Wedding Ideas and Inspiration Blog

Posts tagged fashion

From Casual to Formal: A Fun Little Bridesmaid Dress Round-Up

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I found a few very pretty dresses for the upcoming summer weddings! The ones above are a little more casual and perfect for a laidback beach or backyard bash.

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This polka-dotted number is all about incorporating prints and could totally be worn again in the fall with a cardigan and a pair of tights. This long blue dress looks comfortable and pretty effortless (perfect when on your feet for hours).

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I love the cranberry shade of this one-shoulder bridesmaid dress. Gorgeous! And this navy shift is nothing if not classic.

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BCBG has the funnest dresses (and yes, I am pretending that’s a word). The faux drop waist is lovely in pale grey and the ruffled dress would be so suited for a romantic and very pink affair.

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These full-length dresses are all about formal glam. Stunning!

Inspiration Boards: Engagement Party Outfits

Because right after the proposal comes the party! The key to dressing for the event? Knowing your style, and the style of your celebration.

We’ve created a few boards with Polyvore to inspire you. And if your engagement has come and gone, not to worry! You can steal these ideas for your rehearsal dinner, bachelorette shindig or even the honeymoon!

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City Chic

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Beautifully Boho

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Picnic Pretty

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Elegant Evening

How Your Venue and Theme Can Influence Your Wedding Dress

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Lately we’ve been talking about finding two of the most important details in your wedding planning: the venue and the dress. But one thing we haven’t discussed yet is how much one can influence the other. For example, if you want your wedding on the beach, chances are you don’t envision yourself rocking a trumpet gown and stilettos (and if you do, I need you to take your sexiest heels and go walk on the nearest beach while picturing yourself weeble wobbling all the way to the altar). When selecting your wedding dress, don’t forget to focus your attention on not just what dress is the prettiest of them all, but also which one fits best into your wedding vision.

How Your Venue Can Influence Your Dress Selection

Where your wedding is held helps determine several elements of your dress choice. First, what is the level of formality? If your venue is upscale and traditional, going with a casual cotton dress may not be the best choice. No matter what venue your wedding is at, your goal should be for things to appear seamless; that every detail is “naturally” cohesive (you know, the same way that we spend 30 minutes on our makeup to look “naturally” this good).

Second, what is the weather like at your venue? If you are having an outdoor wedding during a summer in Georgia or an indoor wedding at a ski resort, the fabric of your dress can have a big impact on how comfortable you are at your wedding.

What About Your Theme Can Be Incorporated Into Your Dress

What is your wedding’s theme? And no, I don’t mean “theme” like your groom will be dressed up as Chewbacca or your wedding reception is an exact replica of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory (I’m thinking you would already have a thoroughly unique dress picked out for such occasions). What I am referring to is the general look and feel of your wedding. Will your guests see a lot of crafty DIY details? Do you want to go a little vintage? Is your wedding an elegant event or a crazy all-night party? Are there tons of flowers and bright colors or is everything in minimalist black and white?

Incorporate your theme into your wedding dress selection. Brides with modern weddings should look towards sleek dresses, whereas vintage brides ought to consider some lace and perhaps even consider (gasp!) a blush dress. Brides with a less-traditional vision should seek out dresses that have unique silhouettes or loads of fun details (Madonna pearls? Yes, please.). For examples of dresses that brides have chosen to highlight their theme, check out real weddings with similar styles to your anticipated event. Ask yourself how certain dresses either lend to or distract from a wedding’s theme.

By thinking about your venue and theme, your wedding dress can be one more way to emphasize your wedding’s overall aesthetic.

Photo Credit: Katie Osgood

How to Find THE Dress: Begin by Browsing

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As soon as he put a ring on it, all you’ve been thinking about is the dress. So, now here you are. Surrounded by every bridal magazine you could find at the bookstore and armed with your laptop with online galleries tabbed and Pinterest boards opened, the browsing has begun. And that is when you realize just how many wedding dress styles are out there. It’s overwhelming.

How do you go from this to walking down the aisle looking amazing? In our four part series we help you navigate the choppy and (sometimes) emotional waters of dress shopping.

Enjoy these first steps.

Now is the time to stretch your boundaries. Even if you have always seen yourself in a sheath, give the princess ballgowns a look-see, just in case. Also, make sure to ask your sweetie’s opinion. I know this sounds strange because he hasn’t had an opinion on your wardrobe ever, but chances are there are some ideas in his head. I had a friend who was getting married who fantasized about a giant ballgown. Her fiance voiced that he really didn’t like the poufy dresses, so she gave a sheath a try. It looked fantastic and showed off her amazing figure.

Begin broad.

Tear out or highlight every dress you can see yourself in. You’ve been training your whole life for this shopping trip. Every prom and homecoming and black tie affair has led to this moment. In this first phase, don’t be discouraged if you still have a huge selection in front of you. Start broad and varied and then start to whittle down later. For now, pick out what you like and organize them into categories that make sense to your wedding-addled brain. You could sort by features (maybe you really want lace sleeves) or by theme (retro dresses fit your personality). Start thinking about what you like about each dress. This will come in handy later when trying to explain what you want to a dress consultant at a boutique (P.S. “Something really cute” will not be the appropriate answer).

Start processing.

Think about your body and what you are normally comfortable in (more on this next week). If you hate wearing tank tops because you don’t like showing off your arms, nix anything sleeveless that wouldn’t work with some type of jacket. If you just aren’t drawn to the white dress, throw out everything that isn’t blush or grey or some other fantastic color. Does that mermaid gown remind you of what your evil stepmother wore on her wedding day? You don’t need that drama, Cinderella. Pick another.

Join us next week as we tackle the right dresses for your body type and how to be your most confident self on your wedding day.

Photo Credit: K & K Photography

Remembering Manuel Mota, Creative Director of Pronovias

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A great creative talent in the bridal world passed away earlier this week at age 46. Manuel Mota was the Creative Director of Pronovias, and had been head of the label for 23 years. His leaves an incredible legacy in the industry and will be sorely missed. In honor of his contributions, we’ve culled some of our favorite designs from his 2013 collection (view the entire collection here).

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Top 5 Wedding Trends for 2013

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Tons o’ glamour! Expects lots of Art Deco and Victorian details in 2013′s weddings. Color palettes for these weddings will feature metallic touches and deep, rich jewel tones on bridesmaids. Brides with a more minimalist look will stick to small, but sparkly accents.

Preppy color palettes will be a big trend this year, keeping weddings lively and bright. These pops of color will be incorporated not only in fashion accessories worn by the bridal party, but also in floral arrangements and centerpieces.

While vintage may be starting a slow departure as a wedding theme, it is still a major influence in bridal fashion. Traditional strapless princess gowns will give way to plenty of lace, gorgeous veils, and sleeves in all different lengths. Fashion forward brides will pass on wearing their hair down, and instead favor this season’s elegant updos.

Expect lots of sophisticated, modern styling and less “matchy-matchy” in this year’s events. Of course, weddings will still be very color palette-oriented, but the elaborate matching table decor and paper goods will be more organically chic in 2013.

More than anything, look forward to a light-hearted 2013! Weddings will have whimsical touches that are personal and fun, like a cotton candy machine for the couple who met at the state fair. Details will revolve around weddings being less of a major event and more of a fantastic party for friends and family.

We at Delightfully Engaged can’t wait for all of these trends to unfold in 2013!

Photo Credits (clockwise, from top left): Mary Rosenbaum, Greg Howard, Ameris, We Heart Pictures, Courtney Bowlden, K and K