Formal or Casual...Keep It Constant.

These days brides are pretty much wearing whatever they want to get married. There are beaded ball gowns on the beach, and light sheath in great cathedrals. While that is now politically correct, the wedding and your look still need to flow together. The bridal couple and the wedding can be separated into two separate categories. For example, you can wear a formal gown and still have a casual wedding. Just follow this rule: if your dress is formal then your hair, your shoes and your groom need to be formal. If your wedding is casual then your invitations, flowers, bridesmaids, groomsmen, and music need to be casual.

A formal bride can be described as one that wears a ball gown, beading, heavy lace, or heavy fabric. If you are wearing one of these dresses a simple rule is to match the hair to the details on your dress. If you dress is beaded with rhinestones and pearls, put some rhinestone and pearls in your hair. If you are wearing lace add some to your veil or headpiece. Also, if you are wearing one of these dresses you must wear a veil for at least the ceremony. A formal dress demands at least a one tiered veil. You don't have to do a blusher or really fluffy veil, but you must wear a veil at least for the ceremony. It's just the way it is. A more casual dress is one that is lighter fabric, little adornment, light lace, or short. A less formal bride can go veil or no veil. A flower in the hair works for a casual bride. A more casual bride can also play with jewelry a little more as long as it is not over the top fancy like huge chandelier diamond earrings.

For the wedding, make sure the formality is followed through in every detail. The invitations need to start the chain. The invitation is how guest know what the mood of your wedding is going to be. If you are formal try gold embossed ivory cardstock; if your wedding is casual go with a color or colored ink. The flowers should be consistent with the formality as well. Your florist should be able to steer you in the right direction with their experience. If you are doing it yourself a simple trick to make any bouquet more formal is to wrap it in satin ribbon. You could even add a cute broach for some sparkle. To make it more casual use a colored ribbon or more loose arrangement. Bridesmaids and groomsmen follow this rule as well. They need to match each other in formality and the décor and invites. Remember when matching the formality of the invitations, flowers, music, bridesmaids, groomsmen, and reception that it set the mood for your big day. Guest will follow the example you set for them. Follow through with the formality details with your wedding and your look, and people will talk in a good way. Be inconsistent and people will talk in a bad way. Trust the professionals around you...after all isn't that what you are paying them for?