The Perfect Dress

The most important dress a girl will wear is her wedding dress. So, with so many to chose from how do you find that perfect dress? One of our local favorites, Beth Chapman of The White Dress by the Shore offers some great tips for making the search a little easier ...

1. Secure your wedding date and venue

Before beginning to shop for your gown, you should have your wedding date and venue secured. Your decision will be much easier to make if you can envision yourself wearing your gown in the setting of your wedding.

2. Set a budget

In creating your wedding budget, be sure to include a realistic budget for your wedding attire. Your budget should include an allocation for not only the gown, but accessories (bra, veil, jewelry and shoes), alterations and gown cleaning and preservation after the wedding.

It is very important to articulate your budget to the sales associate when shopping for your gown. You do not want to fall in love with something that does not fit your budget.

3. Do your research

Prior to beginning to shop, research salons that carry designers that meet your taste level and budget. Evaluate the types of stores that you like to shop in for your everyday clothes and be sure that you select the correct shopping environment for you. If you are a department store shopper, a larger bridal salon with a large selection of gowns may be the right fit for you. If you prefer to shop in small boutiques, then a smaller, more intimate bridal store would most likely be best for you.

Visit the salon’s website before calling to set an appointment to ensure that the selection and price range meets your needs. It is also helpful to read the bridal blogs to find out what other brides to be have to say about the stores that you plan to visit.

Click here for more great tips!

Dress the Part: tips for the groom

The blazer, white shirt and light-colored trousers...The linen suit in a lighter color such as sand or wheat...or a classic look in navy blue or charcoal gray with a white shirt and dark tie. Take a cue from your celebration surroundings and these helpful tips:

Classic grooms' clothing that's perfectly tailored to the formality of your occasion.

Resort Wear: for beachfront celebrations and daytime fetes. A summer linen or seersucker suit is gorgeous and If the vibe is laid back, ditch the tie.

Semi Formal: for cocktail receptions and evening affairs. Dress up or down your gray or navy suit with the perfect accessories to match your color palette.

Black Tie: for the formal evening affair, it doesn't get more debonair than a classic tux with a streamlined, modern fit.

Ready, set, go

bridesmaids fashion freedom!

Strategies to give your bridesmaids fashion freedom, while keeping a unified look.

img via style me pretty

Same Color, Different Styles...

Most designers offer a range of options in the same fabrics. You get the color you've always wanted; and get dresses that fit your girls individual shapes!

Same Style, Complementary Colors...

Keep continuity with a simple shape, but vary the shades to match the setting, think wildflowers and green grass or an array of jewel tones.

see more of our favorite collections and latest looks @ http://www.bellabridesmaid.com/

lovely little details - Sequin Newport

Sequin New York, is a fabulous costume jewelry studio in midtown Manhattan. They design and manufacture their own brand of jewelry as well as private label collections for a variety of major retailers and fashion designers.

With an eclectic eye for design, Sequin pieces are always full of whimsy and femininity! Believing in the simple notion that everyone deserves beautiful and unique pieces to compliment their personality.

Sequin bangles

check out their fun collections and find your statement piece or gifts for the girls locally at Sequin studios located on Bellevue Avenue and Lower Thames. Happy Shopping!

A Classic New England Winery

Looking for a unique setting to host your wedding or other special event? Jonathan Edwards Winery is Classic New England charm. Located in the quaint town of North Stonington, Jonathan Edwards Winery is situated on a beautiful 48 acre hilltop...

Surrounded by English style gardens complete with a Napa influenced tasting room overlooking the Connecticut vineyard.

New England Charm. Napa Style @ http://www.jedwardswinery.com/

a little sunshine

 be inspired by color

 via pinterest

creative details: add confetti

rather than hand out a separate toss for the recessional, attach packets of paper confetti to your programs in glassine envelopes {clearbags.com}

img via marthastewart.com

to guarantee a memorable celebration, infuse your wedding with creative details that add beauty, flavor and flair.

happy mothers day, xo

As a child, I thought my mom could handle anything. Good times and bad, chasing monsters and kissing away all the boo-boos. As a teenager, I thought ok lady and the mothering went in one ear and out the other. Then one day I realized in a hurry that the older I got, the smarter my mom seemed... or, maybe she was that smart all along! My mom knew how hard life can be as a single mom raising 2 girls. My mom taught us about self-respect, honesty and hard work. She taught us about accountability, being brave, and standing tall. To always be honest, tolerant, and fair; that we were no better than anyone else, but no one was any better than we were. To believe in ourselves, be independent, to share, to learn every day, to be kind to others, to love each other, to forgive, to remember to dance in the rain.… She patently taught us all about the true riches in life she is a beautiful, loving person, my mother, Rosemarie. Today and every day we wish you all things lovely...happy mother's day. xo

lovely little details - hats and fascinators

Floppy, feathered, bold and expensive, hats are the ultimate accessory.

Irish Milliner Philip Treacy has perhaps single handedly put fascinators and similarly extravagant hats back into mainstream fashion (as the official milliner for the royal wedding).

Philip Treacy explains to Country Life how to pick the perfect hat for your height, colouring and features:

Your colouring

pale skin needs a warm colour such as fuchsia or Bordeaux

Your figure

if you're petite, choose a narrow brim with a high crown to add height; a tall woman can carry off most styles, but should be careful to avoid a hat that looks too small. I never stick to the rule that says the brim shouldn't be wider than the shoulders, but the crown should never be narrower than the cheekbones. Always use a full-length mirror to check the proportions

Your accessories

the received wisdom is to match the shoe with the hat, but I feel this makes the wearer look shorter; instead, match the bag with the hat A hat is an indicator of yourself, of your personality you will know if it's right. Are you happy in it? Do you smile when you look in the mirror? Are your eyes sparkling?

Illustrations by Jason Brooks

Your features

small perching hats, such as beanos, suit heart-shaped faces; a full sweeping brim, or one with a trim that lifts the eye, will soften a rectangular face; broad and angled brims with a wide crown will narrow a round face; and almost any shape suits an oval face, although large brims are the most flattering

Find Treacys beautiful architectural works to compliment your style at select US stockists Neiman Marcus & Saks.