Remember, your dress should be a reflection of who you

Coordinating A Wedding Veil With Your Wedding Dress

As every bride knows, choosing the right wedding dress can go a long way towards making a wedding day even more memorable. However, finding the right wedding dress is just the beginning of this important process. For many brides, the perfect wedding veil completes the look.

It is especially important to coordinate both the dress and the veil. The veil should always complement the dress, rather than steal attention from it. Your choice of a veil may also be influenced by other factors such as your overall build, the style and length of your dress, as well as the overall look you are trying to create. Even the style of your hair can influence the size and style of veil that works best.

When coordinating a wedding veil with a dress, it does not always have to be the same color, although there are some guidelines that should be followed. If your wedding dress is white or ivory, your veil should be the same color; for example a diamond white veil will match a silk or an antique wedding dress. And if you are wearing a dark ivory colored wedding dress, a champagne colored veil will complement it well. In general, to achieve the best effect, if your dress and veil are of different shades, the veil should always be at least a shade or two lighter than the dress.

Even though there are three basic lengths of wedding veils, make sure that you choose the length that best coordinates with your gown. An elbow length veil is about 30 inches long and will look good with most gowns; it will also help draw attention to any detail at the waist of the gown. A fingertip length veil is about 36 inches long and goes best with a full length gown without a train. And a cathedral length veil, which extends up to 4 feet beyond the edge of the dress, is the most formal type of veil ?perfect for an elegant and ceremonial look.

The length of your wedding gown is also an important consideration when trying to successfully coordinate the dress and the veil. Traditionally, the bride veil should not be any longer than the wedding dress and ideally, it should be quite a bit shorter ?the only exception to this rule is if you are wearing a dress with a train. Elbow length veils or fingertip veils are both considered to be safe and acceptable choices if you are wearing a floor length wedding dress. A petite bride should not wear a veil that will only make her look smaller, white a line dress such as a high bouffant veil.

Although a veil should complement a wedding dress and not clash with it, there are some occasions when it is acceptable to break the rules a bit. If your wedding gown is simple and understated, it can create a striking effect by having a lavishly decorated veil. You should try to avoid a look that clashes too much ?a romantic style wedding dress that is decorated with lots of small pearls would not go well together with a wedding veil that is decorated with sequins, for example. Some brides choose to add a touch of color to their veil ?perhaps some colored embroidery ?to complement the colors in the bouquet, or the colors of the bridesmaids.

Just as a wedding dress can be altered, a veil can be altered too. In most cases, a wedding veil is altered in order to make sure that the dress and veil coordinate well. If you are wearing the veil that your mother wore when she walked down the aisle and are concerned that it is just a little old-fashioned, don be too alarmed ?it is easy enough to have it professionally altered. The length, trim and shade of the veil can all be easily and inexpensively altered to make sure that everything is just the right match and has the desired effect. You also might want to try on several veils, to ensure that everything matches.

Birdcage veils, so-called because of the mesh that covers the top part of the head, are fashionable at the moment and will match just about any style of dress. Some birdcage veils have a rather elegant and old-fashioned look to them and coordinate particularly well with a vintage or older style dress. These veils also have either a French net, which has more of a soft elegant look to it; or a Russian net which has a scalloped edge and is a little bit more modern and trendy.

Choosing the right veil is almost as important as choosing the right wedding dress. Take the time to make sure your veil and dress match ?it will help to make your special day that much more memorable.

Beach Wedding Dresses Don't Have To Be Plain Or Boring

Many couples are considering alternatives to the usual church wedding and for some, this means marrying on a beach. Beach weddings are intimate and highly romantic, but they also offer other wonderful perks which many people are a little surprised to discover.

One of the joys of a beach wedding is that everything gets to be scaled down to a more serene and unique level. With the beautiful scenery as background, you can spend more time working on the vows that you will be saying to each other. You can also spend more time choosing the wedding outfits, and for the bride that means finding her beach wedding dress! Whether you are marrying on distant shores or having a more casual affair at your local beach, choosing the perfect dress is every bit as important and deserves all the attention and consideration you can give it.

One of the best parts of a beach wedding is that no aspect need be expensive. As a matter of fact, when choosing your dress, the biggest question is probably what type of dress do you want to wear - do you go with a more traditional gown or something less formal?

Regardless of the type of dress you decide on, every bride wants it to be uniquely hers. It's the little details that will really make you fall in love with your wedding dress. Here are some creative ways you can incorporate to help make your dress your own:

- Tie a wide silk ribbon, chiffon sash or cummerbund around your waist. For a little added punch, use a color other than your dress color. For instance, if your dress is white, how about contrasting the waist band in ivory or champagne - you could even coordinate it with one of your wedding colors. This is a particularly good option for a second wedding when you don't want to wear a totally white dress.

- Try a dress of a different color other than white - like champagne, blush pink, baby blue, or even something floor length gowns vibrant like red!

- If an entire dress in red is too dramatic for you, but you like the idea, how about an accent of color around the neckline, hem or waist? This is really a great idea to play up the season of your wedding - red for winter holidays, maybe gold for fall, or turquoise for summer.

- A basic dress can be embellished with embroidery, possibly with a little pale color in the design. You could add some pearls, Swarovski crystals, sequins, colored rhinestones, or chiffon fabric flowers into the design.

- If you are adventurous, you could alter the hemline. A high-low design where the dress is knee length in front and floor length in back is a popular style for the flirty look of a tropical wedding dress. Out on the beach you might not want a full length dress, so perhaps you might consider shortening it to tea length for a more casual wedding dress feel.

You can truly be creative with your beach wedding dress and it mnm couture dresses can still be quite affordable. But, if you love the look of the basic little dress with only a smattering of flowers in your hair, then this should be what you wear.

Remember, your dress should be a reflection of who you are and it should also reflect the environment you are marrying in. A beach wedding embraces a love of nature and this should come through in your wedding dress.

There are no shop designer rules for a casual beach wedding dress, so feel free to express yourself and make your dress a special one, just for you.