Dimitra Designs

As you get closer to your wedding day and all the pieces start to come together, you’ll need to start planning out the finer details of your bridal look, which includes your makeup. Whether you want a professional salon to do your makeup or even if you’re doing it at home on your own, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure you look like your very best self on your big day.

• Do A Makeup Trial – or several, depending on what you can manage. It’s important to have a game plan before the wedding day so that you don’t end up with makeup you hate and no time to change it. Take photos after each makeup trial and see how the makeup looks on camera, both in natural and artificial light.
• Don’t Tan – if you end over over-tanning right before the wedding, there’s not much that can be done to fix it and you’ll look unnatural in your wedding photos.
• Stay Hydrated – double up on your water intake about a month before the wedding to keep your skin clearer and glowing. If you’re well hydrated you’ll have a much better canvas for applying makeup.
• Be Yourself – If you’re not comfortable with your look, speak up! You want to look like a more glamorous version of yourself, but still be yourself. If you’re uncomfortable with dark liner, or you never wear blush, let your makeup artist know so they can find something that suits your needs

With a little preparation, your wedding day makeup will be the perfect compliment to all of your planning!

We recently had the pleasure of coming across The Westport Favor Company, a wedding favors website. Wedding favors have evolved so much over the years, especially from the days of simply gifting almonds and chocolate bars to your wedding guests! We love their easy-to-use site, making it a cinch to find your favorite favors, like these Cherry Blossom Cake Candle Favors I just can’t take my eyes off of!

Their “Wedding Favors By Price” section is a great feature, especially with weddings getting more and more expensive All of their favors are absolutely exquisite, so regardless of your budget, we know you’ll find the beautiful favors you’re searching for. Their Wedding Blog is another gem, where you can get some fun ideas on wedding color choices, cute favors, and bridal trends. We hope you’ll head on over and visit Westport Favors!

We’ve talked about how to choose your dress, picking out a hairstyle and a bridal hairpiece to go with it, and even coordinating your bridesmaids and the mother of the bride and groom. Now that your bridal party’s style is almost complete, it’s time to add the finishing touches to your look. It’s time to choose the accessories you’ll wear on your big day!

Bridal accessories include all kinds of things, and you might only choose one or two for your wedding day look. In general, if you have an ornate dress, it’s best to keep other accessories light and simple, so the beauty of the gown shows through. If you’re wearing a very simple dress, you can have fun with bold and bright accessories!

Shoes – traditionally, brides wear white to match their dress. But you can add some extra pop to your day with a pair of shoes in your wedding colors!

Jewelry – Choose one piece of dramatic jewelry, like chandelier earrings or  a large necklace, and keep the rest simple.

Purse- Brides can carry purses! A cute clutch or drawstring bag is a wonderful wedding day purse. Carry some extra tissues, lipstick and any other essential so you’re always prepared.

What kind of accessories are you planning on wearing on your wedding day?

Once you’ve picked out your dress and your veil, the next big item on your wedding day to do list is probably your hairstyle. There are so many options out there when it comes to your hair that it can seem almost impossible to decide!  We’ve collected a few great tips that should help you on your search:

• Match Your Gown – All of your accessories, including your hairstyle, should compliment your gown rather than compete with it. Look at how formal your gown is, and how complex it is, and think about hairstyles that would work well – loose curls and flowers in your hair for a more country-chic wedding (high waisted, peasant dress style, for example), or a dramatic updo for a black tie affair.
• Consider Your Headpiece – Since you’ll probably only get your hair styled once during the day, pick a style that looks great with and without a veil. Don’t schedule any hair trials until you have your veil or other hair accessory in hand.
• Think About Length – if you imagined an elegant updo on your big day, but your hair is barely touching your shoulders, you might need to adjust your plan. Think ahead and start treating your hair accordingly – use protective products and look into a good multivitamin to help promote strong healthy hair. If you choose a style early enough, you can work on growing your hair to the proper length!

Many brides struggle to find a way to make their wedding day their own. They want to find a way to let their personality shine through without overpowering their gown or the overall look of their wedding day. Luckily, in the last few years it’s gotten more popular to add a bit of color and personality to your wedding day, and as a result there are a ton of fun ways you can make your wedding day unique.

Add Flair To Your Hair – Maybe you want to switch up your veil after your ceremony, or maybe you’re not a fan of the traditional bridal veil at all. You can always sport two different looks for the ceremony and reception, or just skip the veil altogether. Why not dress up your hair with a sparkly headband or a colorful flower?

Funky Shoes – One of the hottest bridal trends right now is colored shoes. You can match your wedding colors with a brightly dyed pair of heels. You can even embellish your shoes with rhinestones or a flower clipped to the top!

Unique Jewelry – Your bridal jewelry can be whatever you want it to be. If you’ve chosen a simple dress without beading, feel free to dress it up with big, fun pieces of jewelry. Eye catching pearls or semi-precious stones in a multitude of colors can add that sparkle you wanted for your big day.

How are you planning to dress up your wedding day look?

Shopping for your bridal gown should be a wonderful time during your engagement. There’s nothing quite like the thrill and delight of trying on the perfect gown for the first time. At Dimitra Designs, we’re lucky enough to get to share that experience with you. We’ve seen the highs and the lows that can come with wedding dress shopping. It’s natural for many brides to be nervous, and even feel overwhelmed at the process. But it doesn’t have to be that way! If you take some time to plan out the experience, you’ll have a wonderful time!

• Dress appropriately. Wear comfortable clothes that are easy to take on and off. Also, choose a good set of support/shape wear for the day. It doesn’t have to be exactly what you’ll wear on your wedding day, but a good bra is a must for you to really see how the dress is supposed to fit.
• Bring your nearest and dearest. It’s helpful to have a few people with you while you try on dresses, but know when to limit yourself. If you’re not used to the limelight, you might find yourself overwhelmed with your entire bridal party watching you. Choose just 2 or 3 trusted friends and family members to help you.
• Bring a list. You’ve been eyeing up bridal gowns for months, so start writing down your favorites! If you have a list, call the salon ahead to find out what lines they carry. You can remove the ones they don’t and double check the lines they do carry to see if there’s anything else you’d like to see.
• Be adventurous. Maybe you’re convinced that an A-line strapless gown with a chapel length train is the way to go. But if the consultant suggests you try a trumpet gown, or even a short gown, go for it! You might be surprised at how much you like some of them.

What advice do other brides have for first time dress shoppers?

While we know there’s nothing more romantic than a wedding, the planning of said wedding can turn into a lot of stress! Even the most well balanced bride and groom may find themselves overwhelmed with wedding planning on top of their daily grind. That’s why it’s so important for engaged couples to make some time for each other during the planning process.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and it’s the perfect excuse to schedule some couple time. No wedding talk, no color palates or flower choices – just you and your honey spending some quality time together!

It’s so important to make the time to connect, both to de-stress and to remind yourselves of why you’re getting married in the first place. It makes the time you do spend planning so much more enjoyable. If you’re not sure what to do this Valentine’s Day, you could make some time for any of the following:

• Dinner and a movie

• Dancing out at your favorite club

• A night out at a hockey game (or your sport of choice)

• A couple’s massage

• Cooking at home together and a night spent cuddling on the couch

It really doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you focus on each other! We hope all of our brides and grooms have a wonderful Valentine’s Day this year!

We are so very, very excited about today’s post. If you’re in the South Carolina area like us, you’ve probably seen the wonderful morning show Your Carolina with Jack & Kimberley. Last week, they launched their latest contest: Get Engaged Live On Stage! One lucky girl is going to get the proposal of a life time right on the Your Carolina set:

Why are we so excited about this? Not just because we love weddings and proposal stories, but because we’re sponsoring part of the giveaway! If you’re ready to take the plunge and ask the woman of your dreams to spend the rest of her life with you, AND are willing to do all of that on tv, that lucky lady will win the wedding dress of her dreams from Dimitra Designs!

So guys,  now is your chance to get engaged and win some fabulous prizes. Let Your Carolina and Dimitra Designs help you create the wedding of your dreams. You have until February 9th to enter!

Besides choosing your wedding dress, one of the most fun parts of planning for your wedding day is choosing the accessories that go with your gown. On the top of that list is the bridal headpiece. If you just started planning for your wedding, or haven’t been in a wedding in a few years, you might not have realized how many options are out there for brides today!

Veils – the traditional wedding headpiece, the bridal veil comes in a wide variety of styles. For more formal weddings, a cathedral length veil adorned with crystals or lace will create a dramatic look. There are also shorter, arm length veils and even the ever trendy birdcage veil.

Tiaras – Often paired with a veil, the tiara is perfect for brides looking to have an elegant, fairy tale wedding. They come in small, delicate styles as well as full, glittering options. If you want to have some extra bling at your wedding, or if you’re looking for an option that won’t weigh you down like a veil could. Tiaras are n excellent choice.

Hair Flowers/Fascinators – A newer, but very popular option is to use an over-sized flower or feather headpiece. These modern and trendy styles look great during summer and casual weddings, and are especially chic with short dress brides.

What kind of headpiece are you planning on wearing for your wedding?

When you think of champagne, or “the bubbly”, we’re thinking that you’re imagining celebrations and fun, festive get-togethers – perhaps a wedding? Bridal Bubbly is a wedding blog we recently came across, and oh how we love it! The lovely writer of the blog, Laura, is also the face behind Engaging Affairs, a Virginia wedding planning business with a website we absolutely adore!

We love her posts, too – they’re full of cheer and laughter, and we get such a upbeat vibe after checking out her blog! We hope Bridal Bubbly keeps up the wonderful posts, and we’re toasting to a great future for Engaging Affairs!