Weddings are those occasions where everybody wants to look their very best,so its formal wear all around,and an amazing opportunity to wear your best dress/saree/churidar etc.
Yet so many little details are not known,that have enormous potential in transforming the day,and how you feel.
For the Bride:
This is your day,your time,that will be photographed and remembered forever.So make sure that you:
1.Do NOT get any kind of beauty treatment whatsoever the day before or even the day of your wedding.Keep the treatments until four days till the big day.Why?
(a)Facials can bring sudden pimples,redness to the face,and small scars.You do not want to wake up the day of your wedding with a third eye.
(b)Waxing or other hair removal treatments can go badly-say after a hair removal cream,you have a sudden bout of eczema.At least within four days,you have the time to go to the doctor and get the necessary medication.Waxing can remove skin around facial areas-leaving scars that have ample time to go away in four days.
(c)You will probably be testing your make-up look before the wedding.Putting on make-up after you have had a facial or intensive skin treatment isn't the best idea.
2.Are realistic.
Some girls have Cinderella syndrome-they want the biggest,poofiest,most glammed up,over the top bejeweled extravaganza they can find without thinking how they will look in it.Most of the time,it's ridiculous.
If you are short or of average length,avoid everything that inflates below the waist.It will abbreviate you.You know those pink Barbie dolls they put into cakes with the cake looking like a huge gown?Thats the idea you have to avoid.
Simplicity is key-something that flows graciously around you,perhaps with a little volume,but in gentle,soft draping,that carries the drama necessary for the event,without being over the top.A fishtail gown is also excellent-the volume isn't on the waist or hips,just at the bottom,so it looks elegant,and evenly proportions the rest of the body.
I have always dreamed of wearing a Vera Wang dress so I will be using pictures from her S/S 2012 collection.
White isn't the only colour you can wear-go for light neutrals too.
Of course,if you really,really cannot live without your dress having extravagance,provided you can wear the look,something in light layers works well.
Take this gown above,for instance.It looks stunning because of it's simplicity-soft layers,with a beautiful sunburst pleated bodice all tied together with the grosgrain sash.The layers of tulle are straight,without any jewelery worked into them.It's the right kind of drama.
I'm not an expert in sarees,though.I guess minimalism is out of the question,from what I have seen-beautiful embroidery,jewelery etc-so all I can say is,choose something that suits your skin tone.
3.Are natural.
Whats the point in doing your hair up in something that you don't normally do every day?It's a huge event,but your husband/wife is marrying you for who you are (hopefully),so keep it natural.
If your hair is sleek and straight,your wedding day is not the time to try curls.
Same thing for your make-up.Katherine Middleton did her own on her wedding day,and kept it natural.
If you know that bronze eyeshadow and coral lipstick work for you no matter what the situation,stick to that.
And please,never overdo your makeup.
4.Check and recheck!
When you have selected the hairstyle that you want,go to the hairdresser-ask him if he thinks the hairdo complements the dress.Take pictures of your whole outfit,hairdo and makeup before the event takes place,to see how it looks on camera and on you.
5.If you want bridesmaids,please:
(a)Choose a dress they can wear after the event is over.
(b)Do NOT get them matching dresses or shoes!Try dresses in the same colour palette,with different designs.
(c)Make sure they are not wearing anything close to white.I don't know why Pippa Middleton was wearing white that day,but it's generally a no-no.
For the guests:
1.And here,girls,is the number one rule,that you do not respect.DO NOT UPSTAGE THE BRIDE.
I did mention a competitive streak running in families above,didn't I?Well its even more outrageous between women,of any age.Every girl in the room wants to look better than everyone else,bride included.
This is HER day,show respect.
Nothing is worse than seeing a girl elaborately done up,wearing white or ivory,trying to get maximum attention from the other boys at the ceremony.(Actually,this is a common sight at Church services too.I remember one girl giving my sister the evil eye-the girl was wearing a short,skin tight hot pink bandeau number for the Easter service-completely inappropriate,whereas my sister was wearing a fuchsia and black dress that showed her calves without being skin tight).
Go for darker colours-chocolate brown,blue and so on.
2.Respect the religiousness of the event.
Here are some questions you must ask yourself:
A.Where is the event going to take place?
B.What do people normally wear to these places?
C.What colours are appropriate?
In any religious service,you want your shoulders covered,generally,and no hem line shorter than the knee.
Keep the fashion forward,directional pieces for the cocktail party.
3.Make sure what you are wearing suits the venue.Here are some event cases that are not already mentioned above:
Case 1:It's during the day,and it's outside.
The fact that it's during the day is not an excuse to go casual.Choose formal but light fabrics,such as silk,or even chiffon.Be careful of your shoes-go for something that you can walk in,such as dressy wedges,or pumps,or even a flat sandal(be careful though-make sure it has some embellishment,perhaps ribbon) which will work with a maxi dress.Avoid stilettos.Make sure that your accessories are chic-a gold bracelet,feminine sunglasses,a pretty handbag or clutch.You can go slightly above the knee for such occasions but do not go into the mini territory.Go for colour-its during the day after all.Black can be worn if its a "sunset" type ceremony.
Case 2:Its black-tie.Very formal.
This means you need to go with something super chic,in formal,dark colours (no white,ivory,cream,red or stand-out brights or even animal prints here) with luxurious accents-metal,fine jewellery.You get the point.For the shoes:a high stiletto should do the trick.As for the hemlines,anything above mid-thigh (risky in itself) is out of the question.
It's pretty rare you get a black-tie event,which requires more money being spent in general in the accessories and the dress.Always,try to find something you can wear afterwards.
Case 3:It's semi-formal.It's more cocktail party-ish.
This is probably the most fun wedding venue.Go for a beautiful party dress in a bold colour,or with a fun but simple print (beware of animal prints though).In general,do a little research,find out who will be attending.It's not the time to go for a mini if the people attending are more conservative.A great clutch with appropriate shoes and jewelery tie the look together.As usual,stay away from white and its variations, and red.
Places to find the cocktail dress you're looking for:
1. Annabelle Fleury : annabelle.fleury.mu
2.Dharna Hassija :http://dharnahassija.com (site under construction)
Contact:
3.Sanjeet Boolell : sanjeetboolell@yahoo.com
4.Noorina Niamut (for cocktail dresses that have a craft flair and are directional)
5.Sweetie Ramlagun
Of course,there are plenty more-I'm just mentioning a few designers.For more info about them head to my Mauritian Fashion Industry Tab.
As for presents?
If the bride doesn't have a trousseau,you and your friends could do one for them,perhaps in collaboration with the married couple's parents.Obviously,this isn't how the concept of the bridal trousseau works-being passed from mother to daughter-but the trousseau in itself is invaluable to a bride throughout her wedding and early married life.It should contain home wares,lingerie for the wedding night,sheets,jewelery to commemorate the wedding,a jewelery box,perfume etc.
Norton Maccullough & Locke Trunk Loewe Picnic Basket
Summerill&Bishop-napkins Georg Jensen-Bangle Cufflinks-Georg Jensen
Nightgown and Night dress-La Perla Rui Grazina Jewelry Box.
www.weddingshop.com-bed linen. Illuminum-Skin Petals www.illuminumperfume.comYou should go to Quality Living Centre in Castel-the location for such an upmarket retailer of fine things may not be the best,but its Mauritius' hidden treasure commercial wise.You can find Nigella Lawson's range of kitchenware amidst tons of other products that will make beautiful presents.There is even a card and candle shop selling Hall Mark cards,so its your one stop wedding shop.
My Week.
Friday 29th of April:Royal Wedding!
My boyfriend was incredulous at the fact that I did NOT want to move from the sofa during the whole ceremony until I saw the kiss on the balcony."Why do you care so much?" he asked."Well,bebe,I don't really know myself.I think that this is what you want to see when you mentally live in fairy tales,wake up in the real world,and want to see something of the world you desire,of princesses and wizards and all of that.So being a romantic at heart,and all of that,you want to see something inspiring that you can tell to your grandchildren"
I was incredibly happy the bride wore McQueen.It wasn't exactly the alta moda extravagance I wanted,but it was beautiful all the same-anything too fanciful would have been mercilessly ripped apart by the media.It was supposed to be reminiscent of the era,without looking too expensive-the UK population is paying for this wedding-and the dress suited this job perfectly.
Other events on Friday:
I had planned three outfits,all of which required the perfect brown trousers.
It wasn't until I opened my wardrobe that I realised I didn't own a single pair.
The horror.
On Friday morning,9:45 am to be exact,I was in front of the ESPRIT store.They let me in even though the shop wasn't completely opened up yet.I found the most comfortable pair of brown trousers,"Nizza".Timeless.
My new trousers!
Saturday 30th of April:
Elite Model Look final,but couldn't attend-my family wanted to go out.
My dad treated me to a mini shopping spree.I went into ESPRIT again and bought a beautiful pair of white shorts.Then to MANGO,where I bought this amazing top-it has brown stripes,as well as an elegant black mid length skirt,a cute top and a wallet.
My new top!! My skirt,but this one is in Camel.
Out shopping,I wore a vintage chartreuse silk blouse,tucked into my new ESPRIT brown trousers,with shoes from ALDO,a leather belt and gold jewelry.
The winner of this edition of Elite Model Look is 18 year old Kidzy Lionnet.
Sunday 1st of May:Nothing much,just the annual political meetings.It's a little dangerous to go out,so you have two options:
1.You go to the beach/catamaran for the day.
2.You stay at home.
So nothing very glamorous happened in the country that day.
Monday 2nd of May:It's the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute Gala!!It's probably the most important fashion event of the year,with designers coming in person,numerous A listers,supermodels,artists and so on-all selected by Anna Wintour,which makes this event incredibly exclusive.
This year the Gala honours the late Alexander McQueen,with an exhibition named "Savage Beauty" marking his 19 years in the fashion industry.
Below are some photos of the event.For more head to www.style.com
Blake Lively in Chanel Haute Couture,Karl Lagerfeld in Tom Ford,Karlie Kloss in Dior,Jason Wu and Diane Kruger.
Ashley Olsen-vintage Dior couture Ashley Greene in Donna Karan Penelope Cruz in Oscar de la Renta
Gisele Bundchen in Alexander McQueen Jennifer Hudson in Vera Wang Coco Rocha in Alexander McQueen
MariaCarla Boscono in Givenchy Salma Hayeck in Alexander McQueen.
All the big events in Mauritius will be this weekend-check out the events tab for details.You should absolutely make the effort and go-I will be.
What I read this week:
1.The Catcher in the Rye-by J.D Salinger.This has officially taken up my number one spot (so far) of my favourite books of all time.I won't write more without giving the story away.
2.Lolita-by Vladimir Nabokov.Here is a book that I had to read quite slowly to emotionally prepare myself.Entering the world of a pedophile who tries to justify what he feels,with the sort of incest vibe going on,,is very very difficult for someone like me who likes to immerse herself in characters and imagine whats happening.It was painful.I had to keep an emotional distance from Humbert,which was very tiring-so you feel incredible disgust,self loathing,and horror all the time.Plus I couldn't identify with Lolita at all,this isn't even a good versus evil sort of thing-Lolita in some respects is just as bad as Humbert.I think just because of the experience you go through reading this it becomes one of the best books of all time,and of course it's beautifully written."He broke my heart,you broke my life".
Have a great week and amazing weekend
xoxo
Alex
