20 Wedding Tips That May Not Have Crossed Your Mind (Part 1)

There are lots and lots of things to think of when you are planning a wedding, and thankfully there are also lots of checklists available to help you cover most of your bases. Even so, there will be some things that you won't find on any checklist, but rather from the experience of past brides that have been through it or from an experienced wedding vendor, like the experts at our Pompano Beach bridal boutique. 

We have been through plenty of weddings over the years, so Angelus Bridal has a list of a few helpful things that you may not think of on your own. Once we started writing, the list got a bit long, so this week we'll feature 10 tips for the wedding planning stage, and next week's blog will feature tips that will be helpful on the wedding day. 

• While you are making your list of "must-have" songs for your reception DJ or band, also make a "DO NOT PLAY" list of music you absolutely don't want to hear on your special day.
  
• Show more than one person that will be at the wedding how to bustle your wedding dress. That way you aren't searching for the only person that knows how when you're ready or left trying to "figure it out" at the last minute.
  
• Designate a wedding helper (or a few) that will be in charge of getting important items from the ceremony to the reception, such as gifts, the guest book, extra programs, decorations being used at both venues, etc... This "job" is often overlooked until the last minute.
  
• Designate a post-wedding helper too that will make sure rentals get returned, decorations get picked up, and everything gets to where it needs to be after the reception. If you don't, it will be harder for you to leave at the end of the evening. Also, make sure someone is in charge of getting the wedding gifts to your home, or at least to your hotel room for the night.
  
• Practice walking in your wedding day shoes. Even if it is a heel size that you are used to, you'll want to break them in a little so they won't be stiff and new on the wedding day. Also, walk in them with your bridal gown on so that you will know ahead of time if you need to take any special precautions so as not to snag the heel on your dress.
  
• Practice using the restroom in your bridal gown. Yes, you read that right! As strange as it sounds, some special occasion dresses are difficult to get in and out of a small bathroom or stall. There is a chance you may need help, and it's best to know that before it's an emergency. Sometimes, especially with a very full skirt, it may be easiest to sit down facing the back of the toilet. It may look and feel strange, but if it keeps your dress out of the way, it's worth it!
  
• Rehearse your wedding vows out loud, even if you aren't writing your own. Nerves can get the better of anyone in front of a crowd, but if you've said the words a few times already, it's going to be a lot easier for you to get through them on the wedding day. 
  
• If you have wedding vendors that need to be paid or tipped on the wedding day, organize those payments in labeled envelopes ahead of time. That way you can ask someone you trust, like a maid of honor or best man, to pass them out so you don't have to worry about it while you are celebrating.
  
• Ask the photographer to capture a photo of the entire ceremony room when you walk down the aisle. This not only gives you a lovely shot of the back of your beautiful bridal gown, but also the looks on all of your guests' faces while they watch you walk in!
  
• Plan a private getaway for just the two of you. We aren't talking about the honeymoon, but rather during the wedding celebration. Plan some time into the schedule of the day, either before the reception or at some point during it, to sneak away to a quiet spot and simply enjoy the moment with each other. Your guests can do without you for a little while.

Those 10 tips will give you a few things to think about until next week when Angelus Bridal & Formals will have 10 more tips for you. This information will come in handy to help make your wedding day the best one ever. When you need help making sure that your wedding day fashions are the best ever, our wedding dress store in South Florida is happy to answer any and all questions you may have.

South Florida's Most Trusted

Bridal Salon

878 SW 10th Avenue - Suite #8

Pompano Beach, FL 33069

954-943-7768

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Quick-Fix Tips For Last Minute Problems With the Groom's Wedding Clothing

Most people assume that it is easy for the groom and his groomsmen to get ready on the wedding day - they just "throw on a suit" and they're done. When they're lucky, it's that simple, but men can run into all kinds of obstacles when they are ready to get dressed for the wedding. Angelus Bridal & Formals has listed a few possible wardrobe problems for the groom in today's blog, along with tips for fixing them. 

Wrong Size
If you rent the tuxedoes or suit for the groom and groomsmen, it is very likely that you won't see them until right before the wedding day. If a measurement was written down wrong or there was a mistake in shipping, the clothing may not fit as well as you would like. In that case, if one of the groomsman's suits fits the groom better, they can make a trade. It is much more important for the groom to look his best, and that groomsman is sure to have his back on this.

If the shirt collar is too tight, you can loop a rubber band through the buttonhole and around the button. This can easily be hidden with a carefully placed necktie. Should you end up with pants that are a bit snug, safety pins can be looped together and used to fasten the pants. This unique rigging can then be covered up with the cummerbund or he can keep the coat buttoned to hide it. 

Ripped Seam
Hopefully the bride or wedding planner has a well-stocked wedding day emergency kit on hand and someone can quickly sew the seam back together. If not, or there's simply not enough time to sew it, you may be able to turn the garment inside-out, hold it together at the seam, and use safety pins to tightly fasten it back together. As a last resort, a stapler or duct tape will work too, but be extra careful when removing those after the wedding so as not to damage the fabric. 

Sweat Stains
Grooms, as well as brides, can easily get nervous before the wedding begins. It's a big deal, so nerves are perfectly normal! Nervous people tend to perspire, as well as anyone getting married on a hot day in a suit coat. Taking precautions ahead of time can avoid sweat stains from showing. 

An undershirt will absorb perspiration before it can reach the outer layer of clothing, and this can be replaced with a dry one between the ceremony and reception if necessary. You can also buy underarm garment shields to place under the armpits and soak up any extra perspiration. Your groom may also want to bring along an extra button-down shirt to change into before the reception begins, and of course, he shouldn't get completely dressed for the ceremony until the very last possible minute. 

No Boutonniere
If for some reason any of the men in your wedding party need a boutonniere but you find yourself short, pluck a few flowers from a centerpiece or your bridesmaids' bouquets. These can be gathered together with string or tape and creatively pinned so that the fastener doesn't show. It is very unlikely that anyone will notice that some of the boutonnieres are slightly different than the rest. 

Our South Florida bridal boutique is a one-stop-shop when it comes to many of the things that you will need for your wedding in addition to the beautiful bridal gown and gorgeous bridesmaid dresses. We also feature an in-house photographer, cake designer, makeup artist, florist, seamstress, and tuxedo rentals. (That tuxedo rental team is excellent at making sure the correct measurements are taken every time!) Visit us at Angelus Bridal & Formals for magnificent wedding day fashions, exceptional customer service, and so much more! 
    

South Florida's Most Trusted

Bridal Salon

878 SW 10th Avenue - Suite #8

Pompano Beach, FL 33069

954-943-7768

Visit our website: www.AngelusBridal.com

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How To Find Bridesmaid Dresses You & Your Bridal Party Will Love

The most important dress to find when you are getting married is, of course, your wedding dress, but there are a few other ladies that will need to look their best too. After you've discovered your own dream bridal gown, it's time to start the search for the best bridesmaid dresses in South Florida. 

Since everyone has their own personal style, it can sometimes be difficult to find a gown that everyone in the group is happy with. The following tips from Angelus Bridal & Formals will help to make the process a little easier for all of you. 

The Bride Picks First
It's always best for the bride to have her wedding gown picked out first. That way you can look for styles that complement it for the bridesmaids to wear. After that, we suggest that you, along with your maid of honor, do some preliminary searching for the bridesmaid dresses. If you have a very small bridal party this may not be necessary, but for larger ones, this can eliminate a lot of varying opinions and possible arguments. 

It is easier for a bride to convey the look she is going for to just one bridesmaid rather than an entire group of them. Keep the price that your bridesmaids can afford in mind when you start making selections. You can narrow down the choices to 3 or 4 dresses for the group to pick from. This allows you to let your friends pick their favorite, but from a group of gowns that you have already pre-approved.     

Trust Your Bridesmaids
Once you bring the whole bridal party together to make final decisions, trust them to have your best interests at heart. These are women that you feel close to if you have asked them to be a part of your special day, so they should be people that you trust to make a good decision. After all, even though it is your wedding, they are the ones that have to wear the dress. 

You want them to look and feel comfortable on your wedding day. If there is a tie for the winning gown, you can be the tiebreaker. Instead of everyone wearing matching dresses, another option is to give your bridesmaids a few choices of gowns that work well together and let each woman pick a different one.    

Start Shopping Early 
It's never too early to begin the bridesmaid gown search. Start out by flipping through wedding magazines together or sharing your favorite looks with each other online. This is a great way to get everyone excited, plus a wonderful way to figure out the styles that are most popular with your group. 

The bridesmaid dresses will need to be ordered at least 6 months before the wedding date. This will allow enough time for the orders to come in and any necessary alterations to be scheduled and completed. 

Angelus Bridal & Formals has a rainbow of colors and a wide range of different styles for you to choose from, and don't forget about our "Love At First Sight" promotion. When you, the bride, fall in love with your wedding dress and purchase it on your first visit to our South Florida bridal salon, your bridesmaids will automatically be eligible for $30 off of their bridesmaid dress purchase for your wedding. (If the gown they choose is priced under $159.95, they will receive a 10% discount instead.) Once everything is said and done, we will have you and your wedding party looking like the best dressed bridal party ever!  

South Florida's Most Trusted

Bridal Salon

878 SW 10th Avenue - Suite #8

Pompano Beach, FL 33069

954-943-7768

Visit our website: www.AngelusBridal.com

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5 Ways To Combine Your Mother's Wedding Day Look With Your Own

Mother's Day is this Sunday, which of course has moms on our mind. Mothers play a very special part in getting you to where you are today. She undoubtedly was a beautiful bride on her own wedding day, and incorporating her wedding day look into your own is a wonderful way to honor her. Angelus Bridal & Formals has come up with a few ways that you can do that and still let your own personal style shine through. 

Wear Her Wedding Dress
Most of the bridal gowns at our wedding dress store in Pompano Beach have a timeless look that can be worn fashionably, no matter what style is currently popular. If your mother has a bridal gown to pass down to you that you absolutely love, you may be able to wear it as is and come to Angelus Bridal for the elegant accessories to wear along with it, personalizing it in your own way.

Wear Her Bridal Accessories
On the other hand, you may prefer to find your very own brand new wedding dress. In that case, you can still wear some of the bridal accessories that your mother wore when she got married, like her jewelry, veil, or headpiece. Bring those heirloom items along with you to your shopping appointment and our talented bridal consultants can help you find a wedding dress that they complement beautifully.  

Carry a Piece of Her Gown
Another option, if your mother doesn't mind, is to take a swatch from the original wedding dress and have it made into something that you can carry with you down the aisle. For example, some fabric from Mom's bridal gown could make a wonderful handkerchief to carry with your bouquet. This is also an excellent idea that allows a groom to carry a piece of his own mother's wedding dress down the aisle too. 

There may be a particular detail or embellishment on the gown that your mother wore that you love. A talented seamstress may be able to incorporate that in some way onto the wedding dress you fell in love with at our South Florida bridal salon. 

Copy Her Hairstyle 
Instead of a piece of clothing, you can have your hair styled in a similar way to your mother's bridal hairstyle. That is a terrific way to show her some love during the ceremony. If you want to bring some of your own style in later, you can show up with a new hairdo for the reception that's all your own.  

Duplicate Her Bridal Bouquet
Your wedding day flowers are a piece of your overall look. If you take a good photograph to your florist of the bouquet that your mother carried down the aisle, they can very likely recreate that same floral masterpiece. 

When you come into our bridal boutique in South Florida, let us know if you are wanting to incorporate your mother's wedding day look into your own. The wonderful staff at Angelus Bridal & Formals can help you do that in an exquisite way that honors your mom and still shows off plenty of your own personal style. 

South Florida's Most Trusted

Bridal Salon

878 SW 10th Avenue - Suite #8

Pompano Beach, FL 33069

954-943-7768

Visit our website: www.AngelusBridal.com

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3 Places You Can Donate Your Bridal Gown After The Wedding

Last week we gave you a few ideas for what to do with your wedding dress after the wedding, and one of those suggestions was to donate it. If you don't plan on wearing it again or passing it down to your children, donating your bridal gown to a charity or organization is a wonderful way to make another bride very happy. 

Angelus Bridal & Formals did a little research and found a few different places that can help you do that. If you are interested in reaching out to any of them, click the link in their paragraph title to learn more.  

Brides Against Breast Cancer

BABC is based in Atlanta, Georgia, and originated out of a charity that was founded in 1997. Since then, they not only have connected brides with affordable pre-owned gowns but also donated millions of dollars to cancer-related charities. The organization is classified as a social enterprise charity (SEC.) While most SECs donate about 10% of their profits and free promotional support to their core cause, BABC chooses to give 50% to their charity!

BABC supports breast cancer causes nationwide with its partnership with Living Beyond Breast Cancer. They also partner with the Georgia Breast Cancer Coalition Fund, supporting cancer health legislative reimbursement efforts. You can find the requirements for donating a wedding dress on their website.  

Brides Across America

BAA is a non-profit committed to loving one another by gifting weddings and wedding gowns to our military and first responders. Their mission is to inspire and express gratitude and appreciation for the service men and women serving in the armed forces. Deployments, financial hardships, and other challenges that are unique to military families can make planning a dream wedding difficult.

Since 2008, they have gifted over 20,000 wedding dresses and over 20 free weddings! "Operation Wedding Gown" events are held 2 times a year, generally near Independence Day and Veteran's Day, to offer free dresses to qualifying military brides. In addition to bridal gowns, they also take donations of special occasion gowns, veils, wedding favors, jewelry, and other items that would be useful for planning a wedding. 

Angel Gowns Florida

This ministry was created to make very special gowns for newborns who pass away in the hospital. It may seem like a small comfort, but it means a great deal to the parents to have this special piece of clothing for family visitation and photographs to remember their child by. 

The baby gowns are created from donated wedding dresses. These are not for sale but instead given as a gift to the grieving families. If you choose to donate, you will receive a photo of the child's gown that is made from your donation. You can find details about donating by reading their story on their Facebook page. 

As we discussed in last week's blog, there are many things that you can do with your beautiful gown from our wedding dress store in Pompano Beach after the wedding. If you choose to donate yours so that someone else can benefit from the gown that brought you so much joy, the organizations on this page are a great place to start. 

South Florida's Most Trusted

Bridal Salon

878 SW 10th Avenue - Suite #8

Pompano Beach, FL 33069

954-943-7768

Visit our website: www.AngelusBridal.com

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