Ladies, I know that when you are imagining your wedding day you are probably picturing a beautiful sunny day with birds chirping, I know I am.  Unfortunately, Mother Nature often has other plans.

I happened to be staying at a hotel near the shore a few weeks ago.  The hotel was booked solid with weddings.  Little girls in adorable pink dresses, and bridesmaids carrying bouquets were running all over the place.  The previous day had been the perfect day to get married, not too hot, not too cold.  Sunday however, was pouring.  I saw a bride on her way to her ceremony looking completely stressed out.  I have to assume the rain was at least partially contributing to her stress.  Honestly I almost ran into her while getting off the elevator because her photographer had chosen the lobby as the ideal spot to do their photo shoot, not the best plan.

If you do end up with some rain on your wedding day, don’t fret, with some extra planning and a different outlook on things no one can rain on your parade.

1. If you are planning to have any of your wedding ceremony or celebration outside, pick a venue that has a good rainy day plan.  Make sure you like your venue and photo locations for your rain plan almost as much as your outdoor choices.
2. Pack a second pair of shoes that match your bridal gown.  Ask your bridesmaids do the same.  This way if any of you step in the mud or a puddle you are not stuck with the evidence all day.
3. If you know a few weeks before that the chances of rain are looking good, try to find some cute umbrellas that coordinate with your wedding dress.  This could make for a nice outdoor photo opportunity without leaving you soaking wet and cold.
4. Rainy days actually make for some very interesting photographs.  Ask your photographer for their rain ideas beforehand.  Imagine for a moment your beautiful bridal gown reflected in a puddle next to you, while you are holding your cute umbrella (which you already had on standby) then, maybe throw in some bold colored rain boots for some extra drama! 
5. Schedule an extra 10 minutes to your commute during your wedding day if rain is in the forecast.  We all know commuting to work in the rain takes longer; there is no need to worry that you are going to be late for your own wedding as well.

Our Spring 2011 Bridal and Bridesmaid styles are now available to preview on the Liz Fields website.

Coming to an authorized Liz Fields retailer near you this winter!

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There is an ugly rumor going around in the bridal industry that brides are picking “ugly” dresses for their bridesmaids to wear on purpose so that they will look better.  I certainly do not believe that is er necessary.  First, let’s look at the most obvious, if your bridesmaids look bad, all of your photos will look bad too!  Secondly, if you find a truly beautiful bridal gown, like say Lo-Ve-La by Liz Fields style 9001, there is no danger in anybody shining brighter than you will no need to diminish anyone else in the process.

Lo-Ve-La by Liz Fields Style #9001

On Project Runway last week they even had an episode where they challenge was to take an old “ugly” bridesmaid dress and turn it into something wearable and trendy.  Honestly, the first thing I noticed about many of the bridesmaid dresses was that they didn’t fit the ladies wearing them correctly.

Always leave room in your budget for quality alterations after you receive your dresses.  If you bridesmaids are the ones covering the cost of their gowns, ask them how much they are willing to spend so that they are not stuck with an over budget dress, and no money left to make it fit correctly.  Some salons will even include that as part of their service. 

The second problem with the bridesmaid dresses on Project Runway last week was that some of the colors were just awful on the girls!  I understand if you love hot pink more than life itself but if none of your bridesmaids looks good in hot pink, maybe you could use that color somewhere else in the decorations, or the bouquets, and then pick a less dominating color for the bridesmaid dresses.  At Liz Fields, we offer to send fabric swatches to our authorized retailers for you and your bridal party too use when picking a color.  These swatches can be very helpful in the planning process.

My final suggestion is to let you bridesmaids have some say in the style.  Experts agree that brides should go shopping for their bridesmaid dresses for the first time on their own.  Take a pad of paper with you and write down what elements you like, and would like to have featured in the dresses for your bridesmaids.  The next time you go shopping take your bridesmaids with you, and share with them what you are looking for.  If the most important thing to you is that, all of your bridesmaids are wearing cap sleeves, maybe you could compromise, and they could each wear a different style dress in the same color, as long as they all have cap sleeves.

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With Liz Fields, being a bridesmaid is no longer a curse…it’s a blessing!

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Last week, a friend of mine asked me if I had heard about the latest wedding trend of “pin-up girl” photo shoots.  To my surprise, I had heard of this from none other than our head designer, Liz Fields.  Liz’s friend Kasia (whose garden tea party bridal shower was mentioned in the blog last month) had a pin-up girl bachelorette party just a few weekends ago!

I love this wonderful and different idea for a bachelorette party.  Who needs male strippers when you can make your girls and yourself feel beautiful, and have lasting proof to show off too! 

Liz attended GWU with Kasia, and was lucky enough to be included to the bachelorette party even though she is not in the bridal party because she designed Kasia’s bridal gown and bridesmaids dresses, which will be unveiled in a blog towards the end of August!

  This is a picture of Liz Fields, Kasia, and Kasia’s sister Agata

The party was hosted at Kasia’s house in Long Island NY.  There was professional hair and make-up available for everyone and a photography studio was set up in one of the emptier rooms of their house.  Everybody brought outfits,  pieces of costumes, accessories, shoes, etc and consolidated them into one “dress-up” room where girls could change as many times as they wanted throughout the night and get some shots taken.

Liz said that the photography women were amazing – ready with props and made it very easy and comfortable to pose.  They were especially good with telling each girl what to do and how to change their pose to make them look their best.

Would you consider a pin-up girl bachelorette party?  I know I am.  What are some interesting bachelorette party trends that you have heard about?

Your Liz Fields Guest Blogger – Ariel 

Photography By:

Unique Visions Studio
www.uniquevstudio.com
ww.uniquevstudio.com/uvsblog
718-619-9290
516-581-4104

For updates on Liz Fields newest lines like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

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It is currently 103° outside!  Just thinking about how hot it is makes me feel overheated!

I can’t help but think that on a day like today I would hate being a bride wearing a huge wedding dress with a long train.  Even if the dress is sleeveless, +100° weather is not the time to mess around!

If you are considering having your wedding on a lovely summer day, here are some styles I recommend to stay cool in while still looking gorgeous.

The dresses shown are from our Liz Fields Destination Bridal collection, and with their light chiffon and charmeuse fabrics you will feel as great as you look!

Meanwhile, don’t forget about your girls.  If your bridesmaids are dropping like flies in the heat it might just put a damper on your wedding!  I’m joking, but as someone who was a Maid of Honor just a few years ago, little things like heat can be very distracting, and you don’t want anything distracting from your day.

This style is perfect if you want your bridesmaids dresses to have a formal look during the ceremony, but a ready-to-dance look at the reception.

Liz Fields Bridesmaid Style 309

Keep cool, and remember that the national weather service recommends that you say in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.

Your (Overheated) Guest Blogger – Ariel 

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Last weekend was my good friend Kasia’s bridal shower.  The theme was garden tea party and we were all asked to make our own hats for the event. I was worried how my hat would turn out at first, but I soon got into the whole idea when my hat arrived in the mail ready and waiting to be decorated.

Here I am with the group!  I made the hat to match my dress of course, which is Liz Fields style #254 in case you were wondering :-)

After we were all done posing with our lovely hats it was time for games!

In this picture, I am playing a game I had never heard of before.  The idea was to roll an ice cube in your hands that had a plastic ring inside, whoever got the ring out first and on to the Bride’s finger won.  I did not… it was cold!

I did however win a game of Bridal Shower Gift Bingo, earning me another hat, which I then wore for the rest of the party.

Have you had a bridal shower recently?  What games did you play?  Did you have a special theme like Kasia?  With such a great bridal shower theme, I can’t wait until the actual wedding!

If you are planning to attend a bridal shower soon, visit www.lizfields.com and view our social occasion dresses for your party by style, or, NOW by color!  Find a store near you by searching for an authorized Liz Fields retailer today.

For updates on Liz Fields newest lines like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

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Let’s face it, buying a dress is stressful no matter who you are.  Even as a mother of the bride or groom you might begin feeling like YOU’RE the one getting married with all of the decisions you have to make!  In honor of mother’s day I wanted to show appreciation for all the hard working, ever-caring moms out there, (you know who you are) by giving you some tips when choosing a dress for your son or daughter’s wedding day.

• The first thing I would recommend is to simply begin thinking about what style, length and price range you are interested in. If you can’t think of anything off the top of your head, turn to magazines for some ideas.
• When it is time to go shopping for a dress, if you are the mother of the bride, bring her along!  Your daughter will find it much less stressful than finding her own dress so she will be happy to do it. She might also have some ideas of what colors would complement the wedding party. You want to be sure that you don’t clash with the wedding party when it comes time for group pictures.
•  The next person you should check with is the other mother. If you are the mother of the groom it is customary to wait for the mother of the bride to buy her dress first.  Whoever goes first, it is a good idea to have a conversation about what length and level of formality you would both like to wear.

At Liz Fields you will find a wide range of styles and silhouettes that will fit your budget.

Here are a few styles I have personally selected that could work for a mother of the bride or groom dress.

Liz Fields Style 288 & 289

Liz Fields Fall 2010 Preview

For more styles please visit lizfields.com

Happy Mother’s Day!

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Style 8281

“The Greek Goddess”

Julie is someone who if you looked too quickly, might be thought of as somewhat of a tom-boy.

When Julie is not spending time with her fiancé, she has her nose in a fantasy book (sometimes when she is spending time with him too).  In fact she even has plans to write her own fantasy novel soon!

Not many people can picture her in a dress, and even less have seen her in one. Secretly though, she knows exactly how she wants to look on her wedding day. She imagines herself as the great Greek goddess Aphrodite floating on a cloud with her love, looking down and waving at the mere mortals below her. In this dress Julie gets to live this fantasy on her wedding day.  She is wearing a Liz Fields original, Style 8281. This is a long dress with a sweetheart halter neckline; it has braided detailing and the pleated skirt with a train which makes her feel like she like the Goddess she truly is.

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I am back from my trip around the world and besides some serious Jet Lag and a bit of Brochitis, I can’t stop thinking about my incredible experiences.  The highlight of the entire trip was this incredible Indian Wedding that we got to attend and be part of.

Liz Fields in Indian Dress attending a wedding in Bangkok

We arrived in time for the 3rd night of festivities, also called the Sangeet which is the celebration, or the equivalent of American receptions.  The difference is that Sangeet is actually before the nuptial ceremony.

I wore a traditional Indian dress and all the women were so beautifully dressed.  Although there aren’t distinguishable bridesmaid dresses, the culture takes such pride in the feminine figure and decorating it with gorgeous colors, fabrics, and embellishments.  Everybody wore their best and most celebratory formal attire and prepared for all-night partying and dancing.

As a designer, I was completely inspired and engulfed in all the festivities, dress, costumes, entertainment.  It is so nice to be part of such a rich culture and witness our generations continuing to pass down the traditions even in the age of internet and video games.

Bride being carried in on a type of "palki"

I posted some photos on Facebook.com/byLizFields so be sure to add me as a friend to see more from this wedding.  The highlight for me was watching the Bride in an intricately hand-beaded, one-of-a-kind traditional Indian wedding gown being carried in on a type of palki by four men! She looked like a Princess and her face was pure joy and happiness.

If you have any great stories about your wedding or a wedding you attended, you can email me at LizFields@LizFields.com ( I read all the emails!)

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For the next 2 weeks I will be traveling literally around the world for the weddings of people very close to my heart.

First Stop: Tel Aviv, Israel

Tel-Aviv, Israel

So this will be my first Israeli wedding taking place in Israel.  Being in the wedding industry, everybody seems to assume that I know the proper traditions and appropriate dress for every cultural wedding.  Well…I don’t!  I had just as many questions as anybody else, most importantly, ‘what do I wear!?‘

Now, the wedding I am going to is not a Religious one, so I’ve been told it can be easily confused with a huge dance party.  The ceremony will be a traditional one in which the bride and groom perform their nuptials under a Chupah.  For this I was told I can dress slightly more formal, but even though I will be in the ceremony, I am not required to wear any special color, style or anything resembling a Bridesmaid dress.  Funny enough, I will be wearing one of my bridesmaid dress styles anyway! See below.

After the Ceremony is the Reception and after the Reception is the after-party and dress is casual.  Now, there is no way I can be completely casual and being a dress designer, I want to wear a dress.  I was warned that I should wear flats or anything which is comfortable for hours and hours of some of the most intense partying I will ever see.  So my plan is to wear the same style dress as the long one at the reception, but in short length and with flats!

Liz Fields Bridesmaid Style #236 and #237

Next Stop: Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok, Thailand

This one is exciting….Sikh Indian Wedding!! I can’t even express to you how lucky I feel to be able to be part of an Indian wedding.  What a great culture!!  And I’ve learned through all my questions and preparation for this wedding, that Indian Wedding tradition must be the most celebratory, genuinely friend and family oriented,  and colorful of all weddings that I have prepared to attend.

Unfortunately, I will be missing the Mehndi portion of the pre-wedding celebrations; This is when all the women get together and paint the bride’s hands and feet and, traditionally, bangle bracelets or some sort of colorful adornments are given out.  A wonderful friend walked me through all the different events that  I will be attending and loaned me the most beautiful traditional Indian clothing and jewelry.  She is so wonderful and I thank her deeply for all the information and gorgeously beaded and embroidered Saree, skirts and tops!

So I am off….excited, nervous, and even more excited! I’ll be back in two weeks and I’ll be sure to post a blog right away with photos and information on how it went.

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