Category: Fashion

I paid $220 for my wedding dress. My colleague Jennifer? Got hers for $125. Since we were both footing the bill for our own weddings, there was precious little in the budget for our gowns (I had to make sure there were enough offerings at the pasta bar to satisfy my Italian relatives!). We both looked lovely, by the way, even without spending 2 two months’ rent on our wedding attire. Here are some of our dress-shopping secrets:

Remember Rami Kashou, the runner-up fashion designer in Project Runway Season 4? He was all about “the art of draping,” and occasionally took some flack from the judges for the overuse of his signature style. Well maybe Rami has a future in bridal, because the Goddess of Gown trends, Vera Wang, features draping in one of her romantic 2010 creations, “Dinah.”

When it comes to choosing dresses for your bridesmaids, one size definitely doesn’t fit all. Not only that, but not all styles are going to be universally approved. What to do? Vera Wang has a few suggestions… Read on!

The day of the wedding, I put my dress on, and to my horror it felt loose. I guess those last few spin classes did more than I wanted them to! Luckily, one of the bridesmaids had fashion tape in her bag. I’d never used it before, but all I could hear in my head was Tim Gunn saying, “make it work.” We lined the very top of the dress with a couple of pieces of tape and I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.

Wedding designers have taken their cue from the sleek and chic First Lady, Michelle Obama. This year, designers got creative with uniquely beautiful interpretations of that now famous one-shoulder adornment. Here are some of our favorites from both seasons:

One of my favorite Vera Wang wedding dresses ever is Fall 2009’s “Amelia”. To me, this bridal gown says Glamorous Forest Nymph, and the peekaboo petticoat has just the right amount of sauciness. Plus, as Vera explains, her “recent collections of wedding dresses are tinged with color”—and I love that Amelia and her sister-dresses aren’t exactly Snow White. Imagine my delight to see that my favorite “Amelia” was showcased in Vera Wang’s first edition of “Behind the Dress,” part of her “Love, Vera” exclusive newsletter series.

Here’s my favorite flower girl ensemble of the moment (and don’t forget to include a coloring book to keep her occupied during the reception!)

There are a lot of wedding plans that can be made well in advance, but some to-do items are better left to the last few months. Case in point: Don’t buy your bridesmaids dresses more than two months before your wedding.