If you’re looking for some great ideas for your wedding but don’t know where to start, check out one of our favourite sites, Polyvore.com. This site allows you to drag and drop images into a ’set’, creating colour coordination, themes and inspiration. This is a great way to start your wedding planning. If you are using a wedding planner you can take your sets in and this gives your planner a great jumping off point for your wedding. You can search by colours, themes, and even upload your own images!

This picture shows a small example of a wedding theme done in pinks and blues. Check out our link on the “Sites We Love” and try it for yourself!

Before you buy, make sure to take the time to try on as many different styles as possible because wedding gowns look very different on a body than they do on the hanger. You want it to be comfortable and your wedding dress should make you feel like the perfect bride. Try to establish some boundaries for yourself when you go shopping. Think about the neckline, sleeves, train type and gown type you are looking for to fit your wedding day.

Most wedding gowns need to be ordered, and this process can take up to six months or more so be sure to take this timeline into account when planning your wedding.

Take along someone who knows your style and whose taste is similar to yours, but you don’t need an entire entourage. One or two people should be fine; otherwise you will get conflicting opinions and this can make your dress shopping experience harrowing rather than enjoyable.

Talk with the shops’ professionals – they can advise of options you might not have thought of. Keep in mind it is easier to take a dress in than let it out if you are planning to lose weight for your wedding day.

Consider the undergarments and shoes when doing your fittings and picking out your wedding dress. Shop with reputable business and ask for referrals from friends and family.

Wedding gown designers use silk, velvet, satin, and lace – to name a few – in their gowns to create unique pieces for the bride. Many gowns have coloured embroidery or sashes for a bright splash of colour on your wedding dress. Silky fabrics with smooth lines and plunging “low” backs bring back memories of the jazz era while chic taffeta is a great fabric choice for the retro bride. For the bride who wants glitz and glamour, sassy sparkles make you the star and romantic lace in graceful folds are perfect for an understated wedding dress.

Sending out your invitations is the first contact you have with your wedding guests. They will reflect the style and theme of your wedding day. Invitations are generally sent out six to eight weeks before the wedding. You will need to have your venues booked and your guest list finalized.

Invitations should be ordered three months prior to your wedding day. They normally consist of the invitation, the envelope, the response card and a stamped envelope to mail the response card back. Order about 25% invitations than guests. This allows for last minutes additions and any addressing errors.

Start with a theme whether it be a specific colour or symbol. You can incorporate this into all your stationary to keep it tied together. When it comes to your stationary, go with what you love. If you’ve seen a picture that you adore, print it out and taken it to your stationer. Don’t be afraid to take a chance because some of the most memorable wedding invitations come with a childhood photo, quotes or caricatures.

You will want to shop around. The internet is a fabulous tool to find unique ideas for wedding stationary and to find different shops to check out. Above all, you want to have fun with this! Choosing your stationary is one of the elements to your wedding that should be exciting.

You can also design and print your invitations yourself. A lot of stationary stores have do-it-yourself kits you can purchase, perfect for the couple on a budget. If you are good on the computer with a design program, purchase the paper and other stationary necessities and create your own design. Check out the Earth Mother section for tips on eco-friendly invitations.

Your wedding reception is the one of the biggest parties you will ever plan. Many brides do themes or colour schemes but ultimately it is up to you what kind of party you want. So get ready to let loose and have a blast! Some ideas includes stripes – keep your colours monochromatic if you choose this. A floral scheme gives you a lot of options. You can choose a signature bloom and build around it with highlights.

Get creative when picking your venue. You can rent a hall that has its own catering and decorating staff or find a venue where you can choose your own. Some distinctive venues would be an old nightclub, or a historic home. You want to book your venue as soon as possible. It is hard to book other vendors without a venue.

When deciding on the menu most weddings go with either a served dinner or buffet style. Served dinners allow for more elegance and are great for a formal wedding while the buffet style lets guests pick and choose what they want to eat and how much.

When it comes to alcohol for your wedding, the biggest concern is usually the cost. You can have an open bar or a toonie bar. Any alcohol served with dinner – usually wine – and the alcohol for toasting – usually champagne – should be complimentary. You can have an open bar for the cocktail hour and switch to a toonie bar after dinner.

For the wedding speeches – plan them out and keep it short. Make sure your speech has something for everyone and fun is good, embarrassing is not. Thank and toast the right people, stay calm and have fun!

Have a photo booth at your reception so your friends and family can use it to take their own pictures. The results usually end up something like a home video without any sound! Compile them into a visual wedding book and you’ll have some cherished memories for years.

Your décor will set the mood at your reception. Things like lighting, the centerpieces, flowers, textures and colours will all come into play. You don’t’ have to keep everything uniform. By mixing colours and fabrics you can have an eclectic look and everything flows while still being different. A note for any candles: make sure you use unscented candles as anything with a scent will interfere with your food.

If you’re expecting a lot of kids at your wedding, consider hiring a balloon artist to help keep them entertained. Or you can find a caricaturist to do caricatures of your guests. It makes a great keepsake for them.

Always remember that your parents love you and have loved you from the first day. When your anxieties run high, they are an invaluable support system. They’ve spent so much energy over the years doing their best to raise you and now it’s time to plan one of the most important days in yours and their lives.

Lots of times, weddings are one of the only times families get together in a large group to celebrate. Remember your parents want to show you and your fiancé off to their siblings, families and friends. Also, if you come from a blended family with step-parents or siblings, remember they care about you and love you as well. Don’t forget about them.

It’s a nice touch to have the parents coordinate their outfits with the wedding party. You don’t want them to clash with the colour scheme! They can choose to purchase a dress in the same shade as the wedding party, or highlight the wedding colour in their accessories and corsage. Don’t forget to get boutonnières for the fathers as well.

Here are some basic rules mothers of the bride and groom should keep in mind when purchasing the attire you will be wearing to the wedding.

Rule One: never outshine the bride or groom. This is fairly simple and easy to adhere to.

Rule Two: don’t look like you are trying to outshine the bride. Once you go to clingy, ruffled or revealing you look like you are trying to steal the show from the happy couple.

Rule Three: only the bride may wear white and the parents shall not wear black. The exception to this rule is the fathers, as they can easily do a fantastic black tuxedo or suit, just as long as they don’t look better than the wedding party! Even thought this particular rule is being broken more often by guests, it is very inappropriate for mothers to do so. Wearing black to the wedding suggests you are not happy with this marriage taking place.

Rule Four: it is the happy couple’s day; keep your attire from causing whispers that would detract from them.

Rule Five: don’t wear anything too casual unless the wedding is a casual one.

Seems like a lot of restrictions, doesn’t it? Really, these days so many shops have come out with fantastic outfits for the parents that the selection is almost mind-boggling. No more do mothers have to wear the chiffon-covered pastel dress! A tailored two-piece suit with a mid-knee pencil skirt is almost universally flattering and feminine. If a pencil skirt doesn’t work with your body type, you can go for an A-line. If the wedding is a more formal affair, go with a long skirt.

Take a day and go out shopping for your outfit with your child. Do lunch, try things on and ask for their opinion. It will give you some bonding time and alleviate some of the stress that comes along with planning the wedding day.