Wedding Checklists, the best guide to plan your wedding

Look chic and gorgeous in these trendy wedding dresses

If you’re a bride-to-be, you’re likely eager to see what the top wedding-dress designers have in mind for the upcoming year. If you appreciate traditional elegance and welcome innovative updates, you won’t be disappointed: the simple, ethereal designs of years past have evolved into several flattering forms of beautiful, multi-dimensional wedding dresses. Take a look at what’s in store for brides in 2011, and find a style that suits you perfectly.

Subtlety is Out

Looking for a sheath dress with simple lines for your upcoming wedding? Well, you’ll have to look pretty hard, because simple and straightforward has given way to big and ornate. That’s not to say that you’ll be blinded by crystal and drowned in layers of rich silk, but rather that many designers have pronounced those sleek, one-layer wedding dress styles too plain for 2011. Instead, flowery lace and delicate netting dance together to create dimension and fairy tale romance. Sleek is out, texture is in.

Plain skirt designs are out, but so are traditional necklines: many upcoming gowns have lost the classic square or retro halter look in favor of a delicate, tapered strap that hugs the tip of the shoulder ever so gently. The result is a flattering and feminine look with a touch of support, making this style a great alternative to the classic strapless wedding dress. While some designers have decorated the bodice with ornaments or gathering, a playful touch of lace or tulle around the neckline or shoulders is a popular addition.

Romantic Flourishes

One way designers are adding feminine grace to their dresses is with various romantic floral appliqués. Whether it’s the feathery effect of layered petals or the eye-catching flower corsage, fabric flowers are leaving the florist shop and joining the ranks of wedding dress ornaments. You’ll find gowns with hundreds of small clusters of flowers in place of ruffles on the skirt, and little flower buds for the bodice are replacing the bling of recent years. Add to these bubbly blooms a few layers of lace, chiffon or tulle, and you have the definition of the year’s romantic design; go for one or the other element for a quieter look.

The dreamy romantic design finds its way into bridal accessories, too. Instead of covering a solid patch of fabric, crystals are used sparingly in the dress but liberally in bracelets, tiaras and necklaces. Different shades of white and pale grays are also in line for 2011 bridal accessories and embellishments, which will add to the dimension and lend a touch of vintage chic. This year will marry whimsical fabric and elaborate design to strike a perfect balance of confidence and femininity.

Guest author from: YourWedding101.com

If you are ready to look for your wedding dress, take a look at our wedding dress checklist

Few aspects of a wedding are quite as important as your wedding dress. After all, everyone (and we do mean everyone) will be looking at your wedding dress. In fact, many people will be closely examining the beauty of your dress. If you are like most women, you probably even have a “friend” or two that will be picking apart your dress looking for whatever minor flaws they can find!

Many brides-to-be become obsessed with how the dress itself looks. But, in reality, there is a much bigger concern. That concern is how you truly look in the dress. The most beautiful wedding dress in the world will do you no good if it does not suit your body. This is something that you probably won’t see listed on wedding checklists or books on how to plan a wedding, but it should be! All eyes will be on you. This means that you need to look great in your dress.

You might have heard that it is important to shop around, whether it’s a wedding dress, a boat, a house, a car or just about anything you can imagine. This bit of advice applies doubly where wedding are concerned. Retailers know that people throw lots and lots of money around when they are planning a wedding. So it makes great sense to shop around, especially online, and search for the best deal you can possibly get on a wedding dress. Your bank account will thank you later.

Staying within your budget is important when selecting a wedding dress. This is part of why it’s a good idea to research stores that sell dresses on the Internet. Saving money on every aspect of your wedding is the smart thing to do, and that means shopping around. A savvy bride will search for the best deal on every aspect of her wedding and this includes her wedding dress.

Don’t be a diet fanatic! Buying a dress that is way too small in hopes that you will lose weight before your wedding can be a bad idea. This is especially true for women who have been on numerous diets in the past and have not lost the weight. Buy a dress that you know you can wear and don’t tempt fate.

You will be admiring your wedding photos for the rest of your life. With this in mind, choose a dress that you love, but don’t be afraid to get a little input either. Most women bring at least one or two trusty friends along with them when they are looking at dresses so that they can be trully honest about the wedding dress and how it fits you.