I’m baaaaaack! It’s been awhile since I’ve done an inspiration post, so I’m easing back into things with a little love for all the mothers of the brides (and grooms) out there. After all, Mother’s Day is this weekend! :)

During this busy wedding season, nearly every day I’ve been asked to help style mothers and grandmothers of the bride or groom. It’s always the same: They come to me with joy on their face and a slight tinge of panic in their eyes.  They tell me they’ve been so busy helping their child plan his or her big day that they’ve just now had time to think about themselves.  After I take some time to assess their needs (when is the wedding, what time of day, what’s her style, what’s the couple’s style, etc…), we get to work.  From the dress, to the shoes, to the jewelry, I do my best to give her the Pretty Woman treatment, and it always ends with her breathing a huge sigh of relief.

Brides, I know you may be stressed, but remember Mom is too. She is beyond excited for you, and because she loves you dearly, she wants everything to be perfect for you- including how she’s dressed. And if you go shopping with her for her dress, please remember that this is her moment. Be patient. Be kind. Be supportive.

So what to wear? Well, it all depends on the wedding and how formal it is. I urge you though to look outside the realm of David’s Bridal. I promise there are some amazing options out there for all budgets and body types. Remember fit is first and foremost! Most women need their clothes altered. Without alterations a thousand dollar dress can look cheap, but with alterations, a bargain can look like a steal.

Here are my favorite designers for MOBs as well as other choice dresses:

Tadashi Shoji – Although he’s been designing for more than 30 years, it was Octavia Spencer’s stunning appearances at this year’s Golden Globes and Oscars, that brought his designs back into the spotlight. His Asian roots permeate in his work with beautiful draping and impeccable tailoring. 

Foil Draped Gown, Lavender Chiffon Dress, and Ruched Taffeta Gown

St. John – This is my go-to designer for women that want polished perfection. Whether it’s an afternoon wedding in a garden or an evening ceremony, the line offers a wide variety of sophistication.

Lace Sleeve Dress,  Cowl Neck Blouse and Skirt, and Wisteria Sheath.

Other faves :

Rachel Roy dressLela Rose dress, and Laundry by Shelli Segal dress

 

More posts by Lorie, our style expert!

 

 

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Posted by at 9:00am on April 24, 2012 under Weddings

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Cata and Ryan’s wedding kicked off our whirlwind two week trip to Orlando- Three weddings, five sessions, and a bunch of dinners and play dates mixed in there. :) Thanks to everyone who made our trip so fun!

Ryan and Cata opted for a “non look” first look, where we grabbed this gem-

Cata was goooooorgeous! (Thank you, Patricia LeJeune!!)

Cata and Ryan, we can’t wait to share the rest sooooooon! :)

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Writing 4-5 blog posts on my own a week can be a bit daunting at times, so the lovely and talented Carrie Hayward is stepping in and guest posting today! I bragged about Carrie earlier in the month when we spotlighted her new Disney Wedding Podcast, which you should absolutely check out. Thank you, Carrie, for today’s post! :)

If you’re planning a destination wedding that’s far enough away to require a plane flight, you’re going to have to figure out how to get your wedding gown there. For many brides, the idea of being parted from the gown for even a few minutes is unthinkable. But I can attest that shipping your gown to your hotel is one of the best decisions you will make for your wedding.

Before you clutch your wedding dress to your chest and recoil in horror, hear me out.

Do you really want to lug a 10 lb.–15 lb. dress bag all over the airport? Do you want to stress out about it getting smooshed in the overhead bin—or worse, checked at the last minute because the bins are all full? Or would you rather agonize over whether the flight attendants will let you cram it in the plane’s only closet? Or how about paying hundreds of dollars to buy your dress a seat next to you? And do you then want to do any of the above all over again on the flight home?

Shipping your dress ahead eliminates the hassles of traveling with a bulky wedding gown and frees you to just enjoy the trip. I was lucky enough to be married in a destination wedding hotspot where an enterprising local formalwear dealer offered a dress shipping-and-steaming service with delivery to my hotel. All I had to do was send the dress to the dealer a couple of weeks before the wedding. They delivered it to my room the morning of the wedding, steamed it on-site, picked it up from Bell Services after the wedding, and shipped it back to my house (they also offered a pricey gown-preservation service, but I’m convinced those are scams, so I skipped it). Check with local bridal and tuxedo shops at your destination to see if they offer a similar service.

Alternatively, the new service LugLess will pick up and deliver to your home, office or hotel on a specific day and time. Even if you don’t use them to send the rest of your luggage, this could be a great way to send the wedding gown for just a bit more than you’d pay to check a bag on the plane.

And you can always ship the gown directly to your hotel. Since it will most likely need to be steamed or pressed before the wedding anyway, you can use the smallest box it will fit in—ideally, see if you can get the bridal shop to give you the box your gown came in. As you pack the dress, you might want to include a roll of easy-tear packing tape for boxing it up to send home. Label the box with “Hold For [Your Name]” and your check-in date but not your reservation number. Find out how long the hotel will hold it for you and be sure not to ship it too soon. If you’re lucky, your hotel will have a business center or a package delivery service to help you ship the dress home in the same box. Otherwise, you might have to venture out to a local shipping center.

Yes, shipping your gown means you will have to be separated from it for up to a week. And, yes, everyone knows someone who knows someone with a shipping horror story. But you probably know just as many people with an airline luggage-handling horror story. It’s a gamble either way, so you might as well go the easy route and trust that yours will be one of the millions of packages successfully delivered by the major shipping services every day.

Carrie Hayward is the author of PassPorter’s Disney Weddings & Honeymoons and the host of the Disney Wedding Podcast, a weekly show about planning weddings, honeymoons and other romantic occasions at the Disney parks and resorts. Follow her adventures at Disney Travel Babble and @lurkyloo.

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I just wanted to give a little shout out to our past bride and great pal, Carrie. She has literally written a book on getting married at Walt Disney World, and now she’s launched The Disney Wedding Podcast! This is a must-listen for our Disney brides, as each week she shares with the world news from Disney Fairy Tale Weddings, planning info, and money-saving tips. Not engaged? Carrie also covers celebrating other romantic occasions at Walt Disney World. :)

Carrie’s podcast is such a wonderful tool for any Disney fan in love, and I hope you check it out! Click the photo below to see for yourself. Enjoy!

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Posted by at 9:00am on April 11, 2012 under DisneyWeddings

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You may remember Jaclyn and Chris from their engagement session at Disney’s Polynesian Resort.

They were together seven years before they got married. They’re parents to two gray kittens- Cinderella and Cobra Commander (from G.I. Joe.) They’re also big Disney people, so it was no surprise that they chose the Wedding Pavilion for their ceremony venue. :)

I loved Jaclyn’s shoes and the perfect view of the Wedding Pavilion from her room at the Grand Floridian.

Jaclyn was so adorably emotional during their first look that it made me all teary. :)

Love my fountain. :)

FAVORITE!

I love intimate weddings. :)

I think Jaclyn’s the cutest thing since Minnie Mouse!

I love ending the day with a good group shot. :)

As we were leaving, we met Emily, an adorable greeter at the Boardwalk! She’s a blog reader and made my day. HI, EMILY! :)

More Disney weddings!

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