The Hunt is on...for the Perfect Gown

So you've flipped through magazines and have a pretty good idea of what you want to wear at your wedding. But before you run out to buy something, try on everything.

Here are a few shopping tips:

1. Make appointments at several salons. Pick salons that sell different designers and stores that have a different feel to them.

2. Choose salons that carry low, moderate and high-end priced gowns. You never know which dress you will pick. The gown you fall in love with may be expensive, inexpensive, a designer brand or a sample gown off the rack.

3. Bring a friend or relative to your appointments, but make sure it’s one whose fashion sense is similar to yours. While your friend who wants to get married down south poofy as a belle may try to be objective, she probably won’t truly appreciate a minimalist Vera Wang creation.

The dress pictured above is by Oscar de la Renta. Click here to find an upcoming Oscar de la Renta bridal trunk show.

Capturing the Moments

Remember that your photographer has one job at your wedding: to capture the special moments and details of the day.

New York based photographer Kathi Littwin has captured the most beautiful and most romantic images I've ever seen. Each one of her photographs emits not only the details, but the feelings of the day too. Like many photographers, Kathi has traveled near and far to photograph the special moments shared between a bride and groom and their guests, as well as the personalized details of the day.

Wedding Tip - When meeting with photographers ask to see a complete wedding album - from getting ready to the ceremony and through the reception. You don't want to view a "greatest hits" album - the best pictures he or she has taken at various weddings. You want to know that your photographer can consistently capture beautiful pictures throughout the day and not just a few good ones here and there.

Click here to view Kathi Littwin's portfolio.

And you are...

Incase you're concerned that someone might mistake you for a bridesmaid, and not the bride, pick up a tee, tank or shorts, which state crystal clearly your role in the wedding.

Cotton Sisters makes a fabulous line of "whose who in the wedding" attire. From the MOB to the MOH every female in the wedding party can have their own outfit.

Great for gifts for your bridesmaids and flower girl, or "something blue" undies to give the bride at her bachlorette party, the Cotton Sisters have you covered.

Wedding Watercolors

Of course you will have a photographer and most likely a videographer to capture the special moments of your wedding day. But what if I told you that you could hire an artist who will capture these moments, not through a lens but with the stroke of a brush?

Anne Watkins captures all the moments of the day with her watercolor kit. As you can see from the image above, Anne's images are breathtaking and compliment the traditional photographs and wedding video.

To view Anne's wedding portfolio, click here.

The Wedding Salon - Los Angeles

4PM Events is bringing The Wedding Salon, a luxury bridal showcase to Los Angeles this week!

Featuring the finest wedding vendors in the LA area,The Wedding Salon is unlike other bridal events, because couples can plan their wedding by using their senses:

tasting cakes and hors d'oeuvres
listening to local bands
touching invitations and other stationery elements
seeing floral arrangments, wedding albums & videos

The event will be held on Thursday, September 21st at The Four Seasons Los Angeles from 4 to 9pm.

Click here to learn more about the event and purchase tickets.

Where are you registered?

The more people you tell of your engagement the more you are going to be asked about a registry. Now some couples will say they don't like asking for gifts, but you are not asking for gifts. You are going to get gifts whether you like it or not, and by creating a registry your guests will get you what you want. Without a registry as a guide you risk the chance of getting items you don't want, need and worst of all, can't return.

Registry Tips - Set up a registry with at least two retailers, giving your guests some options. Look for stores with online registries, so guests can easily shop and ship from the comfort of their home.

Why two stores? The reason is simple: one store may not offer you everything you need and want. Some stores carry everyday dishes, glassware and appliances, while others only carry fine china, crystal and silverware. There are also specialty stores, selling items specific to your favorite hobby or sport that have nothing to do with linens, china or crystal, and you may want to include one of those.

You need to list items at a variety of price points and styles, because even though your guests are buying you items that you want, they will only buy items they can afford, and that they like too.

The bedding pictured above is from Barbara Barry's new linen collection. Click here to view all of her lines, available at Bloomingdale's.

Pretty as a Picture

Most couples don't realize until after the wedding how important it is to hire a great photographer.

Think about it. The day after the wedding your wedding dress will be stored, your husband's tux will be returned and the centerpiece grandma took home will eventually be tossed out. The only tangible item left are your wedding pictures.

A wedding photographer will capture all of the special moments of your day and help you organize them in a beautifully bound album.

One of my favorite wedding photographers is Liz Banfield. Liz's work has appeared in many publications, including Martha Stewart Weddings, InStyle Weddings and Town & Country.

Based in Minneapolis, Liz travels to most of the weddings she shoots, so whether you live in New York, Texas or California I highly recommend viewing Liz's portfolio. You can do so by clicking here.

When you care enough to send the very best...

Engagement gifts. Shower gifts. Wedding gifts. For each one you receive, you must send the gift giver a thank you note. But what do you write?

To make it easier on the busy bride, Knock Knock created Multiple-Choice Correspondence Notecards. These thank you notes are pretty in pink and offer multiple choices for the typical wedding thank you note, so you don't have to spend precious planning time on trying to think of the right wording.

A Splash of Color

While the traditional bride's bouquet usually consists of only white flowers, the bouquets your bridesmaids carry can be any shade of the rainbow.

Talk to your florist about designing bridesmaid bouquets that will compliment yours. For example, you can pick the same type of flower in your bouquet but in a different color, or you can have them carry smaller white bouquets with a little bit of color placed around it as a cuff or in the center of the bouquet.

When deciding on a color, of course you want to choose blooms that will match their dresses, but you can also choose a complimenting color instead of one that matches exactly.

Urban Petals based in Washington, D.C. has designed floral arrangements for weddings and events in a wide range of styles. Whether you're planning a wedding on a private estate or in a ballroom, Sarah von Schrader will create the perfect look for your big day.

Perfectly Planned

Between the contracts, magazine tear sheets and all your ideas some things are bound to get lost. By making your own wedding planning book you will be able to organize and keep track of appointments, thoughts and important information.

The key to planning a wedding is having everything organized. By keeping your ideas and vendor contact information together, you'll be able to have everything with you at each planning meeting. And if you're out and need something, your fiance will know exactly where to find the information you're calling him about.

See Jane Work is my favorite site for stylish office and organizational supplies. The binders above are from Russel + Hazel. They are available in a wide variety of colors so you can pick a binder to match the color palette of your wedding. Once you find the perfect binder, pick up lined paper, dividers and folders so you can keep everything (neatly) together.

With your own planner, you can customize it to include the precise categories and items you want. For example, if you’re having a wedding at home you can include a tent and valet parking category, which you might not need if you are getting married in a hotel or catering facility.

Signed, Sealed and Calligraphed

Once you've selected the perfect invitation you should choose a calligrapher whose handwriting will compliment the tone of your wedding.

Even though mailing guests a calligraphed invitation is not a wedding requirement, there is something special about receiving a calligraphed envelope in the mail.

The envelope pictured above is a sample from Kathryn Murray, a Los Angeles based calligrapher. Her handwriting can vary from a very formal script to a whimsical font ensuring that your envelopes match the tone of your wedding. And unlike a florist or band, you can hire a calligrapher who doesn't live in your neighborhood. You can mail her your envelopes and once calligraphed she'll mail them back to you. I suggest using a mail service with a tracking system - FedEx, UPS, DHL.

And calligraphy doesn't have to be limited to just the outer envelope. You can have your calligrapher write out names for place cards, seating cards, menu cards, table numbers, favor tags and any other stationery element in your wedding.

Wedding Tip - Give your calligrapher a complete typed list of names, addresses and zip codes. Many calligraphers will not accept handwritten lists because they may not be able to read your handwriting.