Wedding Dresses 101 - To Train Or Not To Train?

If you are planning a wedding ala the late Princess Diana Spencer then a train is definitely part and parcel of your wedding gown. But if your wedding is not as grand or as formal then you might reconsider attaching a train to your gown.

Although it is not a part of the wedding dress, the train nevertheless is part of the decision making when choosing the bridal dress. Aside from personal preferences, the type of your wedding should determine the need for one.

Just like Princess Diana, you can opt for a cathedral length train but make sure you are going to be married in a big church or venue with enough space to allow you the chance to display it properly. If you are having an outdoor venue such as a beach then this would probably be out of place and impractical.

A wedding dress with a train can seem so whimsical and grand but if you prefer comfort than style and pomp then it is best tow walk down the aisle without something that would only hinder you and would restrict your movement.

The length of the train is measured from your waist to the entire length at the back of your gown. Depending on the length of you choose, it can still be an option even for short dresses.

If you want one but do not want to be restricted with a long one then opt for the sweeping or the brush option. This is a short style which merely brushes the floor so you can feel elegant but comfortable at the same time.

If you want to go an extra inch then choose a Chapel length which is more common today. This style extends only about four feet from the bride's waistline so not so much cloth to carry at your back.

For brides who want a longer style but not the Cathedral length, choose the Semi-Cathedral length. This can be an option for a semi-formal wedding.

And finally, the Cathedral length train which can make you feel like a princess straight from the pages of a fairytale book. With more than seven feet of clothing dropping from your waistline, this is indeed a heavy weight. However, you can choose lighter fabric and a removable train so that you can just take it off during the reception.

Find more advice on wedding planning and wedding etiquette. In addition you can get more information on mother of the groom dresses.

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Few Cake Decorating Ideas

By: Ivan Bruno

Every cake worth merit starts with a smooth icing. The cake needs to cool completely before they are iced and decorated. To keep crumbs from ending up in your icing and ruining the look of your cake, start with a thin base coat of frosting that is not quite as stiff as the regular layer will be. Once this coat is on, set the cake in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. This will set the icing and any crumbs will be caught in this first layer. Now you can spread a regular layer of icing without worrying about crumbs.

Did you know that the first cakes baked in America where small loaves of sweet bread? Look how far we have come. Home bakers may not be intimidated by the elaborate cakes being made today. You do not need to be a pastry chef to make beautiful cakes, you just need the know-how and practice. Of course the right tools will go a long way in your cake decorating endeavors. Here are a few ideas you might like to try.

Use an icing spatula to apply and smooth the second coat of icing. Once the icing is on the cake, start smoothing on the sides by running the spatula around the perimeter of the cake. One trick for smoothing the frosting is to dip the metal icing spatula in cold water, this will aid in smoothing the frosting. To smooth the top, dip the spatula in cold water and holding it horizontally over the top of the cake. Start at the point farthest from you, holding the spatula in both hands, skim the top of the icing by bringing the spatula straight toward you.

Simple Designs

Some cake decorators say learning to smooth the icing is the hardest part of cake decorating. Practice will make you a pro in not time. Once you have it down, show it off, even a cake without many decorations that is clean and smooth will make an perfectly elegant offering.

Edible decorations are a beautiful yet simple cake decorating technique. The use of sprinkles, candy, nuts, and coconut pressed into the icing before it sets, will make your cake stand out.

Instead of icing, cake tops can be dusted with powdered sugar. You can choose to use a stencil for a more decorated appearance, or just the powdered sugar for a clean look.

To apply a textured look for your cake decorating, use a small cardboard comb, available in baking supply stores.

Piping is achieved by using a pastry bag fitted with a metal tip that is held on by a coupler. This is your most important tool for cake decorating. You can make lines, words, shells, flowers, and many other designs on the top or sides of the cake. Fill the bag with no more than 1 cup of icing at a time, twist the top of the bag and keep steady pressure when piping the design. Use your other hand to guide the tip. It is wise to find out everything you can about piping before you begin.

Fondant a smooth white paste, is used in complicated cake decorating. Fondant is kneaded and rolled to cover cakes with a sleek smooth layer of icing. It is also used to make designs that are 3-D. It is less tasty than buttercream, but the cake will look sleek and elegant.

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Ready to make a wedding party? Do not forget to choose the right cupcake tiered wedding cake so your guests will remember your perfect wedding at www.weddingcakesreview.com

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Wedding Ideas - How To Cut Costs Without Cutting Back

By: Vicki Churchill

You may have been dreaming about the perfect wedding day for as long as you can remember but have you also been saving the pennies too for such a lavish and special day?

It is tremendously easy to get over ambitious when planning your wedding ideas. It is not uncommon for future brides to utter the words "it does not matter, it is our big day" or "you only get married once." Although this may seem fine at the time, after the event you could be left with huge amounts to pay back as a result of your expensive wedding ideas.

There are many simple ways you can cut costs with out cutting out your favourite wedding ideas.

The first thing to consider is the day of the wedding. You will pay far more for a wedding reception that is held on a Saturday evening than you would for one held during the day or any other day of the week. Having your wedding day and reception on a Friday or week day will reduce your outgoings considerably.

The month the wedding is held is also a key factor in budgeting for the day. Having a winter wedding is much cheaper than a summer wedding and what could be more romantic than winter weddings in the snow. Saving money in this area could free up cash that you can spend on other wedding ideas that you may not have thought you could have initially afforded.

Wedding favors should be included in your wedding ideas. They need not be expensive and would be missed if they were not there. Ask anyone what they remember about a wedding and see how many people mention the favors. However wedding favors can be very expensive especially if the wedding reception is large. Consider making your own to cut down the cost.

We all know the saying 'something borrowed, something blue' why not take advantage of the 'something borrowed' and borrow something that will not only be special but save you money. Ask your best friend or mother if you can 'borrow' their wedding veil or head piece. These items can set you back anything from $40 - $400.

When considering your wedding ideas one of the most important things are the wedding flowers. Nobody expects you to go without such a vital part of any wedding but consider and discuss with your florist what flowers are in season at the time of you plan to marry. Choosing seasonal flowers will be far less costly than picking something out of season or hard to get hold of.

There are so many ways in which you can cut the costs of your wedding ideas without your wedding appearing cheap or tacky. The main thing is not to rush out and order all the things you have ever dreamed of because most likely you can achieve the same if not similar with out spending out as much as you first thought.

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Vicki Churchill is the owner of Wedding Table Ideas , a site that specializes in Wedding Ideas Wedding Decorations, Seating Plans & all your wedding needs.

A Perfect Wedding Needs a Plan

By: Joe Steven

Congratulations! Now is the time that you have been waiting for your entire life, a wedding day. You are so excited. You keep asking yourself what I am going to do in this big day. Do not get panic. Your and your partner will play the lead and make all decisions while others will try to get involved and give you a hand. But overall, it is the two people getting married who decide what is going to happen, when and how.

The big secret for a perfect wedding which will last forever in your memory is just in one word, planning. It is very important that bride and the groom have to make a plan for their wedding at least 6 months in advance. Wedding planning starts with selective the perfect wedding date and ends with arriving at the most romantic honeymoon destination under the budget that you have.

Plenty of tools are available to help you plan your wedding. It is up to you to decide which tool will work best for you and then you have to make sure you use the tool you have selected. Wedding planning tools range in price so before you spend any money, take a step back and think twice about your budget.

Every wedding planning needs to begin with budget. A budget is crucial because it is what will keep you and your partner from going into debt. Wedding costs can easily get out of control because everybody wants their big day to be miracle.

Budget planning for a wedding can start with finding out how much you and your partner can afford to contribute. Once you know how much you can afford, you can then begin to allocate the budget to different parts of the wedding.

The wedding plans all begin with the wedding date. The wedding date you select will have a strong impact on your budget. A wedding during the busy summer months will cost far more than one that is held off-season. Not only will the wedding date impact the price for everything from the function hall, catering, photographer etc. It also impacts availability.

Once the wedding budget and wedding date have been scheduled, it is time to get busy.Take a deep breath, sit back and relax, we are going to continue a wedding planning in the next time. Do not worry. You, too, can have a perfect wedding that everyone will talk about.

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Joe Steven works as a freelance wedding coordinator. He believes that every couple deserves a perfect wedding.Find out how you can have a perfect wedding that everyone will talk about at www.myperfectweddingplanning.com

Unique Wedding Centerpiece Ideas

By: Jeanette Shinn

There are many unique wedding centerpiece ideas to help develop nearly any theme or decor choice. Yet how often do we see the same old centerpiece ideas being recycled in wedding after wedding. It is not necessary and it certainly does not help in creating a memorable event for one of the biggest days in a young couple's life. Most probably this is because there are so many details that go into planning a wedding that by the time the bride gets to planning the centerpieces for her reception she simply does not have the time or energy to waste seeking something fresh.

Yet a fresh and unique wedding centerpiece can be just the thing to make the decor of a reception click.

Glass Rock Gardens: Choose a glass bowl of any dimension or shape that fits the reception tables, fill it roughly one third full with decorative rocks, add a small quantity of water, then plant a wide assortment of succulents (from your local nursery) for a striking attraction that will not be just like every other wedding reception centerpiece you have ever seen.

Mini Lanterns: Evocative of the romantic days of the horse and buggy, these chic lanterns add style and character to a wedding reception table without interfering with the guests' ability to see one another. Tie in with the theme by arriving and / or leaving the reception in a horse drawn carriage and give mini lantern favors to help them remember the romance of the day.

Breakaway Centerpieces: Position a proportionally sized mirror in the center of the table and place the wedding favors that table in an eye pleasing arrangement on the mirror. With a little practice this can be very tasteful. It also has the added benefit of making a brides budget stretch by taking care of both her centerpiece and your favors with the same money!

Wedding Cake: This is especially useful if the couple opts to use some other element as the focal point of the reception, something such as the ice sculpture, or a string quartet, or the grand piano with the professional jazz pianist at the keyboard, anything... Have the pastry chef create a small cake designed to fit the theme of the wedding for the center of each table and place instruction cards asking that the cake not be cut until the formal cake cutting ceremony.

Floating Citrus Candles: For colorful variations on the floating candle theme have someone halve a variety of citrus fruits just in time to insert candles and float them in bowls of water on the reception tables. The look is as refreshing as a burst of fresh citrus right off the tree. But practice a few times. It looks simple, and it is, but trial and error while the guests are waiting to be admitted is not the preferred method.

Balloon Artwork: We are not talking about the balloon animals the clowns make at kiddy parties. A true artist can work wonders with balloons that will look spectacular and elegant.

The best advice is to play with multiple wedding centerpiece ideas and see what works. Consider edible centerpieces. There is no such thing as right or wrong, only what display best achieves the desired look within the framework of budget and resources.

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Jeanette Shinn is a wedding professional with over a dozen years experience making dreams come alive. Find tips and accessories from unique wedding invitation options to cystal suncatcher wedding favors at www.ExcitingWeddingFavors.com.

Tips for the Trousseau

By: Jimmy Cox

Probably there are few other words in the language which awaken such delighted response in feminine hearts as "trousseau". It announces, first of all, that a young woman is preparing for marriage. It implies that she will have the loveliest underthings as well as outer costumes that she has ever had and that she can possibly afford.

It means, too, that she will have the joy of shopping, not only for herself but for her new home - and everyone knows what shopping means to a woman! While in an older age the bride's dowry was the most important aspect of her preparation for her new life, in our modern life the trousseau has largely supplanted the dowry.

Clothing, exclusive of bridal attire, which should be included in a trousseau:
Fur coat (optional) or a little fur jacket, stole, skins, etc.
Cloth coat - dressy
Cloth coat - sports
Raincoat and umbrella
Going-away suit - traditionally any color except black; it can be tailored or dressy
Daytime suit - dressmaker type, tailored or sports 4 to 6 blouses - tailored or soft and feminine, or sport, depending upon the type of suits
1 or 2 sweater sets
Good skirt or more everyday skirts (many girls like to wear them around the house instead of house dresses)
4 to 6 aprons
1 black cocktail dress for hotel dinner-dancing on honeymoon
1 daytime dress for luncheons and sightseeing
1 pair of slacks
Swim suits or ski clothes as needed
1 short evening dress or more if the honeymoon plans include many evening parties, such as shipboard cruise
1 formal evening dress if your plans provide an occasion for it

Shoes to match costumes: in addition -
1 pair white mules for bridal negligee and nightie
1 pair mules to match tailored robes
Dozen pairs of stockings - colors to harmonize with costumes (but remember the economy of buying several pairs of one color to match, as runs occur!)
Pairs of evening stockings
Walking shoes or loafers, depending upon plans
Swim shoes if, for instance, you are planning a seashore honeymoon

Gloves, hats and bags according to taste and needs of honeymoon
Jewelry
Jewel case
Cosmetics
1 dozen white linen handkerchiefs
3 or 4 scarves, including 1 filmy evening scarf
1 evening wrap for summer
1 evening coat (if your wardrobe does not include a fur coat or jacket; or in addition to, if the budget permits)

General points a bride should keep in mind concerning her trousseau clothes:
Unity of color: if she selects one basic color such as navy, grey or brown, she will find that her clothes can be worn together with harmony and that the same accessories will augment more than one costume. Simplicity of design will lend itself to more versatility and adaptability than over-elaborate or fussy clothes, and may be worn for more occasions.

The best quality will in the end be the most economical because of longer wear. Also the best quality clothes are usually cut so well that they retain style long beyond less expensive selections. If the budget will not permit the best quality in all clothes, cut down elsewhere but buy the very best coats and suits you can possibly afford.

Buy attractive, gay accessories - hats, gloves, jewelry, scarves, belts. These will change the appearance of your basic suits and dresses and create the effect that your wardrobe includes many more costumes than it actually does.

Further to give your wardrobe versatility and variety, use mix and match separates. Select styles that not only are suitable for your height, weight and proportions, and colors that complement your own coloring, but are those in which you feel happy and comfortable.

If you feel best in tweeds and knitted suits and dresses, stress these in your wardrobe, providing other clothes only for those occasions demanding them. If you prefer softer, more feminine fashions, have more dresses and fewer suits. In any event, and above all, keep the informal sports items such as slacks, pedal pushers, jeans and shorts in their place - active sports, lounging, housework or outdoor work.

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Wedding Ceremony Choices Abound

By: MIKE SELVON

Nowadays, when a couple is ready to make a decision about which style of wedding ceremony they would like to have, they are faced with endless options. For many couples, they are moving away from formal religious ceremonies and are seeking out other ways to exchange their vows. However, the standard wedding ceremony program still remains very traditional.

In stepping away from tradition and opting for a non-religious ceremony, some couples are asking a friend or a family member to perform the ritual. However, an important part of the role for the person who officiates, is to provide guidance in preparing and crafting the wedding vows, as well as for the overall ceremony.

Should the bride and groom decide to simply take on the task of planning their wedding ceremony on their own, there are many considerations. In order to have a well-planned ceremony, there are certain elements that should not be overlooked, but which can be customized to reflect the couple's personality.

Some of these critical wedding ceremony components to consider are:

1) The processional for the entrance of the bride, the groom and other members of the party, if desired;
2) The music, poetry, literature or other marriage readings, including those from the Bible, as desired; 3) The witnesses who you wish to sign your marriage certificate;
4) The wedding vows, whether standard or custom written by the couple;
5) The exchanging of the rings;
6) The lighting of a unity candle of other type of unity ceremony;
7) Any type of blessing or benediction on the marriage; 8) Any community or familiar commitment to support and uphold the union;
9) The newlyweds' first kiss and the recessional during the exit of the bride and groom.

Another important aspect of planning the marriage ceremony is in choosing the special event location. This is not only proper for the solemnity of the occasion but it will also inspire the couple and reflect their personality. For those couples who wish to have their nuptial ceremony at the place where they, or their family worship, then their perfect location is already a given.

For others seeking a less traditional venue for the exchange of their vows, the choice can sometimes be quite a challenge as there are so many marriage locations and receptions sites to choose from. More and more often, many of the best reception sites also feature superb settings for hosting the marriage ceremony as well. This offers a very convenient option which simplifies the day for the bride and groom and guests alike.

While finalizing the plans for your wedding ceremony, be sure that you feel comfortable with the choices made since they will become lasting memories. Often, well-meaning friends or family members try to influence the couple, but the final decision should always align with the ultimate desires of the couple as it is a day of celebration in their honor.

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How Do You Choose Your Honeymoon Destination?

By: Jerry Leung

Your honeymoon is undoubtedly one of the most exciting events you are planning for your wedding. The honeymoon is virtually the first time both of you and your spouse travel together as a married couple. As a result it should be as important as your wedding ceremony and reception. Although most of us will agree with the notion that honeymoon is extremely essential, you may find it hard to decide on the destination. In fact, you can make your decision based on your budget, preferences of activities during the honeymoon and the time you are going.

Your budget

Without any surprise the budget will be the most essential consideration for the honeymoon destination. If you have a tight budget, you may not be able to take a luxury cruise to the Antarctica. In this case you may need to go to somewhere which is closer to where you live. Of course there can be a trade-off between your budget and the degree of luxury. You may choose to have a less luxury trip so that you can still afford to travel to your dreamed destination.

When you have settled your budget, you can develop a list of destinations that you can choose from. Of course you should only list the destinations that you can select within your budget.

Preference of activities

You will also need to think about what you would like to do during your honeymoon. If you would like to see or experience cultures of other countries, you may consider going to places like China or India. There is no doubt that the cultural elements in these countries will be very rich. Mexico can also be a good choice. You may see the Maya culture in Mexico.

On the contrary, you may not want to be too busy during your honeymoon. You may want to be relaxed in such a memorable moment. In this case you can consider places such as Bali. You may enjoy the time with your spouse on the beach under the lovely sunshine.

The time you are having your honeymoon

The time or season you are having your honeymoon may also affect your choice of destination. If you are planning to go skiing in Switzerland, you will probably go in the winter there. From this you will know that the time and season will affect what you can do during your honeymoon. Of course there will be less consideration about the season if you are going to places near the equator.

Besides the activities you are going to have, the season will also affect how much you will spend. If you are having your honeymoon during the Christmas period, the air tickets, hotels and all other items will be more expensive since it is the peak season for travel. As a result, you will need to go back to your budget to see if you can afford the increased prices. You may want to postpone your honeymoon in order to get cheaper prices, although it may not be an excellent idea.

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