Romantic Elizabethan Wedding Dress Inspiration Board

The romance of the Elizabethan era inspires many brides today to look to the past for wedding inspiration. The styles shown in this inspiration board below are truly romantic and perfect for your fairy tale wedding theme.  Elizabethan wedding dresses can be purchased by many dress designers. Most of the dresses below are by Ian Stewart and as you can see he puts a modern twist on a romantic classic. View all styles below to find the perfect dress of your dreams.

Whether you add a modern twist or go with the complete Elizabethan theme, you are sure to leave your guest speechless when you enter the ceremony wearing one of these elizabethan inpired wedding dresses. Good Luck!

Photo Credits: Photo 1: yourvintagewedding.com, Photo 2 & 5: eraofelegance.com, Photos 3,4,6, 8 & 10: weddinginspirasi.com, Photos 7 & 9: romanticthreads.com.

Two Dresses - One Price Tag

I love little white dresses. I also love long traditional wedding gowns. Like most girls planning a wedding, it was difficult to choose. I eventually chose a short white dress for my casual outdoor wedding, but many brides have solved this dilemma by wearing their traditional gowns in the ceremony and changing into a cute little white cocktail dress for the reception. This ensures your beautiful dress doesn't get dirty at the reception and also leaves you unencumbered by beautiful, but heavy and uncomfortable hoops and frills. Unfortunately, this wardrobe change isn't always possible for brides on a budget. It is also a bit of a hassle to cart around an extra dress all day. This is where the idea of a two-in-one dress, (like the Priscilla of Boston dress/romper combo shown left) comes in.

These beautiful dresses convert from a traditional gown to a sassy cocktail gown by removing the bottom portion of the dress which zips, snaps, or ties on. Here are some of my favorites, but so many designers are doing this now that you are sure to be able to find one that suits you perfectly!

Dress by Priscilla of Boston  via TheKnottyBride.com

Dress by Martin Liana

Dress by David's Bridal

Don't forget to accessorize! Check out our newest bridal hair accessories.

~ Jenna

The Fate of Your Wedding Gown - To Trash the Dress or Not to Trash the Dress



 As if there aren't enough decisions to make, modern brides are being asked to decide the fate of their wedding gown. It was once considered an obvious choice - preserve the gown as wedding memorabilia or for future generations.  Brides now have a few other options that are becoming increasingly popular.

Many brides are giving their precious gowns away to charity. These gowns will either be given to brides who cannot afford the princess wedding of their dreams, or sold with the purpose of donating the money to a good cause. Brides Against Breast Cancer is one such charity that offers new and gently used donated gowns at slashed prices to raise money for the cure. This option is for the bleeding hearts who won't miss their dress hanging in the back of their closet because they will know their donation has helped another woman in need.

Another option that is growing in popularity defies all of the above traditions. The is the infamous Trash The Dress photo shoot. If you haven't heard of this phenomenon, it is where the Bride puts on her wedding attire and gets all dressed up for a professional photo shoot after the wedding. Sometimes the Groom even joins gets a few photos snapped. The catch? The location is chosen because of its contrast to the formal wear - this means beaches, painting studios, muddy fields, swampy rivers, and anywhere a bride would avoid like the plague while wearing her dress before the big day. The results are fun, un-posed, often stunning and artistic photos... and a completely trashed dress. Of course a little dirt doesn't necessarily mean the dress will be ruined forever. A good dry cleaning would probably return your dress to savable condition - unless you opt to cut, burn, or paint it during your photo shoot. The idea is that the bride has made a forever commitment and has no need of a wedding dress anymore. It is also a way to get great photographs. While Trashing the Dress isn't for everyone, it does provide some intriguing images. This is for the trendy bride, who is perfectly happy treasuring her wedding gown forever via amazing photographs like the ones shown below.



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What ever you decide, enjoy your day and enjoy that fabulous dress!

~ Jenna

Additional photo credit: Hanging Wedding Dress, Bride in Muddy Boots