Which is Better - Daytime or Evening Weddings?

While the majority of weddings seem to take place on Saturday evenings, there is no set rule saying that they have to. You can get married at any time of day, on any day of the week. The key is to figure out what day and time are most convenient for you and your guests. Brides of America has gathered a few reasons why both daytime and evening weddings can be wonderful. These may help you decide which is best for your special day.  

Daytime Weddings
Some couples prefer to say their "I do's" during the day for a variety of reasons. David Abadi, owner of Brides of America, chose to get married earlier in the day himself. "My wife and I are getting ready to celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary this August. When we got married, the celebration was over by 6 pm. This was great because we had the entire night to relax." 

Here are a few more reasons why you might want to have your wedding during the day:

• Lighter Meals
  Catering is one of the more costly items for a wedding. When you host a reception during the day, you can get away with serving a lighter meal than you would at dinner time. Brunch, lunch, or even an afternoon wedding with only a cocktail hour will most likely be less expensive than a full buffet dinner. 
• Natural Lighting
  Daylight is a photographer's friend, so the natural lighting of a daytime wedding will be wonderful for your pictures. Also, if your ceremony and/or reception will be outdoors, you won't have to worry about lighting up the dark so that your guests can see. 
• Early Ending
  When your wedding starts early in the day, that means you will be done by late afternoon or early evening. Even though weddings at night start later, people usually begin preparing early in the morning, so by midnight, the bride and groom are wiped out both mentally and physically. Ending early means that you can spend the rest of the night alone with your new spouse relaxing, and if you will be leaving for your honeymoon the next day, you won't be tired from a late night of entertaining guests. 
• Guest Friendly  
  You will see this "pro" listed again under evening weddings below too, but that's because, depending on your particular wedding guests, there are good things about both. For daytime weddings, your guests are more likely to stay until the end of the reception. These are also more kid-friendly if you have a guest list with small children that tire easily and early. 

Evening Weddings
Most of the weddings that you are invited to are probably held in the late afternoon-early evening along with a dinner, followed by dancing. Emma, one of Brides of America's blushing brides, had an evening wedding. "We got married in the winter, so it was getting dark early anyway. The candles and twinkle lights made it all seem even more romantic."   

There are plenty of reasons why this is a great time to host your event. A few of them are:   

• More Time To Get Ready
  The later your ceremony starts, the more time you will have to prepare everything, including yourself. Everyone can get ready without feeling rushed, and there is plenty of time to decorate during the day if you cannot the night before. You can also get a lot of the photographs out of the way before it starts, giving you more time to enjoy your own reception.
• Sunsets & Stars
  While your daylight may be limited, your wedding will be going on when the sunset can give you an amazing backdrop. After that, if you have a venue where you will be outdoors, you've got the beautiful evening stars to dance underneath, and in the hottest summer months, the nights are comfortably cooler than at midday. The darkness also allows you to enhance the mood with the lighting.  
• Party Time 
  Most people are a lot more comfortable "letting loose" in the evening than they are in the middle of the day. Nighttime receptions seem to put guests in the mood to really cut it up on the dance floor and enjoy a great night out. 
• Guest Friendly
  Many parents are busy during the daytime with all of their children's activities and might not be able to miss those for a daytime wedding. An evening wedding lets them use your celebration as a date night. Even guests without children will have a fun night out to look forward to. They can take care of their daily activities, then save the evening to celebrate with you. It's also better for guests coming from out of town, because they have all day free to travel. 

Whether you decide to host a daytime or an evening wedding is one of the decisions that can only be made by you. Your situation will determine which one works the best, and at the end of the day, if it makes you happy, then it's the right choice for your wedding! 

The beautiful wedding dresses both in our Miami Bridal Boutique and available through our online wedding dress store will look amazing on you, no matter what time of the day you decide to get married. When you are ready to shop, make an appointment at Brides of America and we will help you find the perfect look. 

The gown of your dreams awaits you.

Brides of America is an authorized retailer of all Mori Lee Bridal Lines.

Blog author:  Deanna Powell - WhereBridesGo.com

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305-620-6606

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Big Fashion For The Smallest Bridal Party Member - Your Flower Girl

Brides of America knows that finding the perfect dress to wear on your very special day can be a dream come true. Once you've accomplished that and picked out some amazing bridesmaid gowns, you can start looking at adorable little dresses to put your flower girl in. You will find many beautiful choices at our Miami bridal boutique from the incredible Joan Calabrese, and in today's blog, we've put together a few tips and ideas for the littlest beauty at your wedding. 

Choosing Your Flower Girl
Traditionally, the young lady gently dropping flower petals to adorn the bride's walk down the aisle is under the age of 10. Of course, when it comes to your wedding, that's completely up to you. There is no set rule saying older girls cannot be a flower girl, and we've even seen some sweet photos online from a couple that used their grandmother's in this role. 

As far as the number of flower girls, one is sufficiently adorable enough to please the crowd and get the job done. Two young ladies allow them to help each other down the aisle, making it a little less scary. If you want to have an entire parade of flower girls announcing your entrance, well, that could be pretty impressive. Definitely something your guests will remember!

Getting Her Ready For Your Big Day
If your flower girl is very young, she may need a little more prep work than an older girl. Walking down that long aisle with lots of strangers staring at you can be intimidating for a child. Get her excited by talking about it often before the wedding, and make sure that she is at the rehearsal for practice. Also, make sure that someone she trusts is at the front of the ceremony to coax her down the aisle, and another trusted person is at the back of the aisle to get the walk started. Never expect a young child to stand through the entire ceremony. They could get bored, and it's very likely that they will distract your guests from the important part - your vows.   

Picking The Perfect Dress
When it comes time to dress shop, we suggest having a style in mind that will work well with your overall wedding plans, but listen to your flower girl's opinions too. Find a few dresses that you love, then bring her in to pick her favorite from those. Your flower girl will be much more cooperative if she gets to make some of her own decisions. Brides of America will help to make sure that this particular shopping trip is a very special experience for her. 

The Fashions of Joan Calabrese
You will find the best flower girl dresses in Miami within our walls, and that is due to the fact that we carry the amazing collections of Joan Calabrese. Joan grew up in Philadelphia, born into a family of Italian artisans. Her love of fashion blossomed at an early age. She began sewing clothing for her dolls from the fabric scraps that she collected. Eventually earning a full scholarship to the Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, she chose to turn it down and stay home with her family instead. That did not stop her from pursuing her passion though. Having two young daughters of her own, Joan decided to create fabulous clothing for children. 

Her now successful business began in 1975 with an order for 40 dresses that she crafted in her basement studio. Not long after that, large orders began pouring in. Her clothing has been worn by young members of the British Royal Family, daughters of many Heads of State, and numerous celebrity children. The Metropolitan Museum of Art features two of Joan's designs in their Permanent Collection of their Costume Institute, and she has even been installed in the Costume Collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Joan makes it a point to attend fabric shows in Paris twice a year. Her design inspiration comes from European fashion and couture fashion publications. Fine fabrication is extremely important to her, and her dresses are well-known for their exquisite fabric and detail, as well as pristine lines. Every little girl will feel as special and pretty as the bride in one of these adorable and whimsical flower girl dresses.

Finding the perfect flower girl for your wedding is one of the more fun things that you will have to do during your wedding planning. It's Brides of America's pleasure to help you find the perfect flower girl dress for her. Let our Miami bridal boutique put you in the most amazing wedding dress, then we'll get to work on all of the rest of the wedding day fashions too. 

The gown of your dreams awaits you.

Brides of America is an authorized retailer of all Mori Lee Bridal Lines.

Blog author:  Deanna Powell - WhereBridesGo.com

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www.BridesOfAmerica.com
305-620-6606

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Your After-the-Wedding To-Do List

You're married! Congratulations on hosting an incredible day that resulted in the beginning of your new "happily ever after" as Mr. and Mrs. That wedding planning to-do list is all checked off and long gone, but there are a few more tasks that will need to be taken care of now that the wedding is over. Brides of America has compiled these for you in today's blog. 

Some of these need to be taken care of right away, and a few can be handled at a leisurely pace. The quicker you get them done, though, the more at ease your mind will be. Working together will make these tasks go by smoothly and quickly. 

Return rented wedding items
Hopefully you assigned this job to someone responsible before the wedding and they took care of it already. Still, it's always wise to double-check that it is done. After all, you're the one that will owe more money if items are not returned. 

Update your new last name.
If you have taken on a new last name at the ceremony, it also has to be done legally on paper. Everything that you signed up for when you were single will now need to be updated to feature your current name. 

The process of name-changing can differ from state to state, but most will require you to provide a certified copy of your marriage license. Begin with the two big ones - your social security card and your driver's license. Next, take care of other documents, like car titles, bank accounts, credit cards, etc... After that, work on switching over any subscriptions, memberships, online profiles, and such. 

Get Your Wedding Dress Professionally Cleaned
You probably won't be wearing this again any time soon, but possibly in the future for a vow renewal or to pass on to your daughter. The longer you wait to have it cleaned, the more likely that stains will set in. Don't try to clean it yourself. The delicate fabrics and intricate accents require the attention of a professional. 

Before you send it away for cleaning, hang it up on a padded or plastic hanger, and do not wrap it in plastic. This can trap moisture and cause anything that has been spilled on the dress, as well as the oils from your body, to ruin the fabric. When choosing a dress cleaner, find someone that will also preserve your bridal gown so that you can store it safely until it is needed again.

Update your address
Unless you already lived together, at least one of you will be moving to a new address. Along with changing your name, make sure that your new address is correct on everything too (subscriptions, memberships, etc...) Don't forget to send out the information to all of your family and friends also. One way to do that is through the next task. 

Write & mail the thank you notes
If you were writing these as gifts came in before the wedding, then you're a little bit ahead of the game. Most guests probably brought a gift with them to the ceremony and reception though, so you will have a mountain of thank you notes left to write. You should aim to have them all written and delivered by 3 months after the wedding date. Either set a day aside and tackle them together all at once, or work on a few every evening while you watch television together or talk over your day. 

Return or exchange wedding gifts
You probably ended up with a few duplicate gifts, and possibly even a few things that you simply know you will not use. Make returns or exchanges soon after the wedding, because the longer you wait to do this, the more likely those gifts will get shoved to the back of a closet and forgotten about. 

Pick out your favorite wedding photos
This is one more task that may never get done if you keep putting it off. Even if the photographer has given you digital copies of every photograph taken at the wedding, the longer you wait to print out your favorites, the less likely they will ever get printed. Make an effort to order at least a couple of the best ones to display in your home, and maybe a few to give away to immediate family. 

You may not have need for our Miami bridal boutique immediately after your wedding, but know that we are here for you in the future. We have a beautiful selection of special occasion gowns available, plus gorgeous Quinceanera dresses for any daughters that may be in your future. Once again, congratulations from all of us here at Brides of America for your recent marriage. We wish you both many, many years of happiness together. 

The gown of your dreams awaits you.
Brides of America is an authorized retailer of all Mori Lee Bridal Lines.

Blog author:  Deanna Powell - WhereBridesGo.com

Visit our website:

www.BridesOfAmerica.com
305-620-6606

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Enlist Help To Get Into That Wedding Dress

Most wedding dresses will require a bit of assistance when you put them on. When you are in the dressing room at Brides of America, we will make sure that everything is buttoned, laced, and adjusted the way it should be. 

When the wedding day rolls around, you will want to plan ahead and ask someone to help you get into your beautiful wedding dress. No matter who you decide to ask for help, make sure that you give them plenty of advance notice so that they know you will be waiting for them. 

A Family Affair

One reliable person that you can ask to help you look perfect on your special day is your mother. She is someone that you know will want to make sure everything is perfect for you. A favorite aunt, sister, cousin, or grandmother is a good choice too. They grew up with you and should have a good idea of how to best work with you. 

A Little Help From Your Friends

This is an excellent duty for your maid of honor to take on. If there are lots of different components involved in getting you dressed, enlist all of your bridesmaids to pitch in and help. They will most likely be in the room with you getting ready themselves anyway.   

Get Dressed Privately

A first look photo isn't only for the bride and groom anymore. If you want to surprise your bridesmaids and immediate family with your final look after everything is in place and ready to go, ask your wedding consultant or hair and makeup people to assist you. Once you are all dressed up, take a quiet moment to yourself, then have the photographer capture the look on everyone's faces when you emerge as the stunning bride you will be. 

Do Your Homework

While you are at our Miami bridal boutique for fittings, ask plenty of questions about how every part of your gown should look. This is the best time to learn any tips or tricks that could make getting dressed on the big day a lot easier. If a family member or bridesmaid will be helping you get dressed, bring them along to a fitting so they can get the instructions too.

The knowledgeable consultants at Brides of America have seen thousands of wedding dresses over the years (possibly even more!) so they are the best people to teach you how to get into your gown properly. Make sure that you get instructions on how to bustle your gown too. 

Also, let the helper that you choose know you may need a bit of additional help throughout the evening. You should stay well-hydrated on the wedding day, but a bridal gown is not the easiest thing to get in and out of the restroom with! They can help to make sure you exit looking just as gorgeous and put together as when you went in. 

The gown of your dreams awaits you.
Brides of America is an authorized retailer of all Mori Lee Bridal Lines.

Blog author:  Deanna Powell - WhereBridesGo.com

Visit our website:

www.BridesOfAmerica.com
305-620-6606

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The Pros & Cons of Letting Guests Photograph Your Wedding

Nearly everyone has a cell phone, which means nearly everyone has access to a camera and video recorder at all times. A wedding is a day filled with amazing photo opportunities, but there are both good and bad aspects of having your guests snapping pictures all day long. Brides of America decided to investigate a few of the pros and cons of mobile photography at your wedding. 

Lots of couples are perfectly fine with allowing their guests to take all of the pictures that their hearts desire, but a few prefer that they don't. An "unplugged" wedding is one where the bride and groom have requested that no electronic devices are present. The following thoughts may help you to make your own personal decision about this subject. 


The Pros

• Get wedding photos right away.

You have paid a photographer to capture every special moment of the day, but you won't have access to those pictures for weeks. All of the photos that are taken by family and friends can be made available to you almost immediately. 

• Share the day with those that could not attend.

Allowing guests to share the pictures that they are taking on social media is a great way to let the people that couldn't make it to the wedding see what is going on. Even though they couldn't travel to you, they can still see how beautiful you look and how much fun everyone is having. 

• See the moments you missed.

The photographer will mainly be focused on the bride and groom, but there is a lot going on at the ceremony and reception all around you too. When you see the photos that guests have taken from their corner of the wedding, you will be able to see the day from a new perspective.


The Cons

• Guests get in the pro photographer's way.

The photographer and videographer that you hired to record your special day have been paid very well. It is difficult for them to do their job and get the magical shots you are hoping for if guests keep popping up in front of them trying to get the same picture. Flashes from guests' mobile devices and personal cameras can also affect the lighting on the professional pictures.  

• You can't veto a bad shot.

If you guests are taking their own pictures and immediately sharing them online, you won't have time to say "no" to an unflattering photo before the world sees it. Even if they agree to take it down later, the damage has already been done. 

• Photos may get shared too publicly.

Anything that others share online is seen by all of their personal friends, which may be people you do not know, and some people even leave their accounts open to the general public. Friends that you did not have room for on the guest list may see the photos and it could cause hurt feelings. You will not have control over who is allowed to see any photos that are posted by others. 

Other Options

If you are torn on the subject, consider having a "partially unplugged" wedding. Let your guests know that no photos are allowed during the ceremony, but once the dance music starts at the reception, go ahead and snap away. It's okay to limit the time and place where they are allowed to take their own pictures.

Don't forget to come up with a fun hashtag for the wedding so that everyone's photos can be found easily. There are lots of wedding hashtag generators online if you need help coming up with something fun. Also, you can find photo sharing sites online that can be set to private if you would like guests to share photos with each other but not with the general public. 

Show us your photos!

When you are standing there, looking amazing, in your gorgeous wedding dress from our Miami bridal boutique, it's the perfect time to have lots and lots of photos taken. It is completely up to you whether you want everyone snapping them or only the professionals. Don't forget to share some of those incredible pictures with us here at Brides of America after the wedding. We love seeing our brides all beautiful, happy, and in love on their special day. 

The gown of your dreams awaits you.
Brides of America is an authorized retailer of all Mori Lee Bridal Lines.

Blog author:  Deanna Powell - WhereBridesGo.com

Visit our website:

www.BridesOfAmerica.com
305-620-6606

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How to Safely Shop Online for Your Wedding Dress

Our online wedding dress store is listed as an " authorized dealer" or "authorized retailer" of all Mori Lee Bridal Collections. These are very important phrases to look for when you decide to do your bridal gown shopping online rather than in-store. It means that Brides of America is selling designer gowns directly from Mori Lee, and you will never have to worry about receiving a knock-off, copycat dress. 

Shopping for a wedding dress online may be the best option for you if you simply cannot make the time to go to the store, or if the store that you know you want your bridal gown from is too far away from where you live. At Brides of America, we carry only the most exquisite wedding dresses, and we want to make sure that every woman has access to them, not just the lovely brides that are able to travel to our Miami bridal boutique. 

Warning Signs of a Possible Counterfeit Dress

The sale of counterfeit wedding dresses has become a huge problem, especially online, but there are warning signs that you can look out for. If you notice any of the following, proceed with caution. You may be looking at a retailer's site that is not authorized to sell the product that they claim to have. 

Discount of 50% or more

Weddings can get expensive quickly, and finding a beautiful bridal gown at an incredible price can be very tempting. We are not saying that it's impossible to find the perfect brand-name dress at a great price, but if the discount is more than 50% off, more than likely that's too good to be true. 

If a retailer is offering a gown at too low of a price, this could mean that the dress that shows up in the mail is not the one that you thought you were ordering. Instead, it could be their own version, made by an unknown seamstress, with inferior materials and skill. 

Lots of unhappy customer reviews

Reviews reveal a lot about a company. Do an online search for reviews posted outside of the store's own website. WeddingWire.com is a great place to start. 

No one is perfect, so 1 or 2 bad reviews is a possibility for any company, but if the majority of reviews are filled with angry comments and horrible experiences, then you should definitely stop looking at that retailer. If they have made a large amount or women unhappy with their products, your experience is very likely to be similar. 

Retailer's name not on designer's website

Every reputable designer will have a list of places that their gowns are sold. If you cannot find the list, reach out to the company and they will gladly tell you if the store you are researching is actually authorized to sell their products. If the designer has never heard of a store, then you will know that the wedding dresses being sold there are not the real thing.   

No clear contact information or guarantees

If the return information and dress guarantees are difficult to understand, it may be because they don't care about actually guaranteeing your satisfaction. Once that company has your money, they are no longer worried about your experience. 

Also, if there is no clear contact information listed, or if it is impossible to get a hold of anyone through the phone numbers or emails provided, then that is a store you should not be doing business with. If you do have any problems or questions, you want to be able to talk to someone that can help. 

Choose a Store You Know You Can Trust

Brides of America has earned the trust of many extremely happy brides over the years. A quick look through the amazing Wedding Wire reviews that have been left for us will show you that our Miami wedding dress store means what we say, and we only sell the highest quality bridal gowns available. We have even been given the Wedding Wire Bride's Choice and Couples' Choice Awards for the past 8 years in a row!

We exclusively sell all of the Mori Lee lines, and you will find us prominently displayed on their authorized retailer page. Our dresses come in a wide variety of styles at many different prices points, and you will never be pressured into buying a gown that is out of your budget. Our goal is not to make a sale, but to get you into the wedding dress that is perfect for you. 

If you have any questions or concerns at all, you can always reach us by phone, email, and even through our social media channels. When you order a wedding dress online from Brides of America, one of our talented bridal consultants will call you within 48 hours to confirm all of the details before the order is officially placed.     

Shopping for your bridal gown online can result in you finding the dream dress that you have been searching for, as long as you are careful and keep an eye out for the warning signs we have listed above. If at any point you are in need of assistance, reach out to us at Brides of America. We are always happy to help our customers in any way that we can. 

The gown of your dreams awaits you.
Brides of America is an authorized retailer of all Mori Lee Bridal Lines.

Blog author:  Deanna Powell - WhereBridesGo.com

Visit our website:

www.BridesOfAmerica.com
305-620-6606

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Miami & Online

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7 Tips to Have the Best Wedding Dress Shopping Appointment Ever!

The first step to finding your dream bridal gown is to make an appointment to visit our Miami wedding dress store. What's next? Well, the following tips should help you to have a very successful wedding dress shopping appointment at Brides of America. 

Do your homework.

During the hour that you are here for your wedding dress shopping appointment, there will be a lot of gowns to go through in a limited amount of time. Browse online and through wedding magazines to get an idea of what your favorite styles are. This will give us a great starting point to begin searching for the perfect dress for you. 

Choose your shopping partners wisely. 

Just as "too many cooks spoil the broth," too many opinions can ruin your shopping trip. Limit the people that come to your appointment with you. Only involve your nearest and dearest friends and family that have good attitudes, know your personal style, and have your best interests at heart. 

Arrive on time & ready to shop.

We are an appointment-only store because that allow us to give you our undivided attention while you are shopping. It is extremely important that you use that time wisely so that you get the most out of it. 

Arrive on time, no more than ten minutes early, and be ready to dive right in. There are many brides wanting appointments at Brides of America every week, and we generally have one booked every hour that we are open. If you show up late, there will not be enough time to give you the attention you deserve, and unfortunately we may have to cancel and reschedule for another time. If it looks like you will not be able to make your scheduled appointment, let us know as soon as possible.   

Ask lots of questions.

Our talented bridal consultants are well-trained and highly knowledgeable when it comes to wedding fashions. In addition to that, we have encountered lots of situations over the years, so there is a very good chance that any question you have about wedding fashions, we'll have an answer for you. At the very least, we should know where to find the answer. Our knowledge and experience are at your disposal.   

Leave the kids at home.

We love children, however, we find that they become impatient quickly and cause unnecessary stress to the appointment holder. We ask kindly that you please leave the little ones at home. If you absolutely must bring them along with you, you will need to book your appointment on a weekday and clear it with the management. Also, please be aware that we cannot allow any pets inside of the bridal boutique.   

Take pictures.

You will be trying on lots and lots of gorgeous bridal gowns, and you will look stunning in many of them. Take photos of your favorites. We love it when brides and their shopping entourage take photos, especially when they find their dream dress and share that picture with us on our social media pages. You are a diva for the day when you come in, so let your paparazzi snap away! 

Have fun!

This is not only a tip for your wedding dress shopping appointment, it's a rule! This is an amazing time in your life, and the more fun you have with it, the better the memories will be. Don't overthink or stress over the decision, enjoy the process. When you slip into the perfect gown, you'll feel it. We'll do our part by spoiling you as much as we possibly can while you are here. All you have to do is take a deep breath, relax, smile, and have a good time. That dream dress is looking for you too.

June is an excellent time to make your wedding dress shopping appointment at Brides of America. We are hosting a very special Mori Lee Bridal 2016 Trunk Show June 3-27, 2016. Give us a call at 305-620-6606 to arrange an appointment, or request an appointment online and we will make it happen. Right here inside our bridal boutique in South Florida, the gown of your dreams awaits you!    

The gown of your dreams awaits you.
Brides of America is an authorized retailer of all Mori Lee Bridal Lines.

Blog author:  Deanna Powell - WhereBridesGo.com

Visit our website:

www.BridesOfAmerica.com
305-620-6606

Like us on Facebook:  

Miami & Online

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