During the Renaissance period the train made its first appearance. Additionally, it was during this time that the garter first came into play.

By the early 1800’s, waistlines were rising, all the way up to under the breasts. In the 1820’s, corsets accompanied by wide skirts were all the rage.
In 1840, Queen Victoria started a trend that is still with us today: the white wedding gown.
The early 1900’s brought fashions from Paris, France. Lace, jewels, and embroidery dominated this time period.
In the 1920’s and 30’s hemlines began to creep up – from the shoes to below the knees. But by the 1950’s and 60’s things began to die down a bit with more modest gowns taking over. They include full skirts, higher neck lines, and sleeves.
The 1970’s and 80’s gave way to lighter materials, such as polyester and nylon. Along with this, A-line skirts were quite popular.
The 1990’s were all about one thing: less is more. Brides were cutting back on the amount of fabric and showing more skin; all the while staying elegant.
As you can see, the history of the wedding dress runs deep. Things have changed a lot over the past 600 years, and this is sure to be true for the next 600.

About the Author:

This is more like a Nascar Motorsport, but many brides enjoy the experience.

Pear Shaped
Pear shaped body types are known to have a small upper body and a larger lower half.  The best dress for this body type is a dress with a strapless corseted top with an undergarment to make the dress flair out or, find a dress that naturally bells out.

Skinny
The skinny woman typically has little to no hips and a small chest.  There are many wedding dresses that will flatter this type of body.  Take advantage of the wedding styles that most women would love to wear.  Invest in a long, silk flowing gown.  This type of dress hugs curves and creates an elegant, womanly silhouette.  Another great option for the boyish figure is a tighter dress that hugs your curves and bells out towards the very bottom of the dress, creating an hourglass shape.
Inverted Triangle
The inverted triangle body type, or apple shape, typically has wider shoulders and a smaller lower body.  For this body type it’s important to make your shape look balanced, but not big.  It is important to avoid bulky, glossy fabrics.  Opt for a beige dress, in a lighter-weight fabric.  A strapless dress looks great on this body type, accentuating the upper half of the body.  Make sure that the dress does not poof out too much, as it will give the body an overall larger look.  Instead, look for a dress that does not hug your lower body, but flairs out just a tad.  Do not invest in an undergarment to make your dress larger, enjoy the natural flow of your gown.
Hourglass
The hourglass figure is the most coveted, marked by a large chest, small waist, and large hips.  Most dresses work well on this body type; however, you want the dress to look amazing on your figure.  Look for dresses that hug your curves.  The best type of dress hugs your whole body and fishtails out towards the floor (think mermaid).  Lace is in style right now and it’s the perfect thing to accentuate those curves.
It’s important to feel confident on your wedding day.  With these dress tips, you will be able to find a flattering gown that you will feel comfortable and self-assured in.
About the Author: Shirley Tan is the President of AmericanBridal.com.  An acclaimed expert in the industry and a guru of wedding favors, she has been featured on the popular TV show Designing Spaces and in publications like Bridal Guide and InStyle Magazine.  She recently authored The Bridal Handbook, a compilation of her expert tips and advice.

Well don’t trash the dress or drown the dress.  That’s our vote.  But what do you think.  Is this a practice that will continue for many years?

Many of these specialists such as the Bridal Gown Preservation Company provide you with a special box to safely store your dress in. From there, you mail out your precious garment to a facility where they treat your garments with a special preservation elixir that will keep your wedding dress fresh for ages, without that disgusting smell of moth balls.

The bridal gown preservation company has been in business for since 1913, and has been recognized by the International Fabric Institute as having the best fabric preservation formula. So you can rest assured that your dress is in safe hands.

About the Author:
Shirley Tan is the President of AmericanBridal.com.  An acclaimed expert in the industry and a guru of wedding favors, she has been featured on the popular TV show Designing Spaces and in publications like Bridal Guide and InStyle Magazine.  She recently authored The Bridal Handbook, a compilation of her expert tips and advice.

• Be Tasteful: Unless you’re having a down-home, informal wedding, the wedding favor is not the time to share your love for quirky trinkets with your guests.  This is your wedding day, and you have put a lot of effort into creating a magical moment.  Weddings are characteristically elegant and serious occasions, and while you and your guests should have the time of your lives, your favors should mimic that class and tastefulness.

• Complement the Wedding Décor: On a similar vein to using tasteful favors, you also want to make sure these tasteful favors complement your wedding décor.  Granted, something too matchy-matchy can have the reverse effect, but if you complement your décor you can distribute beautiful, elegant favors.  For instance, if your color palate is sage and cream, a favor wrapped in a sage box with a cream ribbon will look lovely.  However, a sage and cream favor wrapped in that box, set on a sage and cream place setting or stand, on top of a sage and cream table cloth might be a little too much, especially if it’s all the same pattern.  If you choose patterned decorations, opt for solid colors and vice versa for complementary decorations that accent the scheme in place.

• Be Mindful of Placement: If you shove your favors in a corner, no one will see them.  Showcase them near the door so guests can grab one as they exit, or you can place them on a tiered stand in the middle of each table as a centerpiece.  If you have a seated reception, you can leave a favor at each seat in the middle of the place setting, or instruct waiters to bring each guest a favor after they serve dessert.  For Christmas weddings, tie favors to a Christmas tree.  You’re only limited by your creativity, but be sure the placement is complementary to the décor and easily accessible to the guests.

• Choose Favors Everyone will Enjoy: Your wedding will have both men and women, so buying that adorable little bejeweled princess tiara picture frame is probably not appropriate.  Save those favors for the bridal shower.  These wedding favors are supposed to send the clear message of your appreciation to your guests, so choose a unisex favor that every person will enjoy.  If you cannot find a unisex favor that pleases you, buy two sets – one for men, one for women.

• DIY vs. Prepackaged: Prepackaged favors are much more easily managed than DIY favors.  You simply remove them from the shipping box and place them in your reception room.  However, the fancy, themed prepackaging can raise prices.  DIY favors are an excellent way to save money and put a personal touch on your favors.  You also have more control on how complementary they are to your wedding décor and to you and your fiancé as a couple.  It’s also fun to plan a DIY party with the bridesmaids.  Once you girls finish wrapping, cutting, and tying, you can have a night on the town with the girls or watch movies and drink champagne.

• ? Form vs. Function: While it may be tempting to choose something for its aesthetic value over its usefulness, consider this: most people have plenty of useless junk lying around their house.  They will not keep the favor because it reminds them of your special day.  It’s nothing personal; it’s just the way it is.  Take yourself out of your white satin bridal shoes and put yourself in their shoes.  If you choose a useful or edible favor, they will hold onto it longer and appreciate it much more.  In addition, they will fondly remember you and your special day every time they use it.

• Personalized Favors?: Is it worth the extra money?  I would say that if you can swing it, absolutely.  In the eyes of your guests, this is not just another useless figurine to place on already-overcrowded shelves.  You have taken the time and effort to give each guest something truly for them, and nothing shows appreciation more than that level of effort.  In addition, it’s often not that much extra effort, because the favor company handles the work.  Unfortunately, the larger the wedding, the less feasible it is to give every individual person a favor specifically personalized for him or her.  This is really an excellent option for smaller weddings or weddings with a large budget.  A personalized favor that works well in larger groups is a useful favor that contains you and your fiancé’s names and the wedding date.  That way they still have that useful favor and a nice memoir of the special day.

A wedding is a compilation of very detailed, and often nitpicky, decisions.  Luckily, with a little guidance, the decisions can get easier.  Wedding favors are a way to insert some personality into your décor, and give a little back to guests.  Have fun with them!

About the Author:
Shirley Tan is the President of AmericanBridal.com.  An acclaimed expert in the industry and a guru of wedding favors, she has been featured on the popular TV show Designing Spaces and in publications like Bridal Guide and InStyle Magazine.  She recently authored The Bridal Handbook, a compilation of her expert tips and advice, which will be hitting shelves February 2009.

Although you may feel like your wedding dress is the most important thing on your list, there are other things that will need a higher percentage than the dress. For example, the reception is going to take up about 36% of your whole wedding budget! Then you have things like the photographer, which will usually take up about 3 or 4% of the wedding budget. You will more than likely have to put about 3% of your wedding budget towards transportation, and another 3% towards music! As you can see, things start to add up quickly. The good news, is that some of the costs are going to be covered by the other side of the family. For example, the rehearsal dinner, usually makes up 8% of the wedding cost. This is a cost that is suppose to be, according to tradition, paid by the groom’s family.

The real thing that you want to know about, however, is the wedding dress. How much money do you get to spend on your wedding dress? Normally, you should allow 10% of the cost of your wedding to go towards the wedding dress. Now, this sounds like a lot, but let’s face it, wedding dresses cost a lot. Some people are actually able to save money on their wedding by getting good deals. For example, buying a wedding dress wholesale could knock down the overall cost of the dress, and thus, free up some money to use on other parts of the wedding. Others have even chosen to buy a used wedding dress. Most wedding dresses are only worn once. So a used wedding dress normally comes off looking brand new.

The wedding dress itself is one of the most expensive things to buy for a wedding. To compare, the tuxedo normally makes up only 1% of the total cost of the wedding. When you put that up against the cost of the wedding dress (the 10%), it is a very small amount! The last thing to remember is the fact that you always have to leave a percentage open for the unknown. No matter how much you plan, you are never going to be able to predict everything that is going to happen. Thus, save about 5% to 7% of your total wedding cost to spend on unknown expenses.

Frenkie Summers is a writer for WeddingDressMarket.com classified site for New and Used Wedding Dresses

If it’s not your wedding, then no, you can not wear white to a wedding. No matter what anyone tries to tell you, white is for the bride, no matter what. Even if she chooses not to wear white, you can not wear white to the wedding. Over the past few years people have seemed to forget this fact.

White is not the only thing that guests should not wear to a wedding. For example, you need to forget about the leather you were thinking about wearing. As funny as this may sound, a wedding is not a bar! It’s not a club either! Leave the leather at home, and do everyone a favor. This goes for men and women. If you are going to wear a tux to the wedding, then you need to stay away from satin and tail tuxes as well. These are way too fancy for most weddings, and they are not at all appropriate to wear. It is best to just stick with the classic or modern cut style tux which you can get at most stores. Yet again, you need to avoid wearing a white tux. The bride wears white, no one else!

Although we should not have to talk about these next two things, we are going to anyway. Do not wear jeans to a wedding. You need to honor the people that are getting married, and you can not do that in jeans; and yes, this goes for your really nice pair as well! Also, do not show boat no matter what you do. This goes for the same reason why you can not wear white to a wedding. Show boating, is for the couple that is to be married. Thus, stay away from things that are way too shiny or glittery. Do not look too flashy. This is not your big day; it is theirs, and you better not forget it. Last, but not least, leave your cowboy boots at home. Unless the bride and groom want and ask for cowboy boots, do not show up in them. We all get it, you are a red neck, but you do not have to try to make their wedding red neck as well!

Weddings are suppose to be fun. However, if you steal the spotlight away from the bride and groom, then you have opened up your own can of worms.

Frenkie Summers is a writer for WeddingDressMarket.com classified site for New and Used Wedding Dresses