Sunday, January 27, 2008

Spotlight Brides: Look Red Carpet Worthy While Walking Down the Aisle

(ARA) - This spring, it will be difficult to tell if a bride is walking down the aisle or making her way down the red carpet. After a year-long love affair with the boxy trapeze dress, designers are emphasizing the waist and adding elegant details.

"This focus on the feminine calls for glamorous bridal jewelry fit for a queen," says Shawn Diddy, Jewelry Television's trend tracker. Here are some of the looks she's expecting to be hot in 2008:

*Brides will make a "ready for your close-up" impact in an off-the-shoulder dress. The look from the runways calls for minimal accents -- a single, "statement" piece of jewelry such as a pair of dangle earrings that sparkle or a thick, signature bracelet. Wear hair up to really show off your shoulders in that gorgeous dress.

*Pleats, ruffles and tulip tiers abound in light and frothy fabrics. Because of the unusual silhouettes of these trendy dresses, keep hair and jewelry simple. A loose chignon softens your face while a classic pair of diamond stud earrings adds elegance and light to the ensemble.

*A white dress and Grandma's pearls is what everyone else is wearing, so why not go with this season's hot pastels? Diaphanous dresses in shades of peach, blush and baby blue are fresh and stylish. Pull your hair back into a soft ponytail to show off sparkling crystal earrings or a necklace in a complementary color.

*Lace is always in, but this season's unique lace details work especially well with long, flowing hair. Rich, jewel-toned, vintage-look jewelry adds texture to the ensemble.

*Whether the dress is short or long, designers have put the emphasis back on the waist. Nipped-in lines and wide belts or sashes showed all over New York's runways. Because of the symmetry of the dress, wear your hair parted to the side and add drama with strong platinum jewelry pieces.

"Few brides can spend a fortune on a couture gown and estate diamonds so we recommend Jewelry Television's Bella Luce Collection," says Diddy. "Most pieces are platinum plated sterling silver for elegant, affordable, designer-inspired wearability." For more information on the latest trends in bridal jewelry, visit www.jtv.com or check your local listings for Jewelry Television.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Don't Let Your Guests Get Lost on Your Big Day

(ARA) - Planning to get married any time soon? It's true what they say -- your wedding day is one of the most important and defining moments in your life. How do you envision yours?

In a perfect world, everything will go like clockwork. At exactly 1 o'clock, the music will start to play, all the guests will arrive on-time and anxiously wait for the bride to appear. Then they'll hold back tears as she marches down the aisle on her father's arm.

In reality, however, it's more likely that there will be some snags. The person delivering the flowers and decorations could be late, pushing the ceremony back an hour. The hired photographer could have written down the wrong date and not show up at all. Or even worse, your out-of-town guests won't show up on time either because they got stuck in traffic or were unable to find the ceremony.

Because for most weddings, a good portion of the guest list includes people from out-of-town, it is critical to be as detail orientated as possible when helping them get from destination to destination.

Along with the invitation, include multi-view maps that will show guests where all the wedding-related events are taking place. You'll need one showing directions to the wedding venue from the hotel, the bride's parents' home and the airport. Another showing directions from the ceremony location to the reception hall.

Be sure to include a link to a traffic Web site, such as Traffic.com, at the bottom of any map you provide, as well as your wedding Web site. The site will be a great resource for your guests as it shows the most direct route from place to place, and also provides real-time information on delays, traffic jams and detours.

Guests can pre-plan their route by accessing the site from the hotel computer or their Internet-enabled cell phone. All they have to do is enter the address where they're staying, and of the place they're going to, and the information they need will come back instantly. Guests can also get the information they need through the (866) MY-TRAFC (866-698-7232) traffic hotline.

After the wedding is over, Traffic.com can serve as a resource your out-of-town guests can use to find their way to local attractions, restaurants and long-lost friends' houses. The possibilities are endless. And who knows, maybe when all is said and done, you'll be the one getting the "Thank You" note.

Courtesy of ARAcontent
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