When planning the total look for your wedding day, don’t forget the toes.  The toes are just as important in your wedding make-up as your fingernails or hair.  Even if you’re not planning on wearing open-toed shoes at the wedding, your husband will see them on your honeymoon.  And beautiful feet can very alluring!

If you do want to ’show a little toe’ during the ceremony, you may want to consider toe nail designs.  Although it does take some talent to be able to hand-paint these intricate designs, I’ve found that the toes are definitely easier to do myself than the fingernails.  So, if cash is a problem, give the ‘DIY’ approach to your feet.  You can match your toenails with your fingernails, or you can give them a totally different look.

Wedding themescan easily work into your designs as well as your wedding colors.  Snowflakes, poinsettias or wreaths fit well with Christmas & winter theme weddings.  If you have metallic colors in your wedding palette, try gold or silver glitter to really give your feet some sparkle.  You can even glue on some tiny rhinestones to add an elegant touch.

There is no denying that manicures and pedicures have become a billion dollar industry.  No mall, shopping center, or outdoor strip mall is complete without at least one nail salon.  Even if you’re not into fancy nail art, you should consider making an appointment at one of these salons in preparation for your wedding day.

The services offered can range from the basics to an all out nail design to fit your wedding theme.  My daughters got me into the ‘nail art’ thing after they were married, but they all wish they had known about it beforehand. 

Nail art is a simple way of expressing yourself, plus it has the added benefit of enhancing any theme your choose.  The hand-drawn designs can include butterflies or flowers for your spring & garden theme wedding, seashells or fish for your beach theme wedding, wild geometric patterns for a more contemporary theme, or even white with black bows trimmed in gold or silver glitter for your elegant evening wedding. 

Shopping for a wedding dress is normally the first thing that pops into one’s mind immediately upon becoming engaged.  However, that’s not the only dress you should be shopping for.  You need to also keep a lookout for a ‘drop-dead gorgeous’ going away outfit.  This is the dress that you can either leave the reception in or, if you prefer, change into before taking off on your honeymoon. 

Unlike your wedding dress, this dress is one that you’ll use over and over, so spending a little extra money on this special outfit is a lot more justifiable.  You want it to be one of those figure-flattering dresses that makes you look like you just dropped 10 pounds.  You may need to try on dozens of dresses before finding just the right one. 

Typical rules of thumb you may want to follow are:
*  Keep the hem of the dress around knee length.  This elongates the leg and gives a very sexy, sleek look.
*  V-necks are the most flattering neckline on most women, drawing attention to the face.
*  The a-line skirt shape is normally the best shape for most women’s body types. 
*  Correctly fitted undergarments are essential to look your best in any outfit.  Panty and bra lines can ruin even the sexiest dress.
*  Make sure the dress is fitted and accentuates the thinnest part of your body - your waistline.  This gives you the hourglass shape we all want. 
*  Don’t buy an over-sized or baggy dress and this actually makes you look heavier and shorter.
*  Choose a color or colors that bring out the natural glow in your skin and eyes.
*  A new pair of comfortable high-heels are a must for this new outfit.  The color of the shoes do not need to match, but they should coordinate well with the dress.
*  Accessorize with a clutch or handbag and some jewelry. 
*  Remember that tailoring can be a great solution to those little problem areas that need a little something.

Your going away or ‘running away’ dress is just as important as the wedding dress.  In fact, even after 33 years of marriage, my husband can still describe the dress I wore when we left for our honeymoon. 

There may be many women out there that are perfectly content with the way they look, but I know I wasn’t one of them the day I got engaged.  Don’t get me wrong, I was nowhere near being overweight.  I was 5′2″ and weighed 105 pounds, but I had gotten it into my head that dieting before I got married was the ‘thing to do’. 

Unfortunately, many brides feel that same way.  Now, nearly 33 years later, I’ve hopefully gained a little more wisdom.  As long as you’re healthy and are not experiencing weight-related problems, dieting is not ’standard operating procedure’ before a wedding.

That being said, if you really want to drop a few pounds before walking down the aisle, here are a few do’s and don’ts.

DO:
~ eat balanced meals.  Divide your plate in quarters; fill 1/4 with protein, 1/4 with starch and 1/2 with vegetables.
~ eat smaller portions.  Most people can drop a few unnecessary pounds just by cutting back a little on their portion size. 
~ drink plenty of water.  Sixty-four ounces a day is recommended by most doctors to continually ‘flush’ and hydrate our systems.
~ exercise 3 - 5 times weekly.  A 30 minute aerobic workout or brisk 2 mile walk will do wonders to burn calories and strengthen your heart.
~ set some time aside to pamper yourself.  Take a bubble bath, get a pedicure, etc.  Taking time to notice and appreciate the positive effects of your healthy eating can be a great encouragement to you.
~ talk to your doctor before you start your diet.  Set a reasonable goal weight. 

DON’T:
~ give in to fad diets, drastically restricting what you eat to one or two main items.
~ try to falsely increase your metabolism with pills; this can really mess up the natural working of your body, especially when you try to come off of the pills.
~ starve yourself.  This will throw your metabolism into starvation mode, burning fewer calories and making you gain more weight once you stop dieting.
~ go nuts exercising.  Making an exercise routine difficult, time consuming, and overly strenuous is the perfect way to make it fail.  If it’s too hard to stick to, you won’t.
~ get easily discouraged.  Fast weight loss is temporary weight loss, and many times leads to gaining additional weight later on.
~ start your diet without speaking to your doctor.  Setting an unreasonable goal weight makes for an unhealthy diet, and probable failure. 

Remember the purpose for dropping a few pounds is not just to become a skinnier you; it’s to become a healthier you.  Losing weight slowly helps that weight loss to endure the test of time, builds a healthier lifestyle, and allows you to more easily stick with it.  One last helpful hint:  Once you have your final fitting on your wedding dress, work at maintaining your weight.  Additional fittings can cost a bundle.

Have a happy and healthy married life!

Years ago, it was understood that if this was your second wedding, the proper thing to do was to sneak off and tie the knot without a lot of fanfare.  No invitations were sent out, no special wedding gown was worn and no gifts were expected.  Nowadays, probably because it has become more and more commonplace, planning a second wedding differs only slightly from the first.

Despite popular belief, white wedding gowns are perfectly acceptable even if this is not your first marriage, with the one exception of a wedding dress with a long formal train.  Although white originally was a symbol of innocence and purity, today it has become more a symbol of joy.  The wedding veil is also appropriate if you choose to wear one. 

The areas where planning a second marriage would differ the most deal more with engagement announcements, gift registries, bridal showers and wedding costs.  Formally announcing your engagement is still considered improper if this is your second marriage.  Gift registries should also be avoided if this is your second marriage.  However, if this is your first marriage and your fiance’s second, it is fine to register for gifts. 

Bridal showers usually are not thrown for anyone other than the first time bride.  Since the purpose of a shower is to help the bride furnish her new home, it no longer is necessary in subsequent marriages.  If your friends or your fiance’s relatives would like to throw you a party, you should make it clear that gifts are not expected.

The bride and groom are expected to pick up the entire tab for the second wedding.  If the bride’s parents offer to pay, there is nothing wrong with accepting their generosity, however, you should never ask them to foot the bill for another wedding.

After you’ve found that perfect dress, don’t forget to accessorize with the perfect jewelry.  You don’t need to go overboard here.  A matching necklace and earring set will accentuate your wedding gown nicely and you won’t look ‘over-done’. 

If you’ve chosen a more elaborate wedding dress, try to keep your jewelry on the simple side.  A small simple pendant and matching earrings of pearls, diamonds or crystals would work well and look very elegant.  The opposite is also true.  You can afford to ‘dress up’ your bridal attire with double strands of pearl or a ‘y-drop’ crystal necklace if your wedding dress is less ornate.  Pearls and crystals are also available in many colors so you can even coordinate your jewelry with your wedding color scheme.  The key is to not go overboard.  Youshould be the focus of everyone’s attention ~ not your jewelry.

Some brides know the exact style of wedding dress they want before they even start looking.  Others can’t decide until they’ve tried on every gown in the shop.  There is one thing that all brides have in common when it comes to their gown, however ~ no dress fits perfectly straight off the hangar.  Fittings are essential and you’ve got to leave plenty of time for those fittings to be done. 

Ideally, you should begin shopping for your dress no later than 1 year before the wedding, but 6 - 9 months will work if you’re diligent to keep on top of your fittings.  Once you’ve decided on your dress, you will be measured and your dress will be ordered.  It should be scheduled to be delivered within 3 - 6 months prior to the big day.  Be sure to call your bridal dress shop a month after your dress has been ordered to confirm the delivery day.  You may be able to set up an appointment for your first fitting at that time. 

At your first fitting appointment you’ll need to do several things.  Choose a veil and all your accessories if you haven’t already.  Your wedding shoes are necessary in order to hem your dress to the correct length.  You will also want to set up an appointment for your 2nd fitting.  Normally, the first 2 fittings are included in the price of the dress.  If you do require additional fittings, you may be charged a fee per fitting.  Be sure to ask about any additional fees when you order your dress.  Your final fitting should be scheduled no later than 1 month before your wedding.

You can have your dress pressed at this final fitting, however, I would recommend waiting to have your dress and veil pressed until a week before your wedding.  If you’re having a destination wedding, make arrangements with a bridal shop at your wedding location.  If you can find the same bridal vendor at that location, the pressing should be done at no additional charge. 

A little organization and ample time is all it takes to make that ‘perfect’ wedding dress fit perfectly.

There are five basic lengths of veils most often used for weddings.  Whichever style you choose, it should complement the style of your wedding gown.

They are:

Blusher Veil ~ very short, made long enough to just cover the face; can also be combined with a longer veil layer.

Shoulder Veil ~ worn with a short dress or informal gown or to emphasize detail on the back of the gown; can also be combined with a longer veil layer.

Waltz Veil ~ elbow length, worn with a short informal gown or for a formal daytime wedding.

Fingertip Veil ~between elbow length and floor length; worn with a long gown, for semi-formal or formal weddings.

Chapel Veil ~ floor length, worn with a long gown, for semi-formal or formal weddings.

Courtesy of Bridal Crafts Magazine 1997

Shopping for your wedding dress is one of the first things you’ll want to do once you become engaged.  It’s fun and exciting!  The shock comes when you see those price tags.  Today wedding dresses can range anywhere from $500 - $15,000, with the average price falling between $1,500 - $2,500.  Don’t get too discouraged too quickly, however.  There are ways to try to trim that price tag down.

1.)  If you are good at sewing or know someone who is, check out trying to have your dress handmade. 

2.)  Consider wearing your mother’s or grandmother’s wedding dress.  Even if it needs alterations, it’s much less expensive than buying new.

3.)  Keep it simple.  Choosing dresses with intricate lacework or hand beading with add substantially to the cost. 

4.)  Try shopping ’sample sales’ where dress shops will drastically discount floor samples. 

5.)  Consider shopping at consignment shops.  Many of these shops have wedding dresses that have never been worn.  Look on ebay.  Consider renting a dress.

6.)  Try to visit bridal dress shops during their off hours. They will be more willing to work with you to find an affordable dress if they’re not busy trying to help other customers.

7.)  Simple alterations are an easy and affordable way to turn an ‘nice’ dress into a perfect one.  Most wedding dresses need to be hemmed and there is usually a substantial amount of fabric leftover.  This may be used to add sleeves to bare shoulder dresses, create a simple wrap, etc.

Remember, this is a big decision and once your dress has been ordered, most dress shops will not allow returns.  Try on many dresses in many styles before making that final choice.  You’ll want to be sure.  Take your time, shop around, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.  The perfect dress is out there ~ and it doesn’t have to cost a small fortune!

Every bride loves shopping for her wedding gown.  Hours are spent trying on dozens of dresses in various styles until finally that perfect dress appears.  Great care is also taken in the selection of a veil and jewelry.  However, shoes seem to be another story.  Too many brides consider the style of their shoes and neglect to consider the comfort.  This can prove to be a tragic mistake.  The wedding ceremony may only last 30 minutes, but the reception can last for hours.  The last thing you want to be doing on your honeymoon night is soaking your feet!

When looking for the perfect wedding shoes, keep in mind that ‘comfortable’ does not have to be synonymous with ‘ugly’.  You want to be sure to take as much time in the selection of your shoes as you did your wedding dress.  Once you’ve found your shoes, spend a day wearing them around the house in order to break them in.  If you absolutely must have the painfully-pointed toes and the back-breaking 3 1/2 inch heels, then invest in an additional pair of attractive slip-on shoes or white flip-flops to wear at your wedding reception.  ‘Plant’ them under the wedding party’s table before the ceremony so you can discretely switch shoes during the reception.  Trust me; your feet will appreciate it!