation that flares out even more. Good for curvy figure brides.