Personalize Your Wedding Style

20 style-savvy ways to personalize your wedding wear for the bridal aisle. By Janice Meredith Wismer

• Wear a piece of art: have all your best girls autograph the soles of your shoes, right alongside Jimmy Choo’s stamp of approval.
• Give your gear a historical spin by having a swatch of heirloom family lace sewn into your dress. This is a stylish way to keep memories close to your heart.
• Inject a hit of colour into your white wear with ribbons. Tie a dramatic hot pink one at the waist, or weave them into your hair for an ultra-girlie style.
• For the ultimate personal statement, be a true diva and invest in a custom-made gown. You choose the design, fabric and details. This guarantees you’re wearing a gown that’s exclusively yours.
• Are you a craft-y Martha Stewart at heart? Customize your veil by adding your own details that reflect your day’s theme. One of our favourite ways to personalize it: trim the edge of your wedding day blusher with the same ribbon used to tie your bouquet.
• Play with using floral accessories in place of a traditional bouquet. In the ’50s, corsages were all the rage for party girls. For a fabulous, fresh, fashion twist, fasten a beautiful bloom on your wrist or on the bodice of your gown.
• Antique buttons can transform the back of your gown into a focal point. Shop around at local markets to find the prettiest ones, then have your dressmaker replace the plain-Jane fasteners on the back with these pretty heirlooms.
• Appear in living colour at your wedding altar with a dramatic, coloured dress. It’s been three years since singer Gwen Stefani wed Gavin Rossdale in her pretty pink Galliano gown, and we’re still talking about it! If you love the spotlight, the bolder your dress shade, the better.
• Turn a pair of plain, Mary Jane–style heels into a conversation piece by having them custom decorated. Take your wedding-day slippers to Celebration Shoes (celebrationshoes.com) where their experts will dye, bead and beribbon your pumps into a unique bridal vision.
• Dress the part. For the ultimate style statement, match your gown to the theme of your reception. Going Art Deco? Try a flapper gown on for size!
• Celebrate your new moniker by having a seamstress stitch your initials into your train, using a subtle thread colour, but one that will still be noticed by your guests as you exit the church.
• When Andie (Molly Ringwald), the title character of the 1986 John Hughes’ classic Pretty in Pink, needed a fabulous dress, she deconstructed two vintage gowns to create the perfect one for her. Check out vintage shops in your area (and your mother’s closet!) for options and inspiration.
• For maximum drama, wear opera-length gloves à la Audrey in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. A little glamour goes a long way.
• Add a little extra sparkle to your ’do by having your hairstylist sew sequins or beads into your hair. We loved Best Supporting Actress nominee Sophie Okonedo’s glittering updo... check out her style for inspiration.
• Revive the age-old tradition of the bon voyage outfit and make a grand exit from your reception. A classic Jackie O– inspired suit is one of our favourite picks.
• Keep a secret underneath your dress by choosing wedding-day lingerie in a sexy hue. Choose racy red over white or blue.
• Brooches are big now, but why stop at one? Fasten a cluster of antique ones at your waist or bustline for the ultimate accessory statement.
• Create your own tiara. Start with a simple satin hair band, then adorn with glittering beads and crystals...as many as you need to look and feel like a princess!
• You dream of a strapless gown, but your ceremony venue dictates some coverage. Take cover with an of-the-moment beaded caplet for a pretty but practical compromise.
• You’ve planned your reception to be a serious party, where you want to be able to dance it up. So you don’t worry about tripping on your train, have your dressmaker create a dress design that can cleverly convert from a ballgown skirt to a mini. Then you’ll really be able to boogie in style.

Find this and other great features at www.weddingbells.ca/articles/article/personalize-wedding-style/