Making Your Dream a Reality

A fantasy wedding can be a thrill for any couple, but less thrilling is the massive planning and expense such a wedding can require. Once you know the type of location that would fulfill your dreams, it is time to consider more down-to-earth matters, including:

Time: An elaborate, exotic wedding or one that takes place far away may take much longer to plan than anticipated. When you know where your dream location is, you can contact appropriate vendors and inquire about how long it will take to plan a wedding at that location.

Popularity: The more popular a wedding location is, the more planning time will be required to ensure you can create your ideal celebration. Furthermore, you should also consider that if a location is very popular, you may be sharing your same wedding date or weekend with other couples, which could make the event less special and more chaotic to coordinate.

Cost: The tower of a Scottish castle overlooking a pristine loch may be a wonderful wedding location, but it can also be far outside the budget of many couples. If a dream wedding location is more than your budget can handle, you may want to consider eloping instead of having a full wedding, or you may want to plan for a more affordable yet similar location.

Practicality: Some dream locations simply aren't available for public celebrations or they may be inaccessible for the couple to use. An isolated beach may be perfect for a private ceremony, for example, but if it requires a three mile hike through rough jungle then many wedding guests may be left out of the celebration.

The key to making your dream location a reality is to carefully balance your fantasy festivities with the practical concerns of planning a wedding. Keep an open mind as you consider alternatives for your nuptials, and you may find that your dream location is closer than you think.

Colored Wedding Dresses

The latest hot trend in wedding dress fashion is to break from tradition and go for a gown with color. Vera Wang has really made this trend what it is, and other wedding dress designers are taking notice. If you are a daring bride or super contemporary bride, this is a perfect look for you. The colors started off in pastels and have evolved immensely in the last year. So, what color should you choose? Below is a list of popular wedding dress colors...

Pink: Designers like Monique Lhuillier have made pink a go-to wedding gown color for many brides. Because you can get it in so many shades, such as very light pink, blush pink, bubble gum pink, and bright pink, any bride can sport a pink wedding gown. Romantic brides may go for lighter shades, and more nontraditional brides could go with a bright pink.

Nude: Vera Wang has brought the nude wedding dress to the forefront of bridal fashion. She started by adding a few nude color gowns, and now, her 2012 Fall Collection is dominated by the color. This is a safe way to break from tradition, as nudes can also be very light. However, if a bride wants more of a statement, dark nudes are beautiful as well.

Blue: Blue wedding dresses have really become popular in the past year. Many different designers carry shades of blue. However, they are more likely to be baby blues or light blues. This look is perfect for the fairytale bride, as it reminds one of Cinderella. Blue ball gowns tend to be the most popular when trying to achieve this look.

Red: With different religions, cultures, and traditions, there has been a real demand for red wedding dresses. Or, a red dress could just be for the bride who wants to stand out from the norm. Designers such as Pnina Tornai are known for their red designs. Also, many gowns that come in white can also be dyed any shade of red the bride wants, depending upon the occasion.

Black: Another Vera signature look is the black designer wedding gown. She started by adding black accents like bows, black lace and black bridal gloves. Now, you can find all black wedding dresses from many designers. This color is typically worn by the modern bride and is a great choice for a black and white themed wedding. Also, with Halloween becoming such a popular time to get married, black wedding dresses have risen in popularity.

7 Must-Read Tips For Choosing Your Ideal Wedding Dress

Shopping for wedding dresses? It can often seem like a mine-field. Are you choosing the right colour? Is it going to arrive on time? What should you spend? Here we'll give you answers to some of these questions and much more, with 7 great tips that will help you choose a fantastic wedding dress:

Style - Do you know which style you would like? It's important to do the research before you start shopping, as it will help you find your wedding gowns sooner and with less stress! You should be checking some of the common wedding and bridal magazines and the internet. The more images of different styles that you see, the better idea you will have of what you want. This will also minimise the chance of pushy sales-people pushing you to buy a dress you're not totally in love with.

Give The Tailor Time - If you aren't buying a wedding dress of the peg (which is quite likely), then it will take time to alter and tailor it to your size. Therefore, with wedding date in mind, you should order your dress in good time for it to be ready and also have a buffer just in case nay further alterations need to be made before the big day!

Enjoy The Hunt - Buying wedding dresses can't be rushed, especially if you're looking for something that makes jaws drop! Why not get the girls involved and have a couple of dress-shopping excursions, or browse online at home with a

couple of glasses of wine?

Don't Overspend If Money Is Tight - It's true that this dress will be one of the focal points of your wedding, but there's no need to rush to an expensive boutique and part with thousands of dollars just because it seems to be the done thing. You will find many beautiful and good value dresses online these days, so it may be worth spending that little bit less on the dress and sinking the savings into a fantastic honeymoon.

Have A Budget - In order to keep control and not have your wedding's costs spiral out of control you should keep a budget for everything, including the dress. If you are choosing a dress way out of your price-range then you will be disappointed, but if you already have a line drawn in the sand when it comes to cost then it will be easier to narrow down your options.

Celebrity Wedding Gowns Can Be Yours - Not a millionaire yet? Don't worry! If you search online you can very quickly find great replicas of famous celebrities' dresses. Kate Middleton's dress? It can be yours already! Check today.

Colour Me In - Choosing the right colour is crucial, but there are many factors to consider. Your complexion must fit with the colour you choose and you can generally say that the darker your complexion the darker colour you could choose. White will work for everyone! If you have themed wedding it goes without saying that the colour should fit the theme. It could also be nice to have a dress whose colour fits with the season you're marrying in, for example, a yellow, gold or orange dress for Autumn.

In general you can get answers for almost any wedding related question online, from friends or your tailor, but it's so important not to get bogged down with worrying about the details. Take your time and...enjoy finding your wedding dress. After all, your big day only happens once and so we should relish it and its preparations!

Limo Importance for Wedding

Your wedding day comes only one time in your lifetime. You want it to be special. You want all the details to be perfect. From the dress, tux, cake, decorations, rings, all the way down to the transportation. Transportation can make or break your day. Don't arrive to your wedding in just any vehicle. Arrive in a luxurious limousine and get the royal treatment.

Limo service is not as expensive as it was once perceived and most limo service companies offer a wide variety of vehicles to choose from. You can choose from a Lincoln town car to a classic car limousine to a stretch hummer. Often times the colors of a limo are white or black. You will have the option to choose which color, but don't expect to rent a pink limousine for your wedding. It should also be suggested that you use a limo service to take you to the airport for your honeymoon after the wedding ceremony. Taking a limo service to the airport offers ease of mind. You don't have to worry about loading the luggage or making sure you have enough time to park your car before your flight. You may even elect to have the same limousine service pick you up at the airport after your honeymoon.

Keep in mind, there are a lot of limousine companies that offer services for your wedding. It can be a bit overwhelming to pick the right one for your wedding. Make sure that which ever limo service you are considering, provides you with references, understands your needs for your wedding, and has a professionally trained, experienced, uniformed driver. A uniformed driver will add that special touch to your wedding. Check to see if the limo service offers a package for your wedding and honeymoon drop off and pick up.

As with any other wedding service, you need to make a reservation to reserve the limo for your wedding. You may need to do this up to 3 months in advance. Some limousine services may require a deposit to be put down - you will need to check on if it is refundable or not. When reserving your limo, it would be a good idea to provide a detailed schedule for your wedding. This will avoid you being late to your wedding. Make sure to have enough time in between traveling to account for any mishaps with your wedding gown or someone being late to having an accident. Not all weddings are stress free. Finding the right limousine service beforehand will be one less thing you need to stress about on your wedding day.

Wedding Colors for 2012

Fashion needs to be considered, rather than followed slavishly, and there is plenty of room within 2012's wedding trends to find something that is both in fashion and uniquely you. Your photographs will be on display for many years, as a result brides often choose timeless designs for their dress, and follow fashion in the colors and designs of their flowers.

Spring Wedding Colors for 2012
One of the most striking of this years color palettes is 'Vineyard',a mixture of olive green, blue, lilac and purple. Perfect for spring, 'vineyard' style flowers are extremely romantic and highly fragrant, imagine a bouquets of lilacs in their own spring green foliage, or blue and lilac hyacinths with bear grass and pepper berries. Delicate lilac freesias will also provide the right color and scent, or choose a simple bouquet of white lilac, green foliage and trim with purple ribbon. Bridesmaids in lilac dresses with green sashes could complete the picture.

Wedding Colors for Summer 2012
If you're planning a high summer wedding, the most stunning of this years color palettes is Midnight Sun; a rich mixture of sunshine and shadow in the form of yellow, gold and black. The perfect flower has to be the sunflower, but if you prefer something smaller, yellow gerbera daisies would provide a very modern look, while trailing yellow oncidium orchids add an exotic, opulent feel to any bouquet. Other excellent color choices include billy balls, yellow iris, or for the classic bride, yellow scented roses. Most florists roses have little scent, but you can still buy the 'old fashioned' kind, with their stunning natural perfume, from David Austen Roses.

2012 Fall Wedding Colors
The perfect palette for autumn/fall has to contain red and orange, but there's no reason to stop there. 'Escape' is the ideal 2012 palette for this season, orange, brick red and turquoise with neutral accents. Like many fall themes this is ideal for the extrovert, deliciously colored dinner plate dahlias can be found in the perfect color combination, or if you plan a destination wedding, tropicals like orchids. Exuberant parrot tulips, dark red freesias and roses would be also be an excellent choice.

Winter Color Trends for 2012
For the winter bride, 'Neo Pop' is a color palette with a difference. Explore midnight blue, indigo and violet and add orange and brick accents. Deep blue velvet dresses with bouquets of wild parrot tulips and orange gloriosa lilies will pay tribute to the season or why not create a something truly original, white dresses for bride and bridesmaid teamed with bouquets of all shades, brilliant blue cornflowers, brick colored roses and violet orchids would be simply stunning.

Whatever your personal style, there's an on trend color palette which will help you realise the wedding of your dreams. All you have to do is find it.

Peacock Wedding Theme

The peacock wedding theme is a theme that a lot of couples would like to have for their own wedding, but are not sure if they can pull it off. Peacocks are exquisite creatures, their feathers displaying the most beautiful combination of colors. Having a peacock wedding theme means using a lot of teals, blues, greens, purples and violets. Adding a bit of gold or bronze makes the palette even more stunning. It is sure to be a visual delight for all of your wedding guests.

When most people think of peacocks, the word extravagance comes to mind. You want to make sure that the overall look and feel of your wedding matches whatever it is the peacock embodies. Using a bunch of vivid colors to an extreme can make your wedding appear tacky instead of classy. Therefore it is extremely important that you add just the right amount of color and use decorations that convey a sense of elegance.

There are so many wonderful things you can do with a peacock wedding theme. Let's start with the wedding invitations. Let everyone know what theme to expect for your wedding by printing the image of a peacock on your invitations. You can also choose to be a little more subtle by simply using peacock colors or attaching a faux peacock feather.

The bride does not necessarily have to walk down the aisle in a majestic teal, green and purple gown to make this theme come alive. She can always wear the traditional white wedding gown with fun and flirty embellishments or add an occasional pop of color using jewelry or other accessories. A feathered corset or ball gown would be fitting for this occasion. The bridesmaids dresses on the other hand can be as creative as you want it to be. Imagine short flowing dresses with tie-dyed hues of blue, green and purple or have each bridesmaid wear a different color variation of the same dress.

Flowers are another great way to enhance the mood of the peacock wedding theme. You need to pick out flowers in the richest most vibrant hues of blue and purple. The stem and leaves already adds a splash of green to the floral arrangement. Try using some lobelias, bachelor buttons, bluebells, lavender or violas in your bridal bouquet or table centerpiece.

With a peacock theme, even the wedding cake can turn into a piece of art. If you are willing to spend top dollar to have the most magnificent wedding cake, you can hire someone to try and recreate a peacock. Otherwise have some peacock feathers intricately decorated along the top and sides of the cake. Adding some gold or bronze trim along the edges will make the cake look even more exquisite. With so many beautiful colors to work with, you should be able to come up with endless ideas for the decor and wedding favors. A peacock theme is anything but dull, think of some fun ideas to use and just wait to mesmerize your guests.

Modern Red Wedding Theme Ideas

Red in conjunction with other colors can make a really great modern wedding theme. When choosing the complimentary colors, starker colors work best. For instance, vermilion and black, maroon and forest green, scarlet and cream. Combining colors that give a dramatic effect can really turn some heads.

After considering reception and ceremony decor, tasting cakes, choosing bridesmaid dresses, shoes, jewelry, flowers and bouquets, it may seem overwhelming to choose a wedding dress. The wedding dress is the central part of a wedding. Choosing a dress after choosing the color schemes, may not be the best option, unless you will go with a traditional white or ivory gown.

There are many benefits to choosing the dress first, one of which is that it's much easier to choose the base wedding colors, and therefore narrow down design selections. Another bonus is you never have to narrow down gown choices. If, for instance, you choose a red and white theme, you generally would search for a red or white wedding gown (or a red and white gown). However, if you find the most magnificent black gown, it won't fit in very well with a red and white theme. In this case, it might be better to switch themes to black and white or red black and white. And red black and white are perfect for a 'modern' themed wedding.

Modern themes generally have sleek and classic designs. Invitations, dresses and decorations have sharp, embellishment-free, designs. A red wedding invitation, for instance, would have classic plain black writing with a white matte backer. A delicate black ribbon would surround the envelope and invitation. These heavy contrasting colors, with simple designs, are the hallmark of a modern theme.

5 Modern First Dance Songs for Any Wedding

Your wedding is the biggest, happiest day of your life. You meticulously plan everything from the dress to the flowers. But there is one vital part to any ceremony that can sometimes be forgotten. The first dance is a tender, loving moment between the happy couple. So it's important you choose the perfect song. If you're looking for a modern take on the first dance, here are five of the best wedding song ideas:

Marry You - Bruno Mars
The name says it all. This 2011 hit is a quirky, up-beat song in Bruno Mars' traditional soul and mow-town infused style. The song is the story of a spontaneous marriage and is a great alternative to the traditional slow dance.
This catchy song is sure to get everyone up dancing and will get your reception started with a bang. If you, or your groom, have two left feet, this is a great song choice. It doesn't require a complicated routine and is perfect to sway along to.

Your Song - Ellie Goulding
The Elton John cover was a huge hit for BRIT award winner Ellie Goulding in 2010. The original version of this love song has long since been a popular first dance song for many couples. If you're looking for a more modern take on the classic song, this would be it. The timeless song is one everyone will know and enjoy. As newlyweds, you'll be able to identify with the meaning behind the lyrics.

She's The One - Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams' power ballads have long since been a great first dance song. She's The One is perfect for weddings as eery couple will be able to identify with the beautiful lyrics. Again, it is a song many people will know and is a great way to get your reception started. If you don't want the limelight during the first dance, encourage other couples to dance along.

Use Somebody - Kings of Leon
If you're looking for a unique and exciting first dance song, this rock ballad may be just perfect. The sentiment behind the lyrics is perfect for a wedding with a modern twist. The bands single Sex on Fire is also a popular track with young couples.

Iris - Goo Goo Dolls
Release in 1997, Iris is the biggest selling single for the alternative rock band. Since its release, the song has proved increasingly popular with couples searching for that 'something different'. The ballad is also a great choice for couples who don't want a complicated routine.

Hot Elements In Wedding Wear Designs

a)Ruched design
Ruched design is a hot fashion element of bridal dresses. Exquisite ruffles collocating with lotus-leaf-like layers enable the wedding dresses give people endless imagination and fantasy. Wedding gowns with ruffles are one of the best sellers on-line.

b) Embroidery craft
The fashion rule - "simple but not so much" - in western fashion world is also reflected in wedding dress designs. Traditional embroidery is still the focus of buyers. The details showing simplicity of embroidery lie in the small but critical areas of embroidery decoration, such as the chest, waist, or shoulders.

c) Wedding gowns of plus sizes
"Plus size" is the hot search term just next to "wedding dress", from which you can imagine how much the requirement of plus size wedding dresses is. Don't hold the misconception that women of big sizes can not have beautiful wedding dresses. Nowadays lots of women are over-weighted, especially in western countries. It's a phenomena noticed by wedding dress designers also. So you can easily find gorgeous bridal dresses of plus sizes no matter on the Internet or in shops.

Traditional Wedding & Modern Wedding

Not so long ago, the word 'wedding' would conjure up images of a bride in white with a dress in a heavy fabric with elaborate decoration and a flowing train held by similarly dressed bridesmaids. She would be holding a bouquet of flowers, wearing a tiara and a veil. The groom would wear a morning coat with a top hat. This is the traditional wedding, still seen, still popular. In the 21st century, however, there are many alternatives to this vision in terms of style.

Today's brides have a choice. The modern wedding has arrived and is well established. Whereas in the past the non-traditional wedding was confined to a secular ceremony outside a place of worship, now all styles of dress can be seen inside the church or temple as well as at civil weddings.

Let's look at some ideas that you may want to consider for your upcoming wedding. The first and most obvious change to white is to wear colour. By using colour this gives you enormous scope for styling and theming the whole wedding day from flowers to table cloths and, of course, all your accessories. Having a color on the wedding dress more emphasise the theme of your wedding.

The next consideration is likely to be the style of dress or even considering a suit. Lengths of wedding dresses and bridal wear are changing.

Today's bride has an almost bewildering set of choices. There is a definite shift toward higher hemlines below or even above the knee. Traditional wedding dresses use a lot of material, are often heavy with copious amounts of sateen or tulle with the bride disappearing beneath mountains of material: think Princess Diana. Modern styles are now more fitted and sexy but also stylish and simple. These can often be strapless, halter necks or spaghetti straps. Material is a fun part of choosing a wedding gown. For example, you can now find dresses made from taffeta, chiffon, organza and silk and many other modern fabrics which are lighter to wear but still stylish.

The traditional heavy materials such as sateen and tulle are still available, but today you can be conservative and modern. Modern wedding gowns can still look back to the traditional but with a huge variety of styles which provide a modern look whilst maintaining a traditional feel.

The choice is yours and there is a huge variety of dresses and styles for you to have the WOW wedding dress.

Wedding Accessories for The Bride

Look stunning on your wedding day with the right wedding accessories. If you have no idea on how and where to start your search for the perfect accessories, read some of these useful tips below:

Bridesmaids
What color would you like your bridesmaid dress to be? Usually, the color that your bridesmaids would be wearing is the main color of your wedding. Ask you Maid of Honor for suggestions and take her with you as you search for the right styles, colors and cuts for your bridesmaids.

Dress Neckline
The best item to complement a wedding dress is by wearing the right jewelry. So how do you know which jewelry would look great with your dress? Well, take your dress neckline into consideration. If you have an off-the-shoulder dress, you can go bare on the neck and wear sparkly earrings or a simple pair of earrings and a stunning necklace. If you are wearing a halter neckline, do away with the necklace and wear a pair of beautiful earrings instead.

Pearls and Diamonds
Pearls are classic and elegant pieces that could complement any look. Even a pair of pearl earrings can amplify a relatively simple look. More so, with wedding dresses. The whiteness of pearls and your wedding dress creates a beautiful visual harmony that looks very pleasing to the eye. Another classic jewelry is diamonds. A diamond's brilliance can definitely make you look more elegant. You can also wear pieces that are a combination of pearls and diamonds. When combined in a wonderful pattern, pearls and diamonds create a beautiful vision.

Hair Accessories
If you are planning an updo hairstyle, you might want to tuck a comb into your hair. Choose a comb that has a nice, classic design that is embellished by small gems, bead or pearls.

Feathery Veil
Fond of feathers? Incorporate elegant feathers to your hair accessories. Consider wearing a veil that's flanked with a feather trim for your headpiece. This will not only look majestic in person but also in your wedding photos.

Less is More
Remember that you do not have to wear a lot of wedding accessories. You want people to focus on your dress, and most especially your beautiful, happy face.

If you already have a dress that is fully embellished with sparkly beadwork, make sure that you choose jewelry that is subtle. Keep the accessories to a minimum so as not to overcomplicate your look.