Should a Bride Hide Her Tattoos?

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Every generation of brides faces unique questions as they prepare for their weddings. When our mothers got married, it was probably something like, "Can I get away with a bridal gown with bare shoulders for a church wedding?". For a lot of today's brides, the overwhelming dilemma is what to do about her tattoos; should she show them, hide them, or what? These are some of the considerations to help you decide.

There are several different approaches that women take to their tattoos. There are those who love them, have many, and consider their ink to be a major part of who they are. This article isn't really for those brides; they already know that they will be showing their tattoos. This article is for the other type of tattooed bride, the one who is more casual about tattoos, has only one or two, and perhaps even has never shown her tattoos to her family. This is the bride who feels conflicted about the tattoo dilemma.

One of the biggest issues in the tattoo dilemma often involves the mother of the bride. Most moms are not interested in seeing body art on their daughters during the wedding ceremony. Sometimes this can present an opportunity for compromise. The bride agrees to cover her ink for the ceremony, but does not hide it for the reception. This can be a good solution, particularly if the wedding ceremony is going to be traditional.

If you decide to hide a tattoo for the ceremony, there are a few ways in which it can be done, depending on where it is. One possibility is to get special tattoo covering makeup. The effectiveness of this tactic will depend on the size and color of the tattoo. This can be an option for tattoos that are in hard to cover places such as hands or arms. Do be aware that makeup can tend to smear, especially after a night on the dance floor.

Tattoos on the back of the shoulder are very popular, and they can be concealed for the ceremony with a shrug worn over the bridal gown. Even a full veil will help to soften the look of a tattoo on the upper back. On the other hand, if you prefer not to cover a back tattoo, it is important to choose a gown that works well with the design. To be avoided is any kind of strap that will cut the image in half. Open backs look much better than divided or half hidden tattoos.

A cool way to hide a tattoo on the wrist or neck is with custom bridal jewelry. An extra wide bracelet created from rows of crystals and pearls will add style to your bridal ensemble as well as hiding a wrist tattoo. If the body art you wish to cover is on the neck, then custom bridal jewelry in the form of a beautiful choker will do the trick. The great part is that you will get some fabulous jewelry as well as getting the look that you want for your wedding.

The decision of whether or not to hide a tattoo for your wedding is an entirely personal one, although family and social pressure will often come into play, as well. Ultimately, each bride has to make the choice that will make her happy, while showing respect for her family and their customs. And remember, if you decide to conceal a tattoo, be sure to do it completely, but if you prefer to let it be seen, go ahead and really showcase it.

Guy has been writing about society and weddings for a long time. If you have a topic you would like to know about. Let us know at SilverlandJewelry.com. Special body adornments have always been important in every society, from the classic pearl bridal jewelry of a traditional bride to the unique tattoos of cutting edge brides.

Matching the Attendants' Attire to the Bride and Groom

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The bride and groom are the focus of attention at a wedding. Well, okay, mostly just the bride. Nevertheless, your bridesmaids and groomsmen will also play an important role in the look of your wedding. You want to make sure that their attire will complement the style of what the bride and groom are wearing, as well as the theme of the wedding in general.

Getting the men in the wedding party coordinated is really quite easy. Whatever the groom wears is what the groomsmen should wear. If the groom wears a tuxedo, his attendants will also wear tuxedos. If the groom wears a navy blazer and khakis, then the groomsmen will wear that too. Some couples think that they should dress the groom a little bit differently to make him stand out from the rest of the men, but this really is not necessary. Everyone will recognize the groom, since he will be the one standing up at the altar kissing the bride!

There may be some additional touches that you want for the men in the wedding. If they will be wearing shirts with French cuffs, a very nice wedding gift from the bride would be a pair of cufflinks. You can have them engraved with his monogram, or perhaps your wedding date. A really fun idea is a pair of locket cufflinks with a picture of the happy couple inside. The groom can use this same concept when he is looking for gifts for his groomsmen. These days, a lot of young men do not own any cufflinks, and a silver pair makes for very handsome groomsmen gifts, indeed.

The bride and her bridesmaids will not wear the same dresses, of course. You do want the style of the bridesmaid dresses to be in keeping with what the bride will be wearing though. In particular, it looks best when the attendants match the bride in the degree of formality. If the bride will be wearing a satin gown with a cathedral length train, it would look very odd for the bridesmaids to wear above the knee cocktail dresses. On the other hand, if the bride is wearing a simple linen gown for an outdoor wedding, putting the bridesmaids into long silk gowns would also be a mismatch.

In addition to formality, the bridesmaids should match the style of the wedding and the bride's gown. If you are having a very romantic garden wedding, then you don't want to dress your bridesmaids in black sheath dresses that would be better suited for an urban loft ceremony. Not would you want to dress the bridesmaids at an urban loft wedding in flowery sundresses. For religious ceremonies, propriety is also a consideration. In certain churches too much skin is a definite no-no, so be sure to check on the specific requirements of your church before ordering the dresses for the wedding party.

The wedding party should also complement the look of the bride and groom in terms of accessories and grooming. This applies more to the hair and makeup of the ladies, but the groomsmen are not exempt. For example, if you are having a barefoot wedding on the beach, it might not matter if the best man shows up with three days worth of stubble on his face, but for a ceremony at the Ritz-Carleton, he had darn well better have a fresh shave and a haircut!

Once you match the attendants to the bride and groom in general terms, you will find that you still have plenty of freedom in choosing their attire (well, for the bridesmaids, at least). You can pick out dresses in any number of beautiful colors, flattering cuts, and luxurious fabrics. And when all is said and done, you will have a bridal party that does you proud.

Laura is interested in wedding planning and wedding trends including jewelry,receptions and gifts. Groomsmen gifts can be customized to fit the interests of your attendants.