Renting: it’s not just for tuxes anymore. Check it out on line: you can rent a wedding dress. Actually you can rent really nice wedding dresses and most cost between $55-150. That’s down a bit from what most people pay for their bridal gown!.

Now not every bride is going to go for a rental wedding gown. But if you’re cutting corners? Or if you’re really not all that into the dress, would like something lovely, but don’t need to own it? This is a great option. It works better if you’re a rather standard size, but as long as you don’t cut anything, you can re-stitch (I’d use basting stitches so they held but came out easily, however!).

I was amazed at how many sites there are. (Why am I amazed, can’t you get everything on the web?) But the variety of dresses was what really amazed me. And let’s remember that there are some cultures where this is the norm. If someone is going to have a religious celebration in Japan, they will often rent several of the many wedding kimonos involved. (and P.S. Japan town can be a great place to purchase a used wedding kimono. They’re fabulous. One of my brides did, and wore it as a coat over her incredible purple gown. That way she paid homage to her heritage and wore a dress she wanted. And she looked amazing!)

• Bridal Stores: Some of the bigger bridal stores have rentals. These are great because you can go there, try it on and rent it. That way you know what the fabric looks like and you’re likely to get the right size for you. Which is fairly important.
• On Line Bridal/Wedding Supply: Most of these stores have dozens of styles and dozens of sizes. They even have a limited supply of period dresses. And some of the dresses were Designer gowns. Who knew?
• Costume Shops and Sites: They were onto this possibility early! Wanna be married as Marie Antoinette? They’ve got the gown for you. Anne Boleyn a little more your style? They can find it. (though she’s probably not your luckiest bride, it’s still a pretty wonderful look!)
• Ethnic Stores and Sites: If you want a traditional wedding dress to celebrate your heritage there are stores and on-line sites where you can get wedding garments from many different traditions.

Just a thought: If I were going to rent a gown from online, I would want to try it out once. Providing you can make room in your budget. You don’t want to get your gown and hate it. Even brides who don’t care loads about their wedding dresses don’t want to look less than fabulous on their wedding day. I’d also want to spend a fair amount of time determining what kind of gown I looked best in. If you’re not good at that, ask a friend or family member whose judgment you trust. This is a best-friend deal only if your best friend has a sense of style that will help you look beautiful on your wedding day.

But what a great idea! You wear it and then you ship it back and they dry clean it! And they already have the facilities to do that. Doesn’t have to be preserved for years, so you’re off the hook on where to store it.

Rent a gown and spend your energy somewhere else. Worry about the wedding ceremony and your wedding vows. Make plans for a wonderful life together in your happily ever after marriage. And have a wonderful wedding knowing that you looked fabulous for your beloved. Have a wonderful wedding knowing you don’t need to worry about your dress!

The shoes you wear on your wedding day will affect not only your overall look – but your comfort level as well – so choose wedding shoes with care.

Here are four steps to finding the right wedding shoes.

1) Choose Your Shoe Fabric
While most bridal shoes are made from cloth (usually white satin or silk that can be dyed to match their gowns), there isn’t any rule that says brides have to wear cloth shoes. You can also wear leather, as long as it fits with the look of your gown.

2) Choose Your Color
White wedding shoes are the most common, as brides traditionally wear shoes to match their gowns, which are usually some shade of white. Some brides, however, opt to be a bit more original with their footwear, choosing a metallic shade that matches an accessory or embellishment. Some brides even don blue kicks as their “something blue.”

Don’t obsess about finding an exact match to the color of your gown. Again, you should seek to complement, not perfectly match your getup. Combining slightly different shades of whites or neutrals is not only perfectly acceptable – it also makes for a richer, more compelling look.

3) Get Comfortable Shoes
As you walk down the aisle, those 4 inch stiletto heels may look adorable. But 5 hours and 10 dances later, cute may morph into acute pain with every step. Avoid the blisters with some chicken soup for your sole:

• Forego “Something New” – Don’t leave it up to your soles to be your “something new.” If you are not used to wearing 3 inch heels, or you’ve never dared bare your toes in strappy sandals, your wedding day is not the best arena to try out these styles.
• Go Designer – If comfort is important to you, consider investing in a high end brand. Although you’ll pay for the high quality fabric and fine craftsmanship, you’ll enjoy better a better fit and greater comfort.
• Add Pads – Shoe pads can help prevent slipping and chafing so that you can keep dancing all night. In fact – here’s a little secret – shoe pads can actually make your feet look better by preventing your toes from hanging over the edge of the shoe. You can find a collection of shoe pads made especially for bridal shoes and heels at My Glass Slipper.
• Break ‘Em In – A few weeks before the wedding, start wearing your wedding shoes inside for an hour or two at a time. This will break in the fabric, and help you get used to wearing them.
• Go Goody Two Shoes- If you find a shoe that pleases the eye, but kills the feet, bring two pairs of shoes. Wear those killer heels for the ceremony and photos, and change into the comfortable pair for dancing and mingling.

4) Choose Your Wedding Shoes Style
Seek to complement these four aspects, and your kicks will be a perfect shoe-in:

• The Season – Traditional fashion rules dictate closed toe shoes are appropriate for winter months. However, this rule has relaxed somewhat, especially in warmer climates.
• The Formality of Your Wedding Day – A closed toe pump provides most classic and formal look; added embellishments also make a shoe more formal. On the other hand, low sandals, ballet slippers and even jewel studded flip flops complement a more casual event.
• Your Dress – Bridal shoes can be adorned with a number of embellishments, such as crystal, rhinestone, bows, beading, and embroidery, so choose ornamentation that complements those on your gown or other accessories. Also consider your hemline; a decorated hemline calls for a simpler shoe style, while embellished shoes can dress up a plain hemline.
• Your Venue – If your ceremony or reception takes place on a lawn, beach, or other soft surface, avoid stiletto heels, as they tend to sink into soft ground and sand. Instead look for a wide heel or flat.

Other Style Tips for Wedding Shoes

• Avoid any hosiery with open-toed shoes – as the line across the toe should never show.
• Remember that higher heels will make your legs look more toned (keeping your calves flexed), and they’ll also ensure better posture.
• Make sure you’ve found your shoes before your first fitting, as you’ll need to try them on with the gown so it can be adjusted to the proper length

This complete guide to wedding accessories has even more advice on bridal shoes, veils, gloves, and headpieces.

How to Look Beautiful in Your Wedding Photographs
by Juhlin Youlien

Wedding preparations for you Phoenix dream wedding is all set. Every single detail from hiring your wedding photography Phoenix to the wedding favors is all taken cared of. Your wedding is one of the most important days of your life and the greatest way to remember this once in a lifetime event is through your wedding photographs. Naturally, you would want to look like a beautiful and blushing bride in each and every photo. It is essential you devote extra attention to your skin, hair and make up. Here are some tips to make sure you look radiant and flawless on your big day.

• The most important thing to consider to achieve beautiful weddings photographs is to hire a professional wedding photographer. An experienced photographer will give amazing images which will last you a lifetime.

• You should avoid tight curls and complicated hairstyles. This will look unnatural in photos. Keep it simple and elegant. If you are planning to wear a dramatic veil for your walk down the aisle, look for a style where you can detach some part of it during the reception.

• Do not be afraid to experiment with your eyeshadow. You do not need to follow any kind of rule. Use a light shade shadow at the inner corner of your eyes if you want to create an illusion of bigger eyes. Then apply a darker shade of eyeshadow at the center of your lids.

• It is important that you wear waterproof mascara. You will never know if you will get teary eyed in your big day. Black mascara will surely run and leave unflattering raccoon eyes. You should also encourage everybody in the wedding entourage to use waterproof mascara to avoid smudging.

• You will need a good foundation. The technique is to put moisturizer first to prime your skin. Apply a matte foundation, then a concealer. Dust powder foundation using a brush.

• Carefully fix a smudged eye make-up. You should be very cautious in fixing a smudged eye make up because if you smudge it more then you might have to wipe it off completely and start all over again.

• Bridal make up should look soft and romantic. Using natural pinks will make you look like a blushing bride. Lipsticks should also stick to pinks and brownish pinks.

• Bring a small pouch that matches your wedding gown. This will hold your pressed powder, lipstick and blush when you need to retouch before the reception.

• Remember to prevent breakouts on your face. Even if you are tired preparing for your wedding day, you should always remember to wash your face twice a day and don’t forget to remove makeup before going to bed.

• Instruct the wedding photographer to take pictures right after the ceremony when everybody’s makeup is still intact. You can also opt for black and white photos to create a soft and romantic feel to the images.

And lastly, the most important advice on how to look beautiful in your wedding photos is to enjoy your special day. The sincere happiness and contentment you feel on your wedding will surely shine through your wedding photography Phoenix. Always remember that regardless of what you wear, a woman’s beauty comes from within.