Wedding Planning Guide   page:  1  2  3

Planning with Both Families
The wedding day is exciting, romantic and special, but can be made complicated by the hopes and dreams of the bride by the groom's family. Usually, the bride's family parents pay for the wedding. This can be a costly expense, so you may want to sit down with everyone and discuss the costs and the best solution for everyone.

How involved the groom's family is on the wedding day often depends on the bride. As a rule, the families of the bride and groom and the maid of honor are your team to help you on this day. Remember, this is your day and some decisions you make will not be agreed by everyone.

Bridal Gowns
The bride's selection of a traditional gown is largely independent of fashion and season. Whether silk, tulle, satin or lace; these threads are at the heart of every brides romantic dream -her wedding dress.

The bridal gown may be short, long, elaborate, simple, formal, informal, white, colorful, or any combination. Learn about your dress fabric beforehand. Ask your salon owner or sales person what the material your dress is made out of, cleaning tips, and whether the dress and trim are cleanable.

After the wedding, the gown should be cleaned and protected for possible later use. You may be interested in having your gown packaged in a protective storage box. Many dry cleaners specialize in the service of bridal gowns. At home store the gown in a cool dry place.

Formal Wear
Grooms will not be traumatized by the overwhelming choices for ensembles. The decision falls into place when you consider: Is this a spring, summer, winter or fall wedding? At what time is the service held? Will it include a wedding party? How big? What kind of wedding is it going to be?

Formal weddings often occur during the day. Grooms wear a long jacket, cutaway style, in black or gray. White shirt, with winged collars and French cuffs, with studs, a vest, cummerbund, an ascot, dress shoes, and an overcoat with matching hats and gloves.
Semiformal weddings have matching or contrasting jackets, trousers, shirts, cummerbunds, vests, and ties are standard semi-formal wedding fare.

Informal weddings are distinguished by two styles. The business suit for the conservative set, and the "anything goes" look for a more eccentric wedding.

Making the correct choice takes planning and persistence. Learn the differences between tuxedos, collars, cummerbunds and suspenders. Consider the father of the bridal couple. When hunting for formal wear shop, make sure it offers national labels. Visit several shops and try on different styles. Ask questions and gather information.