January 21, 2015 at 3:07 p.m.
Here comes the bride: Find your dream dress at the 2015 Magical Moments Bridal Expo
Here comes the bride: Find your dream dress at the 2015 Magical Moments Bridal Expo
By Kayla Thomason-
The fashion show will begin at approximately 2 p.m. Admission is free but a donation to the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry would be appreciated.
Approximately 20 to 25 models will show off 50 to 90 dresses and tuxedoes designed by Mori Lee, Alfred Angelo and Da Vinci Bridal.
Lace is quite popular this year as is vintage and the fit and flair style. Other trends are dresses with more coverage in the bodice and sleeves that cover the shoulders. Ruching is still very popular as it is very figure-flattering. Veils are also making a comeback.
"One of our new most popular dresses has the net - the soft illusion - that's really in," said Mary Taylor, owner of Lund and Taylor Bridal Gallerie.
There will be a camouflage set, a lace set, and a vintage set, among others.
Bridal expos are a great way for brides to see a number of gorgeous dresses in a myriad of styles, and hopefully find a dress they like.
Lund and Taylor carries dresses in sizes 4 to 26 and can order gowns up to size 30.
Bride
Many brides come in with pictures or an idea of the dress they want, but how a dress looks in a photo may not give a woman a true sense of how it will fit her particular body shape.
"(Brides) will come in with pictures and then they start trying dresses on and they realize what their body type is, and maybe that dress doesn't fit their body type. A lot of times they come in and get a completely different dress than what they (thought) they're going to get," Taylor said.
The same thing often happens with the color of the dress. Taylor has had women come in looking for a white dress and end up falling in love with a gown in ivory or champagne.
With all of the dresses available, it's good to have someone else's input.
Taylor recommends brides bring their mother and one friend along. Bringing too many people to the fitting often backfires as differing opinions can make choosing a dress difficult.
Another thing to consider is whether a particular dress fits with the wedding theme. Some women set the theme based on the dress or vice versa.
"I've had it done both (ways), girls will come in and tell me what their theme is, their venue and then find a dress to fit that and then I've had them change their theme because they found a dress they fell in love with," Taylor said.
Mother-of-the-bride
Mothers can get swept up in all the planning and excitement of the wedding and may put off selecting their own formalwear until shortly before the big day.
"Don't wait until the last minute, which we as moms put ourselves last, don't put yourself last," Taylor advised.
Length is coming back for mother-of-the-bride dresses, she said.
"We're going back to long (dresses)," Taylor said. "I always say if we (mothers) can wear a long dress, wear a long dress because when do we get to dress up?"
Bridesmaids
Lund and Taylor carries bridesmaid dresses in numerous shades.
If a bride wants darker colors in the summer, Taylor recommends lighter-weight fabrics like chiffon. Eggplant and other purple bridesmaid dresses are quite popular right now, she added.
Most brides have a vision of what their wedding colors are going to be and can become quite focused on a particular shade. Taylor encourages women to try a shade that is close to the color they want. That way they can determine if it would be a good second choice, should their first choice be unavailable.
After choosing a color for the bridesmaid dresses, next comes the style. Given varying body shapes, what looks good on one woman may not look good on another.
A lot of brides tell their bridesmaids what color and fabric they've chosen but let each woman choose her own style, according to Taylor.
"A lot of brides are open to that now, letting girls pick their own style," she said.
Grooms and groomsmen
According to Taylor, tuxedoes are not as straightforward as they may appear to be. She said men are often quite surprised by the selection.
Grooms can choose options like a notched lapel, the number of buttons, the color of the vest and tie, color of the tuxedo, pleated or unpleated pants, and various types of shoes. Suits or vests and ties are also quite popular.
"(The men) get very confused because they think they are coming in to pick out a tux and then there are different styles and price ranges," Taylor said.
Some of the bridal books at Lund and Taylor show men wearing a white jacket with black pants, although that style isn't quite as popular. Many men are sticking with the traditional black, charcoal or gray, Taylor said.
Tradition
Many brides still hold to the same fashion traditions as their mothers and grandmothers before them.
"(The garters) come with two, one to throw and one to keep," Taylor said. "Some people put their something blue in that. You've got your something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and then everybody forgets that last part which is 'and a penny in your shoe,'" Taylor said.
For something old, some women choose to have a part of their mother's wedding dress sewn into the inside of their wedding dress.
There is even a saying for the groom's buttons on his vest - going from the top down - which is sometimes, always, never. The top button can sometimes be buttoned, the middle one should always be buttoned and the bottom one should never be buttoned.
"That gets confusing when you only have one button on your tuxedo or two buttons but they say the bottom button is not supposed to be buttoned," Taylor said. Some men follow that rule and others don't.
In years past the mother of the groom had to base her dress on what the mother of the bride chose. That tradition has more or less fallen to the wayside, Taylor said. Most women let their future mother-in-law choose her own gown.
"A mom will come in and say 'well I can't wear that color or I don't know if I can wear black' and we always recommend that they ask the bride," Taylor said.
Tips
One of the most important tips when planning a wedding is to start as early as possible, Taylor said. There are a lot of details to cover.
"You need at least six months for getting things together," Taylor said. "(Brides) really should start a year in advance but at least six months. You have to coordinate your hall and the church and your photographer and everybody has to be coordinated and the expos are just a perfect place to go to find all that because they are all in one spot."
Brides should remember that it takes a significant amount of time for dresses to arrive.
It can take anywhere from six to eight weeks for mother-of-the-bride dresses to arrive, so picking out a dress well before the special day is advised. Bridesmaid dresses tend to take even longer. When ordering dresses, allow plenty of time before the wedding should any hiccups arise, Taylor said.
Some brides want to lose weight before their wedding day and put off finding a dress. That is not recommended as dresses can be altered to fit the bride.
"You can't wait to order your dress until you lose the weight because they can take anywhere from 12 to 14 weeks for delivery," Taylor said. "If we know ahead of time (that the bride or someone needs alterations), if they want to wait until a couple (or) three weeks before the wedding we're OK with that as long as we know ahead of time."
Certain times of the year - such as summer, fall and prom time - are busy at Lund and Taylor. If a bride is in need of dress alterations during that time, it's best to schedule an appointment early.
Taylor stresses planning ahead, visiting expos and setting a firm budget, but most of all she tells all of the brides she works with to enjoy the experience.
"The important thing is that you are marrying the person you love, and you are going to spend the rest of your life with them, and it's not about this one day big party," Taylor said. "I think too many people focus too much on that and not about what it's really all about."
Kayla Breese may be reached at [email protected].
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