Wedding Hairstyles 2013

Getting married is truly a dream come true, you’ve finally met the man you want to spend the rest of your life with. When selecting your wedding jewelry, your gown, your shoes and your dress, your hairstyle will be the completed look to pull everything together. This year’s styles are right in line with celebrity looks from the red carpet. Braids are a great addition to add something modern to your bridal hairstyle, or play around with hair accents such as hair wreaths, veils, and even hats. You can also use floral accents to add to your hairstyle if you are getting married in a warm season. Key trends to play around with for 2013, hair twists, creative updos, braids, headpieces, soft romantic curls, deep waves, and ponytails. Look below for a few ideas.

Personalize your Big Day with Exclusively Weddings

Today I'm so excited to share with you Exclusively Weddings, one of our newest sponsors here on Belle The Magazine! Exclusively Weddings strives to help every bride and groom prepare for their special day by offering wedding invitations, ceremony & reception accessories, wedding party gifts and so much more!  With hundreds of quality products at competitive prices you are sure to find the perfect item that fits your style and theme.

What I love about Exclusively Weddings is that they provide a totally WORRY FREE shopping experience with their money-back guarantee, even on personalized items!  PLUS, they offer FREE invitation samples so you can see the color, feel the paper and make sure it’s just what you are looking for – truly a ‘try before you buy’ type of service. I adore this Petal Wrap Wedding Invitation above. Way cute …. right?

 “Traditional or Trendy” – don’t worry, at Exclusively Weddings you can find plenty of unique accessories that will fit your style. For example, if you like tradition but still want a unique flare, you can add a touch of blue with the “I Do” stickers to the bottom of your shoes. You can also honor your bridesmaids with a fashionable tote, polished keepsakes or pamper them with a spa set.  Make your bridesmaids gifts unique by adding their name or a monogram.
Exclusively Weddings carries plenty of options for the groomsmen as well, from traditional money clips to convenient quick-open coolers.  If you are looking for the perfect way to remember a loved one at your wedding add a bouquet charm or display a memorial frame.
Send your guests off with a sweet and stylish favor that will remind them of you - like this little Candy Jar, this Apothecary Jar or this Wine Bottle Stopper, all of them available with personalized labels. They even have some very affordable favor supplies for the DIY bride. I'm loving the nautical theme two-piece colorful boxes with the personalized tag and ribbon. How cute are those?  Guests will love them.

Top 10 Gorgeous Wedding Hair Tutorials

Hey there lovely readers! I thought I’d wrapped up this wedding wednesday by giving a collection of 10 gorgeous and inspiring wedding hair tutorials. These looks are all perfect for a garden wedding, or for your rehearsal dinner or bridal shower...oh-so-stylish! However, whether you're a bride-to-be in search of casual DIY hair for a wedding related event, are in a wedding party or just want to get dolled up for night out with your honey- these gorgeous styles are bound to make you shine!  Click in the link at the end of each post to get the step-by-step tutorial.

1. Airy Updo - A soft, airy, wispy updo is romantic, but also a little whimsical. High buns are also very trendy right now.

2. Chestnut Bun - Simple and elegant.

3. Half Up Half Down- the demi chignon otherwise known as ‘half up half down'. | 4. The Side Chignon- Fresh, easy style is as modern as it is timeless

5.Twilight Bella Swan Inspired Wedding Hair- An step-by-step video tutorial

6. Mademoiselle Updo: prim and proper with a side of quirk and vintage | 7. Jazz Age Hairstyle: vintage chignon inspired in the 1920's. Find these two and more wedding hair tutorials.

8. Beehive: it is a timeless, elegant, classic hairstyle that looks great with a fringe or without.

9. Fishtail Udo | 10. Ballerina Bun: stylish, chic and classic.

What do you think, my dears? Would you do your own wedding hair?

How to Choose Your Engagement Ring

Engagement is a special occasion in a woman’s life, which is why the ring she chooses also needs to be equally special. Engagement rings not only depict “eternal love” but also act as a token of acceptance of a delightful lifetime commitment.

However, choosing an engagement ring can be a challenge if you’re not prepared. In the following article we look into how you can choose the right engagement ring for you.

Choosing the Ring Style
If you look around, you’ll find that there are many different types of diamond engagement rings. However, what ring you choose depends on factors such as your budget, taste, etc. Here are the common options:

1. Solitaire Rings – The Solitaire ring is a classic engagement ring that has always been a popular choice. It’s basically a ring with just one diamond that is held in 4-8 claws of “prong settings” (where the prong may be made up of platinum). Cubic Zirconia solitaires tend to make a wonderful engagement ring choice.

2. Diamond Accent Rings - Here the side stones are usually set right into the diamond engagement ring using various settings. This not only protects the diamonds but also leaves a smooth edge. Diamond accent rings are great for active women who like stylish elegance.

3. Three Stone Diamond Rings - These rings have three diamonds (which are also called past, present and future, signifying power of eternal love). A three stone diamond ring usually has a centerpiece diamond along with two other diamonds on the side.

Choosing the DiamondSelecting a diamond that goes with your taste is not as hard as people make it out to be. You basically need to look at two main aspects:

1. Shape – Most brides are known to choose round diamonds. However, your might be an exception. Other good choices include oval, pear-shaped stone, elongated marquise or a square/emerald cut diamond.

2. Quality – When it comes to quality, the value and the brilliance of your diamond depends solely on how much importance you give to the 4 C’s of a diamond - namely cut, color, clarity and carat, which represent/determine the four basic qualities of a diamond and value.

Choosing the Setting
1. Prong Setting - The prong setting, which is also known as the claw setting, is commonly used in diamond rings like Solitaire.

2. Bezel Setting – Bezel set ring is known to make the ring larger due to the way it is mounted and helps you enhance the color of your diamond.

3. Illusion Setting – Also called as the “invisible setting”, is the right option to go for if you’re going for a large diamond on a tight budget.

Finding that perfect engagement ring is not rocket science. As long as you’re focused on the basics, you will be able to easily find one that appeals to you.

New Bridal Fashion Trend -- Marchesa Resort Collection

Today I bring you some mind-blowing dresses from Marchesa Resort 2012 Collection that would make gorgeous bridal gowns. Especially perfect for destination weddings and second dress or LWD, don't you think? I love the gold details... gold is so hot right-now. Plus they showcase one of my favorite wedding and fashion trends, the return of sequins. I hope you enjoy them!

Ivy Aster Bridal Collection

If you have not heard of our next dress designer, Ivy and Aster, then prepare to be wooed.

Pretty little dresses in perfect little styles. From flirty tea length dresses to full fancy ruffled wedding gowns. They recently launched their collection, which you can see by here, along with their past gowns so you can get the full picture of what they are all about.

Tips on DIY Wedding Cords

A lovely Bride told me this great DIY (do it yourself) Wedding cord… I just love it. It’s a beautiful DIY option for the crafty brides, and has symbolism behind it, which makes it even more exceptional. I love the fact that you can personalize it using your own color scheme and your own wedding theme, rather than buying a Wedding Cord or Lazo from a bridal store that you may find more difficult to find a meaning for. Depending on the quality of beading you use, this DIY Wedding Cord could be a money saver as well. So, get ready to put a lot of love into its construction and you’ll never forget your Wedding Cord!
Materials: 1. Different beads, 2. Trinkets of your choice, 3. Pliers, 4. single ring (thick for better grip) and eye pin (will serve as a chain)

Instructions
1.   Insert the eye pin in the hole of the bead. Make sure that the pin that you’re going to buy will fit into the holes of your beads.
2. Using the pliers, twist the remaining end of the eye pin in a clockwise direction. Repeat this step until all beads have eye pin.
3. Open one end of the eye pin to insert the single ring or another eye pin to create a chain.
4. Close the eye pin to secure the chain.
5. You should have a chain that looks like the illustration above. Continue these steps until you were able to create at least 50 inches then connect the end of the chain using a trinket or single ring.
6. Create another chain by repeating steps 1-5. Connect the two chains using the single ring and your preferred trinkets.

Statement Necklaces for Elegant Brides

Add a little pizzazz to your wedding attire by wearing a statement necklace. Whether it’s a dramatic twist on classic pearls, fabric, fancy metals, vintage bauble or contemporary geometric, a statement necklace can take a strapless dress from pretty to pretty amazing in one second!

However, here are 4 things to consider when wearing bold necklaces:
1. If you have long hair, you may want to wear your hair up to properly display your necklace in it’s full potential. Now, if you have short hair a beautiful bold necklace may just be your best friend.

2. Stay away from bulky necklaces if you have a short neck. Consider wearing a group of long necklaces or a showstopper pair of earrings to complement your look.

3. Statement necklaces work best with effortless wedding dresses. If your dress is very elaborated or has a lot going on the top, go easy on the accessories. A bold necklace could overwhelm your look. Sometimes less is more!

4. Maintain a comprehensive look by wearing a necklace that matches your wedding colors. Or consider fulfill the something-blue tradition with a bold blue
necklace.

Breath-taking Bridal Accessories

I fall in love with weddings every single day. Wonderful dresses, adorable details, charming couples… I’m totally smitten with all things beautiful and today is no exception. Prepare to get lost in some breath-taking images from the collections of Israeli accessory goddess Karen Wolf. She’s the creator of some of the most GORGEOUS designs I’ve ever laid eyes on. Delicate, unique and all around elegant, her fascinators and jewelry are not only completely gorgeous, but totally sophisticated, flawless pieces with just the right amount of drama.

Wedding Accessories For Fashion Connoisseurs

Based out of New York, Dara, from Preston & Olivia created a darling collection of hats and hair pieces. These beautiful pieces are enough to go from drab-to-fab and dressed to the nines in no time. The fabulous, statement hair pieces are represented perfectly in these photos captured by Trent Bailey.Who also happens to be part of our Hand-Picked collection.

Captured in an abandoned building in Manhattan, the character of the space contrasts and compliments the hair pieces creating a beautiful juxtaposition. To see the rest of the photos from this Preston & Olivia collection, you can visit the full gallery here.

We also must mention that Preston & Olivia is currently having a sample sale that ends in a few days, so jet over there quick before the sale ends.

Also The wedding garter belt has been around for many years. As most of you know, a bride will put on the garter and later there is a ceremony for the groom to remove it. According to this superstition, the unmarried male wedding guest who successfully catches the garter will be the next in line to get married.

Besides this century old tradition, it is also an excuse to buy something super pretty for yourself. Her are a few of our favorite wedding garter belts. The first wedding garter belt above is from The Garter Girl. A Champagne lace with a slight touch of silver shimmer with a silver gray satin center tied bow. Super pretty…right?