The Undergarment Breakdown

Every women wants to make sure they look perfect on their wedding day. She wants to make sure every hair is in place, her makeup is flawless and that she has the perfect manicure to show off her wedding set. Of course the main attraction will be the gown that will make her guests and new husband told their breath just a little as the doors open and she's walking down the aisle.

Now, one other thing that is just as important as the dress is what is worn underneath it. We all know there has been talk about undergarments as far as being a part of your "everyday" wardrobe. For this special day, you want to make sure that everything is in it's proper place. What woman doesn't want her waist tight and her boobs looking amazing? Whether you decide you only need a strapless bra or the whole long lined, bone in, ensemble, here are a few tips that will help you decide which undergarment will be right for you.

According to an article published by Brides Magazine, don't worry about your undergarments until after your first dress fitting. This comes after you've put on multiple options and decided which dress you want to get married in. Traditionally, most dress shops will have a bra that you can use when initially trying on gowns. What this does will someone put your body in a way that will resemble how you will look that day. It tells you determine which dress style looks best on your frame and how they fit. Once you've had your first fitting in the gown you've chosen, then you can then search for the undergarment that will be your own.

Step 1: Decide What Type

Once you have found your gown and initial fitting, decide what type of undergarments you need. Traditionally, most brides buy the strapless, long-lined bra.

This bra is what is used at bridal shops when women come in to try on their dress and since that works, you can just roll with it and more times than not, you should be able to purchase it at the boutique wear your get your gown from and the most common design. There are of course variations to the design and it just depends on what your preferences are.

Once you've decided on your top garment you also need to decide on your bottom garment and there is a variety of those as well whether you do a regular panty, boy shorts or a thong, you want to make sure that it's comfortable because nothing would be worse than getting the dreaded wedgie on your day and can do nothing about it. There will be brides who may decide that they will want to firm their lower body based off the fit of their gown. This would be the case for those brides who has chosen a dress that my fit close to the body and who may also not need to wear a bra. If that is the case then buying a pair of Spanx or other lower garments would be all you'd need. These come in varieties as well. you can get the high waisted brief or you can get the version that comes down to the knees for added foundation.

Step 2: Decide What To Pay

Like with anything else, you have to have a budget. Undergarments can go from very cheap to very expensive depending on brand. It would be very easy to spend a couple of hundreds on just the garments you will wear under your dress. That doesn't even include the wedding night underwear or anything you'd buy for your honeymoon. The bra alone could cost you $60 or more. You don't have to spend a lot of money to get the quality you want. Look at a lot of different options at different price points and decide what you'd be willing to spend. You are already going to be spending a big portion of your attire budget on the actual gown and any alternations needed, so keep that in mind.

Step 3: Time To Shop

Now that you've decided it's time to go shop. You won't be able to try on the bottom half of your undergarments, but you can most definitely try on different option for your bra. Just like you needed time to try on gowns before deciding, take a day to do the same for you underwear. You will want to go in a put it and see how you feel Ask yourself questions to determine if it's best for you. Is the boning too tight? Can you breathe? Is this something you'd be comfortable wearing all day? You have to remember that you gown, depending on the style, will be big with possible crinoline slip and will require you to have to maneuver a little differently than you ordinarily would. You don't want to add to it be also being uncomfortable. Once you've decided on your garments, make sure you wear them going forward to any other fittings you will have. Your garment choice may be different than what you wore initially, so there may be other adjustments to your dress.

If you follow these 3 steps, I believe that you should be able to successfully find what will work for you. Remember the saying, you get what you pay for. Spend whatever is in your budget. As long as you feel like you could do it for the long haul with all the standing, sitting and dancing you will be doing, you will come out a winner. The most important thing is when you step into that dress, you know you will be a vision of beauty as you walk down the aisle.

The Plus Size Dilemma

So, your honey asked you to be his wife. You (and your planners) have been working hard to plan your wedding but there is one part to the process that you are nervous to dive into - the wedding dress.  It's hard enough going from shop to shop looking at dresses that eventually seems to blur together.  You, however, have an added challenge.  You are a plus size beauty and that seems to just add to the journey.  You question could there possibly be a dress out there for you that will make you feel like the princess you always wanted to be, or a dress that will also show off those curves that you are oh so proud of.  With the below 5 tips, you should be able to find that dress you envision yourself walking down the aisle in.

1. Embrace Your Body

First things first, Love the skin you're in! Far too many go on these crash and extreme diets in order to look "super skinny" on their wedding day. I can understand using your nuptials as a way to motivate yourself to get healthier. More power to you, however, you don't want to look back on your pictures a year from your wedding and not recognize the woman in them. Stay true to who you are at the size that you are, and embrace it. Set realistic goals for yourself if you choose to hit the bridal boot camp without losing the identity that is you.  Now, if you are a plus size beauty who is not making a big deal about your sexy size 20 frame, be happy with that decision and K.I.M (keep it moving)

   2.   Know What Works For You

This is key when shopping for clothes, so it is not different when shopping for your wedding gown.  If you are a naturally top heavy woman, then a strapless dress may not be the best choice for you. If you want to draw a little attention to the area, then perhaps a sweetheart neckline might be the one.  If you are voluptuous on the bottom half, a ballgown may not be the right fit. If you want to show off hips that may not be as defined as others, try a trumpet skirt and A-line gowns are flattering on just about any body type. Also, know how much sparkle you want. You want to stand out, but let's not go for disco ball. If sparkle is not your style and you want simplicity, find unique elements in a dress that suit you. It could be ruching around the waist or a scalloped hem. It all depends on your style and taste.

   3.    Start Your Search Earlier Than Advised

Being a plus size bride present unique situations.  The main one being the availability of the dresses.  Many articles will tell you, which I have found to be accurate, that not very many bridal salons carry sample size gowns over a size 12.  Although the dress you have your eye may come bigger, actually being able to try it on probably will not be an option for you.  If you can find a place that either specialize in larger sizes or carry designers whose focus is dresses for the fuller frame, you are in for a bit of a ordeal.  There's no need to worry though; starting early will help keep you on track to wedding time. Some say to start shopping at lease 6 months ahead of time for your gown.  For the plus size beauties I would say allow yourself 9 months if that is possible. This would help when ordering your dress as well as any necessary alternations that may need to be done to the gown. Now, more so these days women are planning entire weddings for 6 months, if not less, from the time of engagement.  If you fall into this category, time is truly of the essence, and yes, it can be done.

  4.    Be Prepared

As with anything, this is very important. Start searching the Internet for dress ideas. Have a certain designer in mind? Check out their website to see what they offer the plus size bride. Print out pictures to use as reference. One sure way to cut down time is to call the salons before you go. Say you saw this Vera Wang creation that you absolutely love, and guess what, they have the size 16 you need. Make sure you utilize the store locator to see if there are stores in your area.  If there is one, call the store to see if they have that specific style number or styles that may be close.  By doing this, it will eliminate the tedious task of doing going from shop to shop trying to find something. Once you have chosen your store of choice, go in focused. You will see a lot of dresses, but don't become so distracted that you spend time putting on dresses that are not in your budget or fit your style type.

  5.   Be Comfortable

No matter what garment you wear, you want to make sure that you are comfortable. Make sure that your alternations are not too tight. You want your dress to fit you like a glove, but you also want to be able to sit comfortably and more importantly breathe. Remember that foundation is key, so take the time to shop for quality undergarments as this will also help you with your fit as well as comfort.  If you are wearing a strapless down, make sure that it fits tight enough so that you are not pulling at it all night.  Wedding gowns can be a heavy thing to wear in itself with your crinoline slip so don't add to it by a dress that does not fit properly.

Hopefully these few tips will help aid in the dress shopping adventure. Most importantly it will help you to pick the gown that makes you feel confident and as you walk down to meet your soon to be husband that all your dress will reflect how you wanted to feel at that moment.

                   

Let's All Wear White

For years, it has been the custom that the ONLY person in a wedding that is destined to wear a white anything is the Bride. It was a color that was strictly forbidden for everyone else from the wedding party to the guests. However, I have noticed over the recent years that this seems to be changing. The first noticeable one was when grooms opted for the white tuxedo to compliment their brides. With the recent weddings of celebrities Solange Knowles and her newlywed mom, Tina Knowles, it appears that a possible trend is emerging, at least among those who are considered the "elite". Not only is the bride in white, but so is everybody else.

With women choosing not to wear the traditional white wedding gown, it leads me to think about would a bride want her entire wedding from wedding party to guests to wear white? Of course we have all heard of the "All White" parties that take place throughout the country. Event here in Kansas City we have one every September. 

If you do decide to follow in these celebrity footsteps and have a white wedding, follow the list below to make sure it turns out the way you want it.

• Make sure you make it clear on your invitation that you want your guests to wear white. What you don't want to happen is to have guests showing up in other colors because it was not clearly stated.

• If you plan on created a wedding website, make sure you include it there as well as part of your "Guest Information" section. 

• When picking the bridesmaids dresses, make sure they looks like bridesmaids dresses and not wedding gowns. Many of your favorite styles will probably come in white so you just have to pick which one you think will look the best. If you plan to wear white as well, save the gown look for yourself.

• Work together with your groom and male attendants to make sure they chooses a white tuxedo they would be comfortable wearing that that would compliment your dress as well as your bridesmaids. 

• Believe it or not, there are multiple shades of white as well. Try to be as consistent with your color palette as you can

Let us know if  you would consider taking it a step further and having an "All White" wedding?