Tattooed Bridesmaid - Are Visible Tattoos Wedding Appropriate?

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It's wedding season again; I blinked my eyes and now it's here. Over the past few wedding seasons, wedding forum questions related to visible tattoos on bridesmaids have increased significantly. Many of the forum questions were from either: a) the concerned bridesmaid, wondering if she should cover her own tattoos during the wedding or b) the bride desperately wanting her bridesmaids' tattoos concealed.

Whether you are in the shoes of A or B, you are not alone. According to a January 2008 Harris Interactive Poll, 32% of U.S. adults age 25-29 have at least one tattoo. With the average age of a first marriage in the U.S around 25-28 years of age, a visible tattoo may be affecting the dynamics of your upcoming wedding.

You are the bridesmaid

If you are the concerned bridesmaid, it's fantastic that you are open to concealing your tattoo for your friend's wedding day. Horror stories abound illustrating passive aggressive brides who never speak directly to the bridesmaid about covering visible tattoos, yet simply opt to air brush the tattoos out of the wedding photos. Imagine what the bridesmaid must think when she finds herself staring at unrecognizable photos of herself right after the wedding.

The best way to gauge the bride's opinion regarding your tattoo is to ask her. Open up the dialogue, ask what the bride's preference is and be open to what she says. Tattoos are every bit a part of you and the bride definitely understands what your ink represents. But, for this one day, turn the conversation to what your friendship represents and how you would do anything for the bride; the friend you are seeing off into marriage.

You are the bride

Quite possibly you are the the bride-to-be, distressing over your maid-of-honor's sleeve tattoo ruining your wedding photos. Relax, you can handle the no-tattoo chat with your friend; if you have a tactful plan:

1) Be fair. Think about your wedding party, are you going to ask all of the members to cover their tattoos too? Better yet, are you covering your own tattoos? If yes, carry on. If no, think about why you are asking your friend to cover her tattoo. Is there something within the tattoo that specifically offends you? Possibly a topless Betty Paige? If you are not going to ask the other members of the bridal party to cover up, then you need to tactfully convey your message to the bridesmaid in question.

2) Tell your bridesmaid that you know how important the tattoo is to her.

3) Come up with a plan. Will a shawl cover the tattoo for the wedding? Or will you purchase a tattoo cover up product such as Tattoo Camo (tattoocamo.com)? With either option, go online and take care of the purchase for your friend. We learned about Tattoo Camo through a study conducted by Joan Kneller, a woman embarking on her 2nd marriage with her ex husband's name still tattooed on her shoulder! You can read all about Joan's experience at tattoomakeup.org.

How to conceal tattoos with cover up

How do you cover up a tattoo with make-up? The make-up experts recommend that you purchase two shades of tattoo makeup, one lighter and one a tad darker than your skin tone. Start with the darker shade and briefly go over the bulk of the tattoo, then take the lighter shade and blend into the darker. Set with powder and you are good to go. Good luck and enjoy the wedding!

Ms. Eckard is a wedding planner in Dallas TX.

Father of the Bride - Wedding Toasts - The Pressure is On, Are You Ready

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There may not be any more important event in your daughter's life than her wedding. As the father of the bride, wedding toasts are a key point where you can impact how she remembers that day. It's tricky though, because there are so many aspects that need to be crammed into a few short moments.

Of course you want to convey how you feel about your daughter. You want to let her know how much you care about her, how much she means to you, and how much you've enjoyed the years you had together. You want her to know that you are happy for her, but that you're also going to miss her.

You want to let everyone there know how pleased you are to have your daughter marrying her new husband. You want them all to know how grateful you are that they've come to enjoy this special occasion with you. You want your family to know that they are important.

You don't want to sound like you're rambling, which can happen even if you diligently planned out your speech. Sometimes emotions can get in the way, but often times the weight of trying to get so much into a compact format is just too much.

You don't want to sound like you didn't plan your speech. Of course you will have spent time going over it to try to make the toast as special for the bride as you can. But even with all the work you might still be left searching for words.

In perfect world, your speech would come off sounding professional and personal, practiced and natural all at once. It might seem that most of that is in the delivery, but even more it's about the writing of the speech in the first place. You can get the delivery part down through practice and repetition - use a mirror, and then a mini-audience if you can.

On the writing front, your best bet is to start with a pre-written speech from a professional and then customize from there. You'll be guaranteed something that's been carefully crafted to leave exactly the type of impression you'd like to make. It'll move along at a decent pace, but not skip any of the important things. And at the end of the day a professionally written speech will give you the peace of mind that you did the best for your daughter that you could. So do yourself and your loved ones a favor, check these out: Father of the Bride - Wedding Toasts

The Bride Isn't Shy Anymore!

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Remember the phrase "blushing bride"? It was thought for centuries that brides were supposed to be demure, shy, quiet and reserved. This attitude was reflected in so many choices for her wedding ideas - including the colors she chose for the bridesmaids' dresses, table linens, and everything else. Pastels were the norm, including soft pinks, pale blues, and mint greens. Everything, especially wedding colors, was subtle and seen as feminine.

Today's modern bride has redefined that word. She is probably someone that has worked, and worked hard. She juggles her own career ambitions while not giving up her desire for a home and family. A blushing bride she is not!

And this is being reflected in her choices for wedding colors, in wedding favors and other items. Over the past few years, colors have become stronger and deeper. Mint green has been traded for hunter or forest shades. Pale blue has given way to navy or royal. Everything has become bolder, deeper, stronger - just like the bride herself. It's not unusual to see the once taboo wedding colors choice of black or fire engine red to be worked into a wedding décor, and sometimes even those two colors together.

The choices for colors at a wedding are no greater indication of a bride's personality, and this trend of the strong and independent woman isn't going to go away anytime soon, and neither is the choice for stronger and bolder wedding colors.

However, this isn't to say that today's bride is so strong that she's become unapproachable, or that she is choosing strong colors just for the sake of how strong they are. One of the hottest trends in wedding colors today is shades of warm brown and tan. Even for wedding dresses, the bride herself may choose a sash or bow of russet or auburn shades.

The brown family of colors is closely associated with warm, nurturing foods- think of coffee, cocoa, and chocolate. Brown is often seen in nature, another element of nurturing and caring. Even in the application of feng shui, it's encouraged to use shades of brown in rooms where you want to feel relaxed and comforted, such as the living room or bedroom. By selecting wedding colors of these darker shades, the bride may be expressing her nurturing, caring, warm side.

The same could be said of the many shades of green that are fast becoming available. No longer does the bride only have the choice of mint or pale green, but now bridesmaids' dresses and table linens are being offered in stronger shades of celery, jade, and emerald. Hunter and forest greens are also popular, and also may be seen as strong but nurturing. These are two shades also abundantly available in nature, and the term "mother earth" was coined for a reason. When we think of nature or use shades found in nature, these are seen as warm and caring.

Jewel tones of any color are also very popular wedding colors, especially when planning a winter or holiday wedding. When choosing colors that are of a jewel tone, a bride can even mix up the shades for her table linens - emerald green and ruby red for a December wedding, for instance. Adding some sapphire blue and shades of gold can break up the colors and still keep the venue looking festive.

Of course, those brides who still prefer the softer wedding colors of the pastel family have a wealth of options for them. Softer colors never go out of style, and are still seen as being romantic and even passionate. Additionally, by choosing softer colors, the bride knows that they will not overwhelm the setting or theme of the wedding. If you have a large number of bridesmaids and a huge banquet hall, choosing colors such as red and black as your accent can be too powerful, and can even cause the bride herself to get lost in the pictures! The larger the venue and number of attendants, the softer the color shades should be. Of course, these wedding colors can be mixed and matched as well. A bride may opt for her attendants to be in soft pink while the maid of honor is in a darker shade of rose red or light purple. If opting for soft wedding colors, you don't want to make the mistake of having your venue or dresses look washed out or faded. A bride needs to make sure that there are some stronger accent colors to tie everything together.

In the end of course wedding colors are going to be a bride's choice and will no doubt reflect not just her personality but the prevailing trend at the time. Whatever her preferences for the wedding colors - shy and sweet pastels, bold and strong reds and blues, nurturing browns and greens - she has a wealth of options available to her today, and no longer needs to be shy about expressing her true personality in her wedding party!

Linda Ellison is a freelance writer who specializes in trends and lifestyles. Her previously published fiction works, including the Dana Ford Mystery Series, have been on bookshelves nationwide. Visit [http://www.favorsandwraps.com] to read more about the latest trends in wedding favors.

DIY Wedding Makeup For Brides

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If you are looking for a way to cut costs, doing your own makeup can be a great way to can save you lots of money. Here are some tips for achieving a professional look on your own.

Go get a makeup consultation.

Most department stores have trained makeup artists who will give you a makeup lesson with a product purchase. This kills two birds with one stone. You can get the makeup you need and a professional demonstration of the product.

Here are some more tips on achieving a perfect look on your wedding day.

Start with clean, moisturized skin.

· Be sure your moisturizer and foundation have an SPF of at least 15 to protect you in the sun.

Use concealer and foundation to create flawless skin.

· Start with concealer (cream works best). Apply it under your eyes and to any red or dark spots to even your skin tone.

· Use a foundation that matches your skin tone exactly. Apply sparingly. Too much foundation can highlight skin imperfections. Apply to your forehead, cheeks, nose and chin, and then blend upward and outward.

Have perfectly groomed brows.

· Don't pluck or wax the day of your wedding. Do this a few days to a week before the wedding to avoid irritation and redness.

· Use a pencil the same shade as your brows to fill in gaps and to create a defined look. Use small, light strokes when applying brow liner.

· Tame wild brows with clear mascara.

Define your eyes

· Line your eyes along the lash line with a dark-colored liner. Black or charcoal smudged along the top lashes is a great look. Turn the point of your liner up at the corners to really open them up.

· For shadow, use three shades in coordinating colors: light, medium and deep. Use the light color on your brow bone and the inside corner of your eye. Put the medium color in the crease and along the lid. Use the darker color on the outside third of your lid to make eyes really pop.

· Use a thickening or lengthening mascara in a waterproof formula to really define lashes. Add fake lashes for real drama. Be sure to practice before your wedding day.

Create a soft glow.

· Gain that blushing bride look with a large blush brush. Smile a big, goofy smile to define the apples of your cheeks. Sweep blush upward into your hairline.

· Sweep a soft layer of bronzer across the spots where the sun naturally hits you: cheeks, forehead, bridge of your nose, and chin.

Create soft, luscious lips.

· Use a stay-put formula with a gloss for long-lasting lips.

· First define lips with a pencil that matches your lipstick shade exactly.

· Top with the lip color. Let set for time specified.

· Add gloss.

· For real staying power, purchase a lipstick sealant. This will make your lipstick last much longer.

· Don't go too extreme in color. Define your lips with a natural color like berry or nude that complements your skin tone.

Finish it off.

· Add some translucent powder to your entire face (excluding your lips and lashes) to lock in the look.

Touch up tips:

· Keep some shine control papers handy. Press them on your face to remove excess oil. Don't pile on powder. It will cake.

· Touch up gloss periodically through your reception to keep lips moist and pretty for pictures.

Ashley Rader is the owner of Moments of Elegance, an online wedding boutique specializing in wedding party favors and a huge collection of bridal jewelry that will truly make your event unforgettable. Event planners can receive 10% off their order with coupon code: saveonfavors10.

Wedding Gifts For Bride's and Groom's Father

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After you're done preparing gifts for your participants, of course you don't want to forget giving a special gift for your parents. After all, these people helped you a lot, from pre-wedding preparation to the wedding ceremony itself. The support of parents is immeasurable, therefore you want to thank them for all the great things they've done for you. The bride and groom's fathers for instance, are very important participants, not only because they unselfishly give financial assistance to the couple, but also they are there to show love and emotional support. However, to find an ideal gift for dad is quite tricky. So, here are top favorite wedding gifts that any father would appreciate:

Cufflinks

Cufflinks are ideal gifts especially for men, and so as with the bride's and groom's father. There are different kinds of designs and styles cufflinks have. For a special person like your father, you may want to consider personalized or themed cufflinks. Personalized cufflinks are perfect gifts to surprise dad with sentiment of thanks. They are made personalized by engraving initials on it. You may opt for a personal touch of Father Of The Bride Cufflinks to proclaim he's a true father of the bride! He can wear this endearing cufflinks to accentuate his wedding day outfit with style! Or perhaps a classic style of Jared Textured Cufflinks to complete a perfect and distinctive appeal of dad during the ceremony.

Desk Accessories

Business-minded dads would love desk accessories that can add accent to his office. Like other gift ideas, desk accessories come in a wide selection also. You can find such accessories from simple to elegant. For specialized options, look for personalized desk accessories where you'll be able to monogram your dad's initials on the item. Included in your option list are personalized desk clocks, business card holders, bookends, paper weights, legal letter opener, desk organizer and the like.

Sporty Accessories

Sporty gifts are perfect to boost the adrenalin of sporty and energetic fathers. There are different sporty gifts you can choose from. Sporty gifts don't have to be real sports accessory. Consider sports-themed items like miniature basketball, engraved baseball, NFL Emblem Money Clip, sports-themed pub signs and more. If he is into golf, hand him Golf Set Gifts, Monogrammed Golf Shoe Bag or a Personalized Hole In One Golf Plaque.

Refer ideal gift ideas to his other pastime and hobbies. There are great choices of cooking wares for daddies who love to experiment different dishes. Consider giving Rockin' Dad grill Tools, a cool way of saying thank you to your ever dearest father. Or perhaps an Elegant Japanese Rice Bowl & Chopsticks Set if he is a Japanese cuisine enthusiast. There are still other unique gifts to suit your dad's hobbies. Such items are cigar accessories, barware, cooler bags and the like. You can find these gift ideas at your nearest local gift shops and online stores. Make your daddy proud and let him enjoy your wedding day with cool mementos that he will cherish for the rest of his life.

Jnet is an author for a variety of lifestyle issues and topics. For more information on father of the groom gifts, visit the website Mygroomsmengifts.com and choose from their products. Get a wedding gift idea online!