Shopping with your Entourage

As little girls, we all dreamed about growing up, dressing up, and wearing “the most beautiful wedding dress anyone has ever seen.”  Now here you are, ready to find that beautiful gown and everyone wants to come!  Where you draw the line is in your control- you’re the bride!

Bringing a large entourage with you can get confusing, even if they’re your family and closest friends.  I've seen many brides break-down in tears under the stress of trying to please everyone.  Making this a special day for you and your mom, or you and your two closest friends really is okay!  If there are people who want to tag along, you can tell them that since so many people wanted to help you shop, you had to draw the line and decided to make it a special occasion for just you and (insert here: mom, maid of honor, grandma…); anyone who really cares about you should understand the importance of this day and won’t want to ruin it for you.  If that doesn't work and you have someone who feels it’s her “right” go to, turn it around and make it about her.  Tell her you’ll absolutely need her help and want her input in other aspects of planning your wedding, for example, picking out bridesmaid dresses, shopping for the cake, or picking out and trying different hair styles. 

If you are going to have a large entourage, remember that comes with lots of varying opinions.  If you’re not sure you want that, but can’t say “no” to anyone, you might try pre-shopping.  Before the big shopping day, stop at the stores you want to visit and try gowns on, either alone or with one or two people.  Then, when you have everyone with you, just try on your favorites and let them help you choose “the One.”  It would also be wise to check with the bridal shop(s) you’ll be bringing everyone too; depending on the size of your group there may be a best day or time to come in.  If you make an appointment, be sure to mention the number you’re bringing with you so you can be sure to have adequate space for everyone.

Some things to think about when deciding who to invite and who to leave at home:

Who makes you feel the best about yourself?  You’ll want her there!

Who makes everything all about her?  Think twice before inviting her.

Who “gets” your style the best?  You’ll want her there!

Who gets their feelings hurt if you don’t take their opinion to heart?  Think twice before inviting her.

Have fun SHOPPING!!!

Revisiting Your Wedding Colors

Choosing Your Shade & Accent Colors:

Now that you’ve chosen your wedding color, it’s time to finalize the shade and choose your accents.  The most important piece of advice I can give when finding items in your wedding color is “be flexible!”  Your wedding planning will be so much more enjoyable for you, for him, and for all your friends and family helping you plan, if you stress less about the exact, spot-on color and go with a shade of the original color.  Another perk of being flexible is the beautiful depth and richness that will be created by using shades.

The most color-concentration in your wedding will probably be your bridesmaid dresses.  I have had girls come in with an exact color swatch, which they bought from another bridal store, and they are adamant: “this IS the color I want.”  Chances are, when you start with the color swatch you’re going to have a hard time and become frustrated, finding a bridesmaid dress that comes in that exact shade.  Rather, be a little open-minded and choose the bridesmaid dress before the color swatch.  Your bridesmaids want to be comfortable wearing what you choose and you want them to look nice beside you; therefore, don’t limit your options of styles right away by being so stuck on one exact color swatch.  Once you choose a couple styles of dresses, then check out the color swatches and see what shades are available in your color.  If one dress doesn’t have a color you’re happy with, eliminate that dress.  Keep an open-mind and eventually you will find the color you’re happy with in a dress that will look good on all of your girls!   

Now that the main color (and exact shade) is set-in-stone you can play with the accent colors.  If you got away from the shade of color you had originally thought you’d do, it’s time to revisit it!  Is there a place in your wedding to incorporate that original shade you loved?  For example: if you wanted to do charcoal grey but your bridesmaid dresses only come in a pewter/sterling grey color, can you incorporate the charcoal back in as an accent color?  Could you put your groomsmen in charcoal vests and ties, or incorporate charcoal ribbon into the floral arrangements?  Think about how shades of color work together to unify and create depth, then play it up!

If you didn’t have any trouble finding the right wedding color, but need ideas for the accent color, first consider other colors you considered for your main wedding color.  Do they “go together?”  Example: He wanted red, you wanted purple but you compromised on a shade of teal that you both liked.  Now, you can consider if you want teal and red, or teal and purple.

If that doesn’t do the trick in finding an accent color, go back to art class…seriously!  Consider the color wheel when finding a color to balance and accent your wedding color.  You will find complimentary colors across from each other on the color wheel, and of course, shades of colors or, analogous colors, beside each other.  You can also check out Pinterest and wedding magazines for other ideas on color schemes.

Have fun with it, make it yours!  Remember, there are no set ‘rules’ for how many colors you can have; however, to keep everything looking cohesive when put together, don’t over do it!  You’ll have your white/ivory and black/grey/brown, but then try to limit it to two or three other colors.  Any more than that and you may find it difficult to bring everything together.

Side note: Exact names of colors depend on the company making the item: light yellow might be called ‘light yellow’ one place and ‘butter’ or ‘buttercream’ somewhere else- don’t get too hung up on the name.

Wedding Colors 101

Choosing your wedding colors is a big decision, and one you should make with your groom.  After all, this is the only wedding the two of you will have, and you’ll want the colors to be something you both like.  It may take some give-and-take, but here are a few ideas that may help you narrow down your color choices and come up with the perfect, unique colors for your big day!

The simplest way to start, is to each think about your favorite colors.  Are these colors you are both comfortable with? (ie. If your favorite color is pink, would your fiancé be comfortable wearing, or asking his groomsmen to wear pink?  And vice versa, if his favorite is bright orange, do you want your girls wearing bright orange?)  If the answer is no, move on...but you can always come back to these favorite colors as accent colors, so don't discount them completely.

Next, is there a special place, or happy memory that is evoked by color?  Think of the trips you’ve taken or the best times you’ve had together.  Is it by the sea…in the desert…was it during autumn when the leaves were turning?  Gather inspiration from these places and memories.  Is there a certain color that you both associate with that place/idea/memory?

If you’re still coming up without a color try choosing a favorite item or souvenir.  Is there something he bought you that you absolutely love?  Or is there a favorite shirt he wears that you think looks great on him?  Think of that piece in your décor that you use when you consider buying anything else.  Why do you like it so much…is it the color scheme?  Think of these things when brainstorming your wedding colors.

Hopefully by now you’ve got at least one color in mind.  Think about them in context to your venue, the time of year, and the feeling you want to create that day.  Ponder it and really take time to think it over.  Your wedding color is not a decision that has to be made overnight.  In fact, many brides I speak with throw their wedding colors around for quite some time before settling on a definite color.

Stay tuned for more on “choosing your wedding color” when we discuss ‘accent color(s)’ and ‘putting it all together’.

Until next time, Happy Planning!