The Best Time For A Wedding

We all associate June with weddings, but actually, August is the most popular month for weddings, followed by July, June and September.  If you're trying to decide on the big day, there are many things to take into consideration.  Weather is the first thing that comes to mind, but if you're planning a church wedding and your reception venue is indoors, any time of year might work just fine.  Considering less popular months allows brides and grooms who opt for a short engagement to book venues and vendors more easily. 

A Valentine's Day wedding might sound romantic, but getting flowers around February 14 may cost more, due to the high demand of flowers on that day.  The same thing goes for Mother's Day and Christmas.  So it's probably best to schedule your wedding at least two weeks before or two weeks after these holidays.

Another thing to consider when choosing the big day is that weddings can be held on Friday evenings or even Sunday afternoons. Many times, venues and vendors have these times available when Saturday afternoons are booked well in advance. 


Also popular are dates that have interesting numbers (like 1-11-11 or 10-11-12) and if you choose one of those, you should be prepared to book venues and vendors as early as possible.


Choosing a wedding date is something that is unique to every couple.  The reasons could be sentimental, out of necessity, or just because.  At any rate, once you're married, that date will become a holiday every year!

Shopping for a Wedding Gown

When a girl gets engaged, her first thoughts about her wedding are usually about her gown.  It's such fun to try on gowns and find just the right one, but here's a few tips on shopping for a gown:

1.  Make an appointment at a bridal salon.  Usually, weekends are the busiest time, so if you just walk in you may not be able to get a session.
2.  Take just your Mom and maybe one other person.  Too many friends, bridesmaids, sisters, in-laws, cousins or others make it very difficult to choose a gown, because everyone has a different opinion.  It is a special time for mother and daughter, and most likely your mom will give you an honest opinion on what you look like.
3. Consider other colors besides white.  There are many, many shades of white that may flatter your skin tone better than just white.  Ask the bridal consultant at the store; she can usually suggest what might look fabulous on you!
4.  Shop at least six months ahead of your wedding date.  Gowns take time to be ordered, and you'll want to have ample time to have alterations completed before the big day.
5. Take your Dad to the final fitting.  Often, Dad doesn't see his little girl until she's just about ready to walk down the aisle, and this makes it difficult for him to control his emotions.  If he's willing, take him along and let him see you in your gown, veil and all; that way, it won't be such a shock on your wedding day.

If you're looking for some help the day of your wedding, or if you're in need of assistance in any planning, please check out my website at http://www.innobrations.com/! 

Wedding Gowns...old and new!

I recently visited the Cincinnati Art Museum's Exhibition "Wedded Perfection: Two Centuries of Wedding Gowns".  They had gowns on display from the 1800's to the present.  I assumed all the gowns would be behind glass and hard to see, but it wasn't like that at all.  They were on mannequins just like you'd see at a store, and while you couldn't touch them, you could look at them closely.

It was amazing!  I almost felt like I was standing next to a real bride.  The styles changed, the hemlines changed, the fabrics changed, but in looking at the dresses I felt they all had one thing in common: at some point in time, a young woman felt beautiful, anxious, and excited to be wearing that gown on her wedding day, looking foward to her future as a wife and perhaps a mother. 

That doesn't change.  And many traditions that the bride followed one or two hundred years ago still stand...and brides everywhere still make them part of their big day, even if they don't know why!  Below the photo, you can read about what I learned about why brides wear white.

 
United States
Wedding Dress: Bodice, Overskirt, Skirt, and Underskirt, 1869
Cotton  Gift of Milton and Kathryn Graff 2001.105a-d
Tradition of the White Gown
While we assume that bridal gowns have always been white, that is not the case.  Famously, Queen Victoria of Great Britian wore a white gown rather than her coronation robes when she married Prince Albert in 1840, even with her example many gowns were made in color.  Sometimes it was because of cost; it cost a great deal to purchase a dress for use only once. But for the most part, the choice of a color was a personal choice made by the bride, based on choice, availbility of fabric (due to war shortages, local fabrics, etc.) and other factors.  One bride, in the 1920's chose a dark blue trimmed in black dress off the rack.  Because her sister had recently died, she didn't feel like a big white gown was appropriate.  Some gowns were white, some were yellow, blue, brown and other colors.  One was even made entirely of inside-out rubber gloves!

The Exhibition runs through January 30.  If you're around Cincinnati and interested in weddings, I suggest you check it out!
http://www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org/