Mother of the Bride Dresses - Top 5 Trends

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Gone are the stodgy old ideas about how a Mother of the Bride should dress.  Here are the top trends in Mother of the Bride Dresses that give us hope!

1) Bright Colors

It used to be that Mother of the Bride dresses only came in four colors: blah, boring, beige, and blech.  Pastels and navy blue are only part of the selection nowadays! Finally, the industry is starting to show a spectrum of different colors, from spring greens to royal purples.  Whether you love bold jewel tones or lean towards rich earth tones, there will be something out there for you.  Since more saturated colors are better for aging, pale skin tones, liven up your look by choosing a color with some pizzazz!

2) Bolero Jackets

You may be sick of those boring Mother of the Bride jacket dresses, but the good news is there's finally a fresh new take on them! Designers have addressed the need for a removable jacket to cover the arms that is also very fashionable.  The bolero jacket, with different sleeve lengths, is in. It's elegant and practical. Take it off when you're hot, and you will still have a great dress underneath. Wear it to cover up during the ceremony - no one will guess you're trying to cover those wobbly chicken wings under your arms!

3) Tiered Dresses and Skirts

Tiered skirts are showing up in stores this season and are especially appropriate for formal wear for the over-40 set.  They're modern and feminine and can be very flattering if they are not too frilly. Try one before you buy, and make sure it suits your body. With all that extra material, this Mother of the Bride style is not for everyone!

4) New  Lengths

Say goodbye to floor length when it come to Mother of the Bride Dresses. Plenty of different hemlines are popping up, mainly due to the huge variety of different wedding styles and venues these days.  We're seeing plenty of cocktail-length, knee-length, and handkerchief hems, as well as hi-lo dress lengths.  (High in the front, long in the back).  At the knee, or slightly above the knee is as high as you want to go. Remember: All these new hemlines give you one more reason to wear some fabulous, head-turning  shoes!

5) "Green" Fabrics  (no, we don't mean color!)

Environmentally responsible weddings are all the rage.  Couples are using recycled materials for invitations and donating to charity instead of offering plastic, landfill bound favors to their guests. The "green" theme even reaches all the way down to wedding attire.  You may have to explore specialty stores, but organic cotton and silk dresses are growing in popularity.  The best part about them is because the dresses are made with natural fibers, they are more comfortable and breathable.  When you're outside at an August wedding, you'll appreciate why this is so necessary!

(c) 2009, Boland-Tyler Productions.  All rights reserved.  Article may be reprinted so long as text and by-line are reprinted intact and all links made live.

Deborah Boland and JoJami Tyler (The Glam Gals) are Image and Style Experts specializing in helping women 40 plus look and feel fabulous. They are the authors of the book, The Glam Plan ~ 12 Simple Steps to Take You from Frumpy to Fabulous, as well as coaches for their Tweak Your Chic(TM), Image make-over program. To learn more tips about choosing your mother of the bride (or groom) dress visit http://www.fabulousafter40.com/ebooks/mother-of-the-bride/, sign up for their bi-weekly newsletter and visit Worth The Splurge to see 100 Style Links Women Will Love.

Wedding Invitation Wording Samples to Use When the Bride and Groom Are Inviting

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One of the most important steps in the process of ordering your wedding invitations is writing the wedding invitation wording.

Formal wedding invitations should follow proper wedding invitation etiquette. All invites, whether formal, casual or traditional or non-traditional should include the following:

* Bride's and Groom's full names (including middle names for formal invites)
* Day and date of the wedding
* The year should be written out on the next line following the date
* Time of the wedding
* Location of the wedding (formal wedding invitations usually just include the name of the church or building, while less formal or casual wedding invitations might also include the street address)
* City and State (do not include zip code)

Those are the essentials, the things that you absolutely MUST include in your wedding invitation wording. Other than that, you can be very creative with the rest of the wording. If you are having a non-traditional wedding, do not feel like you must follow all of the rules of etiquette. You can add a favorite poem, scripture or verse. Or you could write something to reflect your own personal story of how you met and why you are getting married. You could even use a verse that relates to the season in which you are getting married.

Some other things you must think about when writing your wedding invitation wording are things like:

* Who is doing the inviting. (Bride's parents, Bride's and Groom's parents, Bride and Groom, Children of Bride and Groom, etc.)
* If the Bride's or Groom's parents are deceased
* If the Bride's or Groom's parents are divorced
* If it is a second (or third or fourth) marriage
* If the wedding is being held in a Church or at a Home or other non-church location

Here are some samples of wedding invitation wording where the Bride and Groom are doing the inviting:

With joyous hearts
we invite you to attend
the wedding of
LaJune Nashea Hamilton
and
Donovan Ramond Williamson
Saturday, the twenty-fifth of April
Two thousand and ten
at five thirty in the evening
Venetian Terrace
215 Mandalay Canal
Arlington, Texas

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Please join us
for a celebration of
Love, friendship, laughter, and family
as
Audrey Davidson
and
Donny Wolverton
Join their hands in holy matrimony
Saturday, August 22
two thousand and ten
at six o'clock in the evening
Windy Road Ranch
Lubbock, Texas

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Together With Their Parents And Family
Luanna Gutierrez
And
Ryan Jacob Dominguez
Request The Honour Of Your Presence
As They Join Hands In Holy Matrimony
Saturday, The Twenty-First Of November
Two Thousand And Nine
At One O'clock In The Afternoon
Holy Spirit Catholic Church
Hemet, California

--------------------------------------------------------------

Because you have shared in
our lives
by your friendship and love we,
Nicole Bernadette Cypert
and
Nicholas Thomas Jacobson
together with our parents
invite you to share
the beginning of our new life together
when we exchange marriage vows
on Friday, the ninth of May
two thousand eleven
at five o'clock in the evening
Paradise Country Club
Madison, Wisconson

----------------------------------------------------------

You are invited to a celebration
of the beginning of our new life together
as Mari D'Lynn Martin
and
Colton Jeremy Jamison
are united as husband and wife
Friday, the twenty-seventh of March
two thousand and ten
at two o'clock in the afternoon
First Baptist Church
Jersey City, New Jersey

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We joyfully invite you to our wedding celebration.
On this day we will marry the one
we laugh with, live for, dream with, and love.
Please join
Kathryn Marie Longbotham
and
Miles David Thornton
at seven o'clock in the evening
on Friday, June twenty-sixth
two thousand and ten
Wenten Chapel
Roanoke, Virginia

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The honor of your presence
is requested at the marriage of
Allysa Lauren Montgomery,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Paul Montgomery
and
Bodie Todd Forseman
son of Mr. and Mrs. Scott B. Forseman
Sunday, the eleventh of August
Two thousand and eleven
at two o'clock in the afternoon
Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral
Santa Fe, New Mexico

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Again, these are just samples of wedding invitation wording. Brides and grooms can get creative and create their own unique wording for their wedding invitation. But these are the basics. If the wedding is more casual, rather than formal, the wording on the wedding invitation can be more casual as well and does not necessarily have to follow all of the proper wedding invitation etiquette rules. One thing to keep in mind though, is that most people are constantly in a hurry and tend to skim whatever they are reading. So, you might want to keep your wording fairly basic.

Tip: Make sure to get someone who has never seen your wedding invitation before to proof read the final copy. They will often find errors which you have missed because you have become too familiar with the wording. Ask them to check the date with a calendar to make sure the date is correct. They should also check for spelling errors as well as grammar. Have them read it out loud to see if everything flows and makes sense.

JoDitt Williams, is an invitation designer and the owner of Joyful Heart Design, an online custom wedding invitation boutique. JoDitt invites you to visit her website to view samples of her contemporary, colorful, delightfully unique, and totally customizable wedding invitations. JoDitt delights in helping her customers create the wedding invitation of their dreams. Please visit http://www.oohandaahweddinginvites.com to view her gallery of invitations that are sure to get lots of "oohs" and "aahs."

Top Wedding Dress Trends For 2009 and 2010

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Want to ensure a fashion-forward look for your upcoming 2009 or 2010 wedding? From sleek silhouettes to mini-dresses and tiered gowns, these latest looks for wedding gowns will help you put your best fashion foot forward to get you down the aisle in style.

Sleek Silhouettes
Slim is the silhouette of choice for the modern wedding dress - as sheaths, trumpets, and column wedding dresses ruled the runways. Don´t fret if you´ve always dreamed of donning a billowy ball gown, however, as this traditional style never goes out of style.

Colorful Details
Modern brides are experimenting with color to tie their ensembles into the color scheme. Adding a splash of color to the basic white gown remains popular through colorful sashes and appliqué details, or more dramatically through two-toned wedding gowns with a colored bodice against a white or off-white skirt.

High Hemlines
Not afraid to show a little leg, today´s brides are embracing the tea-length and mini shift dresses that have become de rigueur in nearly every wedding dress designer´s latest collections. The trend makes sense for destination weddings calling for laid back attire and brides opting to don a second dress for dancing the night away at the reception.

Tiered Skirts
Whether chiffon, tulle, organza, or even feathers - layers of fabric are the newest major detail designers are playing with to create soft, yet dramatic gowns. This flowing style is perfect for the bride who is a romantic at heart.

Floaty Fabrics
Dresses weighted down by heavy crepes, matte satins and silks are lightening up to fabrics like taffeta and organza. These airy fabrics are easy to layer and more comfortable for a gown worn for up to 10 hours. And for brides having a summer wedding, donning a lighter fabric will ensure they´re glowing - not sweaty and red-faced - on their wedding day.

One Shoulder
This asymmetrical look is a hot fashion trend that has crossed over into the bridal world to update the basic strapless gown. Carrying a simple, no fuss vibe, the one shoulder gown is a great option for a destination wedding. Bonus points for those blessed with toned limbs, as this neckline shows off the upper arms and shoulders.

Practical Pockets
Having graced gowns for a few seasons, pockets remain hot in 2009. The style lends a casual vibe for relaxed events, and - perhaps best of all - it´s practical too, allowing brides to keep essentials like lip gloss or tissues on hand throughout the day.

Get even more wedding dress trends in this complete wedding dresses guide and gallery of designer gowns.

Cori Russell is editor for Elegala.com and Gala Weddings Magazine. Elegala.com is a comprehensive wedding resource with a national directory of wedding venues and services, along with articles, expert advice, checklists and photo galleries to lead brides through every step of the planning process.

2009's Boldest, Most Beautiful Wedding Gown Trends

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Finally! 2009's gowns bring brides some real choices, after several years of strapless uniformity. (Thank you, Vera Wang!) If you're the type of bride who wants a couture (or couture-inspired) gown to match the finer shades of your personality and wedding style, 2009 is the year with your name on it! Here are a few of the hottest trends going:

Crumb-Catcher Bodices.

This regal, old-world design twist came from that same lust for luxe that brought us Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, and its subsequent style explosion in the bridal world.

Greek Goddess Columns.

The ultimate look backward, the style takes us back to the lovely goddesses (and early supermodels) of Greece's Golden Age. With plenty of glorious examples to be seen from bridal magazines to the red carpet, this style's not going away soon. Happily, it lends itself to arm bling and the half up-half down style that's still so alluring to brides. Also note: bridesmaids look amazing in goddess gowns when the bride's wearing something more structured.

Asymmetrical / One-Shouldered Styles.

These gowns are sexy attention-getters. Another hot commodity on the red carpet, the asymmetrical top adds up to an exciting departure from same-old strapless, while exuding plenty of come-hither vibes.

Subued Color Plays.

Color's no longer the domain of a bold -- or even distracting -- burst of contrast in the train or cuffed bodice of an otherwise stark-white gown. Instead, next year's color inspiration flows from Vera Wang's gowns in warm toasts and charcoals, St. Pucchi's fabulous champagne and platinum combos, or gowns that ripple with multicolored gardens of embroidery (Claire Pettibone).

The Mini.

No longer the oddball in an otherwise full-length portfolio, minis have become serious business, with layers and ruches and ruffles aplenty. Increasing number of brides find them a brilliant choice for tent weddings on the shore or in the vineyard. And let's not forget those brides who want a gorgeous but mobile second gown to get down and boogie the night away.

For more 2009 wedding trends and expert help in planning a hot wedding, see Favor Ideas. Don't miss our personalized wedding favors and elegant wine stopper favors.