Welcome to The Wedding Vendor Guide

Your carriage is waiting, you have no evil stepsisters or stepmother to speak of and your prince is anticipating your arrival. There will be no need to leave a glass slipper behind or fall into a forever-lasting sleep, he’ll be there and you still are to be wed. However, you stop in your tracks when you remember one slightly problematic thing, you don’t have a dress.

Luckily enough for you, Kirstie Kelly has partnered with Disney to give the wedding public a huge strew of wedding gowns designed based on the princess’s we all know and love. From the everlasting traditional Cinderella to the cultural and beautiful Jasmine, Ms. Kelly has released wedding attire that is sure to be the envy of the entire kingdom.

It may seem childish and slightly immature to buy a Disney Princess gown for your wedding dress but be rest assured that this bridal attire is of the highest sophistication. The lines are traditional and the colors are elegant.

And isn’t there something nice and romantic about wearing a Disney dress? A little girl never forgets the feeling of twirling in a dress and making it poof up. There’s something magical about wearing a dress that was inspired by the same princess that inspired you and your ideal of romance.

And how many people do you know that wore a Disney wedding dress? Sure, there’s Vera Wang and the rest of them, but we’ve heard it before. This is something different, something relatable. Every little girl wanted to put on Sleeping Beauty’s dress and dance around with the handsome prince. And now you can.

Still looking for a wedding dress?  If you’re in Washington DC, Filene’s Basement is having their annual bridal gown/dress blowout event this friday the 3rd. It’s a great event to get a gorgeous dress for a bargain of a price since all dresses are either $249,$499 or $699…That’s it! I’ve seen $7000 Vera Wangs for $249. I’m not saying that’s the norm, but you get the idea.

Doors open at 8am, I suggest getting there early.

For a sampling of the fun, here’s video footage from CBS in Baltimore from the Filenes Basement event earlier in the month http://wjz.com/video/?id=29458@wjz.dayport.com

ShopShop.com is an online dress store that has tons of options for bridesmaids dresses. If you’re having trouble deciding on bridesmaids dresses, you have at least look here since they pages upon pages of dresses. They also do prom dresses, so don’t get scared off by that. I included links to the bridesmaids dresses, so start there and wander around the site if you want. They also do bridal gowns and dresses too if you’re still on the market for one.

If you’re unsure what type of dress goes with your wedding, check out Nordstrom’s Wedding Shop website. They have all sorts of examples to choose from for Beach, Formal, and Garden style weddings, complete with the accessories to match. Even if Nordstrom is out of your budget range, definitely look for ideas here and then shop around.

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Daytime weddings usually call for dress that’s a little less formal, but you should always go with the recommendation on the invitation. Some people have formal daytime weddings, so you should be prepared to rent a tux or find an elegant dress if your friends are having a fancy wedding in the middle of the day.

Formality is largely based on length, and daytime dresses tend to be shorter, whereas evening gowns are always floor length. One of the prettiest looks for a daytime wedding gown is the ballerina-length tea gown. These dresses usually have a belled skirt: in the summer they tend to be sleeveless, and the whole look is slightly retro and very charming. Guests will also wear shorter dresses, but probably not as fluffy. Look for a sheath that ends around the knee: this may be an ideal occasion for your favorite Little Black Dress and a pair of medium-heeled pumps.

Jewelry is toned down in the daytime, and gloves may be worn, but they will probably be wrist-length. Tiara-type hair ornaments are definitely out, unless you’re the bride, and lots of sequins or beads, which may look classy in starlight, can look tacky in the bright light of day. Go simpler, and let the fabrics do the talking. Skip satin in favor of silk, which has less shine but more luster. If the weather is nice, a linen dress can be the epitome of understated elegance.
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Ask The Beauty Expert

So it’s time to find that wedding dress, the one you’ve been dreaming about wearing for years. You have some idea of what it should look like, but actually finding that dress is a different story. WVG offers a few tips and suggestions to help get you started:

RESEARCH: Find pictures, pictures, and more pictures. One of the best ways to find ideas is to start with magazines, Brides, Modern Bride, etc. Or if you’re tech savy and don’t want to lug around magazines, start with Google. Do an image search and see what comes up, you may be surprised.

KEEP AN OPEN MIND: One thing you will realize very quickly is that all wedding dresses are not created equal. You’re going to want a gown that complements YOUR best attributes, not some model’s best attributes

FACTOR IN THE WEDDING DETAILS: One big thing to keep in mind is the wedding itself. Is it a spring or fall wedding? Are you on a beach or in the great outdoors? What time of day is the wedding? Is it a formal or semi-formal wedding? These are details that will affect your choices so have these details set before you walk into any bridal salon.

LOOK AT YOUR SOCIAL CIRCLE:Talk to your friends and family that have been married in your area. Learn from their experiences with bridal salon’s so you don’t make any mistakes they made.
Schedule appointmentsSome salons allow walk-ins, but by booking an appointment you’ll be guaranteed that a consultant will have time to help you. But don’t overload: Limit your appointments to two a day. Cramming three salons into one afternoon will leave you tired and stressed.

$$$: What’s your budget? Avoid dissappoint later when you realize the dress you really want is way out of your price range. Figure out what you can spend and only look at dresses in that range. If you don’t know what you’re missing, you won’t be disappointed, trust me.

ACCESSORIZE: Don’t be afraid to put your best make-up face on when trying out dresses. Doing little things like make-up, hair and jewelry will help give you a better idea of how you will look in your dress on your wedding day.

YOUR ENTOURAGE: Don’t invite the world to try on dresses, you only need a couple conflicting opinions, not hundreds. Maybe mom and a best friend/maid of honor. Keep it small.

NO SNAP DECISIONS: It’s alright to walk out of a shop, even if you think you found the perfect dress. Sometimes when you take a step back and remove yourself from a situation, you may see things a bit more clear and realize it’s not the dress you thought it was. On the other hand, it may just reinforce that you are making the best decision. In which case, why are you still reading this, go get it!