Elite Designs Gowns http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog Just another WordPress weblog Thu, 17 Jun 2010 21:19:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 How to Break Traditional Rules for the Mother of the Bride/Groom Dress http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/2010/06/17/how-to-break-traditional-rules-for-the-mother-of-the-bridegroom-dress/ http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/2010/06/17/how-to-break-traditional-rules-for-the-mother-of-the-bridegroom-dress/#comments Thu, 17 Jun 2010 21:19:22 +0000 admin http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/?p=36

How the mother of the bride and groom can break free (and keep their sanity) from the traditional rules that confine them when choosing a mother of the bride or groom dress to wear.

1.   If you are a mother preparing for your daughter’s wedding, you will know how stressful and time consuming that can be. Your focus is on that big day and yes, not only time is short but money can be “shorter”. How have you thought about shopping for your special dress? After all, you deserve some of the glory and attention as well. You ARE the bride’s (or groom’s) mother and you will be looked at and admired as well.
  1. Step 2

    Mothers of the bride or groom possess a natural tendency to forget about taking care of themselves. Being who they are, and devoting their lives to raising children, they do place themselves in the back seat often. All mothers everywhere unite and tell yourself that looking good, feeling beautiful, and getting admiring looks are very deserving and acceptable.

  2. Step 3

    Buy a mother of the bride or groom dress that will make you feel great. Looking like you are walking on the red carpet on Oscar night is really okay. Go all out for the glitz and glamour. Go for colors that you have never worn before if there are no rigid color schemes.

  3. Step 4

    Daughters, please give mom a break like she gave you (many) breaks all those years of raising and loving you, despite your faults and mishaps. Do not dictate what mom can or cannot wear. It is definitely your day but to disallow or mandate a certain type of dress or color, without taking in consideration your mother’s feelings, is not a good thing. You will only look back with regret. She is only trying to please you but really, mom deserves better than that. She needs to wear a color that will become and enhance her unique look and beauty, even if it deviates a little or a lot from your color scheme.

  4. Step 5

    Mothers, it IS appropriate to look glamourous in a fantastic looking mother of the bride dress. This is also your special occasion and you have worked hard to make the wedding smooth flowing and a success. Do not laden yourself with guilt that you have to blend in and not outshine your daughter. Wear an awesome looking, yet comfortable dress, complement it with great jewelry and shoes and feel good about yourself, while performing the various tasks on the wedding day.

  5. Step 6

    If you are a younger mother, I say go for the glam and gusto. If you feel like you want to look like a Hollywood movie star, by all means do so but dress in accordance with good taste and a dress choice which will fit and complement your body type and proportions. Off- the -shoulder styles can be very appropriate, if you use a shawl or a stole jacket. Spaghetti strap gowns are fine too if not cut too low or revealing.

  6. Step 7

    Plus size mother of the bride can also go for dresses with chic and style. Wear a longer jacket, wider skirt if necessary but the secret is in the fabric and definitely color. If the mother of the bride gown has great details and trim, you will feel just wonderful. Those fancy embellishments detract and not enhance your body type. If you are plus size, do not focus on that but do focus on the fact that you can look great in a dress cut and altered for your proportions and unique look.

    Happy shopping!

]]> http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/2010/06/17/how-to-break-traditional-rules-for-the-mother-of-the-bridegroom-dress/feed/ 8 How to choose colors for the Mother of the Bride Dress http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/2010/06/17/32/ http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/2010/06/17/32/#comments Thu, 17 Jun 2010 21:09:10 +0000 admin http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/?p=32

By Lindsey Samilian

While a wedding is possibly the biggest day in a bride’s life, it is also an important day for her mother. Since the bride’s parents traditionally pay for or host the wedding, it is important for them to look sharp, elegant and coordinated. Choosing colors for the mother of the bride can prove to be a challenge, but keeping in mind some of these simple steps can certainly simplify the process. Who knows? It could even be fun. 

Step 1
  1. Talk to the bride. The bride can sometimes have very specific thoughts about her vision for the look her wedding, even down to the colors her mother wears. Asking for her suggestions will not only give you some great ideas of what will work with the style of the wedding, but it will also make the bride feel that you value her desires for her big day.
  2. Step 2

    Coordinate with the bridesmaids and the mother of the groom. While you do not need to find a dress in the exact color of the bridesmaids’ dresses (unless that is what the bride wishes), it is a good idea to find something that will complement the color nicely for pictures and the overall look of the wedding. For example, if the bridesmaids’ dresses are bright green, you might want to look for a dress in a light shade of green. According to The Knot, it is also customary to speak with the mother of the groom to ensure that both mothers are not wearing clashing colors, or even the same color.

  3. Step 3

    Avoid certain colors. As the mother of the bride, it is customary to not to wear white or anything too close to the color of the bride’s dress, as she is the one who is supposed to stand out. Avoid wearing black as it can sometimes suggest mourning (or disapproval of the marriage), especially if the wedding involves bright, light colors. Also, a daughter’s wedding is not really the time to experiment with bold, unusual colors that you would not normally wear and may appear tacky (e.g., bright red or orange). According to Elegala, the following are some basic colors to stick with: lavender, beige, silver, burgundy, blue and rose.

  4. Step 4

    Be yourself. While it is important to coordinate colors properly with the wedding party, the bride and the groom’s mother, as the mother of the bride you should wear something about which you feel good. The color you wear should reflect who you are, and you should feel good about wearing it when you look back at the wedding pictures. If you do not feel comfortable wearing certain colors, the best thing to do is to stay neutral.

]]> http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/2010/06/17/32/feed/ 14 Buying a Mother of the Bride Dress http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/2010/06/17/buying-a-mother-of-the-bride-dress/ http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/2010/06/17/buying-a-mother-of-the-bride-dress/#comments Thu, 17 Jun 2010 20:51:48 +0000 admin http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/?p=28 How to decide on a mother’s wedding dress

Whether you are reading this as the Bride’s or the Groom’s mom, this article will help you find one of the most important parts of a wedding for the mothers—the dress. Choosing what to wear for the wedding of your daughter and finding the perfect gown can be made easier when you know what you are looking for. Here are a few tips to help you in this exciting and important task.

Your daughter’s wedding and you want look really good on her big day. So you cannot be casual with regard to your look, and you need to find a very special gown for yourself. One of the steps to finding the mother’s gown is deciding on the style. You need to read the following tips if you aren’t sure how to determine your style while selecting a dress.

You have to ensure that the gown you choose suits your age size. Even if you are young, a teen prom dress would be inappropriate. By that same token, an old fashioned outfit that is done with long sleeves and a high neckline would also be an inappropriate style for you. Probably, if you are an old woman, a strapless dress with short hems or ruffles, ribbons and bows certainly would not be the right idea for you, especially because of the extra weight that comes with age. The mother of the bride dress that you pick out should fit your specific body type. If you get a curvaceous body, you certainly would appear nicer in an elegant, large-fitting outfit. If you are not young and petite, before choosing a sleeveless dress, you should definitely ensure you have the arms for it. Your body type will match your fashioned dress. For this, choose a style that suits your figure and test on as many clothes as it takes. If you’re a plus size, don’t try to get into a smaller size. Rather than hiding your bigger side, you should flatter it and choose a size that is cozy and classy. There are many plus size mother-of-the-bride gowns that will make you feel very nice on this big day.

The dress you choose should fit the seasonal fashions; you sure don’t want to be called corny with no sense of fashion by any people on your daughter’s big day. Summer mother of the bride dresses can be strapless with lots of decorations or floral designs on them, while a winter gown should cover more, with the design of a short jacket or a shawl. The general rule you must keep in mind about wedding colors is that lighter colors for spring and summer, and warmer, darker colors for fall and winter.

The mother’s dress should coincide with the thematic style of the marriage and should not look inappropriate. For example if the wedding is Renaissance-themed, match your clothing accordingly. You can also choose a color like the bridesmaids’ dresses. This generally appropriate fashion.

How to Buy a Mother of the Groom Dress?

It is normal for you to get very excited after your daughter has announced her wedding, but you don’t really want step inside a store and pick up any dress that you see in a hurry.

If you make and effort, you can find a fantastic fabric that is convenient for your style and requirement and also suits this special day for you and your daughter. Planning ahead of time is the key to finding the perfect dress for you, because it requires some amount of research and time. For this, you will need to personally visit bridal shops to look for the dress. Compare specialty dress shops and look around prior making your final decision.

Finally, in the case of a more modest and casual marriage, you may want to wear a simple outfit with a simple style. You can contact the groom’s mother to know what style she wants and maybe get a dress in the same design or color.

]]> http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/2010/06/17/buying-a-mother-of-the-bride-dress/feed/ 14 How to Choose a Mother of the Bride Dress. Tips on Finding a Dress and Making Sure it Suits Your Style http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/2010/02/09/how-to-choose-a-mother-of-the-bride-dress-tips-on-finding-a-dress-and-making-sure-it-suits-your-style/ http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/2010/02/09/how-to-choose-a-mother-of-the-bride-dress-tips-on-finding-a-dress-and-making-sure-it-suits-your-style/#comments Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:23:41 +0000 admin http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/?p=21

Nov 24, 2008 Denise Oliveri

The bride is the main attraction on her wedding day. Being the mother of the bride is also an important role. Make sure you pick a special dress for the occasion.


 

Choosing a mother of the bride dress can be a daunting task. You want to look stylish, complement your figure, but also blend in with the bridal party. Since pictures will stay around for years to come there are some definite dos and don’ts to choosing an appropriate dress.

Blend with the Bridal Party

Since most mothers will be seen throughout the wedding, either during pictures or when helping with the unity candle, the dress chosen needs to blend into the wedding party. The dress should never be the exact same color as the bridesmaids, but should go with the party colors rather than standing out. For example, if the bridal party is wearing emerald green dresses, your dress should be a lighter shade of green; almost a mint green. You might also consider co-ordinating with the bride of the, since you will be sharing many photos together.

Mother of the Bride Dress No-No’s

There are some definite no-nos when choosing a dress. White is off limits. Only the bride should be in white or even off white. In the pictures, the bride should stand out when surrounded by her family and husband who are wearing colored garments.

Never wear black. No matter how much you dislike your new son-in-law or how slimming it is, black makes a completely negative statement. Even dark shades of brown can be detrimental to the occasion. This is true whether it is a first-time wedding for your daughter or subsequent.

How to Find a Mother of the Bride Dress

There are many styles to choose from, especially with new fashions coming available all the time. Consider looking through magazines for tips or input on dresses. Also be sure to ask your daughter what she pictures you wearing. After all, this is her special day, and she may have a vision of what she wants her wedding party to look like, including you. You might even consider shopping with your daughter, since many dresses look different in person than in pictures. This can be such a fun outing for the both of you.

]]> http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/2010/02/09/how-to-choose-a-mother-of-the-bride-dress-tips-on-finding-a-dress-and-making-sure-it-suits-your-style/feed/ 8 Find Your Dream Dress By Cynthia Nellis http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/2010/01/25/find-your-dream-wedding-evening-formal-dress/ http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/2010/01/25/find-your-dream-wedding-evening-formal-dress/#comments Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:11:02 +0000 admin http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/?p=14

1. Decide on Formality:

Usually the event invitation will clue you into the formality of the event, whether it’s casual or black tie. But sometimes even that will cause confusion (short dress or long?)In general, the later in the day the event (after 6 p.m.), the dressier. Long dresses are usually reserved only for formal occasions.

While some fabrics are year-round — silk, brocade, organza, jersey — fabrics like velvet and gold spangles are best reserved for winter holidays.

2. Flatter Your Figure:

The most important feature of your new dress is how well it flatters you.Remember that darker colors and simple cuts (a sheath, an A-line) are the most flattering.

Show off your best feature. If you have gorgeous eyes, then play them up with beautiful makeup, off-the-face hair and jeweled earrings in a complimentary shade.

Not sure what your best asset is? Ask a friend or significant other. Or go to a store that sells special occasion dresses and enlist the salesperson’s help.

3. Choose a Color:

You could just wear a little black dress (classy, flattering and slenderizing), but why not explore some of the other dressy options?Red, bold prints, even gold are dramatic enough for evening wear. Pastels, mid-range brights and soft prints look great for dressy day occasions.

Blue (from navy to royal), pink (from cotton candy to fuchsia) and white (from candlelight to cream) look great on almost everyone. Remember that the “Don’t wear white to a wedding” wisdom is still considered a fashion don’t by most women.

4. Pick a Style:

Catalogs, the internet and magazines are a great places to seek special occasion dress inspiration.Instead of going with something trendy, try to find a dress that reflects classic, timeless elegance. Remember that you’ll have to look at photos of you in the dress for years to come.

Classic special occasion dresses are often deceptively simple, but they usually let the beauty of the wearer shine through. A few examples: the little black dress (a.k.a the cocktail dress), a goddess gown (draped and rouched), a ballgown, a slip dress.

5. Shop:

Set a budget before shopping. Special occasion dresses usually cost more than $100, but if you comparison shop you can find one that works in your price range.Shop secondhand stores and sales to save even more money on a dress.

If you shop in a store, dress for the day by bringing along heels, any special accessories you know you want to use and a strapless bra.

6. Accessorize:

The trimmings will take their cue from the dress, but for special occasions your jewelery usually gets bigger and your bag and shoes get smaller (as in strappy sandals).Although you may want to add tons of glitz, remember that you can kill a look with too much matchy-matchy accessorizing. Find earrings, necklace and bracelet that compliment each other without being a matching set.

If your legs aren’t perfect enough to go bare need camouflage and you don’t like to wear leg makeup, then opt for super-sheer hose or fishnets.

]]> http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/2010/01/25/find-your-dream-wedding-evening-formal-dress/feed/ 0 Dressing the Mother of the Bride and the Mother of the Groom http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/2009/12/07/dressing-the-mother-of-the-bride-and-the-mother-of-the-groom/ http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/2009/12/07/dressing-the-mother-of-the-bride-and-the-mother-of-the-groom/#comments Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:54:59 +0000 admin http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/?p=11
By Lei Lydle
 

The dresses of the bride’s and groom’s mothers should coordinate with the overall look of the wedding in regard to style and color. It is important that all of the dresses compliment each other for the pictures.

The mothers’ dresses should be somewhat conservative, and not longer or more formal than her daughter’s dress. Usually the mothers wear a neutral color or a lighter shade of the bridesmaids’ dresses.

Below you will find guidelines for the proper mothers’ day and evening attire.

What Not To WearMothers should not wear white dresses to the wedding. I have seen several mothers wearing white dresses that closely resembled wedding gowns – this is VERY tacky!

Speak with the bride before wearing a black dress. While black is a standard color for evening wear, it can stir up controversy when it comes to weddings. In the past, if either mother wore black it meant that they did not approve of the wedding. Today, black is more accepted but may still cause a flurry of gossip. Ask the bride how she feels about black before you purchase a black dress.

Dressing Guidelines for MothersFor a very formal day or evening wedding the mothers should wear floor-length gowns and these gowns should NOT be white. Wear heels that are appropriate for the dress but try to select comfortable shoes. Coordinate your accessories but leave the watch at home! For a formal wedding the mothers should wear corsages or carry small bouquets.

For a semi-formal day or evening wedding the mothers should wear a street-length dress, again, it should NOT be white. Heels and accessories should coordinate with the dress. For a semi-formal wedding the mothers should wear corsages.

For an informal day or evening wedding the mothers should wear a suit or nice “Sunday” dress, again, it should NOT be white. Or, if the informal wedding is being held at the beach or some other fun or unusual location, the mothers should dress appropriately. Heels and accessories should coordinate. For an informal wedding the mothers should wear corsages.
]]> http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/2009/12/07/dressing-the-mother-of-the-bride-and-the-mother-of-the-groom/feed/ 14 Party Definitions. Black Tie, Formal, Dressy Casual and More! http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/2009/11/02/party-definitions-black-tie-formal-dressy-casual-and-more/ http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/2009/11/02/party-definitions-black-tie-formal-dressy-casual-and-more/#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:27:43 +0000 admin http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/?p=8

 

By Cynthia Nellis, About.com

Oscar de la Renta

Cheryl Gorski Photography, licensed to About.com

A Black Tie invitation calls for formal attire. Men wear tuxedos, women wear cocktail, long dresses or dressy evening separates.
Formal usually means the same as Black Tie, but in some trendier cities like New York or Los Angeles, it could mean a black shirt, no tie with a tux. Women wear cocktail, long dresses or dressy evening separates.
Black Tie Optional

A Black Tie Optional or Black Tie Invited gives you the option of wearing a tuxedo or formal dress, but it should clue you into the formality of the event, meaning a dark suit and tie would be your other option. Women wear cocktail, long dresses or dressy evening separates.

Creative Black Tie

Creative Black Tie leaves room for trendy interpretations of formal wear. He can go more modern with a tux — maybe a black shirt, no tie. She wears long or short dresses or evening separates.Sometimes, themed parties call for dress codes like Texas Black Tie or other variations of Creative Black Tie. In that situation, you can have more fun with it, choosing a dressy look with a theme (for him, it could be a tux with boots and for her it could be a long dress paired with Southwestern style silver belt and jewelry).

Semi-Formal

Semi-Formal or After Five means that tuxes are not required, nor are long dresses. An evening wedding (after 6 PM) would still dictate dark suits for him, and a cocktail dress for her. Daytime semi-formal events mean a suit for him and an appropriate short dress or dressy suit for her.Business Formal is the same as Semi-Formal for him, but for women it suggests that women opt for more tailored dressy suits and dresses (nothing too slinky or sexy).

Cocktail Attire

Cocktail Attire means short, elegant dresses for her and dark suits for him.

Informal

Informal is often interpreted as the same as Casual but it actually calls for the same dress as Semi-Formal — dark suits for him, short dresses for her — especially when associated with a wedding or special event.

Festive Attire

Festive Attire is usually seen around the holidays, with the mood of the party being Informal or Semi-Formal. For her, it means to choose looks with a bit of sparkle or holiday bent (i.e. a beaded sweater with black pants, a red silk blouse with a black skirt).

Casual

Dressy Casual calls for dressed-up versions of casual looks. For him, it could be trousers and a sportcoat, for her a dressy pants look. Jeans, shorts, T-shirts and other casual looks are not appropriate for Dressy Casual.Casual generally means anything goes.

]]> http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/2009/11/02/party-definitions-black-tie-formal-dressy-casual-and-more/feed/ 19 Hello world! http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/2009/10/27/hello-world/ http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/2009/10/27/hello-world/#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:00:59 +0000 admin http://elitedesignsgowns.com/blog/?p=1 Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

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