Finding THE Dress

One of the most exciting purchases before your wedding is your dress. There are so many different dress features to decide on that make finding the perfect gown you'll walk down the aisle in a little challenging. But, the best part about the challenge is experiencing that heart fluttering moment when you finally find THE dress.

Dresses vary according to neckline (halter, scoop, strapless, etc.), waistline (Basque waist, dropped waist, empire waist), straps/sleeves (cap sleeves, long sleeves, spaghetti straps), and silhouette (A-line, mermaid, princess/ball gown). The dresses are also divided by their creators. Today’s blog feature wedding gown designer is Vera Wang. David’s Bridal in Pensacola is a local carrier of Vera Wang.

This A-line gown features a sweetheart top with a raised neckline design, delicately covered in a classy, lace pattern.

Strapless ball gowns with a fitted waist make a huge statement in elegance.

This mermaid gown with a sweetheart top is perfect for the bride wanting to emphasize her curves.

With hundreds of wedding gown designers in this world, brides have plenty of styles to choose from. Gulf Coast Bride will feature a couple of different gown designers each month to keep our readers up to date on the latest in bridal fashion.

Photo credit: www.verawang.com Fall 2013 wedding collection

Latest Trends in Jewelry: Think Bling and Think Big

The latest in bridal and anniversary jewelry as seen at one of Gulf Coast Bride’s jewelry store advertisers is quite eye catching. The trendy fashions for women include show-stopping rings and charm bracelets. While the men’s fashions entail large watches. Gulf Coast Bride spoke with the manager at Beré Jewelers of Pensacola, Ashleigh Bigby, for her input on these popular styles.

When it comes to recent trends in bridal and anniversary jewelry for women, Bigby said that halos are still popular. The halo ring design entails diamonds circling the larger, center stone. “Forevermark is a new brand that we started carrying and it’s been a huge success,” she added.

Bigby said the Forevermark collection, with a campaign slogan “The Center of My Universe,” is especially popular for both bridal and anniversary jewelry for women.

As for men, watches are the go-to gift for jewelry. “Specifically Breitling, which is an aviation-inspired brand,” Bigby described. Chronographs and oversized (larger than 45 mm) styles are being swept off the shelves for their appealing and bold features.

Another rising trend that Bigby has witnessed is the demand for Pandora bracelets. The unique charms make each bracelet stand out from the next. There are so many charms to choose from with each obtaining its own character and flair.

 

Dazzling rings, oversized watches, and charm bracelets are not just the latest trends in bridal and anniversary gifts, they're also a great and fun way to celebrate your special occasion.

Photo credit: Beré Jewelers Facebook page

Get Creative: DIY

There’s almost nothing brides love more than saving money on their wedding. The easiest way to cut some costs on wedding details like centerpieces, aisle vases, and wedding favors is to create them yourself.

Centerpieces are one of the first things that catch the guests’ eyes when they walk into the reception area. They can also be one of the most expensive details in a wedding as the beauty of flowers can be quite pricey. Why not use less expensive, but still beautiful flowers like carnations and fashion the centerpieces on your own?

DIY Wedding Centerpieces. Idea and photo from www.diyweddingsmag.com

Materials:

Candlestick, oasis floral foam sphere, and lots of carnations

Directions:

Step 1: Start with a candlestick. The entire bouquet ball will sit on the candlestick.

Step 2: Use any floral foam sphere. Soak it in water for 45 minutes, then drain on a paper towel.

Step 3: Work the carnations evenly around the foam sphere to distribute the weight until the sphere is fully covered.

When trying to present the perfect aisle to walk down during your first steps as man and wife, these vases with an assortment of flowers will make it special.

DIY Wedding Aisle Vases. Idea and photo from www.oncewed.com 

Materials:

Bygel containers, spray mount, fabric (to match your wedding decor), twine, scissors, and flowers

Directions:

Step 1: Cut a piece of fabric 14″ by 9″

Step 2: Using the spray mount, go outside and spray the entire container. Make sure to spray a little on the inside rim as well.

Step 3: Take your fabric and tightly wrap it around your container. Make sure to press the fabric firmly against the container and smooth out creases and air bubbles. Tuck the fabric at the top inside the container, then cut off any excess in the back to make a smooth line.

Step 4: Add twine or ribbon by tying it around the “hook” on the back of the container.

Step 5: Add flowers (real or fake)

Of course, what would your wedding be without the guests? Tell your guests thank you for being a part of your special day by making these cute and lasting wedding favors.

DIY Message in a Bottle Wedding Favor. Idea and photo from www.rosepedalsveganweddings.com 

Materials:

Glass or clear plastic bottles with corks (from a crafts store), paper for the messages (either white or a color that coordinates with your scheme), embroidery floss in a color that coordinates with your wedding colors, a pen, and scissors

Step 1: Choose a special message or meaningful quote for your bottles.

Step 2:  Cut your paper into ½ inch wide strips. The length will depend on your message. Handwrite your message onto the papers, and then roll them into tight scrolls.

Step 3: Tie your scrolls closed with the embroidery thread using a double knot. Trim the ends about ¼ inch short.

Step 4: Place corks in the bottles securely. (Note: Favors not suitable for small children that could swallow the corks.)

One thing is for sure, finding ways to save on your wedding bill by doing projects yourself is not just money smart, but it’s also a lot of fun!

Welcome to Our Bridal Blog

If you’re planning a wedding on the beautiful Gulf Coast you’ve come to the right place for guidance! Gulf Coast Bride Magazine’s goal is to aid brides-to-be in their process of finding the best venues, reception locations, caterers, florists, photographers, and so much more for their perfect wedding.

The beach makes for a stunning wedding ceremony location. Photo credit: Paige Budde Photography

Gulf Coast Bride Magazine is excited to share even more helpful information on all things wedding with its viewers via blog. We hope the blog inspires beautiful wedding day scenes and memories that will exceed every couple's dreams.

Throughout our blog journey, we will share with viewers information on the release of new issues of the magazine, helpful hints lists involving getting wedding day ready, features on upcoming local wedding-related events, DIY (do it yourself) projects for wedding décor and accessories, articles on couples that we’ve featured in our magazine, information about our advertisers, and more.

There are so many DIY projects out there for weddings. This is just one example of a unique, flower girl's basket. Photo credit: img3.etsystatic.com. 

We’d love to hear your feedback! If you ever have any questions or comments about a blog post, or maybe have an idea for a future post that you’d like to see us write about, please contact us at GulfCoastBride@gmail.com. For more information, please visit our website at www.gcbride.com or follow us on Facebook.