Wedding Beauty Checklist

Burlap, Blush & Raspberry Wedding Color Scheme

Pantone Reveals Color of the Year for 2014: PANTONE 18-3224 Radiant Orchid

“While the 2013 color of the year, PANTONE 17-5641 Emerald, served as a symbol of growth, renewal and prosperity, Radiant Orchid reaches across the color wheel to intrigue the eye and spark the imagination,”

Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®.

“An invitation to innovation, Radiant Orchid encourages expanded creativity and originality, which is increasingly valued in today’s society.”

6 FOODS THAT WILL MAKE YOU GLOW ON YOUR WEDDING DAY

Beautiful, glowing skin is always your best beauty accessory, whether you're walking down the red carpet or through your local farmer's market. But if there's one person who needs her skin to appear healthy and radiant, it's the bride walking down the aisle.

Although the beauty and cosmetic markets are crowded with products that promise to deliver flawless skin, true health starts with your own body. Instead of depriving your body of nutrients—as many brides do by going on crazy fad diets before they walk down the aisle—nourish your body with the right, natural foods. Add these colorful, skin-friendly foods to your diet about six weeks before your big day to bring out your natural inner glow.

1. Blueberries
Think of these little berries as your secret weapon against dull skin. Blueberries (and other members of the berry family) are ripe with antioxidants and Vitamin C, which brighten your skin, even out its tone, and fight off the free radicals that cause signs of aging. A handful or two of blueberries each day will make sure you look just as invigorated as you're feeling when you walk down the aisle.

2. Eggs
If you've done at-home face masks, you know that eggs are a typical ingredient, and for good reason: This breakfast staple is an easy way to infuse vibrancy into your skin tone. That's thanks to Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), the member of the B Vitamin family most responsible for your skin's glow. And here's an added bonus for beyond your wedding day: When you eat eggs and other Riboflavin-rich foods, you'll also clear up rosacea and ward off major skin diseases.

3. Mangoes
No one wants washed out skin, especially on a day as memorable as his or her wedding. If you're prone to a pale, colorless look, stock up on mangoes. This superfruit is packed with carotenoids, pigments that improve the color of your skin and give you that picturesque rosy complexion.

4. Cottage Cheese
If your skin is short on vibrancy, it may be because it's also short on moisture. When you see people with glowing, bright skin, you're often witnessing a byproduct of proper moisturizing. To prevent your skin from becoming dry and dull, add a serving of cottage cheese to your plate a few days per week. This dairy product is filled with selenium, which will infuse moisture and color into your skin.

5. Dried Apricots
Is your uneven, pasty or pale skintone making you dread your wedding day photos? Here's a quick fix: Dried apricots. Packed with iron, these snacks will even out your skin tone, putting you a step closer to the flawless, luminous complexion of your dreams.

6. Salmon
By now, you've probably heard doctors and nutritionists singing the praises of omega-3 fatty acids. This is one case where the truth lives up to the hype! Salmon and other foods full of omega-3 fatty acids act like natural lubricants for your skin, warding off the dullness, inflammation and redness that would make you feel less than your best as you walk down the aisle. Adding a few ounces of salmon to your plate each week will ensure your inner glow shines through when you tie the knot.

When it comes to your skin, you really are what you eat. Add these colorful superfoods to your plate a month or two before your big day to ensure you're glowing as much on the outside as you are on the inside.

Huffington Post contributor Robert Applebaum is a board certified skincare expert with a practice based in Beverly Hills, CA

—Robert Applebaum, Huffington Post Weddings

Belted Out

Our Spring 2013 collection was accompanied by a plethora of belts, delicate flower embellishments to sparkling rhinestone belts. Personalize your dress with one of our interchangeable belts! Will you choose an ornate floral belt or a glamorous rhinestone embellished belt ?

Wedding Cake Guide

25 Tips How to look Fabulous in Your Wedding Photos

25 Tips from the people who know best – the photographers.

1. Be Yourself. Don’t try to look or be anything other than yourself. If you are self-conscious about a certain thing and it manifests itself physically, it will ultimately come through in the photography … Be your best self and you can ensure that the photos will indeed portray you as your best self.

2. Relax. Were often our worst critics when it comes to pictures. Remember that you want to be seen the way others see you too. While you want flattering photos, you want to make sure that it still looks like you in the pictures.

3. Laugh! It’s flattering on everyone.

4. Think about the moment. Capturing the romance of the day, the emotion, excitement & intimacy is what it’s all about. Don’t look at your photographer, look at your new spouse and savour it all. Your photographs will be amazing & true.

5. Forget the camera is there and try your best to be playful and warm.

6. Have an engagement session. This is so valuable for client and photographer. The clients have an opportunity to relax and be in front of the camera and the photographer can get to know his or her clients. By the time I am at the wedding we are friends and this makes everyone more relaxed!

Get the Look

7. Practice in the mirror! Study your face and figure out the best smile (or maybe you like your serious face better) and angle for you.

8. Be comfortable. For engagement and portrait shoots, wear clothing that is flattering, but comfortable too! If your 6 inch stilettos are hurting your feet, it will show in your face!

9. Keep makeup and eyelashes normal and classic.

10. Mind the lens. Try to not allow one part of your body to be closer to the lens because it will make that part appear larger than the rest of your body.

11. Get in position. To make your neck look more elongated, drop your shoulders and raise your chin. Imagine that you are being pulled by a string from the top of your head.

12. Be prepared. If you are prone to have flyaway’s or random frizzies in your hair, have a toothbrush with hairspray on standby! One squirt and swoop will tame most frizzies and help your hair look super smooth for pictures.

13. Have white chalk handy. White chalk hides stains on wedding gowns. If you are worried about grass stains, general dirt or in case there is a spill on your wedding day, make sure to have some on hand! It works in a jiffy and no one will know but you!

14. Dab. If you are planning on getting married in the summer and want outdoor photos, oil dabbing strips are a MUST HAVE! Make sure the groom has a hanky too. Sweaty photos are not pretty!

Strike a pose

15. Not head on. To look thinner, keep your shoulder to the camera and avoid facing the camera straight on. Hide behind the groom a bit or tuck into his armpit to slim yourself down.

16. Don’t look down. To avoid a double chin, have the photographer shoot from above the eye/face level. Tilt the head a bit sideways to hide the chin and have the photographer avoid shooting from the side. (I also remove as much of the double chin as possible in editing with Photoshop.)

17. Hand on hip. Every girl feels insecure about her bare arms in a strapless dress. The remedy? Instead of the arm laying flat against the torso and making it look wider, simply toss the hand on the hip. It will make the arm much more toned looking.

18. Angle yourself. Balance your weight on your back foot and cross the other foot in front of the other in a T fashion. Pop a hip towards the camera but at an angle. This is universally appealing and slimming, especially when

combined with hands on the hips.

19. Natural light is your friend! Getting ready in a room with windows makes for great pictures. Not only is the light beautiful, it is also flattering and makes your skin look amazing. Opening the shades whenever you can will add a lot to the pictures in any situation.

20. Make sure your reception is well-lit. The best wedding receptions seen in magazines have lighting covering the dance floor and on the cakes and table arrangements. Consider hiring a lighting company to light your reception or ask the venue/band/DJ to light your reception for you. The pictures will be amazing and you won’t regret it!

21. Don’t let it get TOO dark during dancing. DJs and bands love a dark dance floor to entice people to get loose. Photographers, of course, want this too and want to get fun dance shots of the crowd, but we need a little light to focus on people. Ask the venue ahead of time not to turn off the lights entirely. Also, during your first dance, have spotlights! Will and Lauren Aves, Aves Photographic Design

22. Use spotlights. If you are planning a candlelight ceremony, be sure to have a spotlight shining on the area where you will be saying your vows.

23. Prevent the squinty look. If the sun is really bright, close your eyes and ask your photographer to let you know when s/he is going to take the picture. Open them when s/he tells you and that will eliminate the ’squinty’ look. This also works if you typically wear glasses and do not want to wear them for portraits.

24. Love yourself. After photographing hundreds of brides I can tell you that every single bride is beautiful on this day, regardless if they consider themselves plain, overweight etc. The transformation is always astounding. Accept it, believe it and be confident the camera will see it.

25. Be happy. Happiness is beauty!

Bridal Registry Statistics,

Bridal Registration Statistics from Bridal Monitor™

• Brides who register have an average of 29% more guests at their wedding (143) versus those who do not register (111).
• Brides who register tend to have weddings that are more traditional, formal and romantic than brides who do not register.
• Brides who register spend 44% more on their wedding dresses than brides who do not register.
• Bed, Bath & Beyond is the most frequently used bridal registry.
• Cookware is the most often registered-for category in registry.
• KitchenAid is the most often registered for brand in registry.
• Better educated brides are significantly more likely to register than less educated brides.
• Couples who register are nearly twice as likely to go on a cruise for their honeymoon as couples who do not register.
• The top 10 largest registry categories have a projected market value of $1.3 billion dollars annually.
• Martha Stewart Living is the brand that appears in the most registry product categories.

At Occasions Bridal and Evening Wear Boutique we are noticing that our brides are now registering at our bridal boutique for their wedding attire and complementing jewelry and accessories  gift certificates are a very popular item that can be used by the bride to help off set her costs , Guest books, garters ,toasting flutes, can all make lovely gifts for the bridal shower as does a engraved  cake knife and server.

2011 Wedding Statistics

 The wedding report found that more couples were having their wedding ceremony at a courthouse, private residence, or  a wedding chapel more couples were also holding their wedding reception at a private residence or restaurant. They found that due to more unique locations, more officiates are performing the ceremony.

Valentine Brides

   Cupid was very busy last weekend.  What could be more romantic then a valentine wedding?  Brides are always looking for unique ideas to make their wedding special. Many of our valentine brides wore a touch of  red or pink in their gown as well as accented color accessories. Some brides chose  to be less traditional and were married in gold,  red and shades of pink evening gowns. Congratulations to all the happy couples!!

Winter Weddings

 Driving to work Saturday  morning I happened upon a group of groomsmen in front of the congregational church in Bethel. I could not help but feel sorry for the bride who invisioned a beautiful snow white day but was instead greeted by this sad slushy mess left over from our last ice storm. I was so hoping to get a glimps of the bride, curious to see if she was wearing snow boots and a ski jacket or a fur coat and pumps.

It is estimated that less then 5% of weddings take place in January. We are seeing that more brides are now willing to book their weddings in the off season. A winter wedding can really be beautiful, and as reception halls and other wedding vendors have more availability in the off season maybe a little snow isn't a bad thing after all.

Welcome to Occasions

Established in 1987, I, Gail, the owner of Occasions Bridal and Eveningwear have had the pleasure outfitting women as flower girls through graduation, prom and even their wedding. Many former brides are now mother-of-the-brides, visiting us once again and bringing their daughters to the store. Occasions offers a unique shopping experience that is both fun and informative, and you will even find sizes 0-32 in stock. We stock many one-of-a-kind gown styles, that you will not find else where. Variety and great customer service is what we strive for and we are loving every minute, because we make our customers dreams come true.

After all my years of experience I would love to share with you,
the ins and outs of bridal and prom's various trends and styles.