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What to Wear Under the Wedding Dress

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The day has finally come. You’re finally going to your first bridal gown fitting! But, are you bringing the right bra?

Choosing the right bra to go with the perfect dress can be tricky. You want support and comfort. You also want to make sure the dress looks perfect on you. Don’t worry though! We’re here to help you out on your best day ever with a few tips and tricks to help you decide what’s best.

  1. No bra – You may not need a bra at all for your special day. It all depends on your body and how you feel personally. Many wedding dresses are very structured and offer a lot of support all on their own. Some might come with a support system built right in. For others, you could work with your salon and seamstress to add one to your dress.
  2. Backless, stick-on bra – These can be tricky, but if you’re sporting a backless dress for your big day or have fabric that’s on the thinner side, this works wonders. It offers coverage and sticks right to your skin, so you decide where it’s most comfortable for you.

    FASHION FORMS: Le Lusion Second Skin Cups

    FASHION FORMS: Backless Strapless U-Plunge Bra

  3. Bustier – If you’re looking to add a little more curve, this might be the one for you. This works especially well with a ball gown. You want the top part of your gown to show off your shape on your Cinderella day. A bustier or corset will really accentuate the waist and support your bust to keep you looking your absolute best.

    Dominique Longline Strapless Bra

  4. Bodysuit – If you’ve fallen in love with a particularly low-cut dress and sticky tape just won’t work for you, a bodysuit might be an option. These offer a little bit more support and shape to keep everything in place. You might also find a backless bodysuit, perfect for a backless gown.

    FASHION FORMS: U Plunge Backless Strapless Thong Bodysuit

When it comes down to it, it’s all about what you feel the most comfortable in. Don’t wear a corset or bustier just because you feel you have to. Make sure you feel comfortable and beautiful on your wedding day. Choose what works best for you. Your bridal consultant and seamstress at your salon will be there for you to help you select the best option. Share your concerns with them and you’ll be sure to work it out.

Fashion Forms and Dominique can be found at Aleana’s Bridal.

 

Your Beach Destination Wedding Dress

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Destination weddings are becoming more and more popular every year. Beach weddings are especially popular because the beach is a relaxing place. When you think of the beach, you think of rest, relaxation, serenity, and beauty. You can picture that gorgeous sunset against the water and feel the sand between your toes. What could be a more perfect place to get married?

If you are thinking about planning a beach destination wedding, here are some great locations in the Caribbean from Islands.com. If you want to stay within the states, you can search The Knot for the perfect local beach wedding venue.

Now that you’ve got the perfect location, it’s time to find the perfect dress! When you’re getting married on the beach you want to choose something light and airy. Don’t be afraid to go tight and sexy either, because you are on the beach after all! You also might want to shorten your dress a bit more than usual to avoid getting sand everywhere.

If you want to dip your toes in the water or walk barefoot, choose a fabric that is very light. Heavy fabric could weigh you down if it gets a little bit wet. Fabrics like chiffon, tulle, and English netting are very lightweight and won’t feel heavy. They’ll give you that light and flowy feeling that will flow nicely in the beachy air.

Enchanting by Mon Cheri

Rebecca Ingram

Allure

If you want to channel your inner mermaid, then a mermaid or fit and flare silhouette might be the choice for you. Keep it simple with light layers and fabric. Look for something sexy and simple for your mermaid moment.

Enchanting by Mon Cheri

Sottero and Midgley

Allure

If you’re still aching for that princess ball gown, even on the beach, there are so many lightweight options to choose from! You can also always remove layers if the gown still feels too heavy. An a-line gown might also give you a more ball gown feel, without all of the layers.

Rebecca Ingram

Allure

Pronovias

These styles, and so much more, are available at Aleana’s Bridal!

The Perfect Castle Wedding Gowns

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Imagine the day you’ve been dreaming of since you were a little girl: your wedding day. You’ve been dreaming of your fairytale wedding for as long as you can remember. You’ve always wanted to be a princess, and where does every princess get married? A castle, of course. There are so many elegant castles to choose from around the world for your wedding day to make you feel like a true princess. There are even many in the U.S., which means you don’t have to travel across the pond!

A castle wedding venue means there are so many different options for your dress. Any silhouette and fabric that works for you can be yours. Unless you choose to get married with the castle as your backdrop, you won’t need to worry about sand, dirt, or water getting on your dress, because you’ll be indoors. So, if you really want to feel like the princess of the castle, here are some suggestions to get you started:

A silk or satin ball gown is the perfect statement for your fairytale wedding. Satin gowns are elegant and regal to make you look and feel like a true princess.

Sottero and Midgley

If satin really isn’t your style and you’re looking for something a little more lightweight, look for something with tulle or organza. You can still get that princess look without all of the added weight.

Pronovias

This style is perfect if you want to channel Princess Kate on your fairytale wedding day. The sleeves are a bit more conservative, but add a touch of elegance you might not find in a sleeveless gown.

If a ball gown really isn’t your style, there are plenty of other styles that will still bring out your inner princess. From A-line to fit and flare to two-in-ones, the options are endless.

These styles, and so much more, are available at Aleana’s Bridal!

Chocoholic Wedding

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Are you both total chocoholics?  Then why are you looking at vanilla cakes?  Just because white cakes are the most traditional wedding cake doesn’t mean you need to serve them at your wedding.

Here are a few ways to incorporate chocolate in your wedding.

1. Chocolate candy table –

It might not be a good idea for a venue that gets some serious sunshine, but a hint of chocolate in your decorations might mean a few more or your guests stop to smell the roses. Think about having a candy bar filled with a variety of treats that can be made from chocolate. Think sweet starfish and seashells for a beach-side celebration (just be sure not to set a display of chocolate favors out in the sun), or a chic mix of white-and-dark chocolate treats for an indoor wedding. There are uncountable things to add to your chocolate table such as milk chocolate covered malt balls, chocolate dipped pretzels, chocolate covered almond toffee bites and milk chocolate covered caramel popcorn’s just to name a few. These could be put in cute little candy jars next to scrumptious hot chocolate drinks for the younger ones to relish – best for winter weddings. For the adults, these chocolate drinks can come with a twist. Such as combining chocolate ice cream with alcohol and turning it into a shake.

2. Chocolate cupcakes –

A big wedding cake isn’t a must. Find a baker that specializes in creating awesome cupcake inspired displays for your wedding. Chocolate wedding cupcakes can be just as chic and glamorous. Whip up a batch of chocolate infused offerings and have them as your centerpiece. You could also go for ooey gooey creations; with center filled caramel or peanut butter. These chocolate confections are going to be so rich and decadent.

3. Chocolate fountain –

If your wedding reception is just for a small group only, you should have the personal chocolate fountain. It isn’t much, but it would still be an additional fun for the wedding reception. For any cocoa-crazy bride this is an absolute necessity, and is sure to get your friends and family talking. You can skewer dried and fresh fruits to give it a surprising appearance and a more exciting effect. Strawberries with prunes and grapes are also often used too.

Sliced cakes or crackers would also a fine addition. If you mixed the colors well then they will add more to the decoration and create and all-round colorful effect. Marshmallows are a plus. It is the next best thing paired to chocolates. Other dipping’s may include pretzels, cookies and bread pieces.

There are several flavors for chocolate fountains to choose from, in case you want to add extra taste to your chocolates. If you expect that most of your guests are diet conscious, you can also request to have an additive to maintain the sweetness but lower the calories or sugar content. This way, your guests can still enjoy the chocolate fountain in a healthy way.

This article brought to you by Aleanas Bridal, Paramus New Jersey.

Fun Photo Prop Wedding Photo Ideas

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Photo props come in all shapes and sizes. Best prepared in advance to capture specific shots, you can have a blast improvising with different shots!

 Use affection and love! Use the symbol that has been recognized across cultures as the symbol of love and joy. The hands and hearts make for a perfectly romantic wedding photo.

 Make use of an old parasol that your aunt once gifted to protect you from sun burns. Put a word or two of your choice on it, and protect your love by posing the way you wish under the same parasol.

Pose along with your life partner by using a DIY vintage chalkboard as a prop in your gorgeous fit and flare wedding dress of your choice, available right here at our store in Paramus, NJ or our website. Make memories by including a few custom messages for your guests and photo album.

Capture a dreamy and secretive smooch in your lovely gown beneath your beautiful veil, customized by us just the way you want. You could also snap a look of love beneath a halo of golden leaves during the fall.

Get swept off your feet by the love of your life and disappear into the sunset.

Capture the unbreakable bond between you and your fur baby by including them in your wedding photographs to have a super special puppy licious keepsake!

Want to look like a princess and make your pictures stand out on your big day? Then stop by us and purchase the latest and trendiest designer wedding gown of your choice available in lace, tulle, satin and many more, here at our store in Paramus, NJ.

This article brought to you by Aleana’s Bridal

8 Ways to Color your Wedding Venue

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Your color scheme for the wedding has the power to set the vibe! The colors you choose can seriously affect the overall tone and mood of your wedding, so think about what kind of celebration you want! Always remember to pick up your favorite shade, and the type of style you will use on your wedding invitations. This will give your family and friends a clue about your wedding style (and what they should wear). Here are a few color combinations you could go for:

1. Cream & Gold 

Consider a cream and gold wedding. These wedding colors could work for any time of the year. This romantic décor can work for a stunning indoor venue or a relaxed outdoor atmosphere. Its versatility allows it to be a bit rustic, and perfectly refined. Also, gold will always complement the neutral color scheme and isn’t forced to fight for attention aside in bold colors.

2. Brown and Arctic Blue 

Blue for your wedding color will create a relaxing and peaceful mood for your wedding in which everyone will feel contented and happy. Navy blue can look great with ivory, champagne, and white. Adding brown can make it a gorgeous combo. For this theme, go with white tulips, lilies and maybe hydrangea in blue or white. Adding a handful of peacock feathers will definitely look charming, providing a splash of color to kick off a fabulous day.

3. Rustic Rainbow 

A colorful wedding is a beautiful wedding. Choosing all the colors of a rainbow to include in your wedding is bold, attention-grabbing and a bit overwhelming. The most important thing to remember when having a colorful wedding is to make sure every color is represented equally. If your wedding is in the spring, choose pastels. If your wedding is in the summer, choose bright and vibrant colors. If your wedding is in the fall, choose dulled shades that are deeper. If your wedding is in the winter, choose cool palettes for all of your colors.

4. Cherry Red

Red is probably the boldest color you can choose for your wedding. It creates a warm and stimulating mood at your wedding with high energy. The attention-seeking color will have all eyes on a bride who wears a red wedding gown, on a reception venue decorated with red flowers and bridesmaids channeling vibrant red dresses. There are many shades of red to choose from, such as coral, burgundy, ruby, crimson, vermilion or maroon, and endless types of flowers like roses, tulips, poppies, peonies, and dahlias, just to name a few. This bold color (perfect for the brave & romantic ones) can tint every element of your wedding, from heart-shaped table decorations to a spectacular red velvet wedding cake and red rose bouquets for you and your bridesmaids.

5. Purple & Green

Purple is most often associated with royalty. This is because Roman Emperors were often seen wearing purple. Adding a beautiful splash of purple and green to your wedding will create a calming and restful mood. Use lilacs, known for their lovely fragrance which is part of why many brides choose these for their purple pop. While lilacs can also be white, pink, and red, purple lilacs symbolize purity and first love.

6. Turquoise & Lime Green

This bold and bright color combo is pretty chameleonic, and here is why. Depending on the accessories and decorations you choose to display in this sweet yet euphoric mix, your big day can acquire different touches: for a vintage wedding choose powder green, fainted turquoise, and all things antique, for an exotic feel choose a stand-out aqua shade and lots of marine elements, while for a garden-party vibe scatter endless quantities of green hydrangea everywhere and wrap turquoise ribbons around everything. Turquoise will create a refreshing, friendly and happy mood at your wedding.

7.  Kelly Green

There are dozens of ways that green can be a beautiful color for a wedding. Whether as an accent or a dominant shade, this gentle color evokes a sense of peace and nature perfect for a romantic celebration. There are many ways to incorporate more green into the floral arrangements, such as: choosing all-green arrangements with green blooms using more ivy, ferns, and other greenery in decorations or wrapping bouquets in green ribbon. The wedding cake is undoubtedly the star of the wedding menu, and adding green accents can make this scrumptious dessert a treat for the eyes as well as the taste buds. Consider green options such as: decorating the cake with greenery rather than flowers or adding faux emeralds or other green jewels to the cake.

8. White & Blue

A sea-and-sky color theme helps create a crisp, modern wedding. Get inspired by a monochromatic palette of chic sea-glass blues. Print and texture mixing is encouraged, along with a signature sip and dessert bar that perpetuates the color scheme.

This article brought to you by Aleana’s Bridal, Paramus, NJ

Wedding Photo Booth

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Wedding Photo Booth – Make this the main focal point of your wedding reception.

There are so many ways for you to capture amazing memories of your wedding day. Putting up a photo booth does not only capture great shots but also keeps your guests entertained. This photo booth is going to capture moments that may not be captured otherwise. People are also very relaxed in the privacy of a photo booth and you are sure to get some really hilarious images of people acting in ways that they might otherwise not. And since they provide photos instantly, these are going to be the very first photos that the bride and groom see after their wedding.

You could hire an attendant that will make sure everything runs smoothly and will explain what to do to your guests. But on the other hand if you do not want to hire one, you could just put up a large sign with instructions for your guests.

Make it fun! Decorate the photo booth according to the theme of your wedding. Encourage group shots! The more the merrier! This is not only a great way to get memorable wedding day photos, but also fun, casual and impromptu photographs! To make the photo booth even more fun and all its pictures even more memorable, place a bunch of cool accessories and props by the photo booth and let the guests go crazy! Anything and everything is allowed – glasses, wigs, hats, feathers, shawls, clown noses, play swords, butterfly wings, signs with funny sayings, bow-ties and more.

Hire the booth for the whole day so that you can capture all of the action. The best time to capture great photos is after dinner when your guests are most relaxed and have got to know one another better. Make sure to get a photo booth that prints both black and white and glossy style color prints as different guests would prefer different styles.

You can save these in a DVD or even create a photo album.

This article brought to you by Aleana’s Bridal, Paramus, New Jersey

Wedding Cakes

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The whole point of a wedding cake is, of course, to eat it and enjoy the sugary sweetness. But these colorful cakes are so gorgeous, that it seems like a crime to cut into them. You could look online at wedding cakes or look in old family photos for cake ideas, especially if you want to carry on a tradition.

White and pastels are no longer the only colors used to celebrate a new marriage. Bold, bright colors are increasingly being chosen over more traditional color palettes, and the aesthetic is transferring over to bold, colorful wedding cakes. Add pretty blooms to make them the perfect accessory for your wedding cake. Starting either at the top or near the top of the cake, the flowers cascade down the sides in a smooth curve or spiral.

You can also add a bit of a boho feel to your wedding cake at your bohemian themed wedding. Get a colorful cake with maybe gold piping, quilting, fondant embellishments, and beautiful flowers. Fresh raspberries and roses add a hint of jewel-toned color to the soft color palette, accented with overflowing floral arrangements in delicate pink and blush. Summer roses, ruffled peonies, and bright tulips also add a lovely texture to the tone on tone arrangements at your wedding.

If you’re envisioning a country style wedding, not a fan of colors and are looking for a greater impact, bet on a naked design. Just delicious! Rustic wedding cakes can add a chic touch to your wedding giving it a natural charm. Your wedding cake can also be rustic by adding some color; some fresh flowers in complementary colors (always harmonious with the style of your wedding) can be ideal.

Tip: 

  • Adding fresh berries and fruit to a cake can turn it into both an art and a dessert. Sponge cakes make this easy and can keep down the costs for you.
  • Plan well in advance. Tell the baker how many people the cake has to serve. The more guests, the larger the cake needed.

This article brought to you by Aleanas Bridal, Paramus, New Jersey

 

Live Stream Your Entire Wedding

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Guests attending your wedding over the internet: the future is HERE.

Skype is so popular nowadays, that there’s a whole tag archive for it. Skype is a great option to stream your entire wedding as it’s free for one-to-one video calls. All you need is Wi-Fi. If you upgrade, you can even have a conference call for up to 10 computers. Like Skype, Google Hangouts on Air is free; unlike Skype, you don’t need to upgrade to have conference calls with multiple computers. You can set the event to public, private, or unlisted. If you set it to the public, anyone can watch your stream and if you set it to private, you have to manually invite anyone you want to watch, and those people need to have a Google account.

If you have an iPad or iPhone, you can also think of setting up a video call to another Apple FaceTime user. FaceTime is one-to-one only. Use an iPhone or an iPad over a laptop,  as you can choose to use the front or back cameras while FaceTiming, and switch back and forth between the calls.

There’s also Livestream, that will enable you to stream your video in HD. You can’t make your event private if you’re using the free plan.

Tip: Figure out a good angle to film from or consider appointing someone to keep an eye on the stream during the ceremony. Make sure your virtual attendees know how to get to the page where you’ll be streaming the wedding. Inform them! One could also record the entire ceremony and then share the link with friends who couldn’t attend in an email or Facebook update. Or, if you have a blog, you could just post it up there.

This article brought to you by Aleana’s Bridal, Paramus, NJ.

How to maintain your manners: Proper wedding etiquette (Part 4)

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Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 first

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So what makes the best manners?  MINDFULNESS.  The best manners come from the mindful person who is very aware of themselves and their surroundings, other people and the environment.

 

Etiquette stems from common courtesy, sense, and social graces, such as: When entering or leaving the room, going into or out of bathrooms, etc., hold the door open for the next person.  Be conscious of staying silent during speeches and announcements and be aware of the alcohol you are consuming and always practice sophisticated self-control.

 

The most important rule of etiquette in attending a wedding event is to enjoy the day in a classy manner and bringing your most lofty, positive energy.  The bride and groom planned this special day in celebration of a jovial affair and took their guests’ comfort and entertainment into heavy consideration.  Be respectful, be polite and be on your way to being a stellar guest…one who contributes to the memories being made, and to the pages in the storybook that makes the bride’s dreams complete.

And don’t forget to bring the most important thing along with you, wrapped up in your own aura and expanded into those of others around you: L O V E.