The special occasion dress manufacturers will be introducing their spring/summer lines from January through April. The spring and summer season are when mothers of the bride and groom begin to look for a special gown to wear to their daughter or son’s wedding. They are in a “panic” mode as in the hustle and bustle of the wedding preparation, they tend to overlook searching for their own formal gowns.

Mother of the bride gowns this spring 2008 will still feature rich fabrics with names like shantique, hammered shimmer, brocade, hi twist crepe, satin, etc. Lace is still available but mostly as accents or forming one part of the gown for interest. Beads, rhinestones, and embroidery are always a must for formal gowns as these add the sparkle and uniqueness to the outfit, separating a regular dress from a special occasion one. These fabrics are made of polyester blends which will retain its shape and are generally wrinkle-free. Mothers of the bride and groom surely do not want their dresses to pull and crinkle while performing their individual duties.

For spring of 2008, the mother of the bride and gown manufacturers are introducing interesting colors like glacier, aqua, sea breeze, and cinnamon. Sage and dust rose are always popular from one year to the next and these are the staple colors for this spring as well. Tried and true colors of champagne, burgundy, silver, gold, navy, and black, are still very much in style as these are the basic colors that will look good not only for the wedding but can be worn to any other social occasion.

Mother of the bride dresses are very competitively priced with the traditional bridal stores and many gowns are priced for very much less. Additionally for online bridal stores, you can shop for the color that you wish to wear by typing in the color or its variation, in the “search box” of the website. Every good website should have this feature which shows a blank box for you to type in the keyword you desire. Online stores usually carry the current season’s styles as they have the real-time capability to post the latest mother of the bride dress styles and delete the ones that are no longer in stock or sold out.

This spring 2008, mother of the bride and groom dresses are offered in “youthful” styles. Long gone is the dowdy looking mother of the bride. Check out the 2008 styles by Karen Miller, Scala, Cachet, and Ursula as they pave the way for trendier and upbeat styles.

Audrey’s Mother of the Bride (website: http://www.audreysmotherofthebride.com) offer these styles in affordable prices and with wide size selections. They cater especially to the plus size or full figure mother of the bride and groom. Petite sizes are also available.

Author: Audrey Cheong is the owner of an online bridal store specializing in mother of the bride dresses and other formal evening dresses in petite, missy, and plus sizes. Please visit her website for great selections and reasonable prices.

Advice on Marriage, Brides, Diamonds and Weddings. Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved.

• Family and guests: Will family members be invited? If you’re not inviting anyone to your wedding, you’ll have to keep in mind that feelings can, and probably will, be hurt. If you do hope to have a gathering of friends and family to witness your nuptials, you’ll have to consider whether this trip is something they can afford. Not everyone can comfortably bear the cost of airfare, hotel, wedding gift and any meals not included in the wedding festivities.

• Cost: One of the first considerations when planning a destination wedding, of course, will be cost. Will you and your intended be able to afford the cost of flying to another area, staying in a hotel and paying wedding costs? If money is no object, you’ll want to move on to your other considerations, namely family.

• Wedding Dress: Will you be wearing a formal designer dress or a less formal beach wedding dress. How will you pack it and get it to your destination. You can send it ahead, but then you might risk it getting lost or damaged en route. You can also check it with your luggage, but you’ll have to trust the airline not to lose or misplace your bags. Your best bet is to treat your wedding dress as carry-on luggage. This means however, there has to be room enough in the overhead compartment. Discuss this detail with your travel agent who may have a suggestion. She may also be able to make arrangements with the airline for your wedding dress to be hung in the flight attendants cabin. Places famous for destination weddings such as Las Vegas include wedding dress rental in many of their wedding packages. This may be something to look into.

• Legalities: What is involved in getting married in your chosen location? Will you need a blood test? What types of identification are required? Will your marriage be legal and binding in this country? Thoroughly research this before making any arrangements. The last thing you want is being told at the last minute you can’t get married because your paperwork isn’t in order. Marriage certificates can cost you quite a bit. Don’t forget the translation costs, if you are getting married abroad.

• Photographers/Videographers. Will you be bringing someone from your city/state or you prefer to hire someone at the location. This can get tricky. When bringing a photographer with you, cost can be a factor, since you’ll have to cover all the costs (flights, meals, housing). If you are getting married outside of North America, you should know that most photographers/videographers don’t have up to date equipment available. If you are doing a wedding in Cuba, you can be certain they can’t provide the same high end equipment, since it’s usually in the in the range of $10,000-20,000 Chances are they’ll be using outdated cameras. They can be cheaper than your own photographers, but you do you really want to risk it? Getting your prints can be a hassle, since fast communication is not always possible.

About the Author

by Robert Thomson. Dmitri is a well known wedding photographer in Canada with experience doing local and destination weddings. For more information or to see his portfolio,please contact him directly to plan your perfect wedding.

Advice on Marriage, Brides, Diamonds and Weddings. Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved.

The first, most basic way to make your guests feel welcome is to have rooms reserved for them that are near the wedding reception, and preferably near other wedding attendees. This way, people from out of town will have a network of friends and family nearby to lend a helping hand in times of need. For example, Aunt Milly from Denver may be able to get Uncle Fred from Fargo to help her carry her wedding gift. It also means that little Timmy can go back to the hotel with cousin Sarah and her mother, while Timmy’s mom and dad stay at your reception.

A really great way to make your guests feel welcome is to place a gift basket or favor for them in their hotel room before they check in. These gifts can be personalized for each attendee, or somewhat generic in nature. You could include items to help them relax and unwind after a long day of traveling; anything from a simple bag of chocolates to an extravagant bottle of wine. You could also include games and activities for any children so they remain occupied while mom and dad get things settled. Along the same lines as the gift basket idea, you could assemble an emergency basket for them as well. Stock this emergency kit with simple items like a tooth brush, tooth paste, deodorant, thread, needles, or other items that come in handy in a pinch.

If you’ve blown most of your wedding budget and are short on cash, you could leave a collection of pamphlets on area attractions that you particularly enjoy. Make a list of your favorite restaurants with a map showing how to get there from the hotel. Your map could also include areas of interest like nearby shopping malls, playgrounds, dog parks, museums, or other local attractions. Customizing each map for each family will be a sure sign that it was personally prepared with their enjoyment and comfort in mind.

If you do find you have some spare time before your wedding day, you could make a quick trip to the hotel just to drop of a thank you card for each family. Nothing will make them feel more welcome than having a small item hand delivered by the bride. Even if you don’t have time to drive all the way to the hotel, you could make a few phone calls in between errands to make sure your wedding guests have everything they need. Make sure to set a strict time limit on the amount of time you spend however so you don’t chat the night away!

Greeting your guests doesn’t have to be difficult, and with just a small amount of preparation, you can ensure they’ll remember your big day fondly. Following through with even one of these ideas will make your wedding something to be talked about, and can fill you with the pride of a job welll done.

About the Author

by Tim Smith.

Tim Smith runs F-M Brides which offers great ideas for brides and grooms in the Fargo Moorhead area. It also features a directory of wedding professionals across the United States.

Article Source: Article North directory

Advice on Marriage, Brides, Diamonds and Weddings. Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Man’s best friend is enjoying a higher profile when it comes to tying the knot. Although the trend gained steam in the easy-going West, wedding planners all over the country are seeing dogs take on key roles in the ceremony.

In short, well-trained tail-waggers are showing up as ring bearers, groomsmen, maids of honor, and even assuming the role that once belonged to good ol’ Dad — giving away the bride. Dogs have become so common in weddings, many professional planners know where to book a dog handler for the day without blinking an eye. (After all, he’ll need water, protection from crowds — and a few trips to the loo.)

Gone to the Dogs?
What fuels the trend to add Fido to the ceremony? Opinions differ, but one is the way that weddings are changing: once they were a purely formal affair, with formal language and dress that hardly seemed to relate to our real lives at all. But many of today’s couples are trying to bring more of the things we really say into the ceremony — sometimes by writing our own vows — and more of how we really look, which sometimes means bypassing the traditional white dress. And for many of us, our patient pooch is a lot like a child or a two-footed companion. He might have his own furniture, his own shelf full of tasty organic treats, his own set of smart fashion accessories. And whither we go, he goes … just like any other family member. No wonder many couples don’t think twice about bringing him to the altar.

But not every dog makes the perfect bridal party member. No matter how much you might love the mischievous antics of your wayward canine at home, it’s only the well-trained, responsive dog that should share your big day. If your dog comes, sits, is good with groups, and can be relied on to hold a “down-stay,” he’s a candidate. If not, leave him home, or invest in some obedience classes straight away.

You’ll also want to clear your pup’s presence with the powers-that-be well ahead of time. Yes, it’s a little surprising, but with the rising popularity of dogs in weddings, it’s a fair bet that your officiant will give you the green light. Many banquet halls at hotels will also say “yes” to a well-behaved pet on your big day, provided you have a handler.

Dressed for Success
Once you’ve got the go-ahead, the greatest fun in including your dog is dressing him up. Popular choices for pint-sized wedding apparel include adorable jeweled collars, miniature tuxes or bridal gown, and crystal-encrusted combs and barrettes. Diane Meier Delaney of “The New American Wedding” draped her pooch in an ornate floral arrangement that literally took her guests’ breath away (but discuss this option thoughtfully with your florist — avoid poisonous flowers and steer clear of scratchy wires).

Now that you’ve ordered his attire and your dog’s all set to work hard at your wedding, why not plan to treat him? You can purchase adorable cakes and cupcakes designed for occasions that are perfectly safe for your dog: delicious-looking confections made with wheat flour or oatmeal and bananas or honey, dripping with carob and studded with candy dog bones. Or you can make your own — just search the net for some tested, dog-safe recipes that avoid excess fat and sugar, and pass on canine no-nos like chocolate, grapes, avocados, coffee and certain nuts.

About the Author

Blake Kritzberg is editor of FavorIdeas. Stop by for continually-updated celebrity wedding news, fairy tale wedding favors, wedding attire for dogs and unique wedding favors.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Blake_Kritzberg

Advice on Marriage, Brides, Diamonds and Weddings. Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved.