long wedding veils

It might seem like we are barely into 2010, but the latest styles for 2011 weddings have just debuted. There were some very interesting trends and fresh new designs on the runway at bridal market this year. Get the scoop on the latest wedding news, trends, and styles for 2011 right here.

The top silhouette for spring 2011 is the trumpet bridal gown. Virtually every designer featured a version of this dramatic and chic shape in their collections. The trumpet is a shape which is form fitting until just above the knee, and then it flares out into a full pouf of skirt at the bottom. It is ideal for brides who want a sexy, curve loving gown, yet want more fullness than a sheath has to offer. Tall brides who are slim or have hourglass figures, you will look amazing in one of the new trumpet wedding gowns. Petite brides, pear shapes, and brides with round tummies should go in a different direction.

A very new look which will soon be hitting the bridal salons is the side bustle wedding gown. These dresses have a gathered fullness down the side of the skirt, rather than in the back, which is traditional. Most of the side bustle dresses were asymmetrical, with the extra gathering down just one side.

This was a nice touch, as it looks fresh and modern, with asymmetrical and architectural draping remaining in vogue for 2011 brides. Also, the single sided gathering did not make the hips look wider, as they might if the detail were on both sides of the gown. The side bustle is interesting and should be very wearable for many different body types.

Tulle is tops for next year's bridal gowns. Whether it is a classic ballgown with a full tulle skirt (much softer for spring than a shiny satin) or a couple of layers of tulle layered over another fabric, this ballet inspired fabric is a key trend for spring 2011. The full skirted tulle ballgowns generally followed a 1950s line: strapless, natural waist, and flouncy tulle skirt. The shiny satin ballgown with the dropped waist which has been so ubiquitous in recent years is taking a break for spring. When designers did use a fabric with sheen, a couple layers of tulle were often draped over it to soften the effect.

Black accents on bridal gowns were a big trend for 2010, and this one is still going strong for 2011. Most of the black details were at the waist - perfect for emphasizing a slim waist or visually slimming a fuller middle. Wide black lace panels around the mid-section, black ribbon sashes tied at the natural waist, or a flirty black fabric waist corsage were all popular embellishments. There was even an all black wedding gown seen walking down the runway at one designer's Spring 2011 showing (honestly, it looked a bit too much like a widow's wedding gown for my taste!). No longer so shocking, a black accent on a white gown can be just the thing to complement a groom in a debonair tuxedo.

A final hot trend for 2011 is the veil. Yes, ladies, bridal veils are back with a vengeance! They were long, trimmed in lace, and some were even poufy on top (but not in a bad 1980s way, I promise). Oscar de la Renta even combined the black accent trend with the dramatic veil trend in the form of a lovely veil trimmed in a wide black lace. It was an intriguing combination of a classic veil and lace with a modern color in the form of black. Whichever gown you ultimately select for your 2011 nuptials, make sure to top it off with a stunning veil.

bubble wedding veils

My, how the cost of weddings has skyrocketed. In the U.S, $20,000 is not much beyond the average cost for a wedding. Granted, this includes your reception location, ceremony, clothes, food, alcohol, music, flowers, cake, decorations, favors, tips, sundries and honeymoon. Saving even a little across the board or a lot in one particular area can add to a significant savings in your wallet (or the wallet of the family members that are paying for the grand event).

Here are some great ideas for saving decent money on your wedding. Note that you will be making some difficult choices. There are very valid reasons to spend for the details and professional services of a once in a lifetime event that is your wedding. However, if your budget is very tight, then you can consider using one or more of the suggestions below and you will still have a memorable wedding. You may not be able to combine all of these suggestions, depending on your must-haves, location, and time frame, but using even one or two will help ease the money crunch.

Save on Your Wedding Gown - The bride can find a lovely wedding gown that is perhaps last years design, is a white or cream "prom" dress, has been handed down through her family or is an heirloom gown that she found on the internet or in a vintage shop. After some alteration and by adding jewelry, veil and headpiece, the gown is hers at a great savings.

Make Your Centerpieces - If you don't want fresh flower centerpieces, you or your wedding attendants can have a fun project day, before the wedding, creating unique centerpieces to fit your theme. Another idea is to use live potted plants that represent your theme or region. Potted small palm trees or Colorado blue spruce can be really fun, meaningful and environmentally conscious at the same time.

Frugal Favors - Some wedding favors can be purchased for about $1 a piece from internet sites. As favors are a token for your guests to take home, they shouldn't be cheesy but they don't need to be ornate or expensive either. Surprisingly, you can also check a "dollar store" or the $1 section of Target or another discount store for items that may fit your theme and style. I've seen that Target's wedding section (near the stationery in my store) has inexpensive sets of wedding bubbles. An alternative to purchased favors, especially for a nature themed wedding, is something as simple as giving small clay pots with seed packets. Or offer little taffeta bags of Jordan Almonds - almonds coated with a pastel colored sugar shell - a tradition in Mediterranean weddings.

Send Evites - You can send electronic invitations to those who are computer savvy and modern-thinking and send paper invitations to your other guests. This saves on postage and helps the environment too!

DIY Calligraphy - If you are artistically inclined, buy nice paper, envelopes and card stock and do your own calligraphy for your invitations and place cards.

These are but a few ways that you can save on your wedding costs and still have a great wedding!

wedding silver veils

Make any number of excuses for this statement but those little girls are now adults and would have watched countless Miss World or Miss Universe pageants and visually associate silver tiaras with the crowning of beauty queens.

Silver by its nature sets an impressive background with all crystals, stones, gems, pearls and rhinestones. Beautiful creations come from tiara designers from all over the world with prices ranging from very affordable to super expensive. You are guaranteed to find silver tiaras within your budget.

Silver Tiaras

Especially when purchasing silver tiaras online, pay attention to the terminology used to ensure that you receive what you really want. Sterling silver is 'real' silver but the terms silver plated, silver coated and silver colored refer to an item that has been coated by electrolysis on the outer layer with silver but is another metal like copper underneath. The thickness of the silver coating and the care that is taken with the item will determine the item's life.

Silver plated tiaras allow the wearer to have an expensive look without the additional expense. If silver or silver plated tiaras have been purchased or are in storage long before they are going to be used for the event, it should be expected that some cleaning would be required because silver is naturally oxidised in the atmosphere and becomes a greyish colour, a process called tarnishing.

Caring for silver or silver plated tiaras involve similar processes. A soft lint-free polishing cloth and a silver polish should be used. Some silver polishes are very abrasive and would quickly remove the silver plating especially if the plating is thin. The secret to getting the cleaning right is to look for the term non-abrasive on the silver polish container and only use the polish sparingly.

Silver Rhinestone Tiaras

Silver tiaras which are accented with crystals, pearls or rhinestones are considered to be 'hot' sellers on the international market.

Tiara designers have taken genuine Austrian leaded-glass crystals, rhinestones and pearls and worked the silver tiara frames into designs either with one or a combination of these crystals to form masterpieces.

Here are some familiar descriptive terms used in the names of combination silver rhinestone tiaras that reflect the style, era and the country of origin of the design: Classic or traditional, Celtic, Regal, Royal Crown, Floral, Delicate, Romantic, Heart, Dynasty, Contessa, Empress and Butterfly.

Those silver rhinestone tiaras being used for weddings can easily reflect the wedding theme and colours. Many tiara designers provide a service where silver tiaras are commissioned for the buyer's particular event.

Silver Pearl Tiaras

Silver Pearl Tiaras reflect a quiet elegance that is not duplicable. Pearls radiate an intensely, deep shine called lustre that is produced when light is reflected off the many layers of tiny calcium carbonate crystals. This mineral and protein rich substance is called nacre. The more nacre deposited, the bigger the pearl and the greater the lustre. Pearl shapes are round, off-round, oval, teardrop and semi-baroque.

Silver pearl tiaras come in various body colours that are typically cream, white, yellow, pink, black or silver but many have secondary colour hints or overtones which are picked up by the light under careful examination.

Many individuals already own a pearl signature accessory that compliments their outfit. In this case, the silver pearl tiara would be chosen to match the accessory and form a jewellery set.

There is a little Miss Universe asleep within every grown-up girl. Wake her up. There are many beautiful silver tiaras out there waiting for her to try them on.

inexpensive wedding veils

Wedding is the most important day of the bride's life. In this very memorable event, the bride should be well prepared. She needs to be the most beautiful princess above all for his soon to be husband. Not only to her husband, she needs to impress her guests and everyone present during the big event.

A bride will surely be happy knowing that she looks very beautiful with all the important accessories that complete her overall look. Also, bridal wear plays a very important role in the ceremony. Let's just say a Veil is one of them. The veil symbolizes the freewill of the bride's father that his daughter is now ready to take her vow with her beloved partner. The veil also plays a vital part as an important bridal wear to add beauty to the bride.

In choosing a bridal veil, be sure to pick the veil that matches your wedding theme. Always think that you are not picking a veil that is completely opposite from the atmosphere and decorations of your wedding. There are lots of different types of veil that will surely enhance your look for as long as you pick the right one.

In this article, I introduce to you the three kinds of Bridal Veil: Scattered Pearl and Satin Rib Edge Veil; Rhinestones and Silver Scalloped Edge Veil; and Pearl Continuous Bridal Veil.

Scattered Pearl and Satin Rib Edge Veil measures quite long that gives a touch of princess feel to the over all wardrobe. This can give a whimsical or a fairytale theme. This enhances a fantasy look of the bride because of the transparent mesh fabric and a pure white satin on the border edge. To add more gleam, there are scattered pearl stones embedded in the mesh veil.

Rhinestones and Silver Scalloped Edge Veil is also a glamorous pick if you want to have magical spark to your outfit. You will surely look very stunning with this type of veil. This type of veil is a two tiered layer of tulle and has a transparent look to add an elegant beauty. Its border is made out from a shining silver fabric and rhinestones. This is the perfect veil for your elegant wedding

Lastly, the Pearl Continuous Edge Veil is the excellent pick of any bride. This type of veil features white standard tulle that is two-tiered, with a continuous pearl edge. A simple row of beads along the bottom of the veil makes an over all wonderful and elegant look for the bride. This veil has a perfect touch of a timeless and classic veil style.

The bride will be the most beautiful lady in her wedding wearing a wonderful and elegant veil. This elegant veil can cost a bit expensive, but it is worth to pay for. Don't limit your bridal wear into cheap veil that can destroy your stunning look, remember that your wedding is very important and important means a must-be-treasured moments in your entire life.

indian wedding veils

The customs followed by Sikhs during their wedding ceremonies are more or less similar to those practiced by the Hindus.

Pre Wedding Rituals

Like all other weddings, shopping is an integral part of a Sikh matrimonial. Sikhs begin their shopping for the wedding with the purchase of Rumalla Sahib - a set of four pieces of cloth that are beautifully embroidered and are used to cover the Granth Sahib. In a Sikh wedding, a lot is spend by the bride`s maternal grandparents and uncles on clothes and jewellery. They also host a meal during the wedding ceremonies.

Kurmai or Engagement:

The engagement ceremony or kurmai is usually a family affair. The bride's family visits the groom's house with gifts that include sweets, clothes and jewellery. The bride`s father gifts the groom a gold ring, a gold kara (bangle) and gold mohre (coins). Later on, these coins are strung into a black thread and given to the bride. She wears this around her neck and it is akin to the mangalsutra which is worn by Hindu women. But amongst Sikhs, this thread is worn by brides only during special occasions.

Chunni ceremony or the wedding veil:

After the engagement, it is time for the groom's family to visit the bride's house. For this ceremony, only close relatives and friends of the bride and the groom are invited. The groom's mother and aunts give the bride a phulkari (traditional embroidery of Punjab) chunni. In this ceremony, the groom's mother applies mehendi or henna on the palms of the bride. She is also given jewellery and clothes. Till sometime back, Sikh weddings were a long drawn out affair and after the engagement or Kurmai, the bride and the groom were confined to the house till the actual wedding took place. However, the trend has changed now and this period of confinement is just a day. Maiyan (when the bride and the groom wear just normal clothes to look brighter on the wedding day) signals the beginning of the confinement among the ladies of the household singing songs to the beat of dholkis (drums).

Vatna Ceremony:

The vatna ceremony takes place just a few days before the wedding. In this ceremony a paste of turmeric, sandal, cream and rosewater, called ubatan, is applied on the bride's body. Under the shade of a bagh (a piece of handmade cloth with phulkari embroidery), the bride is scrubbed clean. Bagh is a piece of hand-made cotton cloth with phulkari work. A similar kind of ceremony takes place in the house of the groom as well.

After that, Mehendi is applied on the hands of the bride and other girls of the family too apply mehendi, which is followed by singing and dancing.

The Wedding Day:

A Sikh wedding usually takes place before noon.

On the wedding day, the groom's sister-in-law (bhabhi) and other female relatives go to a gurduwara and fill a gharoli (earthen pitcher) with water. The groom uses this water to take bath. A similar ritual is performed at the bride`s house as well. After taking bath, she is made to wear the chura that constitutes of 21 red and white bangles. Then she adorns her bridal attire, which is a heavily embroidered salwar-kameez or lehenga-chunni

Meanwhile the groom's side gets ready to leave for his bride's house or where the matrimony ceremony has to take place. He usually wears a brocade ashcan (long coat) or a suit. When everyone is ready to leave, the groom's sister-in-law (bhabhi) applies surma (kohl) in his eyes and the groom gives her money as a token of love.

The baraat arrives at the bride's house or the location of the wedding amidst singing and dancing. The family members of the bride welcome the baraat. This small reception is called milni. A raagi (professional bard) recites the holy verse. Gifts are exchanged by the members of both families. After that, the groom is taken inside and this is the time for the bride's sisters and friends to engage him in a session of teasing.

Then the actually wedding ceremony takes place. The families of both the bride and the groom assemble at the gurudwara. Raagis (professional bards) sing asa di var or the morning hymn. The couple is made to sit in front of the Guru Granth Sahib. The priest first recites the various obligations of a married life. After that, he sings the hymns of marriage from the holy book. During lawaan, the groom and the bride hold one each end of the scarf, which is usually of pink color. The bride is led by the groom around the Granth Sahib. After the fourth round, the groom and the bride are pronounced as husband and wife. All those who are assembled bless the couple and give them gifts and shagun. A big and lavish feast follows the ceremony of lawaan.

favors wedding

Attention to the details of your special day is what makes memories for your special guests to cherish. They'll appreciate the love and time that has gone into preparing the day for the bridal party and for the guests, and what better way to brighten up your tables and make them smile than with a little goody to take home?

There is an incredible selection of the perfect little gift for guests available on the market. Item includes: bridal shower party favors, candles, place card holders, themed wedding favors, photo albums and cameras, bookmarks, bottle stoppers, key chains, luggage tags, bath and soap favors, coasters and many, many more!

You'll find that the more unique and unusual the favor, the more your guests will love the gesture and thought that has gone into finding a gift that suits the occasion. Imagine the surprise and delight on your friends' and families' faces when they set eyes on some of the fabulous keepsakes for him and her.

Ladies will love He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not flower petal nail files, It's a Shoe Thing bottle opener and Purse Valet handbag holder, while the boys will be charmed by the Love Naps linen napkins and Crystal Ball design wine stopper.

If you want to provide traditional favors in the form of sweet treats then there's no better way to say thanks than a selection of candies, sugar almonds or chocolates encased in a special candy holder favor.

Choose from The Dress satin gown favor bag and The Pink Plaid Purse box for the girls, or Lucky in Love dice favor boxes for the men in the party. And for guests who have traveled miles to attend your wedding, you might like to say thanks with a Miles of Memories suitcase favor tin which you can fill with bonbons of your choice.

Everyone loves to look back on their favorite occasions and there's no better way to record memories than with photographs of the special day. Disposable cameras set on your wedding reception tables will provide your guests with hours of entertainment and provide you with snapshots of moments that you missed. Choose from the ever-popular Silver Design, White Wedding and Beach theme cameras.

Display your memories in a range of attractive photo albums such as the Beach Theme, Calla Lily Memories, and Fall Memories albums and remind your friends and special guests of your happy day when they come to visit.

Your wedding invitees will love bath and soap favors. Highly original and fun, we bet that they'll never have received such a gift before. As well as Hugs and Kisses soaps in a box and Perfect Heart scented rose soaps, Pink Rose soap petals with a candle and Fall in Love soap petals, you and your loved ones will also take delight in a selection of bath fizzers in pink and blue starfish and seashells. Or why not treat them to a dainty box of Sunny Daisy Bath Confetti?

wholesale wedding favors

With a tight wedding budget and all the other expenses involved in a wedding, the idea of making your own inexpensive wedding favors is extremely attractive. The question is whether you are getting yourself into something that is more than you can handle. Brides can go over-the-top when it comes to making their own gifts for their guests, spending hours and hours coming up with ideas and gluing little pieces of fabric and ribbon to their creations. I have put together ten simple and easy ideas you can use to make your own cheap wedding favors at home, without putting a strain on your time or budget.

1. Jams and Jellies. Purchase gift packs of mini jars of jams, separate them, and tie lengths of personalized ribbon around the neck of the jar. You can then design your own labels on your computer and print them on a color printer, assuming you have one.

2. Fancy Loose Tea. Buy canisters of gourmet loose tea online, the cheapest place to purchase it, and package a few teaspoons into separate bags for each person. You can buy small organza favor bags for this purpose, or buy bulk quantities of mini glass canisters. Craft and party supply places are a perfect place to look.

3. Homemade Chocolate. Always a popular choice, chocolate can be melted and poured into molds for a custom wedding favor. Get the kind that is made for melting. You can usually buy chocolate molds online in any shape imaginable. Alternatively, find a favorite recipe for chocolate truffles and package them in mini favor boxes with a ribbon around them.

4. Vintage Candy Favors. Nostalgic candy from days gone by is a perfect favor for vintage style weddings. Buy it in bulk online at a candy supply website, preferably in colors to match your wedding color scheme. Filling mini mason jars with the candy will keep the theme all tied together.

5. Traditional Candy Bar. The days of penny candy that you picked from jars is long gone, but that does not mean you can not make your own. This is an extremely popular 'hot spot' at weddings. Give your guests little glassine envelopes or Chinese take-out boxes to put their candy in and take home.

6. Flower Seeds. Take a trip to your local garden supply center and pick out packets of flower seeds that have pretty designs on the front in your colors. You can buy these online also. Then make your own favor tags to attach to each. You can even create your own place cards, buying beautiful ready to print stationery online, and attach the seeds to each tent card.

7. S'mores to Go. Whether it is campfires in the summer or winter evenings by the fire, everyone loves to make smores. Just head to your grocery store for graham crackers, marshmallows, and Hershey's bars. Wrap them in squares of tulle with a personalized ribbon around them. All is ready for toasting and munching.

8. Ready to Grow Flowers. Go beyond the seeds and place little flowers in pots for your guests. If it is Spring or Summer, you should have no problem buying flats of plants or flowers that you can transplant into small flower pots. Use paint pens to write on the pots or tie a ribbon with a tag around each. You only need one plant per couple.

9. Oreos and Milk. If you are having a black and white wedding, Oreos are the perfect wedding cookie. You can even set up a milk and cookie bar for guests to pick from on their way home - the perfect bedtime treat. There has never been a more loved cookie, except maybe chocolate chip. I have even seen a wedding cake made from stacked up Oreos!

10. Jordan Almonds. It may sound overly traditional, but Jordan almonds are still once of the tried and true, classic wedding favors. Buy them in bulk in any color combination, or stick with classic silver and gold. Then it is just a matter of picking or making your own container. Troll through the craft supply stores or places like Oriental Trading for ideas. You can even buy pieces of pretty lace or fabric and tie up the almonds with a pretty ribbon. There is nothing more simple and classic than that.

If you are tight on time, choose the favor that is easiest and quickest to put together. Anything that people can grab for themselves on the way out the door, like bags of candy, will be the simplest solution. However, if you enjoy crafts and making things yourself, focus your energy on the parts you like best and buy the rest. Your guests will appreciate anything you give them, whether it is an inexpensive homemade wedding favor placed at their seat or a colorful display of candy.

wedding party favors

Anytime you have a birthday party and you want to make the event unique and special, personalized birthday favors will always do the trick. It is not so difficult to find personalized birthday favors and they will always work well in making the birthday very memorable. The idea behind personalized birthday party favors is to give a gift that the guests will take away with them that will serve as a memento to the birthday party. It is important to plan prior to the birthday party and to ensure that all the guests who attend the event have received a birthday party favor.

There are many different types of party favors and because there is so much to choose from, one might not know where to start. Nonetheless with a little time and with some inventiveness and creativity, you can be able to come up with a birthday favor that most if not everyone will appreciate. However if you find difficulty in getting what you need, it would be best to let the children, who are probably the ones party is being organized who, to choose party favors of their liking. The internet has made it easy for anyone to find a wide range of birthday party favors that one can choose from.

Personalized birthday favors are not just for kids alone and adults too can have fun with them. The choice of birthday favors for an adult party must be made in consideration with the theme of the party. The important thing to note about birthday favors is that they are supposed to make the party have the look and the feel of having elegance and exclusivity. While you should not spend so much on the birthday favors, what you do should be creative and imaginative. You should be able to choose something that you would be please to receive and it ought to be something that is practical and will have meaning even after the party is over.

So exactly how much should be spent on party favors? It is not quite definitive how much should be spent. What is spent must be reasonable and must be something that you can afford without having to break your bank or put pressure on your finances. Nonetheless you out to spend an amount that is will enable you to get party favors that will make your guests feel appreciated. Everything really depends on your budget and what you can afford and of course the number of guests you will be entertaining. The higher the number, the more the costs and in such cases it is good to look at cheaper alternatives.

Everyone will be delighted to receive a personalized party favor and will feel appreciated by the gift. Should you choose to give your own party favors, you can get customized gift tags, ribbons and package the gifts to make them have a more distinguished feel. These small tokens of saying thank you to guests who have celebrated the occasion with you is a way of showing gratitude that has become traditionally identified with parties. Everyone keeps birthday party favors for a long time to come an the occasion remains fresh in their minds.

wedding hairstyles pictures

A woman's hair is often referred to as her "crowning glory". On no day will this be more true than your wedding day. If you have medium length hair, you will find that there are many hairstyles available to you. It is just a matter of picking the right one.

There are several things to consider when deciding on your wedding hairstyle. The first is the formality of your wedding. Just as a stiff updo might look out of place at a backyard barbeque, wearing your hair loose might seem underdone at a cathedral ceremony. It is important to match your hairstyle to both the formality of your bridal gown and your wedding location.

Another thing to keep in mind will be weather conditions. If your hair wilts in the heat, forgo the big loose curls that will fall flat before you even finish exchanging your vows. You may also find that on a hot day, it will be cooler to have your hair up off of your neck. Getting married on a windswept beach? Then pull the front of your hair back to keep it from blowing in your face.

The length of your hair will be another determining factor. Brides with medium length hair are lucky, because they can choose almost any style. It is long enough to pull up, yet short enough that it won't be unruly or messy looking when worn down.

One of the most popular wedding hairstyles for brides with medium length hair is the half up look. In this hairdo, the stylist will pull the front of the bride's hair back, and leave the rest flowing down. This look tends to work well for any formality of wedding. Having the hair shaped into a definitive style makes it polished enough for a more formal wedding, but having some of the hair left soft and flowing makes the half up style feel feminine and un-stuffy, as well. It is the best of both worlds.

One advantage of the half up style over leaving all of your hair down is that it makes it easy to anchor the bridal jewelry that you have chosen for your hair. You can wear a twinkling crystal tiara or headband for the most dressy look. If you prefer vintage styles, then a rhinestone comb would be perfect tucked into the side of your hair. You can also wear a comb on the top of your head with feminine details such as porcelain flowers for a romantic effect. Just be certain that the bridal jewelry you choose for your hair coordinates with the rest of your wedding jewelry.

Brides with medium length hair can certainly wear almost any type of updo for their wedding. An updo is often considered to be very formal, but it doesn't have to be. It can be simple and chic, like a classic chignon. It can also be more relaxed, such as a messy bun with little loose tendrils. There are a couple of good reasons to think about wearing your hair all up. One is that your hair will be under control and out of your face for the entire wedding. The other one is that wearing your hair up allows you to showcase a beautiful bridal necklace.

Whichever way you choose to wear your hair for your wedding, be certain to have a trial run. This will give you the chance to see how you like the style with your wedding gown. When your hair looks perfect, you know that you will feel beautiful on your wedding day.

mariah carey wedding pictures

Hollywood celebrities and models alike have lots of opportunities constantly knocking on their doors. Yes, even while they're at the peak of their careers or at the bottom of the dust bin. Some actors try their luck on political careers. Male musical artists, on the other hand, take on the gamble of setting up their own recording studios and labels. But if there's one thing that catches such artists' attention, it would have to be fashion design.

Most celebrities and artists have their own clothing line and fashion designing establishments. Puff Daddy or P. Diddy, for instance, used his cool gangster image for his own men's clothing line of classy suits and elegant corporate wear. Michael Jordan has, of course, a sportswear line comprised of shoes, jackets, shirts, perfume, and the like. But if it's about swim wear, gorgeous models and actresses seem to bask under the limelight more than the people who are actually swim wear designers!

Elizabeth Hurley, a late 90s model who has a knock-out figure, has opened up a swim wear designer collection line last April 2005. Now she has been constantly on the go to promote her swim wear designs, carefully going through the same set of marketing and advertising strategies as her competitors and colleagues. In October 2005, she had publicly stated in a known women's fashion magazine that she would not be posing in a skimpy bikini or any swim wear, for that matter. But I think she gobbled up her own words by wearing an eye-popping bikini in a photo shoot last December 2005! The photo reached the Sunday Times Travel magazine's pages, in which people -- men, in particular -- bought the issue as fast as the magazine establishments could display it on their shelves!

Mariah Carey is also one of those musical artists-turned-actresses that could give Liz Hurley a good run for her money. But since she doesn't have a swim wear designer line of her own, Liz probably sees her as one of her model prospects for her designer collections. After all, Mariah could very much cause men to drool on her curvaceous figure excellently portrayed on several magazine covers! This photo shoot could also probably lead the Liz Hurley swim wear collections to fly right out the shelves of clothing establishments. But since Liz Hurley doesn't want to act as the model for her own swim wear line, she just makes it a point to be the one to actually advertise and market her products on the release dates of her new swim wear designer collections.

The model-turned-actress released her new set of swim wear designer collections on the prime shores of Nikki Beach. This stunning beach is, of course, situated within the world's most elegant country when it comes to fashion and the like. That's right -- this beach is in romantic Cannes, France. Now, Elizabeth Hurley didn't have a tight bikini top on while the program was commencing. No sir, but she did have a lovely pink dress that had this stunning decolletage which made her a sight for sore eyes.

Elizabeth Hurley has been a model for more than 10 years. Now being at the age of 40, she still maintains the knock-out figure we have all seen on her blockbuster flicks and photos. What probably provides her with a consistent dose of sex appeal is her oozing confidence. With a swim wear designer collection she herself has created to boot, she is now ready for family life and retirement. Retirement not in the sense of old age, though. Rather, a life of relaxation -- just doing whatever she wants. Yes, much like those celebrities and musicians who have all turned their backs on show business, and have all concentrated on their own fashion designer collections, restaurants, and the like. But since Liz Hurley has a strong foundation in modeling, her swim wear designer collections have just the right fashion sense integrated on each product. Some of her bikini collections are rather skimpy, yes, but it isn't cheap in any sense. The main essence Liz implements on the creation of her swim wear collections is the concept of being vulgar, naughty, and crazily sexy.

So if you're on a feverish shopping spree for a good pair of bikinis and other sexy swim wear, you should definitely have a look on some of the Liz Hurley designer collections. You don't need to have her perfect figure, because Liz's designs alone could give you that aura of sexual appeal and confidence fit for a gorgeous model as her! After all, if beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, then wouldn't Elizabeth Hurley's taste for sexy swim wear be enough to give you a fine share of her sexual appeal?

wedding cakes pictures

A multi-tiered wedding cake beautifully decorated is an important part of any bride's dream wedding, but the price tag can give you nightmares. Use these tips to take a bite out of the bill. Your cheap wedding cake will still look and taste fabulous.

If your heart is set on a three tiered cake that feeds 100, order it with plain white frosting, no decorations, and then decorate at the reception with fresh flowers. Or you can wrap a length of lace around each layer, like you would a ribbon. Of course remove the lace before cutting. Your wedding cake will be cheap but gorgeous.

Stick with basic flavors and fillings, exotic flavorings add to the cost of the cake.

Rather than one huge multi-tiered cake, use a modest tiered cake and then several (as many as you need for your guests) sheet cakes. Serving will go faster this way as well. No one will know your wedding cake was cheap.

Order from a grocery store rather than a bakery. Many grocers have onsite bakeries, just like they have onsite florist departments.

Don't order a wedding cake at all. Order a sheet cake with white frosting to serve guests and a smaller two tiered cake to cut for photos.

Depending on how many servings you need, order a full sheet cake (100 servings), a half sheet cake (50 servings) and a quarter sheet cake (25 servings), all iced in white. Place the half sheet on the full sheet cake and then the quarter sheet on top. Use ready-to-use frosting that comes in a can with a nozzle to touch up any mistakes and fill in the gap between the layers. You don't have to remove the cardboard between the layers, it will help steady the cake when it's time to cut. Don't go any higher than three layers, if you do you run the risk of the bottom layer being squashed by the weight of the upper layers.

Use cupcakes. Order as many as you need in white paper wrapping, and white frosting. Use a tiered serving dish to arrange the cupcakes. Or you can buy two or three inexpensive white plastic serving platters. Line the platters with white paper lace doilies. Place the first platter on the table. Place three inverted wine glasses at noon, 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock on the platter. Fill in around the glasses with cupcakes. Place the second platter on the overturned wine glasses. In the center of the second platter, place three more inverted wine glasses. Fill the second platter with cupcakes. Place the final platter on the overturned wine glasses and fill with cupcakes.

Use a two tiered cake for the bride and groom to cut at the reception. Order a sheet cake for however many guests will be attending. On a separate table offer guests various toppings for their slice of cake. You can offer fresh strawberries, chocolate syrup, raspberries, sprinkles and whipped cream. Consider offering several flavors of ice cream. It's fun and festive.

Have a friend, or several friends bake the cake using various sizes of heart shaped pans. Each can be iced in shades of pale pink, pale lilac, cream, and white. The cakes are placed on a table covered with a lace cloth. Rose petals in pinks, cream, and lilac - or whatever colors suit your color scheme are scattered between the cakes.

None of your guests will realize how cheap your wedding cake is, they'll just be impressed by how beautiful it was.

wedding rings and flower

I'm hardly the authority on gothic engagement rings, but back in the day, I hung out on the the fringe of the goth crowd for a short period. I went through several months in a haze of charcoal eye-liner, fishnet stockings, and listening to the Cure......but I digress.

Gothic engagement rings can range on the spectrum from classy to shocking. It's whatever you want...duh...it's your engagement ring. You may want to go with a somewhat more traditional ring if you must hide your gothness during your average 9 to 5 job. If your gothness pervades every aspect of your day, then go all out and get whatever your dark heart desires.

Go ahead and google this website: "Dragonweave Jewelry" for some ideas for gothic engagement rings: Some of the rings to check out are the

- Life and Death Ringband: A polished pewter ring band with reversible script. In one direction the gothic lettering reads "life" but if you turn it over the same word reads "death". A startling reminder of the relationship between these two powerful opposites. How appropriate for the coupling of two individuals till death do them part

- Deus Et Natura Ring- This gothic ring symbolizes the triumphant harmony of Nature and The Creator. The solid bronze central band reads "Deus Et Natura No Faciunt Frusta", which is Latin for "God and Nature do not work together in vain." The pewter edge inscription adds "Nature will always win through."

If you want something more pricey/classy, check out Fay Cullen antique engagement rings on the web: These rings have a bit of a goth feel to them but won't shock anyone. Just like goths though, these rings are uniquely beautiful

Is a gothic engagement ring not enough? You want the ceremony and reception to be goth as well? When planning your gothic wedding, check out this cool website: Gothic Martha Stewart Weddings: It has all sorts of info about everything from goth engagement rings to goth wedding invitations to goth flower arrangements.

affordable wedding rings

For decades, the focus and curiosity of relatives, friends and invitees to a wedding has been on the wedding ring of the bride ... but not anymore. For long, men's wedding bands were in the form of simple wide gold bands, whereas, those of women were more sophisticated in style and design with their wedding bands displaying diamonds and various other gem stones. Today, men's wedding bands have become just as stylish and sophisticated in design and sport diamonds, gem stones and are preferred in white gold, two tone, titanium, platinum, tungsten and palladium metal. However, to those who are not in a position to afford men's diamond wedding bands, most jewelers also have a range of cheap men's wedding rings.

Selecting men's wedding rings

Until now, selecting wedding rings for women at a jewelry store was not easy, owing to the vast range of such rings on display. Moreover, when making such important choices, women have proved to be much more discerning in their selection of wedding bands and this usually leads to indecisiveness. Today, choosing men's wedding rings, or for that matter, men's diamond wedding bands are just as confusing because with the growing demand of style, design and sophistication, the range of men's wedding bands have also grown significantly. Fortunately, the diamonds for men's diamond wedding bands are available in different shapes, sizes and colors, making it easy for a groom to select a suitable ring which matches his personality and style. Just like women's wedding bands, men's wedding bands generally carry a craftsmanship and ring evaluation warranty that also provides a satisfaction guarantee. Jewelers usually refund the product price if a wedding ring is found defective in its craftsmanship. However, this will be based on the condition, that the particular ring is not damaged, or has gem stones missing as also scratches or other marks.

The personal choice of men's wedding rings

In most parts of the world including America, men prefer to go in for wedding bands that are macho, sturdy and rugged in appearance insofar as the metal is concerned. This personal choice also applies to the type, color and size of the gem stones to be embedded in men's wedding bands. As men's gold wedding bands are rather soft, they are now choosing harder metals such as platinum, palladium and tungsten. When choosing wide metal bands from the range of men's wedding bands, men also prefer engraved styles, knotty designs or a more textured finish in their wedding rings.

Despite their luster and rugged designs, men's wedding bands, particularly those of gold, must be polished regularly. On the other hand, for cheap men's wedding bands to last, they must also be cleaned and polished regularly. The advantage of tungsten, platinum or palladium is that they are scratch resistant being very hard by nature and therefore, such rings can last many lifetimes and ultimately become precious family heirlooms. Then again, like a wedding ring, love must also last a lifetime.

custom wedding rings

Once you receive your engagement ring you may spend hours staring at it while dreaming about a wedding ring and how it should fit. There are amazing engagement ring styles being made today and some of them come with wonderful matching wedding rings however, many don't. I've seen couples travel from jewelry store to jewelry store in search of a perfect wedding band only to be disappointed when they realize that nothing fits properly with their ring. When they stumble upon a jeweler that can provide a custom designed wedding band they find it difficult to make a decision. This is largely due to the jewelers inability to provide a life-like sample or illustration of how the ring is going to look when its finished. Most people have a difficult time visualizing conceptual items like custom jewelry because they don't know what to expect and also because the design is in the jeweler's mind not theirs.

An experienced and professional custom jeweler will have the skills needed to provide a detailed account of how your ring will look. In addition, he/she should be a good communicator while assessing your needs and transferring those needs in to the actual jewelry design. Without proper translation of your wants and desires the ring may not be everything you dreamed of and a good custom jeweler will understand this. Bottom line is this...Great wedding rings are created not by great jewelers but also great communicators. When selecting a craftsman to make your wedding ring, examine the person's portfolio of previous work, but also take note of how you both work together. If you have good synergy and communicate well together then you'll have a better chance of getting an amazing wedding ring that you'll be happy with.

Another important variable is the person doing the assembly of your custom wedding ring; the person designing your ring may not be the person making it. The designer that you work with could do a wonderful job creating a concept for your item but the jeweler making it could be a poor craftsman or bad interpreter of your designer's concept. If the designer isn't the person making your ring then you should get a feel for how the two work together. Ask to meet the craftsman and have a joint discussion to determine if everyone is on the same page. While we are on the subject of the craftsman, make sure that the jeweler actually assembling the ring can provide examples of his craftsmanship. A jeweler without adequate experience in custom jewelry design may set diamonds poorly or weld metal improperly. This can result in a finished product that doesn't look good or you could receive a ring with a history of problems like stone loss from its setting. There are credentials that help determine how qualified a jeweler is at making custom jewelry. One such credential is the Jewelers of America (JA) Master Jeweler program. A person that is certified by JA to be a "Master Jeweler" is certainly the most qualified person for the job and you can be rest assured that he has been tested in all areas of jewelry making.

The next thing you should understand is how the jewelry is actually made. When making custom jewelry, the designer will of course first create a concept for you. Once you feel comfortable with the design a counter sketch or illustration is given to a model maker along with your ring. The model maker will carve a wax prototype of your prospective wedding ring design based on these counter sketches. This model maker should take in account all the design elements that are important to you while providing a ring that best compliments your engagement ring and its specific features. It's always a really good thing when a model maker can identify things about your engagement ring that make it special. He/she can then re-create those special features in your design; this will make the two rings look like they were made for each other from the start. Special features can include methods of diamond setting, precious metal types, profiles, heights, widths, etc. The wax prototype should be used for two purposes, the first is a sample that you can try on or rest next to your engagement ring. This prototype will be very useful because it will give you a very good idea of how the wedding band will look when it is finished. If you're not happy with the original design or you would like to make changes it shouldn't be a problem because the ring isn't made yet, it's just a wax model.

After the appropriate changes are made and you approve the final prototype, a jeweler will make mold of the wax. The prototype wax is placed in a flask and filled with plaster. Once the plaster hardens, the flask is placed in an oven and the wax model is burned out of the flask leaving a cavity in the exact impression of your design. The flask is then injected with molten metal and once the metal cools the plaster is broken away leaving you with a casting of the jewelry design. This casting is filed, polished and then the final assembly process begins.

Another thing to look for is the use of new technologies when creating your custom wedding ring design. The best example of this is 3D Computer Aided Design or otherwise known as CAD design. Recent advances in this arena have allowed for amazing possibilities when designing jewelry. CAD software is used to create a computer model of the design and then is sent to a CNC (computer numerical control) mill that cuts the wax in a very precise manner. The benefit of CAD design is the capability to create very precise jewelry designs that are for more accurate than a hand-carved wax model. In the end, the precision of the CAD wax allows for much more intricate design capabilities and also finer quality assembly. The CAD models can also be rendered using graphical interfaces such as Flamingo3D, which use both raytracing and radiosity to make a life-like illustration of the design. This computer rendering is far more useful in depicting your design then a drawing scribbled on scratch paper.

Currently, only a handful of jewelers are using 3D CAD design technology and this is due to the high cost of the software, equipment, and training. You should however, check with your local jeweler or do an Internet search to see who is available to use this technology. Whenever possible, choose the person that employs the use of 3D CAD because you'll get a better quality product. You can learn more about this process and view custom jewelry design at Rokstok. Keep in mind that not all jewelers using 3D CAD are automatically qualified to make your wedding ring. You still need to qualify them just as you would a person that is using traditional techniques to make your item. In the end, the best way to go about your design is to screen the people making your item and assess their communication skills to determine if they understand your needs.