Elegant And Iconic Wedding Dresses

Elegant And Iconic aria homecoming dress Wedding Dresses

Elegance is in the eye of the beholder, much like beauty. It depends more on attitude and quality than it does on price. A simple definition of elegance is grace of movement, polished expression and refinement of beauty. If youre determining which wedding dress style is right for you, take a look at some of the most memorable iconic wedding dresses of all time to get some inspiration.

Queen Victorias Wedding Dress

Queen Victoria started the trend of white wedding dresses. Prior to that point, wedding dresses were every color and meant to be worn as the woman's best dress rather than just once on her wedding day.

Even now in some cultures, white is overlooked for other traditional colors. Red is the color of choice for Chinese brides. Indian brides choose brightly colored and richly embroidered saris. And Japanese brides will wear a wedding kimono and often change into a western style white wedding dress for the reception.

So what did Queen Victoria's wedding dress look like? It was white satin accented by nosegays of orange blossoms at the bosom and scattered about the full skirt. Her lace veil was designed exclusively for the wedding. The pattern was later destroyed so it couldn't be used again. Nearly 200 people labored for six weeks to produce the lace veil and lace for the trim of her dress. The neckline left her shoulders bare. Sleeves were full, starting off her shoulders and ending above the elbows.

Queen Elizabeth IIs Wedding Dress

This beautiful queens dress was richly embroidered ivory silk with a satin train. The ball gown had a scoop neck, full skirt and long sleeves. It was embroidered with 10,000 seed pearls. The 15-foot train was made of delicate lace embroidered in the same pattern as the dress, including flowers, the white rose of York and wheat heads, a symbol of fertility. The queen wore a veil made of white tulle attached to a diamond tiara. Around her neck she wore a double pearl necklace.

It is said that Queen Elizabeth II had two wedding dresses. The first was worn when she married Prince Phillip and the second at her coronation when she wed the people of the United Kingdom. That dress was designed by Norman Hartnell who also designed her wedding dress. While the original design called for white satin and little embroidery, the final design remained white satin but was heavily and richly embroidered with plants or flowers to represent each of the entities that make up the commonwealth. The embroidery was in pastel colors and accented by gold and silver threads with diamonds, amethysts and colored crystals.

Grace Kellys Wedding Dress

She was a real fairy tale princess whose gown has been a timeless inspiration for brides since her wedding day in 1956. The gown was white satin with a high neckline and long sleeves. The bodice and sleeves were antique Valenciennes rose point lace. Twenty-five yards of silk taffeta and ninety-eight yards of tulle were used. Her headpiece fit close to her head black homecoming dresses with a fingertip length veil in front and longer veil in back. Her wedding dress and veil were designed by Helen of MGM studios and given to her as a wedding gift from the studios. She carried a small bouquet of lilies of the valley over a white Bible.

Princess Dianas Wedding Dress

Princess Diana had one of the most stunning and talked about wedding dresses ever created. Actually, there was more than one dress designed and made to keep the media guessing as to what she would wear on her wedding day. Immediately, brides all over the world wanted the full sleeved, full skirted over the top style of gown for their weddings.

Celine Dions Wedding Dress

This well known Canadian singers wedding gown was a stunning extravagance of white satin embroidered with crystals and pearls. The ball gown had a full skirt, sweetheart neckline and long sleeves and a 20-foot train. Her crowning glory was literally a crown consisting of 2000 Austrian crystals which weighed seven pounds. Attached to the headpiece was a Cathedral length veil. Before and after the wedding she wore a white fur coat to keep her warm.

Melania Trumps Wedding Dress

When you're marrying a Trump the sky's the limit. Melania Trump's wedding dress is rumored to cost nearly $100,000. Designed by Dior, the dress weighed close to 50 pounds and had a 13-foot train, complemented by a 16-foot veil. The veil was artistically arranged in a swirl pattern to match the swirls in her dress. The dress was in the mermaid style, fitted through the hips and flaring out starting about mid-thigh. While the bride had fittings for the dress, she had never walked in the gown until her wedding day and stumbled a bit when she first started down the aisle. Obviously, that dress was not meant for dancing. Melania changed into a simpler and much lighter dress for the wedding reception.

Wedding gowns have changed a lot since the Victorian ages, but theres still so much inspiration we can glean from yesterdays style icons. By blending your personal style and personality with some elements of these unforgettable wedding dresses, youre sure to have en elegant wedding dress that you and your guests will remember forever.

Designer Wedding Dresses The Couture Details Every Bride Wants Author Brandon Kamins

There are three things that every bride-to-be should consider before she goes shopping for her wedding dress. The first is her budget, the second is the season, and the third is the wedding theme. In this article we will discuss a few simple tips that will help you select the right designer dress.

Where to Begin?

Believe it or not, one of the most difficult decisions every bride-to-be must make is where to shop for her new dress. Almost without exception, she will be besieged by suggestions from friends and family about where she should shop. There are bridal boutiques, online boutiques, designer showrooms, department stores and virtual auctions to choose from.

The fastidious bride-to-be can find the perfect dress at any of the aforementioned. However, it may not be a great idea to purchase a dress before seeing it in person, i.e., on the Internet. There are simply too many unknowns, and even if the price is right, alterations are almost always required when you buy a dress online.

Most women who have never shopped for a wedding dress before have no idea how expensive it is to hire a seamstress to make even minor alterations. So, that deal that looked so good on your computer screen might end up costing you lots of extra money.

What a good alternative? Department and discount stores often offer a nice selection, but they are not specialists. The business that can cover all of your wedding day needs is a bridal boutique. Also known as bridal salons, they are the closest thing to a one-stop option the industry has to offer. Not only do they sell a full range of designer wedding dresses, but they also offer dresses and accessories for the entire bridal party, including the bridesmaids, the flower girls and the mothers of the bride and groom.

Designer Wedding strapless short homecoming dresses Dresses

Most women that want a more formal wedding order a designer dress. The cost of these gowns depends, of course, upon the reputation of the designer and the number alterations that must be made to the basic design. One reason short white wedding dresses that designer dresses are far more popular for formal weddings is because they take several months to complete. On average, it takes between four and nine months to deliver a designer wedding dress. That is why most shotgun and Vegas brides buy off the rack.

So, if you have always wanted a designer dress, you must plan ahead. Most recently engaged women begin by taking a trip to their local bridal store with a few of their friends/future bridesmaids. It may take several visits to finally decide on a design, especially if you don know what you want. Consider a few of these helpful suggestions.

Fabric

As you may be aware, most designer wedding dresses are quite heavy, even without a train. Now, this might be perfectly appropriate for a formal indoor wedding in the fall or the winter, but what if you have planned an outdoor wedding in the middle of August? Obviously, that heavy dress could begin to get a bit uncomfortable after a few hours.

Since summer is the most popular season for nuptials, it is often important to pay close attention to the fabric and materials. For a summer wedding, especially if it is being held outdoors, your best options include lighter, cooler fabrics like crepe and chiffon over velvet or satin.

Cut

As with any full gown, different body shapes and types are flattered by different cuts. Again, this is one of the main reasons bridal shops are preferable to a department or discount store. The experienced wedding consultants at these establishments will be able to tell you at first glance which cut will flatter your figure. Trying to do this on your own may result in a major fashion faux pas.

Motif or Theme

The motif or theme is almost always dictated by the setting, which is often dictated by the season. For example, if you have planned an outdoor wedding, then you will want a dress that is not too heavy or hot under the summer sun.

But the motif can affect more than just the fabric of your designer wedding dress. It may also influence the style. Sticking with the beach wedding example, a long flowing gown with a train would not work on sand, for obvious reasons. Therefore, the bride might opt for a much shorter hemline and maybe even a backless or strapless number.

Budget

The average designer dress costs between one and two thousand dollars, depending on the designer, of course. Another important consideration is the accessories. Many brides-to-be like to shine on their special day, and this may require special additions that must be hand-applied to the dress. Crystals, sequins and even pearls may be added to a designer wedding dress. As you might expect, this will also add a few hundred dollars to the final bill.

Finding the perfect dress for your wedding ceremony depends on many variables and any choice would be well served by plenty of diligent research.