HERE COMES THE BRIDE

Select your wedding fashions from the finest bridal salons in Northern Virginia. Gowns, bridesmaids dresses, formal wear, accessories and shoes — it’s all there at your full-service independent bridal shop. For a custom-designed gown, check out the area’s bridal fabric retailers and designers. And don’t forget to shop for your trousseau!

Anna’s Bridal

8804 Pear Tree Village Ct, Alexandria (703) 360-4272 annasbridalcouture.com

Best Bridals & Tailoring

4300 Chantilly Shopping Center, Chantilly (703) 378-3222 bestbridalsva.com

Elegance by Roya Bridal

1311 King Street Alexandria, VA 22314 (703)838-9282 www.elegancebyroya.com

Ellie’s Bridal Boutique

225 North Washington St., Alexandria (703) 683-8697 elliesbridal.com

Eternity Bridal Boutique

6531-A Little River Turnpike, Alexandria (703) 354-9330 eternity-bridal.com

Global Bridal Gallery

689 South Washington St., Alexandria (703) 739-2743 globalbridalgallery.com

Tang’s Alterations

8675 Sudley Road, Manassas (703) 393-8458 www.tangsalterations.com

Trousseau

306 Maple Ave. W, Vienna (703) 255-3300 trousseaultd.com

White Swan Bridal

425 Maple Ave. W, Vienna (703) 255-9032 whiteswanbridal.com

Selecting the

Perfect Wedding Shoes

By Lisa Beth Miller

Almost every fashionista loves a fabulous shoe. Selecting shoes for your wedding day should simply be one more opportunity to add an amazingly stylish touch to your look.

Shoes for your wedding day should not be a last-minute decision. The shoe should be coordinated with your gown color (it could even be a unique contrast), your jewelry, your bouquet and your basic style. They must be selected carefully! Talk to the style consultants at your bridal boutique for ideas.

Once you have found the correct pair of wedding-day shoes, here are some additional tips to keep in mind:

In order to prevent blisters and discomfort, start wearing your shoes about a month before the wedding to break them in a bit. Even just walking around in your shoes for 15 minutes each evening will help your comfort level!

Be absolutely sure that you have your shoes (and all of your wedding day accessories and undergarments) before your first appointment with your seamstress. Your wedding gown alterations will not be appropriate unless the seamstress has a full vision of your complete look! So shop early!

Avoid the whole “dyed to match” concept. Allow your bridesmaids to select a metallic shoe instead. These are neutral and can be worn again. If you absolutely insist upon dying the bridesmaid shoes, treat the girls to a second shoe makeover and dye their colorful shoes black.

Remember—if everyone in the wedding party loves their shoes, it won’t be necessary to distribute flip-flops or slippers at the reception. Simply don’t do it! Your wedding is your one day to be stylish and fabulous, so keep the standards high! An exception may be made to this rule if your wedding and reception are literally on the beach.

If you love dancing, consider shopping for a brand that actually specializes in well-structured, comfortable shoes! One great company that I adore is Angela Nuran.

My final tip: you will almost be guaranteed to have blisters and pain if you grab a cheap pair of shoes at the last minute! Take your time and purchase fabulous shoes for your big day!

Tuxedos 101 WEDDING

nce you have picked your wedding colors O and the groomsmen for your wedding party, it is time to select tuxedos. Finding tuxedos for your wedding party is an easy item to check off your to-do list, and gives your groom a pivotal role in the wedding planning process.

Most tuxedo shops work with out-of-town wedding members; don’t let that be an excuse for tardy measurements. Here’s a crash course in Tuxedos 101 to ensure you pick the right look for your wedding party.

For starters, have all of your men measured as soon as you pick out the tuxedos. (The ring bearer should wait until one month out to ensure his growing body fits his tuxedo).

LESSON 1: TUXEDO JACKETS

When selecting a tuxedo jacket, pay close attention to the number of buttons and the lapel. Basic styles will have between one to three buttons. Two-button styles are most common due to their ability to look great on a number of body shapes and sizes. The most common lapel choices are notched and peak. Peak lapels are very popular on the red carpet right now but notched lapels are still most common in weddings. Next, pay attention to the detail on the coat. Traditional black is most popular followed closely by a shadow stripe detail. Chocolate tuxedos have emerged in full force and gray tuxes have also recently

Photo by Jenna Lindsey Photography

become popular. Sand is another color option and is great for beach weddings!

LESSON 2: SHIRTS

When selecting a shirt, pay attention to the collar. A laydown collar is most common with a long tie but the wing collar is also an option. You also usually have the choice of a white, ivory or black shirt.

LESSON 3: TIES

When selecting a tie, you must choose between a bow tie or long tie. The long tie, typically a Windsor (typical suit tie) instead of an ascot, is the most popular choice. Traditionally most long ties worn for weddings are solids but now many offer striped and other patterns.

LESSON 4: VESTS

Most vests are 5 buttons and are either a fullback or bib style. Bib styles work well with some jacket styles. Some wedding parties are opting for patterned or metallic vests, designed to coordinate with bridesmaids’ dresses. Cummerbunds are a less popular choice, but they are usually available in a limited color selection.

LESSON 5: OTHER ACCESSORIES

Shoes and cufflinks are also commonly included with tuxedo rentals. Be sure everyone in your party rents shoes to keep a consistent look. A mixture of patent leather and matte finish shoes will be noticeable by your guests and visible in pictures. Pocket squares that coordinate with the vest and tie are also a popular accessory that finishes off a tuxedo.

LESSON 6: THE RULES

All tuxedos should be rented from the same vendor. Any man who will be in many of your wedding pictures should be in a tuxedo to ensure a consistent look across your wedding party and in the pictures you are taking to create memories. This means if grandfathers will be in many of the pictures, they should wear a tuxedo, too. It is a good overall look for any man with a role in the wedding to be in a tuxedo.

The groom’s vest, tie and shirt color usually match the bride’s dress color, usually white or ivory. The groomsmen’s vest and ties match the color of the bridesmaids dresses. The ring bearer matches the groom or flower girl. The ushers, fathers and grandfathers typically don vests and ties in black or silver. This is to avoid too many different colors in a small group. Again, think of how the wedding photos will look.

Traditionally, the bride and groom request that each groomsman pays for his own tuxedo. Be sure to make this clear to groomsmen so they are prepared when they are asked for payment during their initial measurment.