Underneath It All

The perfect wedding gown is more than just style, shade and subtle details…a good fit is essential for turning a beautiful dress into your beautiful dress.

Understanding the importance of getting it right the first time, we talked to an expert on the subject, Jeanne Garman of A Fitting Tailor in Roseville, and learned what’s underneath the dress can make all the difference.

“When you get your wedding dress from your bridal shop and set up your fitting remember one thing: it is what’s on the inside that counts. Undergarments are one of the most important tools to give you the right look for your dress.

If you are unsure if you are going to wear a bra or not with your dress, I always suggest brides bring one anyway. Sometimes bras look best with your body type and will save you time on fittings.

Always bring the garments you plan to wear with your dress to your fitting. This will give your alteration’s specialist the opportunity to give you the best fit in your dress. Sometimes, bras or bra pads fill out your dress or give you the right amount of lift you need to achieve the desired look.

If you want a flat tummy and do not want to wear panty hose, then Spanx or any type of tummy control garment will do the trick. I have found with many a-line dresses the best Spanx to get is one that fits high up on the waist. Many attach to your bra so they do not roll down.

It is a bride’s biggest day, and you want to look your best. So do not forget your dress will look its best when worn from the inside out.”

Good information -- thanks Jeanne!

About A Fitting Tailor:

Offering expert alterations and custom tailoring for men and women for over 20 years, A Fitting Tailor provides everything from simple pant hems to formal evening wear alterations. Brides are welcome and grooms are encouraged to bring their suits or tuxes for a handsome custom look. Check out their Web site at: http://www.afittingtailor.com/.

Blog Post by Always A Bridesmaid Columnist Darren Elms.

Photo above of cover model winner Kimmi Armstrong by Jodi Yorston Photography, dress from Dreamnette Bridal, flowers by Botanica Floral Designs, hair and make-up by Image Provocateur/VIP-CAT Academy.

Five Mistakes to Avoid During the Wedding Planning Process

We recently asked Wedding Planning Pro Lora Ward from A Day To Remember Wedding and Event Planners for some tips to help brides achieve a more blissful wedding planning process – and, she's graciously agreed to be a guest blogger on our site!

So here's her first entry: Five Mistakes to Avoid During the Wedding Planning Process:

1. Wedding Gown Delivery Date – don’t give your exact wedding date to the bridal gown salon. Request (insist) that your gown be delivered at least two weeks prior to your actual wedding date. Mistakes in ordering, delivery problems or alterations could take longer than expected. Peace of mind is everything!

2. A “friend of a friend” – don’t get swayed by a good pitch or a price that’s too good to be true. Hire a professional vendor (whether it’s a photographer, caterer, florist or DJ), as they are prepared and can handle any unusual situation and have experience “walking the walk.” You cannot repeat your wedding day so don’t set yourself up for possible failure and regret.

3. The “B” word (Budget) – weddings, like home construction, almost always cost more than you originally planned. If you have an absolute set amount, research every expense in advance, don’t wait until the moment of hiring as you’ll be up against the wall, then. Track every dime, and keep the head count manageable.

4. Hair and make-up scheduling – like the first doctor appointment of the morning, if it runs late, you’ll spend hours trying to catch up to run on schedule. Set the appointment with your stylist/artist far earlier in the day than you think; communicate with the stylist/artist exactly what services are needed and don’t throw in any last minute services… you’ll run late!

5. Private/Professional Planner vs. Facility Coordinator – don’t assume the person who walks the floor at your event is also your personal wedding planner. While he/she can be and often are very helpful to you, he/she works for “the house.” They will take great care of the staff, the meal service and other details of the facility (and are often taking care of those same details in another part of the building for a second event). Services you’ll need throughout the planning of your wedding (sometimes a year long process) needs more than just the facility coordinator. Remember, a successful wedding depends on excellent planning.

About A Day To Remember Wedding and Event Planners:
A Day to Remember Wedding and Event Planners believes planning the wedding of your dreams should be just like falling in love… joyful and effortless!

Your wedding will have a myriad of details that a professional consultant and wedding planner will have the experience to deal with, and the knowledge to implement. A Day to Remember Wedding and Event Planners listen to your wishes and concerns, offering guidance and providing peace of mind.

Based in Sacramento, California, A Day to Remember Wedding and Event Planners have 25 years experience coordinating and planning special events in the Northern California area, including the Greater Sacramento area, Napa Valley, Sierra Foothills/Gold Country and Lake Tahoe and are available for travel to your destination. They are here to help you plan and coordinate a worry-free wedding that will be memorable, exciting, unique and romantic.

Be sure to check out A Day to Remember Wedding and Event Planners' Web site: http://www.adaytorememberca.com/ and Lora's blog: www.adaytorememberca.com/blog

Photo above of cover model finalist Theresa Garcia by Jodi Yorston Photography, dress by Alfred Angelo, flowers by Ambience Floral Design and hair/make-up by Nevaeh Boutique, Spa, Salon. Shot on location at Cosmo Cafe.

WOOHOO! The new issue of Real Weddings Magazine has arrived!

We're so incredibly excited to announce the arrival of our newest issue, Real Weddings... Sacramento to the Sierra, Winter 2010! Our team worked really hard on this issue (we actually equate it to giving birth!) and we hope that you, our darling brides, will really like it and find inspiration in the pages of Real Weddings Magazine.

This issue features our cover model winner, Kimmi Armstrong!

In addition to Kimmi, this issue features our other stunning cover model finalists, real brides Kate Adams and Theresa Garcia (all three of these women will appear together on our Spring 2010 issue which will come out at the end of February 2010).

These young women allowed us to poke and prod them and get them all guzzied up for our photo shoot this past September at our photo shoot at Cosmo Cafe, Esquire Grill and Spataro. Gorgeous young women, talented hair and make-up teams, beautiful dresses from local area bridal boutiques, fabulous flowers, cool locations and, of course, the talented Jodi Yorston of Jodi Yorston Photography all came together on a perfect fall day! (We hope to have some more photos from the shoot loaded to our Web site in the next couple of weeks, so be sure to check back!)

Yes, it's true, we put real brides on the covers of our magazines! Each issue, hundreds of local area brides enter to be one of our three cover model finalists. Are you interested in entering? If so, click here to download our entry form. One word of advice, show us your personality on the answers to the questions -- we love working with brides who have a lot of spunk, personality, humor and who are just darned cool girls. Be sure that your answers really reflect who you are! Also, be sure to read all of the rules to make sure that you're eligible to enter.

Thanks so much to all of the vendors who participated in our cover model photo shoot:

Photographed on location at:
Cosmo Cafe, Esquire Grill and Spataro Restaurant and Bar, Part of the
Paragary Restaurant Group
Cosmo Cafe
10th & K, Sacramento
916-446-9800
Esquire Grill
13th & K, Sacramento
916-448-8900
Spataro Restaurant and Bar
14th & L, Sacramento
916-440-8888
paragarys.com

Photography by:
Jodi Yorston Photography
916-747-7049
byjyp.com

Jewelry provided by:
Jazzy Jewelz by Nancy
6545 Chesbro Circle
Rancho Murieta
916-300-5458
jazzyjewelzbynancy.com

Dresses provided by:
Alfred Angelo
1208 Galleria Boulevard
Roseville
917-797-1919, 775-826-7300
alfredangelo.com

Always Elegant Bridal Boutique
229 Clark Avenue
Yuba City
530-755-4282
alwayselegantbridal.net

The Bridal Box
8546 Madison Avenue
Fair Oaks
916-961-1500
thebridalbox.net

Diamond Bridal Gallery
6963 Douglas Boulevard
Granite Bay
916-521-9856
diamondbridalgallery.com

Dreamnette Bridal
1850 Douglas Boulevard, Suite 988
Roseville
916-780-4747
dreamnette.com

Miosa Bride
1125 J Street
Sacramento
916-443-1301
miosabride.com

Hats and Headpieces
provided by:
Advantage Bridal
310-371-2060
advantagebridal.com

Gena Conti Millinery
734-284-3417
genaconti.com

Hair and Make-up for
Kimmi by:
Image Provocateur and
VIP-CAT Academy
232 Vernon Street
Roseville
916-474-5578
vip-cat.com

Hair and Make-up for
Kate by:
Fay Linson, Hair
Shari Whisler, Make-up
Dynamic Images Salon & Day Spa
611 Placerville Drive
Placerville
530-622-5436
dynamicimagesonline.com

Hair and Make-up for
Theresa by:
Jennifer Gouge, Hair
Taryn Passifione, Make-up
Nevaeh Boutique, Spa, Salon
9205 Sierra College Boulevard
Roseville
916-786-5888
nevaeh.com

Flowers provided by:
Ambience Floral Design
7251 Galilee Road, Suite 115
Roseville
916-786-6851
ambiencefloral.com

Botanica Floral Designs
Serving the Sacramento Area
916-673-8650
botanicafloraldesigns.com

Flourish
1913 Capitol Avenue, Suite B
Sacramento
916-212-5179
flourishdesigns.com

Visual Impact Design
2443 Maryal Drive
Sacramento
916-489-3746
visualimpact-design.com

Pick up a copy of the Winter 2010 issue of Real Weddings Magazine today!

Blog post by Wendy Sipple, Editor/Publisher.

We've been blogged!!

Ok, we're such suckers -- we LOVE being blogged!!!

My friends Brandon and Kami from Sound Image Entertainment just emailed me to let me know about a wedding that they just posed to their blog...and it mentions Real Weddings Magazine!! Love that!


So I ventured over to their blog and got to check out their clients Tyler and Alicia's wedding, shot by the talented Jodi Yorston (who just shot our cover model finalists shoot for our next issue of Real Weddings Magazine) at the Carvalho's Family Winery at Old Sugar Mill.

We love this location -- it was the locale for our cover model finalist photo shoot for the current issue. And, it's close to my heart because I did my "trash the dress" shoot with Sarah Maren Photography at this location too!

Brandon and Kami are wonderful people, amazing wedding professionals -- thanks for sharing Tyler and Alicia's wedding with us -- it looks like it was a lot of fun! I loved the songs that they chose for their wedding, particularly the theme from St. Elmo's Fire. Congrats to you Tyler and Alicia on your wedding!

To learn more about Brandon and Kami and Sound Image Entertainment, check out their Web site: http://www.soundimagedjs.com/.

Blog post by Wendy Sipple, Publisher/Editor.