So you may have the perfect dress; but underneath that what do you wear?  You need underwear that is very comfortable but also holds you in and makes the dress hang well.  You need something that fits absolutely perfectly and looks great. 

Traditionally bridal lingerie comes in three colours; white, cream and ivory if your dress is also white or light.  If you are wearing a dress that is coloured then you can dress accordingly; just in case some of your underwear becomes exposed.

Comfort however is more important than looks.  You can always slip into something sexier in the night but the corset you wear in the day mustn’t dig in. 

Choices include the corset – this is a full body piece that should fit perfectly (think Dita Von Teese!).  It is important this is comfortable – these will hold your middle in well and push your breasts up.  Therefore they are good for fuller women but they can also be uncomfortable if worn all day.  If you have a large chest you may want to avoid this as there may be too much cleavage.

A bustier is similar to corset but more like a vest with boning. This is better for the small chested women.

A strapless bra is the most common for brides.  With a well fitting strapless bra you can work your dress around it.  If your dress is strapless or has fine straps you will need this.  People with very large chests will struggle finding a strapless bra that fits well – therefore consider a strapped dress.

If you have small breasts then you can get away with wearing the small adhesive cups.  If you are wearing a revealing plunge dress you will need sticky tape suitable for the skin.

If you are wearing a very slinky dress in silk or satin you will need a smooth fitting Lycra body – buy this in white or nude. These have invisible seams and often have body control too meaning they hold you together in the best possible way.  They often have attachments for stockings.

In the evening you can change to a thong and bra set; something sexy from Agent Provocateur or a Baby Doll.  Baby Doll gowns are loose fitting sheer items that feel comfortable and are loose so great for bigger ladies.  You can also by ones with cup support.

Love her or hate her, mum is quite often a pivotal figure at your wedding.  Whilst some mothers are a dream to work with others are more stubborn.  What is the best way to make sure mum looks the part at your wedding whilst being dignified?

• Some mothers will naturally let the daughter decide what they should wear – others are more stubborn and like what they like.  You should know what the mother is like!  It isn’t wrong for you to suggest an outfit or a colour scheme – she should respect some of your wishes at least.

• The mother of the bride like the mother of the groom should pay for their own outfit.

• According to etiquette, the mother of the bride should choose an outfit before the mother of the groom.  The mother of the groom should choose a dress to complement the mother of the brides dress.  So if the mother of the bride chooses green, the mother of the groom shouldn’t choose red as there will be an obvious clash in the photographs.

• If there are any step parents then it is important that they respect the mother of the bride’s choice of outfit first.

• Ideally the mother of the brides dress shouldn’t wear black.  Although guests do sometimes wear this colour, it is still related to funerals and death.

• And even more important, they shouldn’t wear anything resembling cream or white.  No one should look like a bride except for the bride and there’s no exception for the mother of the bride!

• The mother of the bride’s outfit should suit the occasion.  At a formal event they should wear a long full length gown and hat.  At a casual event a shorter dress is acceptable.

• Something age appropriate is preferable at a wedding.  Some mothers look fantastic for their age and have great figures and like to wear skimpier outfits.  You should politely ask you mother to wear a shawl or cardigan to keep arms covered, and wear a dress or skirt that is below the knee.
The most important thing is that everyone is happy when choosing an outfit for the mother of the bride.  Be honest and clear about what you do and don’t want.  Be just as clear with the mother of the groom so there are no fights afterwards!

Brides are inundated with jewellery choices – silver, gold, diamonds, crystals, pearls, fashion, simple etc.  With so many choices and potential budgets, how do you know which is right for you?

Diamonds

Diamonds are the classic jewel for brides.  By far the most expensive choice but arguable the most long lasting, diamonds are a girls best friend.

The most popular choices these days are diamonds set on Platinum or as a slightly cheaper alternative, white gold. If your budget can stretch to thousands, you can but more elaborate designs but an affordable choice, Ernest Jones offers simple solitaire diamond necklaces for around £300.  This is a good idea if your dress is fussy and you want something simple to compliment, and you can also buy simple matching earrings and a bracelet.

Pearls

Pearls are extremely popular for weddings.  Pearls can be freshwater or saltwater and when choosing some to complement your wedding dress, think about the shape, lustre, colour and design you want.  The higher the A grade of the pearl, the fewer flaws it will have (an AAAA pearl may have no flaws).  Pearls can be round, semi round or irregular and can come in various shades of cream and white, pink and grey. 

Pearls compliment a classic looking dress such as a silk or satin antique design.  Making sure the necklace is not too short or too long it’s important not to make you look short necked – the perfect drape would lie around your collar bones.

Crystals

Crystals are a cheaper alternative to diamonds and still have lots of sparkle.  There is a lot of costume jewellery made in crystals (not to mentioned coloured gems) so you can be as simple or crazy as you want.  Check out Tarina Tarainto, Cherry Chau and Butler and Wilson.  Debenhams, Claire’s and Marks and Spencer offer extremely good value crystal jewellery; earrings, tiaras, necklaces and bracelets.

Gold

Gold isn’t as popular these days; silver and cool colours tend to look better with a white dress.  However, gold can look great if you have an off white dress as it adds a tad of warmth.  If you choose a coloured dress it can look great (think of Asian bridal dresses). You may want to buy gold jewellery complimented by coloured gemstones or a diamond for added lustre but since gold already looks strong, make sure the design isn’t over the top.

You’ve chosen the wedding dress, the invitations, the wedding favours and bridesmaid’s outfits.  There’s something else you have to remember to do – plan your make up!

Even if you don’t normally wear make up, your wedding day is the time to make an effort.  Just a few basics like concealer, powder and mascara will make a huge difference in your wedding photographs.  

What if you don’t have a big budget for a make up artist?  A good one will cost you at least £100 for the day.  The answer is to visit the local make up counters!

But don’t be fooled – not all cosmetic counters are capable of giving you the best bridal looks; some staff are trained to sell as opposed to application.  Some brands however, will only employ staff who have completed formal cosmetic courses; these are the ones you want to visit. 

Top brands to visit are Nars (available in Space NK and Selfridges), Shu Uemura (available in London and Harvey Nichols in Manchester and Leeds) and Bobbi Brown (At John Lewis and Selfridges nationwide).

Here are some tips on making the most out of your cosmetic counter consultation!

1. Firstly have a good idea of what you want but be open minded.  A good make up artist will do what you want then show you what they think looks good.  Take a camera, take a snap of both looks and compare at home.

2. Don’t be pressured to buy anything you don’t want.  It is usually polite to buy one item, such as a lipstick after a make up, especially if the make over was free of charge, but obviously if the make over is terrible, you don’t have to!

3. Some places will charge a fee which is then redeemable on a purchase.  Powder and mascara are always good items to go for if you have to use up your fee but don’t like any of the colour products.

4. Go outdoors and check that it looks right in broad daylight – indoor lights make the skin look warmer then it actually is.

5. Hire the artist!  If you love the make up artist, most of the ones who work on counters will work freelance too and for a small fee may visit you on the day to do make up for you.  If not, take notes, even film the session on your camera so you know how to recreate the look.

The wedding dress may be the one thing that will drive a bride to despair.  No matter how early you start looking, sometimes it feels like you just can’t find “the one”.  Nevertheless, you would be surprised that with some simple preplanning you can get your head together and choose the right wedding dress for you.  Here are some things to remember;

1. Look for what you like - Some of us girls even have pictures of dresses saved before we get a proposal!  Looking in wedding magazines is always the useful first step to getting an idea of what you want.  Also use the internet as a resource.  Keep these clippings.

2. Look early - This means looking at around 9 months ahead if possible.  Say you have a proposal, set a date – ideally you can start looking then.  If you are ordering a custom dress then this can take months to make and if you need alterations as the majority of women do this will also take time.  A good seamstress is often booked up.

3. Set a budget - Why does there have to be a budget?!  Well, it’s easy to go overboard with a dress – but it is unfair to spend a huge proportion of the budget on a dress if it means your guests have to eat bread rolls all night.  So be fair, and remember you can find stunning gowns for a few hundred pounds.  Also remember alterations could cost a few hundred.  Some boutiques will do the alterations in store for you.

4. How to pay - Instead of using a cash deposit, use a credit card.  Why?  To protect your purchase in case everything goes wrong.  This also means you have to -

5. Set deadlines - From the point you buy your dress you need to give the seamstress deadline for delivering alterations.

6. Take a friend - Or someone you trust.  Someone who has a style you like – this may not be your mum and it may not be your best friend.  As much as you may like the look of a dress if it is unflattering one day you will regret wearing it if it makes your stomach looks five times bigger than it is.   Remember to keep things appropriate; a grand wedding calls for a classic and grand dress not a short white number.  A semi formal ceremony means you can wear a coloured dress or even something modern and funky.