If the whirlwind surrounding your wedding has prevented you from making plans for your gown after the wedding, don’t worry. We’ve prepared a few quick tips to help you accomplish this pre-honeymoon task quickly and efficiently with beautiful results that will last years.
The first step - GET IT CLEANED
• Don’t wait until after the honeymoon. Stains set in fast! • Find a reputable cleaner that specializes in wedding gowns. If you plan to professionally preserve your gown, they will usually offer cleaning as part of the service. • Point out any stains and what made them. Keep in mind that invisible stains will cause damage over time, so try to remember the little spills that occur throughout the reception. • Also note any decorations that have been glued in place or anything else that is unique in your gown’s construction. The more detail you can provide, the easier it will be to choose the best cleaning method for your dress.
The next step - GET IT OUT OF THE DRY CLEANING BAG
Whatever you do, don’t leave it hanging in the drycleaning bag. Plastic fumes will yellow your dress before you know it. The best preservation methods will protect your gown from discoloring, fading, dust, mildew, insects, permanent creasing, and allow for regular inspection.
A CAUTION AGAINST SEALING YOUR DRESS
Sometimes a stain is missed in the first cleaning and can oxidize in time leading to a nasty brown spot. If caught early, these spots can be removed, but if the box is sealed this becomes a costly and inconvenient endeavor. For this reason alone, it’s advised that you not seal up your dress. Mildew can also develop in a sealed box if the preservation isn’t handled by a reputable shop.
CLIMATE CONTROL AND REGULAR INSPECTION
A dress can be safely preserved in an acid-free box. Watch out for plastic coverings or brown boxes. Both can cause discoloration.
Folds should be minimal and softened with acid-free tissue paper.
If you’re worried about creases and have the space, you can hang your gown on a padded hanger in a closet with plenty of circulation. Make sure you sew in hanging straps to prevent the fabric from stretching and cover with a cotton sheet or bag.
Carefully select where you store your gown. The extreme temperatures and bad air circulations of attics, basements, and storage rooms can harm your gown over time. Also be careful of bathroom closets with high humidity levels.
Check your gown at least every two to three years and refold so creases don’t become permanent or weaken the fabric.
Always wear white, cotton gloves when you handle your dress.
Each wedding anniversary is an ideal time to check on your dress. Not only will you be protecting your gown, you’ll be spending the time to cherish one of your most precious memories.
Many women face their wedding day with strong, often mixed emotions. Altared is a collection of essays giving voice to many of these emotions and offering a modern day perspective on one of the most momentous occasions of a woman’s life. How do women view weddings today?
Over two dozen entertaining writers take a look at standard wedding recommendations and then provide the rest of the story – the one that unfolds in real life. What do you do when your divorced parents can’t stand to be in the same room with each other? Farah L. Miller covers the issue in depth as it unfolds at her wedding in the essay, “Going Bridal.” Janelle Brown questions the true purpose of a bridal registry in “The Registry Strikes Back.” And if you think you’re having trouble committing to the big day or veering dangerously close to becoming a Bridezilla, read Jennifer Armstrong’s “The Best-Laid Wedding Plans.” Believe me, you won’t feel so bad.
Balancing the wedding budget, preserving your personality while following the rules of etiquette, pleasing everyone - Altared covers it all. When you find yourself tearing your hair out over invitations and caterers, open up this book, pick an essay and start reading. In minutes you’ll either be laughing or crying, but at least you’ll know you’re not alone.
The Groom’s Secret Handbook:
How Not To Screw Up The Biggest Day Of Her Life
By Anthony Marsh And Jay Blumenfield
A Review By Dana Barfield
The Groom’s Secret Handbook is definitely a book to lighten the sometimes tense and hectic mood of wedding planning. Although written for the men, it’s not a bad idea for the women pick this one up just to get a little perspective. As we might imagine, this handy wedding guide, subtitled How Not to Screw Up the Biggest Day of Her Life, is 20 percent guide and 80 percent silliness. However, under the guise of raucous humor, it offers some real help in tricking the groom into thinking about the big day ahead of time and all it entails.
It’s commonly known that men often don’t think through the consequences of their actions. The insightful men who wrote this book understand this and supply disastrous scenarios your groom can learn from ahead of time. There are many, many lists of things not to do and say. Even the most clueless man will see how totally inappropriate it would be to start the wedding toast with “looking over at my future mother-in-law, I’m reminded that love is indeed blind.” Or to select a tuxedo shop that “does its best business on Halloween.” Or to suggest a clergyman who “offers a family discount on embalming.”
A little silly? Yes. Everything from choosing the photographer to writing original vows is covered in half page snippets in keeping with the typical male’s attention span where all-things wedding are concerned. The kind of guidance offered may seem ridiculous to the female mind but goes a long way toward getting the male mind to function in wedding mode. This semi-serious advice is illustrated with vintage photographs and interspersed with “Fight Breaks,” comical dialogues to which both sexes can easily relate. However, be warned. As a woman you will want to read this book with an open mind.
Checks on such wedding details as bills for the flowers and accommodations for out-of-town ushers
Sees that the groom is properly outfitted and at the ceremony site on time. You might say he is the groom’s person bodyguard/valet
Hands the ceremony officiant a sealed envelope with his fee (from the groom) immediately following the ceremony
Carries the bride’s wedding ring down the aisle. At the appropriate moment in the ceremony he hands it to the officiant
Oversee the ushers, making sure that all are uniformly dressed, thoroughly briefed, and at the ceremony site at the appointed hour
May stand in the receiving line or circulate among the guests
May dance with the honor attendant, then the bride during the newlyweds first dance
Site to the right of the bride, if it’s a seated reception and proposes the first toast to the new couple
He makes sure that the windshield for the honeymoon car is not over decorated. Also he makes sure that only removable materials are used to decorate the car (no paint)
May be responsible for driving the couple to their station, airport, or hotel
Sees to it that all the men’s rental clothes are returned to the formal wear store the first business day after the wedding
This indispensable role is usually filled by the groom’s most trustworthy friend or relative. The best man’s duties are many and varied. He usually organizes the bachelor party, is chief of staff at the wedding, toastmaster at the reception and personal aide and advisor to the groom. Although many of his tasks may be assigned to one of the ushers, the best man is expected to hold the bride’s ring during the ceremony, offer the first toast and generally lighten the groom’s load.
A “latte” of coffee colors will be gracing groomsmen in 2008.
“Latte is the number one color when it comes to vests, and Riviera café is next,” said Lynn Wheelus, president of Rein’s Formal Wear in Pensacola. “Shades of brown are huge.”
Experts say Starbucks sparked the trend, and now coffee colors appear to be taking over the fashion world. Most significantly, brown is moving beyond vests and into the territory of traditional black tuxes.
“I can’t believe it, but brown is what’s hot for tuxes, too,” Wheelus said. “Our area is probably a little more conservative than Atlanta and New Orleans, so I don’t buy as aggressively as some of the more fashion-conscious bigger cities.” “The browns we’ve done so far have been a striped brown. We’ve had black so long that it’s nice to see something different.”
Of course, a brown tux dictates brown shoes, brown socks and a shirt that’s not stark white. “We’re seeing more ivory shirts than white,” she said.
But traditional black is still the predominant color for vests and tuxes in this area, wedding experts say.
“Basic black will always be preferred,” said Robert Bellanova, owner of Randall’s Formal Wear in Pensacola and Mobile. “It’s a classic look.”
Black and brown are not the only color brides are imbibing for their bridal parties. Experts say there are a variety of styles making an impact.
TUXES • Gray. Also, black with a brown stripe. VESTS • Persimmon, clover, cerise, apple and cornflower blue. When it comes to shades of green, “last year it was kiwi, this year it’s clover,” Wheelus said. TIES • Paisley and stripes. “We’re still seeing a lot of these,” Wheelus said. • Long, straight ties. “They’re 90 percent of what we’re doing,” said Richard Crenshaw, owner of Gent’s Formal Wear in downtown Pensacola. • Bowties. “They’re making a comeback, and it’s refreshing,” Wheelus said. “Manufacturers have done so much with long ties that when you saw the awards shows, you didn’t know if the men were wearing tuxes or suits. Everyone has gotten so casual in weddings, they had to do something to revamp the whole industry.” • Long ties. “They’re still the preferred ties in the industry,” said Bellanova said. LAPELS • Peak lapels, especially with edges piped with satin. “Calvin Klein is doing this,” Wheelus said. Crenshaw said, “Notch lapels have been around for several years, but the peak, which was big in the Reagan era, is making a resurgence. At the Emmy Awards, all the stars were wearing peak lapels. When you see that, you know it’s coming here.” • Notch lapel. “They’re still big,” Bellanova said. “The two-button with the notch lapel is the most flattering of all suits.” COAT LENGTHS • Regular-length jackets. “We’re not seeing a lot of uses of the tailcoats right now,” Wheelus said. “They haven’t disappeared, but it’s just not something they’re pushing down our throats right now.” ACCESSORIES • Belts with buckles. “This was the most unique trend I’ve seen,” Bellanova said. “The buckles are fairly large, which I think takes away from the look of the tux. They’re turquoise or different colors that will blend with the ties and the bridesmaids’ dresses, and they’re worn with long ties that end at the buckle. It’s a huge expense because we have to buy pants with belt loops, as well as all these different accessories – the belts and the buckles – in thousands of colors. They’re a more casual look because you wear them without a vest, so they’re touted more as a prom look. But prom usually dictates the wedding trends because young trends tend to mainstream eventually.” • Pointy-toe shoes. “They went from round to square about 10 years ago, and now they’re pointy,” Crenshaw said. “All over Italy last year, cowboy-pointy is what you’d see walking down the street everywhere. And that’s what’s making it to [wedding] shoes.” • Silver cufflinks. “It was all gold about five years ago and now we’re seeing a resurgence of platinum and silver cufflinks,” Crenshaw said. Destination-wedding attire
• Italian suits. “These were big for spring,” Wheelus said. “They’re more tailored than the regular American suit. They typically have a more tailored waist and are made of better fabric.”
Your gal pals should look nothing short of glamorous for your wedding. After all, your friends’ fashions are a reflection of you. Curious about the best bets for bridesmaids’ attire in 2008? From knee-baring numbers to calorie-free chocolate hues, Jennifer Kocolowski, a marketing and sales representative for Jasmine Bridal, will lead you through the latest trends.
Q. What are some of the upcoming trends in bridesmaids’ dresses for Jasmine Bridal? “Spring 2008 definitely focuses on showcasing a woman’s figure and femininity. You’ll see that chiffon, taffeta and satin can be used to flatter anyone’s features by creatively draping the fabric across the bodice, waistline and hips to hide figure flaws and create an attractive silhouette. Ruching, ruffles and ribbons are also everywhere this season, showcasing the shorter, flirtier styles that can be worn to a variety of events. The bubble skirt will also be back strong again this season; however, just as popular are the fuller T-length skirts that are reminiscent of the days of Audrey Hepburn and Doris Day.”
Q. What are the biggest changes in bridesmaids’ dresses for 2008? “Being a bridesmaid no longer means that you will be forced to wear a gown that does not compliment your body type or, even worse, one that you will never wear again. Brides are letting their girls choose their own complimentary styles in the same tones or hues that will still coordinate with the rest of the party but also bring out each individual’s best features. This ensures that each maid will have a gown that they love, and can surely be worn again.
Q. What are the most popular lengths, colors, etc. for 2008 bridesmaids’ dresses? “I would have to say that the full-length styles are still just as popular as the T-length gowns, but this season you can expect to find that the shorter gowns are now falling much higher above the knee, rather than the typical ballerina length. Metallic hues are hot for this season, as well as the richer jewel tone colors that look good on almost every skin tone. Black and white is also everywhere, whether it’s worn by the bride or her bridesmaids. Yellow will also be making a big debut in bridal this season, in addition to the ever popular and always complimentary chocolate browns and bright pinks.”
Q. What is not in for 2008 in regard to bridesmaids’ dresses? “I think that most women would agree that wearing any style that does not compliment them just to have everyone in the same gown is totally out. With so many fresh new styles to choose from, bridesmaids should no longer be sentenced to wearing a gown that will sooner or later end up as a pillowcase or in the garbage.”
Q. Anything else you think our readers would be interested in knowing about bridesmaid attire for 2008? “When purchasing gowns for such an important day, do not take the chance of going through any source that is not an authorized retailer of your designer. Do your research beforehand as there are many imposters out there that can lead to countless issues with quality control, as well as receiving the right gown on time. Therefore, stick with a full-service bridal shop that can guarantee they have the professional knowledge and customer service which will ensure that you have the best possible experience when ordering and altering your gown.”
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The Spring 2009 issue of Coastal Weddings is available now at locations along the Gulf Coast.
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The Groom’s Secret Handbook:
Checks on such wedding details as bills for the flowers and accommodations for out-of-town ushers 
Q. What are some of the upcoming trends in bridesmaids’ dresses for Jasmine Bridal? 