Tips | To Dye or Not to Dye?

After months and months of planning, dieting, weight watching, prepping your skin for makeup and basically looking the best you ever did for the most important day of you life, one of the key questions that we often receive from our brides is regarding whether they should dye their hair or not and even sometimes this is overlooked.  However, maintaining your hair can make a world of a difference when it comes to your wedding date.  It is important to stay on top of this besides just letting it grow long to achieve your desired style, but color wise as well!  Often times we recommend two options:

Option 1:  Dye your hair all one-color tone so that it will be easy to work with and it will not show in mistakes in your hair coloring (if there should be any).  This will also leave you stress free about touching up highlights, which require a lot more attention and will definitely be a lot easier to manage.

Option 2:  If you have highlights and want to keep them for the big day be sure to dye the roots again two weeks before the wedding to touch up and hide any discrepancies.  In addition, always be sure to tell your stylist to highlight the bottom of your hair too. This is often forgotten and overlooked—a deadly move!  If you’re planning to have your hair up you do not want your hair to be two toned with the top of the hair one color and the bottom of the hair another!  This will be highly obvious and may look horrific in photographs and in person!  In addition, always be sure to get the roots done if your hair is nothing close to your natural hair color or else this will be visible as well.

Remember ladies that you should pay attention to the details and your hair should never be forgotten!

*Please let this vendor know that you found them on Your Wedding Advisor*

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So to avoid the flooded phone calls asking “can i bring a +1?” or “can i bring my kids?” Why don’t we just make the invitation clear to the point but in a sophisticated way?

First thing’s first: invitation should be sent out 6 to 8 weeks prior to the wedding date. This will give plenty of time for the guests to arrange their busy schedule to attend your wedding. This also gives you 2-3 weeks before your wedding date to get the final head count and make final seating arrangements for the reception.

If for some reason, you did not receive an RSVP from your guest, give them a call and make sure.  Yes, I know this may sound double work, but trust me this will relieve some stress and you’ll get an instant confirmation from those guest who may have forgotten to RSVP, or thought they didn’t need to RSVP since they’re not attending, OR maybe their mail got lost.

DO be clear when addressing your wedding invitations:

1. If you plan to invite your friend and a guest, the invitation should be addressed to your friend’s name and Guest (if you know the name of the your friend’s +1, include it). You should always find out the name of the significant other, that way your friend won’t just bring a random friend. Now, most guest will understand that without “and Guest” or Guest’s name on the invitation, means the invite is only for them alone. This is important for wedding couples to make it clear especially if you’re going to have a small intimate wedding ceremony / reception. You’re not going to allow everyone to bring a +1, unless it’s a fiance or a serious significant other.  If some clueless friend decides to RSVP for a +1 anyway and you’re in a budget or even limited space, simply call them up and explain that you’re having an intimate wedding and unfortunately you are not able to invite everyone with a guest. All guests should understand that.

2. Same for families; if you plan to invite, for example: Mr. and Mrs. Smith and their 3 children, then the address should be addressed to The Smith’s Family, or you can list out all of there names. If you decide against having children at your ceremony or reception simply include a line that states ‘adult-only ceremony’ inside your invitations.

Remember, for whatever decision you make – whether to allow children or not, for guests to bring +1 or not. Once you make the decision, you should apply that decision for all guests. No exception.

FYI: Guests who are present at your bridal shower and/ or engagement party should be invited to your wedding because they’ve already given you a gift. Showers and engagement parties are gift-giving opportunities and guests that are invited to these but excluded from your wedding will assume they were only invited because you wanted a gift. If you don’t want a guest at your wedding then don’t invite them to your shower or engagement party.

Technorati Tags: wedding invitation etiquette

Photo Credit: Victor Sizemore

Today,  a friend of mine asked me: “hey, is it okay to ask the bride/groom if I can bring a +1 to their wedding?”

I’m sure many of us have wondered about that. Is the invitation open to +1 or is it only for you? Is it proper wedding etiquette to ask if you can bring a +1?

Well in my opinion it all depends on certain situation.

Scenario 1: if the invitation states:  ” __ of 1 will be attending” that is obvious that you can’t bring a +1. Therefore, I would not ask the bride / groom.

Scenario 2: if the invitation provides you a spot where you can insert the # of guests, or if it says “Name(s)_______ [followed by check boxes to attend or not]” then yes, I would ask the bride / groom if they’re okay with +1.

In most cases, the bride and groom should have make it clear as to whether you can bring a +1 or not. If they do allow +1, you’ll definitely see something like “___ of 2 will be attending” . Or it will address to you and your significant other.

It never hurt to ask, the worst thing that can happen is hearing a “no” as an answer; and do prepare for a “no” answer.   Please keep in mind that 1 extra seating will cost them extra money. So if you do decide to ask the couple, ask them in a way where they won’t feel obligated to say “yes”.

And honestly, there’s nothing wrong with going to a wedding alone. Many times, I hear people dreading to go to wedding because they don’t have a date.  And to me I don’t get it; I don’t understand why you must bring a date to a wedding. To me, if you go alone, you’ll have your other friends / coworkers to hang out with. Or maybe this will give you a chance to meet other single people!

Agree or Disagree? Feedbacks are welcome!!

Technorati Tags: Wedding Etiquette

Photo Credit: www.jessicaclaire.net

Cathedral Length: perfect for traditional or religious wedding ceremony

Elbow Length: good for a casual look, great for daytime and outdoor ceremony

Waist Length: slightly longer than the elbow length, great for all dresses

Fingertip Length: if you were to spread your arms out, this veil will reach from fingertip to fingertip. This is a popular veil and it fits majority of the dresses

Birdcage: a vintage / 40’s feel; appropriate for any kind of wedding;  looks great with a fitted silhouette dress.

Remember the dress it the main focus, the veil is just an accessories. so don’t go all dramatic with the veil. Also if you’re considering a veil, think about your dress, your face structure, and your body.  For more ideas / tips check out my other posts about each veil.

Technorati Tags: bridal, veils, wedding

Photo Credit: www.jessicaclaire.net

As much as we love attending bridal showers, do you know how much stuff goes on behind the scene? Finding the location / venue that will accommodate the number of guests; picking the perfect date that will be suitable for the bride and the guests; decoration; food; invitation; party favors; and most importantly what does the bride want for a bridal shower. It doesn’t help if the bride says “i don’t know” or “it doesn’t matter”. It’ll be nice for the bride to tell the Maid of Honor or whoever is planning the shower what kind of stuff the bride wants to do. But if you do encounter a bride who has no opinion or is too busy with other wedding stuff and has no time to think, and who’s going to pay for this big event? If all these thoughts apply to you, well then hopefully this Q/A post will help!

Who should plan the bridal shower?
Traditionally it’s the Maid of Honor’s (MOH) responsibility to organize the bridal shower and the bridesmaids to help the MOH.  But nowadays, I’ve seen other close friends / family members of the bride help plan a bridal shower. Or even have multiple bridal showers: a close cousin or any relative may host one for immediate family only; a co-worker may host one for the bride with other co-workers; and a close friend may host one for close friends only, and the list goes on. Some times it’s better that way because you won’t have to worry about who pays for what. Because it’s separated in different groups, they can coordinate on their own. Less stress for the MOH, in my opinion.

When do you have your bridal shower?
One to two months before the wedding date is good. Don’t try to have less than a month before the wedding  - it’ll be hard for the bride since she’ll be busy with the wedding stuff. Just make sure that the bride can make it since it’s a bridal shower FOR the bride. And once you know the date, let the guests know as soon as possible so that they can arrange their schedule.

Who should be invited to the bridal shower?
Aside from the MOH and the bridesmaids, the following should be invited to the bridal shower: grandmothers of the bride & groom, the mother of the bride & groom, sisters of the bride & groom,  any close relatives of the bride, and close friends. (i would suggest you ask the bride who she wants to invite). Remember, it is rude to invite someone to the bridal shower but not to the wedding day.

Are men allowed to the bridal shower?
Traditionally, no.

Where should the bridal shower be located?
This will depends on your budget and availability if you’re looking into a venue.  You may also want to consider if you want decoration / party supplies for the bridal shower (sometimes keeping it simple is just as good, no need to go all crazy w/ the decorations). If you’re in a tight budget, don’t have it in a restaurant or in a big venue. Nowadays, many bridal showers are held at someone’s house and finger foods are being served. I also know a few friends who had their bridal shower at a park and they did a picnic thing.

Who pays for the bridal shower?
This should be decided before you organize it. Those hosting the event should pay. Now if the bride knows about it and she wants to have a wedding shower, the bride’s family can pay for it too. One rule for sure is that you don’t expect the guests to pay for anything at the shower; the food, tip, room rental, and any other expenses are the responsibility of the hostess and bridesmaids.

Should it be a surprise?
This is optional. If you do make it a surprise, make sure you get that list of who the bride wants to see. And make sure that you have a convenient date and time for the bride-to-be.

How long should the shower last?
The shower usually last 2-4hours.

Are favors necessary?
No. Favors are mementos. It’s nice to have it to give it out, but it’s not required.

What are bridal shower gifts?
Bridal shower gifts doesn’t replace wedding gifts. Gifts for bridal shower are usually less expensive than wedding gifts.  If you’re close friends w/ the bride, you can give out gag gifts. I had a friend who attended a bridal shower and she gave the bride dishwasher detergent, mop, and gloves just to remind her that she’ll start doing all the cleaning now that she’s someone’s wife. Some would give out sexy lingeries. So it’s up to you. Unless they have a gift registry, then I guess you can get something from the registry.

When should I sent the bridal shower invitation? and what information should I include?
In order to give the people a chance to get time off or arrange their schedule, you should send the invitation one month before the event. The invitation should include:
-  Bride’s Name
- Date & Time of the bridal shower (beginning and end time)
- Address where the shower will be held
- Name and contact info. of the hostess
- if there is one, Theme of the shower
- RSVP deadline

Technorati Tags: bridal shower, etiquette

Necklines
Spaghetti Straps – Thin straps that go over shoulders
V-Neck – Shaped like a “V”
Off-the-Shoulder – sits below the shoulders to showcase a woman’s collarbone and shoulders
Sweetheart – Shaped like a heart
Strapless – No straps, gown is kept up by bodice
Halter – Straps go around the back of neck
Sabrina or Bateau – Follows collarbone from shoulder to shoulder
Square – square neckline
T-shirt or Jewel – Round like a t-shirt
Portrait – Wide scoop that sits just on shoulder bone (it’s similar to off-the-shoulder neckline, but made w/ more fabric)
Scoop – Wide “U” shape

Silhouettes
A-line: These dresses are fitted at the waist with a skirt that forms a triangle or “A” shape. A-line wedding dresses are the most common shape. Flattering to many body types.

Ballgown: Has a full, flouncy skirt and a very fitted bodice. Some ballgowns have a corset style, while others have elaborate, full sleeves. Some ballgowns feature a basque waist—a V-shaped dropped waistline. It’s like a traditional princess dress.

Empire: Is cut directly below the bust and usually features a fairly simple skirt with minimal volume.  It’s very Greek goddess style-like / medieval look, the empire waistline has a sweet, flirtatious look.

Mermaid: Hugs the waist & hips and flares dramatically from the knee down. It’s a sexy cut; definitely shows off a woman’s curves.

Sheath: Resembling a slip;  column or tube shaped gown following the contours of the body. A sheath dress shows every curve because of the lack of embellishments.

Fabrics
Polyester – Man made fabric often blended with silks or made to mimic a certain type of fabric
Silk – A soft and fine fabric that comes in a variety of finishes such as shantung or satin
Satin – Smooth textured fabric very common in wedding gowns. Comes in Silk or Polyester
Silk Mikado – A type of blended silk that is heavier than regular silk
Shantung - Rough textured fabric with lines and “nubs”. Comes in Silk or Polyester
Taffeta – Crisp, rustling fabric
Tulle – Stiff netting similar to organza but stiffer and coarser
Batiste – Semi-transparent fabric
Brocade – Heavy material with a pattern
Charmeuse: lightweight, smooth, semilustrous satiny fabric.
Chiffon – Lightweight, flowing sheer fabric, transparent fabric of silk or rayon with a soft finish.
Crepe – Lightweight porous-like fabric; silk or rayon fabric made with crepe yarn, with a slight pebbly texture
Damask – Medium weight patterned fabric
Duchess Satin – Hybrid of silk and polyester
Dupioni – Thick coarse looking silk
Gazar – Criss cross weaved fabric,linen-like
Illusion – Semi-transparent fabric similar to organza
Organdy – Stiffer transparent fabric
Organza – Sheer fabric similar to tulle but more tightly woven
Rayon – Similar to polyester but more elastic
Linen: a cloth made of flax, that is noted for its strength, coolness,and luster
Eyelet: open-weave embroidery
Voile: fine, sheer fabric; more like linen than cotton

Waistlines
Basque – Waistline dips below natural waist forming a “V” in the center
Dropped - Waistline dips below natural waistline and sits more on hips
Empire – High waistline just under bust
Princess Cut- Many gowns especially a-lines have no defined waist
Natural- Waistline sits between the empire and dropped waistlines.
Asymmetrical Waistline – where it starts either on one side at Empire Waistline and falls to a Natural Waistline on the other side, or starts on one side at a Natural Waistline and falls to the other side down to a Dropped Waistline.

Viels
Blusher: loose veil worn forward over face and, after the ceremony, turned back, over the headpiece; often attached to longer, three-tiered veil
Flyaway: multiple layers that brush the shoulders; usually worn with informal dress
Fingertip: several layers of veiling that touch the fingertips
Ballet-length/Waltz-length: falls to the ankles
Chapel-length: cascades 2 1/3 yards from headpiece
Cathedral-length: cascades at least 3 1/2 yards from headpiece, usually worn with a cathedral train

Technorati Tags: necklines, silhouettes, terms, viels, Wedding Dresses, wedding gowns

Photo credit: Noah Hawthorne Photography

Perhaps one of the most solemn and sentimental wedding speeches is made by the Father of the bride. This is where the father expresses all his feelings toward his loving daughter.

To the Fathers out there: We understand that the day your daughter gets married is a very emotional day (i can already picture my dad bawling during his speech; he’s a very sensitive and emotional). Every moment of her entire life starts flashing in your head and you realized that your daughter has grown up and is about to take one of her biggest step in her life.

Tips: Traditionally, the bride’s father speaks first. Wait until everyone has been seated before you begin to give your speech. Here are some tips that you may want to include in your speech.

1.  Introduce yourself

2. Welcome your guests to the wedding

3. Welcome the groom and his immediate family into your family

4. You may want to mention how good the new couple looks together.

5.  You may say a few words about the ceremony and how nice it was.

6.  Depending on what you feel like, you should share some humorous or heartfelt memories of your daughter growing up.

7. Let your daughter know how much she has grown up, how beautiful she is in the bridal gown – let people know that she’s now a woman, but she’ll also be your little girl – somewhere along those lines.

8. Let everybody know how you became nostalgic hearing the wedding vows.

9. Make her proud by saying how proud you are of her.

10. Give some advice to your daughter and her husband about marriage. You can share some of your own marriage stories as an examples.

11. To conclude your speech – raise your glass and propose a toast to the bride and groom.  Congratulate them once more and wish them a happy life together…or hope they have many happy memories as a married couple.

Technorati Tags: father of the bride speech, speech, wedding

My advice for him was, forget the people who cannot make it. You simply cannot accommodate every single person in our life. As long as you got your close family and friends or at least the majority of them that’s good enough. Besides this is just an engagement party.

As I go through this journey with him, as he finalizes the last few details…telling our friends when the engagement dinner is going to be, I began to get questions from our friends: “are we suppose to pay for the couple?”… “are we suppose to bring gifts?” … and comments such as: “i have no clue what to do, this is my first engagement dinner, just tell me what you need or want me to do.”

It’s not until those questions are brought up when I realized, man there are a lot of people out there who may not know Engagement dinner / party etiquettes! So here I am writing a post answering people’s questions and hope that for the next engagement party they’ll know what to do!

Q: What’s the purpose of an engagement party?

A: To sum it up… it more like the guy pops the question, the girl says “yes”..together they say ” let’s  celebrate!” hence an engagement party. Traditionally, an engagement dinner is where the parents from both side finally meet each other formally.  Now it’s really up to you how you want to host it.

Q: so who host the engagement dinner/ party?

A: Western Culture – the bride’s side; Eastern Culture – the groom’s side. And in some cases the friends or close family hosts the party for the couple. But in all reality, it doesn’t matter. As the years go by, traditions are slowly fading.

Q: Should the guests bring gifts for the couple?

A: Traditionally gifts are not given at an engagement party because this is a party to announce an engagement; the guests predominantly don’t know it is an engagement announcement party.  Besides if gifts were to be given during engagement parties, what are you going to get them on their wedding day?  While traditionally guests have not brought presents to this event, increasing numbers do today. So I suggest you talk amongst your friends and decide whether a gift should be bought or not.. perhaps all friends can chip in on something.

In conclusion,  tradition is a changing. So I advice just play it by ear and see what happens. Just remember to be clear on your intentions and your expectations.

And remember, engagement party doesn’t need to be fancy. I told my friend the same thing. I know how much he wants to make this night memorable and unforgettable for his fiancé, but I reminded him not to over do it – this isn’t the main event (aka the wedding day). So try to create a different mood for the engagement party. There was an engagement party I have attended, the guy proposes to the girl at some place, meanwhile back at the girl’s house all families and friends gathered as we all waited for the newly engaged couples to come back home. So it was a surprise for the bride and the groom did the planning. But we each brought some dessert / finger foods and just congratulated them. It was nice and they were able to celebrate their engagement with close families and friends.

Technorati Tags: engagement, engagement party, etiquette

____ Set your budget, you can’t look for venues unless you know how much you can spend. Also this is the time where you and your fiancé decides how to do the payments. (Who’s going to pay? split evenly? parents pitching in?)

____ Discuss whether you want this wedding to be formal? Casual? Secular? or Religious?

____ Select your wedding date and time. Be sure to have backup dates in mind, in case your first choice is not available.

____ Call the venues and reserve your ceremony and reception sites. Also have backup venues in case the venue you want is booked.

____ Choose and book your wedding officiant.

____ Hire a wedding consultant (optional).

____ Choose your wedding color / theme.

____ Choose who you want to be in your wedding party (bridesmaids, groomsmen, ushers, gift handlers, etc).

____ Start your guest list.

____ Send out “Save the Date” (optional).

____ Meet with florists, wedding cake designers / bakers, and caterers – arrange for a food / cake tasting. Once you got your flowers and caterers – book them & sign contract.

____ Shop for and order your tuxedos, wedding dress, bridesmaid dresses, shoes, and any accessories that you plan on wearing on your big day.

____ Choose and book your wedding photographers / videographers.

____ If you plan on making your own wedding favors, start early! Or if you’re purchasing wedding favors – you can probably buy them 4-6 months before your wedding day.

____ If you need musicians / DJ for your ceremony and/or reception, then start looking and booking them too!

____ If you want an immediate honeymoon, after the wedding day, you better start looking into honeymoon destinations and packages.

____ Book your wedding night accommodation (optional).

This is for the last few months just before your wedding:

____ Start sending out your invitation within 3-4months before your wedding.

____ Come up w/ a list of people whom you want the photographer to take pictures of. What group pictures. This can get really unorganized and delays a lot of time if this isn’t planned out.

____ Meet with your officiant and discuss about the wedding ceremony.

____ Now that you got your dress, think of a hairstyle that will match your dress and your big day. Go have a sample run along w/ make up artists. If you like them, book them.

____ Schedule rehearsal dinners.

____ Marriage license

____ Wedding Rings.

____ Write & print wedding programs

____ Create your slide show.

____ Have your final gown fitting.

____ Contact all your vendors and confirm dates/ times / locations.

____ Guest seating chart for reception

____ Bridal showers / bachelor(ette) parties

Once you have all these items checked..just breathe and relax. Go over one more time that you have everything ready. And when that big day comes…just ENJOY it!

Technorati Tags: wedding, Wedding Checklist

Actually come to think about it, I’m going to break this topic in sections. There are just so many things to talk about to do (optional or must do). So let’s start with…Newly Engaged Couples:

1. Before you do anything or plan anything, celebrate your engagement! Announce it to your friends and family; have a party! Go ahead, jump up and down it’s okay to be excited and thrilled!
2. Some people buy a journal or even start a blog about their journey. This is actually quite helpful because you get to write down all the process of your wedding planning (good and bad moments) – I think this will be a idea because you’ll want to look back and re-live the moments or even share it w/ your friends so they won’t make the same mistakes as you did.
3. Set the wedding date. You’d be surprise how hard it actually is to set a wedding date. Not only do you want a date to accommodate everyone’s schedule, you have to look into the weather / season, and most importantly the venue. So do have a couple of different dates in mind, in case the date you want is not available.
4. Set a budget. Money is probably one of the touchiest subjects. So make sure you have talked this out with your fiancé and see what you two want to agree on.
5. Choose your attendants and select the people for your wedding party. If you don’t know how many people you’re inviting, how are you going to find a location that will accommodate the number of your guests? So get that piece of paper and start listing your family and friends.
6. Meanwhile, start thinking about whether you want a formal or casual wedding. Indoor or outdoor? Secular or religious wedding?
7. Start looking for a venue for ceremony and reception. Many of the popular venues get booked fast – some get booked one year in advanced. Therefore the earlier you book the venue, the more likely you’ll get the location, the date you want it to be, and for a better cost.
8. Bride and Groom’s helpers. If you want your wedding to be successful then it’s okay to ask for help. Two people just simply cannot do it alone to get the wedding executed perfectly. You can hire professional help or if you have trusted friends and family members – use them.

Once you got all that down, you should have a more solid foundation for your wedding. It is now time for the fun stuff: dresses, shoes, tuxes, flowers, food, music, wedding favors, and more! Oh, and don’t forget to keep a checklist; it’s very helpful! Check out our useful checklist right here!

Technorati Tags: engagement, wedding, Wedding Checklist