Your Hampshire and Dorset Wedding - May/June 2024 (Issue 104)

DRESSING THE BRIDAL PARTY 71 ACT support Top tips and advice for dressing the wedding party Once you’ve got your dream dress in the bag, getting your squad sorted is one of the next big things on the to-do list. It’s most likely that as a nearlywed, you already know or have an idea of what your wedding day will look like. But for the wedding party, finding the perfect attire can be difficult. To help with the task, we’ve asked experts to share advice to help with the process and ways to keep everyone happy – including yourself! ANNELIESE WARD AT CHAMELEON BRIDE When it comes to mother-of-the-brides/grooms, know the bridesmaid colours before you start shopping. Whilst you don’t need to match them exactly, it’s nice the outfit tones all match the theme when it comes to those all-important wedding photos. Don’t come shopping until you are ready to purchase an outfit. We know that just browsing seems like a great idea, but our outfits are purchased off-the-peg. This means we order all our outfits six months in advance, just twice a year. So, once they have arrived, we cannot order any more sizes or colours. If you come just to browse and fall in love with something, it might be sold out when you come back ready to commit. Bring the important people shopping with you. If you know that the bride will want a say in what you wear, ensure she comes shopping with you. Don’t forget to chat to your counterpart. Make sure you have a chat with the other ‘mother’ to make sure you don’t buy the same colour or even worse, the same outfit! Traditionally the mother-of-the-bride should choose her outfit first, but not everyone follows this. We have a dedicated mother-of-the-brides/grooms shop with more than 600 outfits and matching hats and fascinators. Discover: www.chameleonbride.co.uk THE KATIE MARIE AT KATIE MARIE CREATIONS Are you searching for some beautiful accessories for your bridal party or a little gift as a keepsake? There are so many gorgeous ways of celebrating with your wedding party and I have just the items for you. As a handmade jewellery designer, I’d say that personalised gifts are certainly trending at present; perhaps a personalised bracelet or initialled necklace are beautiful ways of showing thanks to your bridesmaids, flowergirls and even mothers-of-the-brides/grooms. A timeless classic, pearls, are also a beautiful gift; these can really refine a look and can be worn on the wedding day itself. What I adore is that these gifts can elevate your everyday jewellery collection after the big day. If you’re thinking pearls, go for natural pearls such as freshwater, saltwater or keshi, or baroque pearls, which are all stunning. You don’t have to spend a fortune to still get something beautiful and unique either, we have something for all budgets! Knowing jewellery will be worn time and again is more than enough to gift your bridal party and provide them with a smile on their face. When choosing something personalised and handmade, it’s always worth giving yourself some time to receive this. Perhaps three to four months before the big day is a good time to be aiming to make that special purchase. Discover: www.katiemariecreations.co.uk www.firefliesphotgraphy.co.uk www.firefliesphotgraphy.co.uk

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=