4 people you will need to gift before your wedding

For the bride-to-be, every week may start to feel like Christmas, when gifts start arriving at your doorstep throughout the wedding adventure. You'll see the items fly off your registry, and you'll start to get paper cuts from the envelopes filled with delightful cards and generous gifts on your wedding day. But before you take inventory on the presents addressed to you and your fiancé, spend some time picking out the perfect gifts for a few key players helping you out with your wedding. Here are four people you'll want to wrap up something nice for. Customized wedding dresses 

1. Your Gals
When you select your bridesmaids, you'll want to ask them to take on that fabulous role with a fun, little gift and perhaps a sweet card too. On the day of the wedding, you can also surprise them with another — thank you for being here for me — gift. Whether it's a piece of jewelry they can wear with their bridesmaid dress or something more casual like a robe to get ready in — or a decorative tote bag to carry around — bridesmaids gifts are essential for the day.

2. Your Groom
Consider getting your groom a surprise gift to send over to him on the morning of the wedding. The gift can be something personal and meaningful between the two of you or something fun you think he'd like to wear on the wedding day— think funny socks or cufflinks.

3. Your Tag Team of Helpers
Maybe it's your mother and the mother of the groom — or a close family member or friend — that's been by your side through the planning process and helping you with all the decision-making. To say a giant thank you to them for their time and brainpower, you can get them a little gift — like a gift certificate to a spa or take them to get their nails done before the wedding.

4. Your Trusty Vendors
Most couples will tip their vendors on the day of the wedding, but if you don't want to give them cash, you can get them a small gift instead — especially if they've gone above and beyond for you and your wedding day.

Jen Glantz is a "Professional Bridesmaid" and the founder of Bridesmaid for Hire. She's the author of All My Friends Are Engaged and frequently wears old bridesmaid dresses to the grocery store and on first dates.

How to plan for wedding-day troublemakers

Basic bride, you are not! You're the type of girl that aspires to start Pinterest trends, not follow them, and you'd rather die than have your wedding be called cookie-cutter (okay, not actually die, but you do desperately want it to be different than the five you've already attended this year!). So how do you go about achieving that one of a kind, infectious vibe? For a wedding that's so you (and your groom!), try these ideas on for size. Fashion wedding gown

Avoid booking a package deal
Take some time to really research and check out potential venue options in person, and find out if you're locked in to using a certain caterer, bar service, etc. if you sign on the dotted line. The more freedom you have to bring in vendors that align with your particular style and preferences, the more unique your wedding will naturally be. Why? Well because you're literally curating everything, from the chair rentals to the dinner menu.

Write your own vows
It's one of the most intimate and special ways couples can personalize their wedding, and you can guarantee that no other ceremony will be quite like yours. With that said though, reciting the traditional vows doesn't automatically doom you to having a "basic" big day. Just like mixing high and low in fashion, it's nice to mix the modern with the classic in weddings.

Think outside of the box when it comes to music
In other words, don't haphazardly pick popular hits like Ed Sheehan’s "Thinking Out Loud" for your first dance song just because it's such an easy choice. Opt for something upbeat and happy, as opposed to sweet and sappy, that truly speaks to you as a couple. Or search for a cute indie tune that sums up your relationship perfectly. Warning: this could take some time, but your efforts will totally pay off!

Get creative with food
Forget the standard steak, chicken and fish dishes, and excite your guests with wedding food that's as creative as you are. This could be in the form of small plates, chef stations, a family style meal or heck, you could even bring in a bunch of food trucks to feed everyone. Rather than the typical "sliders and fries" or tacos as a late night snack, LA-based wedding planner Lisa Vorce recommends passing snacks or treats that evoke a touch of home. "Grandma's famous peanut butter cookies anyone?"

Make your cocktail hour interactive
Your wedding guests will eat this idea right up! For example, you can create a specialized vintage wine bar(perhaps from the year you met?) and a cheese display comprised of all your favorites, suggests Vorce. "Then bring in a sommelier or a fromager to give a little history and education of the wine and cheese." No doubt your friends and family won't soon forget this experience.

Spoil your out of town guests with gifts they'll actually use
Instead of a handing out a single welcome bag full of goodies at the beginning of the wedding weekend, why not break up your gifts into mini amenities to be enjoyed throughout? "For instance, you can deliver donuts and coffee to each guest's hotel room the morning of the big day and have an evening sweet treat waiting on them when they get home from the reception," says Vorce. "Guests love being thought of and love being spoiled with surprises even more!"

What’s Hot in Bridalwear for 2016

We visited the Bridal Buyer show in Harrogate, which is where many of the bridal boutiques and stores will order their new range of dresses for 2016. There were so many new styles and designs on offer, we’ve created a snap shot overview of our favourite finds.

Full Gowns – Not quite ‘my big fat gypsy wedding,’ but the full skirted ball gown is well and truly back in fashion. This time the style is designed with structured pleats and layers of delicate tulle to provide a stunning look for the bride wanting that fairytale inspired dress.

Sparkle – Glitter, sequins and layers of sparkling material were a frequent sight sashaying down the isles of Harrogate, with many of the designers displaying plenty of glitz and glamour. If you’re a bride who loves all things that shimmer and shine then this bridal trend is perfect for you.

Embellishment – Downton Abbey inspired sequins and vintage lace were a very popular theme, teamed with figure hugging gowns and fishtail hem lines. The intricate detailing and hand sewn embellishment coupled with textured fabrics provide truly stunning dresses that will give you a perfectly unique wedding look.

Colour – As brides become more adventurous and steer away from the traditional white gowns, retailers are finding their confidence and opting to stock a variety of alternative colours.  A big trend we’ll see in 2016 is gowns in blush, oyster, light gold and muscado.

Trains – Whether it’s short and sweet or long and lacy, the train is definitely back on trend creating a dramatic look as you walk down the isle.