The Bride’s Heart

Your precious daughter is getting married soon and you’ve found the absolute perfect outfit to wear for the big day, but now, it’s time to find just the right pair of shoes to match. While you’ll want them to complement your mother of the bride dress beautifully and be stylish as well, you will also want your mother of the bride shoes to be completely comfortable and able to withstand the busy day ahead.

The very first step, no pun intended, is to take a look at the shoes you already have in your closet and think about those that are the most comfortable to you. What is it about them that makes them so easy to wear? Is it the material they’re made of? The type of fit? What about the general style and the height of the heel?

Now that you’ve pinpointed what it is that makes your feet feel their best, it’s time to begin your quest for the perfect pair to wear to your daughter’s wedding. Take into consideration the overall theme of the day and what time the ceremony will begin. For early afternoon weddings that are more on the casual side, a shoe with a lower heel may be more appropriate, while a formal black-tie affair calls for a fancier, more noticeable pair.

source: GinaSmart and SuzyPlums

The color is yet another important point to remember while shopping as depending on the actual shade of your dress, you’ll want them to either match precisely, or be of a neutral color. If they must match your dress exactly, you may want to consider buying satin shoes in any number of different styles that can be dyed professionally, a service that’s usually available at mother of the bride shops or upscale shoe stores. With this option, there’s no second guessing and trying to match the colors together, something that’s almost impossible to do just by looking at them.

A great idea to consider is actually buying two pairs of shoes. One to wear for the ceremony and the early festivities of the reception, including the pictures, and another pair to wear for comfort purposes or just for dancing the night away. Some mother’s of the bride, including the brides themselves, often choose to buy a pair of fancy slipper-style shoes to put on at the reception. These slippers usually have a satin look to them, a soft sole, and feel as if you’re wearing nothing at all on your feet. They also come in shades of white, beige, ivory and cream as well as in the brighter colors of the rainbow.

Whatever type of mother of the bride shoes you ultimately decide on for your daughter’s wedding, just be sure to keep comfort at the forefront of your mind, and also, shop as early as possible so that you can wear them around the house a bit to break them in and scuff up the soles. There are also small rubber soles you can buy to attach to the bottom that will make them extra slip-proof.

No matter what type of wedding you are planning, or the time of year, the overall theme, or even your budget, there are an incredible array of wedding candle favors for you to choose from. Candles make the absolute perfect kind of favor as there’s certainly no shortage of ideas to consider as well as numerous designs you can create for making your own unique favors that your guests will surely cherish.

With each and every color of the rainbow and all of the many shades in between, there’s always something for everyone’s tastes, as well as the season of the year, when it comes to candles and the plentiful ways of decorating and turning them into wedding favors . Depending on the color scheme for your wedding, you may want to choose only one or two for the actual candles and another complementary color for the ribbons or embellishments surrounding them.

If when you think of wedding candle favors the only thing that instantly comes to mind are ordinary votives or tea lights in plain candle holders, think again as today, candles come in a host of sizes and shapes and can be formed into just about anything from flowers, butterflies, animals, castles, even miniature wedding gowns and cakes.

Wedding candle favors can be monogrammed with the couples name or initials, or inscribed with a special sentiment or the date of their ceremony. A wide variety of pre-made candle favors will include matching gift tags, some with a standard, preprinted designs and others that are able to be personalized as well.

Some ideas for candle wedding favors include:

• Winter weddings: Look for candle holders in the shape of snowflakes, snowmen, or stars as well as white frosted votive holders. For nuptials taking place near St. Valentine’s Day there are plenty of heart shaped designs and similar love-themed ideas to choose from.
• Spring weddings: Choose candles with flower designs such as tulips, lilies or lilacs. If you’re getting married near Easter make your own candle favors with plain, white egg cups in ceramic that can be painted in the colors and designs of your choice. Instead of an egg, place a tea light inside or fill with wax and a wick, then after burning the candle, guests can reuse the holders during the Easter holiday.
• Summer weddings: Much like weddings in spring, those taking place in the summer months have plenty of options, including candles with nautical or tropical designs as well as the ever popular seashore theme by adding some sand and a few seashells to your candles.
• Fall weddings: Acorns, leaves, trees, cornucopias and fall flowers are all perfect for weddings taking place during the autumn months. For this type of wedding favor, choose colors such as gold, bronze, orange, red, yellow, brown, beige and cream.

Whatever you decide, one thing’s for certain, your guests will truly appreciate your thoughtfulness after receiving their wedding candle favors that not only reflect the beauty of the entire day, but that can also be displayed and used in their homes again and again.

If the word “suit” invokes images of boring, manly outfits that looks as if they belong more in the boardroom than in a wedding, you may be pleasantly surprised when you see all of the beautiful outfits that fall under the category of mother of the bride suits.

You’ve finally decided that you’d like to consider designers suits special occasions instead of evening or formal dresses for your daughter’s wedding, but now the interesting part begins, finding one that’s not only flattering to your figure, including the right color and fabrics, but one that will also be suitable for the occasion.

Choosing the Perfect Color

While the “rules” as to what colors are acceptable to wear to a wedding, even if you are the mother of the bride, have changed a bit over the years, one thing still remains the same – avoid colors that are too dark causing you to appear as if you’re in mourning instead of celebrating this joyous occasion.

Black is also considered by some to be an unlucky color to wear to a wedding, particularly so for the mother of the bride or groom, and also should never be worn if the bridesmaids are wearing the same color. However, black with gray, silver, or metallic accents for a formal affair may, on the other hand, work very well.

At the other end of the spectrum, white, off-white and ivory are mostly considered taboo as those colors are usually reserved for the bride herself. Although, deeper shades in the same family, like champagne or taupe, or perfectly acceptable and can also complement the bride’s gown beautifully.

Depending on the season of the year, as well as the time of day the wedding is taking place, soft pastels or rich jewel tones are both worth considering. Think burgundy, plum, hunter green, or a deep cerulean, or if lighter colors are more your style, try shades of rose and lavender or a soft yellow, blue, or minty green.

Flatter Your Figure

To minimize a larger figure, choose colors that are on the dark side, those with small prints, and vertical, not horizontal lines or stripes, as well as loose fabrics that won’t cling to your every curve. There are also plenty of mother of the bride outfits in plus sizes. If you want to appear taller, pass on those womens church suits that have fussy details or a lot of embellishments and stick with a slimming silhouette look.

The 10 Dos and Don’ts of Mother of the Bride Suits

DO:

1. choose something that will be comfortable for the entire day.
2. look for fabrics that won’t wrinkle easily.
3. consider the color of the mother of the groom’s outfit.
4. consider a suit that could be worn again for another special occasion if finances are a concern.
5. buy an outfit that will suit your figure as well as your pocketbook.

DON’T:

1. consider anything frumpy or dowdy.
2. pick something too flashy or gaudy.
3. buy your shoes before your outfit.
4. put fashion ahead of comfort.
5. forget about shopping online.

The sky is definitely the limit when it comes to the variety of mother of the bride suits available today. Flattering your figure is all about choosing the right color, the right fabric, and the best cut for your body type.