After being involved with wedding vendors and consulting and purchasing unique wedding favors for more future brides and grooms than I even care to count, I inevitably get asked the same question again and again; how can I make my wedding different and special?
One quick answer is to make be who you are; personalize it to reflect the bride and groom and who everyone there knows them to be. But how do you do that? Read on.

There are so many aspects to every wedding that to cover personalizing all of them would take tons of pages, so I will discuss them one by one. This first part will cover the area that is so precious to the bride – her wedding gown.

Tradition says that for the first time bride, she can and should wear white. And if fate has it that you get married more than once, don’t you dare wear white. You are then degraded to a faded shade of pale. But do we really have to abide by archaic rules? Not on your life! It’s your party and you don’t have to cry because your favorite color is pink and you’re stuck wearing white!

Today, you will notice in Bridal Shops and Boutiques that there are so many gowns with different colors splashed throughout the dress. And many gowns are even in different colors. You can actually have some gowns made in any color you wish. But if you really like the more traditional, white gown, there are arrays of ideas which will allow you to personalize it and make it your own.

One wedding that I consulted on brought the bridal gown to a whole new level. The bride chose a gown that had rose-like pink and lavender flowers going down the train of the gown as well as a few at her waist in the front. And she had it match her unique wedding favors. She requested I come with her to see the gown to help her personalize the bridal party and the entire wedding. The gown was breathtaking, and it didn’t put a dent in her budget. Immediately I knew what had to be done. I spoke to the bridal boutique owner and seamstress. We then presented the bride with my ideas.

What I knew about a wedding, I told the bride; that it has to look like one theme throughout the day and in that, there is great elegance and individual personality. Even if you are having an October wedding, you can match your unique wedding favors to the accents on your dress. I then showed the bride a very simple lavender bridesmaid’s gown, the same style and cut as her own. What I knew would be very beautiful, is if the bridal shop ordered extra pink and lavender flowers (the same as on the bride’s gown) and the seamstress sewed them running down the back train and on the waist, matching the bride. Also, the flower girl would be wearing an identical dress as the bride (a good seamstress can do this for nearly the same money as a normal flower girl dress), with the same flowers again.

The bride was ecstatic and she had a very unique and personalized bridal party. We also continued the theme throughout the wedding; same flowers, same colors, even to the point of putting some on each dinner plate to accent the food. The wedding was a huge success; people talked about it for weeks afterward. And more than that, the bride was thrilled and felt like the wedding truly was a part of her.

Fashionistas have always been on top of the current trends and having the latest designer clothing, shoes and accessories. Fashion magazines always show when celebrities are wearing certain designers and as a result, many Americans go out and purchase those latest trends . A lot of shoppers are choosing to buy replica purses and replica handbags versus the expensive designer ones and also going to discount retailers for their clothing these days .
Things have changed a bit with the downturn of the economy and many of those magazines are printing articles on how to get the expensive look for less . today , it is more hip to be frugal with your fashion choices than to spend a ton of money on a purse or shoes. It is considered so chic now to be more economical in your shopping that people that do drop a ton of money at high end stores are either asking to put their purchases in plain bags or to use bags from more common stores such as Macy’s to Put their Chanel items in it.
A smart method to be more frugal with your look is to browse through magazines to get ideas and then shop at cheaper stores such as H&M or Target where they typically sell a similar look for much less . Another great idea is to visit a designer thrift shop in a nice part of town . Many times there are designer brands for sale that were hardly worn or never at all and sell for about 70% off the original price. Many people do not realize the wonderful things that are being sold at consignment stores these days . Because of this current trend, resale boutiques are thriving in this difficult economy and are not only for the lower income citizens anymore. It is also a great way for you to clear out your unused things and make some money back to bring your gently used items to these stores .
Another terrific suggstion for being fashionable but onsticking to a budget is to have a swap party with your most fashionable friends. Many people are now having parties with their friends to save money and they swap anything from dresses, to jewelry to handbags and purses. This way you eliminate things you do not wear and also receive new things for your closet without spending a penny . This idea has been a frequent one appearing in several magazines in recent months.
Many women are huge lovers of shoes and purses but can never pay the steep price that the designer ones cost. This has resulted in a lot of replica bags and shoes that are very popular today. Women can appear to be carrying a designer bag when actually it has small differences that make it a replica one for a great deal less .
Whatever option you choose to go with, there are a lot of ways to have the designer look and be current with the latest fashion trends without spending much money and breaking your budget .

If you are in search of fuss-free, top quality shoe designs, there are only a few tradenames which actuallt pass the test. Common Projects, which features a selection of Italian made shoes, is among the best in its league. Those who lean towards sophistication in their daily footwear choices will find this brand ideal for their tastes. Although founded in New York, shoppers in the UK can purchase this shoe brand from select boutiques in London, such as Ideology Menswear. You can order conveniently from the web, from the many websites that sell this footwear brand.