Balancing act

When selecting wedding accessories for your big day, the most important thing to remember is ‘less is more.’ Don’t be tempted to overdo it – several carefully chosen pieces that suit your personality and the style of your wedding gown will ensure you appear effortlessly stylish and timeless. The other golden rule is that the more elaborate you gown is, the simpler your wedding bridal accessories should be. Detailed fabrics look best with discreet accessories, while a more striking piece of jewellery can help accent a simpler gown.

A-head of style

When it comes to wedding hair accessories, designer Kate Dowman says that wedding veils are still as popular as ever, although headpieces are making a comeback. These include fascinators adorned with feathers and silk flowers, beaded Alice bands, and subtle, ‘50’s-inspired tiaras. If a headpiece isn’t your style, you could wear a beaded comb, fresh flowers, or crystal or pearl pins in your hair.

Whatever you decide to wear in your hair, ensure you take your body type and face shape into consideration. A round face suits a narrow veil or headpiece, as it slims it down; an oval face looks good with a fuller veil or wider headpiece; while a heart-shaped face needs a hairpiece that ends at jaw level to balance it. Beware of fascinators if you are tall as they can add height to your appearance, while long veils are an ideal option for making petite brides look taller. Ensure you hairstylist knows what your wedding hair accessories look like so she can create an appropriate hairstyle for you.

photo credit: katclay

Bejewelled

A beautiful necklace, bracelet or pair of earring is the perfect finishing touch to a bridal outfit. Lori McPherson from Astra Bridal says you can balance your look by wearing studs with an elaborate necklace, or opting for a bare neckline if you want wear drop earrings. If you are wearing a necklace, choose a style that complements the neckline of your gown.

A V-shaped or sweetheart neckline, for example, best suits a long Y-shaped necklace that comes down to a drop, while a multi-strand necklace or choker is a good choice for a strapless gown. If you want to keep your neckline simple, and your gown has a low-cut back, consider wearing a necklace that falls down your back or incorporating jewellery into the back of your gown. Alternatively, make this season’s hottest wedding accessory – a brooch – the feature of you look. Brooches are the perfect way to complement a vintage theme, incorporate  the ‘something old’ into your look, or accentuate positive areas such as your bust or waist.

For all these jewellery options, Renata from Clara Jewellery says that pearls are a favourite this season and the good news is that while they are particularly popular now, they are also a classic choice that will never go out of fashion. She also notes that coloured stones are becoming increasingly popular, so brides shouldn’t feel restricted to white or ivory.

Practical pieces

As well as decorative jewellery, the weather may also necessitate practical wedding accessories. If you are getting married in summer, a parasol or fan will protect you from the heat, while Lori says that there is a high demand for faux-fur muffs, stoles and cloaks for winter weddings.

Lori also says a handbag is a must-have wedding accessory for many brides and bridesmaids. A beautiful satin clutch or beaded purse is a stylish carrier of girly essentials such as tissues, lipstick and mints.

Twinkle toes

There are numerous footwear options available from strappy heels for an elegant occasion to jewelled jandals for beach nuptials. Whatever footwear you decide upon, ensure it’s comfortable as you’ll be spending a lot of time on your feet on the big day. It’s advisable to start looking for wedding shoes as soon as you decide on your gown, as you will need to take them along to your final fitting. To ensure your shoes are a good fit, shop during the afternoon, as this is when our feet are at their largest.

And don’t forget to wear your shoes in, as you don’t blisters on your wedding day!

Uniquely yours

The most important thing to remember when choosing wedding accessories is that they should reflect your personal style and taste. Whether it’s some cheap wedding accessories like funky earrings, a necklace with your birthstone or a precious family heirloom, don’t be afraid to let your individuality and personality shine through – after all, it’s your day!

First step is to make sure the mirror is large enough for the bride to see herself from the torso area up.  The mirror can be set up against any desk or table – not necessarily an actual makeup vanity table – but it is important that the mirror is of the right size.  Any kind of stool would work for this occasion, and this would serve as the vanity bench.

The second step would be to arrange all the necessary makeup on the table.  Most, if not all staples of the make up vanity should be in there.  We suggest laying out a choice of foundations, waterproof mascara, eyeliner, makeup remover (to conceal mistakes), moisturizer and lipstick, but depending on the bride, the makeup selection may vary.  Make sure you have enough makeup brushes and eyebrow brushes, and a trash can nearby to throw away used tissues.

Finally, ensure that the area has sufficient lighting – not too much or too little, but just right so that the bride can sufficiently see herself without any unnecessary effects.    Once that step has been taken, you should pretty much be good to go with the vanity table.  As illustrated, it just takes three easy steps to set up your own bridal makeup vanity table and allay the bride’s wedding day concerns with little time and effort.

How the book is put together matters. If it is bound like most other books, it may break given the use it will get. You should look for spiral bound books, as these will resist the damage of daily wear. Even better might be a binder – the great thing about these books is that you can add your own pages to it as you need. The only problem is that it might be easy for pages to be ripped out of the book.

photo credit: lilelements

What is in between the covers matters. The amount of information imparted by these books will vary. Some books just give basic advice for particular areas of the wedding, like photography, guests, music, etc. Others will go into much more detail; some even give you specific suggestions! (Your book may give you esoteric detail on how to plan beach weddings, for example.) You and your friends’ experience level with planning weddings should dictate how much info you need. If you got things together, you can skip the detailed books. If you’re clueless, look for as much info as you can find.

Perhaps what you’re really buying the book for, however, is organization. You need a centralized journal and filing system to keep track of all your ideas, schedules, calendars, and vendor information. Make sure your wedding planner book has sections where you can write in relevant information about your wedding decision. You will also want a book that will keep your organized, as you will have tons of ideas (both your own and others’ ideas) to keep track of. Some books even come with sheets you can copy and pass out or fill out as you need. Fancier books contain other offerings like computer programs and calendars that will further help you with wedding planning.

Floral fantasy

Choosing a theme for your wedding is essential to express your personality and style, and to ensure all elements of the wedding work together to create the Wow factor you’ve always dreamed of for your perfect day.

Flowers are a great place to start when deciding on a theme, they come in every variety and colour imaginable, and are used in every part of the wedding from the wedding ceremony to the reception.

Whether you want a modern masterpiece or an elegant vintage feel, you’ll find inspiration from flowers.

1. Guest List
Most experts agree that cutting the guest list is one of the number one ways to make a wedding less expensive. An intimate family wedding is usually one of the most cost effective ways to go, but if you want to make a splash and share it with many people then prioritize. Invite close friends and family members, but make a decision on where to draw the line. An easy way to do this (and avoid hurt feelings) is by not inviting groups, such as everyone from work or your church group. By cutting out an entire group, you bypass the minefield of having to pick and choose whom to invite.

2. DIY Wedding Invitations
With modern technology today, you can make your own printable wedding invitations and no one will even know the difference. Also, cut back on the extra “fluff”: do you really need gold lined envelopes and blotter paper? You can also save on postage by having guests RSVP online instead of including a card with pre-paid postage in the envelope.

3. The Ceremony
Get creative. Find a free location for your wedding. Some churches do not charge members for wedding ceremonies, and you can also have a free or low cost wedding at parks and other outdoor locations. For beach weddings, you may be charged a small fee, but often it’s free. Just make sure you contact the local parks department well ahead of time and find out their rules and requirements. If you have a close friend or family member who has a fabulous yard or home, they may let you have the ceremony and/or reception there.

4. Get Friends And Family Involved
When it comes to wedding  decorations, wedding favors, and refreshments, don’t hesitate to ask others for help. You never know who will have access to discounts for items you may need for your wedding. You can also enlist the help of friends and family to assemble wholesale flower arrangements, wedding favors, centerpieces, etc.

5. Find The Best Discounts And Deals
Don’t buy anything without doing at least a bit of research first. Browse the Internet to find the best deals on your wedding supplies. Check out online auction houses and wholesale discounters. You can often rent decorations (and even gowns) for a fraction of the cost of purchasing them. If you have your heart set on buying a dress, shop sample sales or consider a used gown. Don’t be afraid to bargain with vendors – you’d be surprised at how often you can get a discount on an item just by asking for it.

Having a fabulous wedding can definitely be affordable. You just have to have the discipline to plan it within your budget. Be creative and persistent, ask for help, and when costs threaten to get out of hand, remember that it’s one single day out of your entire life. If the bargain church decorations are a shade of pink that is not exactly what you had wanted, using them anyway will not ruin your life, or even your wedding day. And, trust me; you’ll appreciate that extra cash in the bank when you want to splurge on a 5-course gourmet dinner or sunset sail on your honeymoon.

The Grand Canyon is one of the largest displays of natural landscape art.  It is overwhelming and quite beautiful to look at.  You can get a private license to have a wedding in the Grand Canyon.  Most often this is only accompanied by a few people such as a witness, photographer, minister, and of course the bride and groom.  It is an ideal private wedding.

Fire Valley National Park is similar to the Grand Canyon in that it has rock formations and beautiful landscape however what sets it apart from others is the bright red sandstone.  The sandstone makes an excellent backdrop for your wedding photos.  The great thing about a wedding here is it can accommodate many people at once.  It’s perfect for a large wedding party.

Lastly, weddings on Lake Mead can be quite peaceful.  It will be a private family affair.  These weddings are performed on the dock of  paddle wheel boats.  The deck can accommodate a medium sized party and has an indoor area for dining that is climate controlled.

There are many other places to have a wedding in Las Vegas.  There are many variations of weddings  the Grand Canyon is not the only helicopter wedding there are more helicopter weddings in Las Vegas as well as Garden weddings in Las Vegas.  If you are wanting to have your ceremony outdoors you can choose no better location than having it in Las Vegas.  Once the ceremony is over your guests have more than enough entertainment for them to enjoy themselves in the city that never sleeps.

What you choose to adorn your tables will depend on your style, the colors, the time of year, the time of day, the atmosphere you want, and what you like in general.  Of course, if you hate roses, you’re not going to put roses on the table.  Make it fit your own taste and style.

Decide if you will use candles, flowers, both, or neither as part of your wedding decorations.  These have become sort of the base of table centerpieces.  A common centerpiece is a candle surrounded by flowers.  By no means do you need to do it this way.  You can have lots of candles or just one vase of flowers.  Think about your style and what you’re going for.  If you like the minimalist look, avoid too many things.  If you like ‘over the top’ have a huge, tall bouquet in the center of each table.

Keep price in mind.  If you aren’t concerned about cost at all, then don’t worry about it.  Otherwise, make sure you keep in the back of your mind the fact that everything you do will cost money.  If you love flowers but could take or leave candles, cut the candles so you can afford the flowers you want.  If flowers aren’t that important to you, get silk flowers that are considerably less expensive.  These days, you can get silk flowers that look exactly real.

Make sure the centerpieces and look you are going for will match the venue as well.  Some rooms look very rustic and might not look good with a modern feel, and vise versa.  Keep this in mind when you choose the venue as well.

Most of all, choose something that you like and don’t stress out too much about it.  The tables mean nothing compared to the relationship you have with your future spouse and the years to come.

I had always dreamed my wedding would be in a beautiful marquee at my parent’s farm, so when Greg proposed in June I couldn’t wait to get started on the wedding planning. We decided to marry before the end of the year, and knowing the magnitude of the task ahead, we quickly booked in a planning consultation with a wedding planner to establish which caterer would be most appropriate for the job.

Bringing in the caterers ensured every aspect of our wedding was exactly what we’d dreamed it would be. Being able to decide on every detail, from the menu and the wine right down to the colour of the tablecloths and style of the cutlery, meant our wedding was entirely unique to us. All our family and friends were involved in helping set up and it ended up being a fabulous three-day weekend of constant music, laughter and BBQs.

Katie and Pete

Planning our wedding from London made it a little difficult and, although we liked the idea of a classic hall or marquee, we decided that a reception venue would prove far more practical. By booking the date of our wedding in mid-winter and a year in advance, we were able to get a good price. We also chose a great package that not only included food and beverages, but also the cake, decorations, photographer and a celebrant, leaving us to arrange just our outfits, flowers, accommodation and transport. All our details were discussed and confirmed via email and we arrived in New Zealand a week before the wedding. On the day, we were all able to relax and enjoy every moment.

Budget – who’s paying

Money is the linchpin for everything else. How much are you able/willing to spend? Establishing an upper figure from the start will help keep you on track, but you’ll need to build in some flexibility, as unexpected items could push your costs up by 10-15%. Work out whether you can afford to pay for the entire wedding. If not, who will you approach for help, and how much financial assistance do you nee? If involving others, you’ll have to be open to their preferences and suggestions, so think carefully.

Numbers – the guest list

Sit down separately and each make a preliminary list. Start with family and close friends, working through to those you’d like to be there, if possible. Remember to include your wedding party in the numbers. If your parents are paying, they’ll probably want a say in who attends, so be prepared to compromise. Discuss whether you want to invite children, and if you’re prepared to make any exceptions. Are you going to split the numbers 50-50 or is it okay for one person to invite more guests than the other?

Timing
The time of year and day you choose to marry will greatly affect your wedding bill. Reception venues and wedding specialists are busier and more expensive during the January-to-March peak season. The dearest option is a Saturday night reception; so if you need to cut costs, consider a different day of the week or a lunchtime reception.

Reception

Feeding and entertaining your guests makes up the biggest chunk of your wedding budget – most New Zealand receptions cost between $10,000 and $15,000 – so research your options thoroughly. Check the following: how many guests the venue can accommodate; available dates; parking facilities; catering options; exactly what’s included in the price and what’s extra; the deposit required; the BYO alcohol policy; and cancellation fees. Consider the venue’s proximity to your ceremony venue. Always get written quotes and don’t leave your decision too late – many couples book their venue one year in advance.

Theme

This will tie your whole wedding together, reflecting your style and personalities, and setting the mood for the day. You might choose a colour, motif, symbol, location or hobby, and weave it through all aspects of your wedding, from the invitations to the cake. Keep it simple, ensure it is practical and achievable, and limit yourselves to one or two key ideas. Avoid anything too wacky – you’re likely to cringe in years to come.

Church or civil ceremony

Discuss your preferences, and the possible expectations of your families. Even if they’re not religious, many couples like the romance and tradition associated with a church wedding. Investigate whether there are any prerequisities/restrictions on marrying in your chosen church or civil ceremony location, such as the beach, park or other public space.

Formality & Style

You can do what you want, within reason, but there are certain unwritten rules. For example, it’s inappropriate to wear tails to a beach wedding, or bare feet in a church. When planning each element of your wedding – the ceremony and reception locations, time of day, menu, attire, size and theme – make sure they all reflect your chosen style and level of formality.

Key players

You may already know who you’d like in your wedding party. Check that your partner has no major objections to your choice. Consider how reliable, responsible, organized and otherwise committed each of these people are. How many attendants do you want? An equal number of male and female attendants usually works best. Ensure the size of your wedding party is appropriate for the size and formality of the wedding.

Shaving, waxing and plucking at home are perhaps the most common ways to groom excess hair, but there are other popular in-salon treatments that are performed by professionals.

Threading

The demand for facial threading is definitely on the rise, many clients convert from waxing to treading as their preferred method of facial hair removal.

Threading gives you defined, clean, elegant eyebrows – framing the face and opening up the eye area.

Spa therapists use cotton thread to twist around individual hairs, lifting them out of the follicle by the root, and unwanted hair becomes finer and sparser over time.

Threading won’t pinch, burn or pull your skin like waxing, which can lead to premature wrinkles in the delicate eye area. Also, for those who cannot wax due to being on retin-A or accutane medication, threading will help remove facial hair without damaging or traumatizing their skin.

Threading can be used by both women and men, and it has a celeb following too – it’s popular with Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon and Salma Hayek. The pain is said to be similar to waxing as the hairs are lifted from the root.

Average Price – Starts at $15.

VPL

VPL (variable pulsed light) works by passing a pulsed light through the skin, which is absorbed by the hair pigment (colour) in the hair shaft and follicle. This pulse generates heat, which loosens the hair and disables the hair forming cells.

VPL is the newer generation of laser machines from IPL (intense pulsed light), they both do similar things but the variable settings mean that it can treat the different types of hair found all over the body, from thicker underarm hair to facial hair.

It is said to work well on the face, neck, chest , arms, back, underarms, legs, stomach and bikini line and it isn’t too painful. Most people liken the feel of it to a rubber band flicking the skin.

Post treatment, the area may be a little red, but this subsides quickly. The hair will then fall out for up to three weeks after treatment.

VPL hair removal is safe when performed by trained professionals, and is suitable for most skin types. It’s pricey, but results are permanent. A course of treatment is required, and varies for individuals and the area being treated.

Average Price – Starts at $800.

Waxing

Hot wax is applied with a spatula that is removed directly against the hair, removing it in the process. This is best used for terminal hairs in areas such as bikini and underarms.

The other type of waxing is strip wax, which is applied either with a roller or a spatula and removed with a cloth strip, also against the hair growth. This type of wax is great for larger areas such as legs, arm and backs.

The most commonly waxed areas are legs, bikini line, underarms, arms and brows, with the most popular treatment for women being the Brazilian wax and brow shape. For men it is legs, back and chest.

I won’t lie and say it is painless! However, if performed correctly and regularly the pain definitely diminishes over time as hair grows back sparser and often in some areas finer. Clients can also manage the pain with some simple tips such as taking a couple of Panadol before the treatment, avoiding caffeine or energy drinks, and making sure hair is not too long or short (especially from shaving) beforehand.

Waxing is a long-lasting result compared to many other methods as hair is removed from the root and will not grow back fully for up to six weeks post treatment. Waxing can tackle both small and large areas quickly and effectively. It is also a cost –effective method.

As for post-waxing fallout. There can be some redness, but we use a post wax process to help minimize this and a tea tree soothing solutions to help cam and protect follicles and skin.

The golden rules are for 24 hours following treatment to avoid hot showers, exercise or applying any moisturizers.

A couple of days after your treatment make sure you exfoliate skin to minimize ingrown hairs.

Average price – Legs start from $40, bikini line starts from $30, brows start from $25.