Watch our eHow wedding dress and veil videos!

I recently did a series of videos for eHow about one of the most important elements of a wedding -- the wedding dress! Watch as I give you some tips to help you choose the perfect dress and look your very best on the big day!


Things to Know Before Getting Fitted for Your Wedding Dress -- powered by ehow
Find out about some important things you need to know before getting fitted for your wedding dress!

Differences in Wedding Dress Silhouettes -- powered by ehow
There are 5 different wedding dress silhouettes to choose from. Learn about differences in wedding dress silhouettes and which of these are most flattering to your figure!

Do You Need to Bring Anything Particular to Try on Wedding Dresses? -- powered by ehow
Before you go shopping for the perfect dress, there are a few things you may want to bring with you. I'll tell you what you should pack before going in search for your wedding dress!

Styles of Wedding Veils -- powered by ehow
Learn about the many different types and styles of wedding veils you can choose from!

How to Pick the Right Veil for Your Dress -- powered by ehow
Picking the right veil is one of the most important finishing details that can either make or break a dress. Here, I'll help you pick out the right veil for your wedding dress!

What Is the Difference Between Mother of the Bride Dresses and Mother of the Groom Dresses? -- powered by ehow
You may want to help choose a dress for your mother or your future mother-in-law for your big day. Here, I'll talk about the subtle differences between mother of the bride and mother of the groom dresses and how they can pick a dress that stylizes well with your wedding!

What Is a Good Wedding Dress Choice for Petite Brides? -- powered by ehow
If you're a petite bride, there are a few distinct wedding dress styles that you might want to explore. Let me help you pick the right dress that will bring out your best assets!

Pregnancy Wedding Dresses -- powered by ehow
Sometimes, you may be expecting a little one on your wedding day. Watch as I talk about different dresses that suit a pregnant bride!

How to Unwrinkle a Wedding Dress -- powered by ehow
If your wedding dress gets wrinkled on the big day, don't worry! Learn how to unwrinkle a wedding dress here!

Instructions to Bustle a Gown -- powered by ehow
On your wedding day, you may want to bustle your gown to create a different look or simply for comfort. Here, I explain how to bustle your gown for your big day!

Rent the Runway for your Bridesmaids Dresses

Let's be honest. They're not going to wear those dresses again. And with the average bridesmaid dress ranging from $200-300 that can be a lot to ask some friends to drop on a dress that they'll be giving to Goodwill shortly after.

My advice, consider renting the dress and not just any dress but a designer dress. Sites like RenttheRunway.com offer several high fashion dresses at a fraction of its original cost. The rental rates vary but will be comparable if not less to buying an ordinary bridesmaid dress and ladies will look glam!

Here are some dresses from Rent the Runway:

Lela Rose: Pleated one shoulder dress
original cost $1,395
RTR cost $150

Thread: fairytale dress
original cost $550
RTR cost $75

Milly: Sunny Summer Dress
original cost $350
RTR cost $50

Christian Siriano: chiffon one sleeve dress

original cost $2,830
RTR cost $100

Tracy Reese: origami bubble dress
original cost $395
RTR cost $50

Matthew Williamson: Embellished Pocket Dress

original cost: $2,500
RTR cost : $250

Lela Rose: tank full skirt dress
original cost $1,595
RTR $150

Angel Sanchez: Enchantment Dress
original cost $3,500
RTR cost $350

Halston Heritage: Sultry Side-Knot Gown
original cost $600
RTR $100

Of course it will depend on your color story, what they have in inventory, the number of bridesmaids you have and their dress sizes but I think it's definitely worth checking out. It might be a great alternative to the dreaded bridesmaid dress!

Net-A-Porter's new Wedding Boutique

One of our designer friends, Michelle Rahn just alerted us to Net-A-Porter's new Wedding Boutique. For those of you who aren't familiar, Net-A-Porter is your online luxury fashion destination and now your online luxury BRIDAL fashion destination as well.

Their magazine is like a wedding stylist's look book. There are some great fashion tips to borrow from here and a few planning tips. However keep in mind this site is for the global shopper so some vendor tips may not be local but can still be inspiring!

You can find everything from Halston and Vivienne Westwood wedding dresses to Lanvin and Temperly Veils. If you're a fashionista every day of your life why would you stop at your wedding day!

Here are a few of my favorite pieces I found online right now:

Halston, Metallic jersey asymmetrical dress

Lanvin, tiered silk-gazar dress

Adam, beaded-bib necklace


Bijoux Heart, 24-karat gold-plated crystal earrings

They also have dresses for bridesmaids, mothers and guests but I'll be honest I'm not totally wild about the entire selection but it's a start and I'm looking forward to seeing what they add on! Maybe men's bridal fashion?

Carole Tanenbaum - Vintage Jewelry

I'm in love with this hairpiece from Carole Tanenbaum's Vintage Jewelry Collection. I would love to see more of these style pieces come back in fashion!

Here are some other pieces I spied:

Jcrew Bridesmaid dress

JCREW

Seraphina Dress
$285

I just had to share this cute dress from JCREW bridesmaid dress. Totally cute and not a million dollars. It's a good template for any color story and you can add a belt of brooch or piece of jewelry to make it more formal or more sweet. I kind of just want one to wear to parties. Here are some ideas for accessories:

Cute and contemporary

Sweet and lovely

Sophisticated and Formal

See, what did I say! It can go any which way. Love it!

Why buy when you can rent?

I have this one girlfriend whose family has ridiculous heirloom jewelry and I can only wonder, "Hmm...think she'll let me borrow that sometime ?"(how about it R.K.??)

For those of us who aren't quite as fortunate enough to have a vault full of jewels to dip into or a personal jeweler to lend us a little something sparkly for a special occassion, there's a new solution: AdornBrides.com.

Adorn Brides allows brides, and for that matter mothers, bridesmaids...., to rent exquisite earrings, necklaces, and bracelets worth THOUSANDS for a small fraction of the cost. Often referred to as the Netflix of jewelry, in theory it's similar to Bag Borrow or Steal where you go online, pick the pieces you'd like and then go camp out by your mailbox and anxiously await for it to arrive.

Enter this discount code and get 10% off you order: daughterofdesign
(Allow 14 days for processing and shipping)

You'll feel special on your wedding day regardless but sprinkle a $70,000 diamond necklace around your neck and I have a feeling you might feel a smidgen special-er.