by Karen Vander

Beautiful Melinda

All brides chose their own wedding gowns prior to their grand day but how many brides actually get to wear something that they honestly want to wear? The process of selecting a wedding dress can be pretty harrowing especially if she succumbs to peer pressure and ended up choosing a dress that she does not feel too happy about. However one such bride who refused to conform let anything stand between her and the perfect wedding dress is Melinda.

White is out for her

Melinda is a globe-trotting bride who has been to Austria, Bosnia and other countries before John, her beau, proposed to her in Vienna during November 2007. She decided to return to Arkansas for her wedding and wasted no time in searching for the perfect dress to don on the grandest day of her life. At one point, she felt frustrated at the lack of wedding dress ideas and since she was not too fond of wearing a traditional white gown, she shared her feelings with a friend. Her friend sent an email of a red dress and suggested she wore a red wedding dress. Melinda was also inspired by European weddings and by other cultures where brides wore red wedding dresses, and that was how she vowed that she will don a red wedding gown on her wedding day, no matter the cost!

Melinda’s quest for a red wedding gown took her all over the World Wide Web (including the Red Hot Brides website!) and to countless bridal salons across the United States. She finally discovered a dressmaker who was willing to create her red wedding dress according to her specifications.

Alfred Angelo gown which Melinda chose for her hem line

Melinda drew inspiration from an Alfred Angelo wedding dress, more specifically the Style #1136 gown which was given a new twist by her dressmaker from Bridal outlet World. Instead of white, the dress was made in a striking burgundy color complete with crystal clear irridescent beading. I love the dress so much and I interviewed the designer asking about this dress.

I showed photos of Melinda to Pam at Bridal Outlet World. She recognized the beautiful bride in red and told me the following information:

“She ordered this gown in burgandy, with clear and irridescent beading, no train and with the front hem line the same as on the Alfred Angelo style 1136. We have a lot of flexiblily with our gowns. Our customers can order their gown in any color choice, change beading, add sleeves, put the top of one gown with the skirt of another, shorten or lengthen train. We pretty much make the sky the limit in making the design their own. They also have the option of ordering their gown according to their personal measurements, which alleviates the need for costly alterations. The best part of this service is there is no additional charge for it. We manage to make it possible for every bride to be able to design and afford their dream gown.”

The dress ordered was the “Michelle” wedding gown from Bridal Outlet World (http://bridaloutletworld.com)

Our blushing bride was also very clear about what accessories are to be worn and decided on a simple but contemporarily designed headband, a bezel-set garnet on a white gold chain, matching white gold earrings and a pair of red patent leather shoes.

On her big day, Melinda appeared with her groom, ever resplendent in their red-themed wedding dress and suit respectively. Needless to say, she received many compliments from well wishers who were amazed at the sight of a dazzling bride clad in red from head to toe. Melinda was thrilled to be at the receiving end of so much praises but more than ever, she was satisfied that she got to wear the perfect red wedding gown that is the embodiment of her robust personality. Melinda also plans to wear it in Austria when she returns to attend the numerous parties thrown there. Now how many brides have you met who have worn their wedding gowns more than once?

Charming groom to match the bride

Matching delicious shoes

Melinda’s parting words for other brides-to-be are: “The main reason I opted for a red wedding dress is because I have never liked myself in white, and I love the color red. It’s that simple. Once I decided that I was going to do my wedding my way and not listen to the naysayers, red was really the only option! Good luck, girls”

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White Rose Bridal is a leading bridal retailer in the UK and Ireland.
Photo source: http://whiterosebridal.com/

“Red garlands and red scarfs were part of wedding customs in many cultures. Red wedding gown was en vogue in Nurnberg of the 18th century, but this tradition goes back to roman times: Roman brides were wrapped in a fiery red veil, the flammeum, which should warrant love and fertility. Greek, Albanian and Armenian brides wear red veils even today. Chinese brides are wearing red wedding gowns and are carried to the ceremony in a red litter. The bride walks on a red carpet and is greeted by the groom who lifts her red veil. Neighbours bring red eggs to the couple after a child is born.“

-WebExhibits (http://www.webexhibits.org/pigments/indiv/color/reds2.html)

Photo source: http://whiterosebridal.com/

“Red rose is the symbol of love and fidelity. According to the Greek legend red roses arised from blood of Adonis who was killed by a wild boar on a hunt. In Greek mythology red rose was a symbol for the cycle of growth and decay, but also for love and affinity. Red rose is dedicated to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and daughter of Zeus and also to Roman goddess Venus.“

-WebExhibits (http://www.webexhibits.org/pigments/indiv/color/reds2.html)

The model looks like the Greek goddess of love. Photo source: http://whiterosebridal.com/

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Stacey - From Catherine Davighi’s 2007 collection. Visit www.catherinedavighi.co.uk for more information

The Catherine Davighi label is a collection of amazine designs by Catherine. They are based in the UK.

Stacey - From Catherine Davighi’s 2007 collection. Visit www.catherinedavighi.co.uk for more information

The Catherine Davighi 2005 collection

Sleek and sophisticated are two words that can best describe this designer collection. Their dresses feature exquisite embroidery and beadwork. Dramatic cutting edge fashion and the fabric is totally unique. Adventurous brides will love this designer.

by Karen Vander

Beach wedding makes a great destination wedding

Here comes the bride, all dressed in…red? Yes, red wedding gowns are slowly making their presence felt among the modern brides in the U.S. More and more brides are getting out of the monotony of the traditional all-white ensembles, and they are getting decked out in wedding gowns in different colors. Those who are bold enough are choosing red wedding dresses.

Married on 08-08-08 for great luck

Choose your beach wedding dress to suit the sun, ambience, surf, and swaying trees..

Photo: Life Captured Photography by Erica Bader

Take no exceptions to your wedding and choose everything that says you.

Its been a while since we did a colorful wedding dress story showing various wedding dresses in different colors that we love.

A black wedding dress from Emeral Bridal

A black beauty by Emerald Bridal.

Pink wedding dress from Emerald Bridal

Pink wedding dresses are cute and very classy. They are subtle and pretty. Want to see more pink wedding dresses? Search “pink” in the search box on the right hand side of this page.

Related pink wedding dresses stories:
Lovely Pink Wedding Dresses

Pink Wedding Dress Designers

Justin Alexander green wedding dress - eco friendly

Looking to be eco-friendly on your wedding day? Your guests may not notice all the little things you may be doing to make your wedding green to be friendly to the environment. Show it in a green wedding dress. Now just wearing a green wedding dress does not make you eco-friendly unless you are truly taking real earth friendly steps in your wedding.

A green wedding dress

Be careful about green though if you have European heritage. In the time of King Henry VIII, in England, green also symbolized unfaithfulness. This is believe to come from the grass stains on a ‘virgin’s’ clothing. To this day, green wedding dress is negatively looked upon in Europe.

Most brides dream of having a fairy tale wedding and dressing up like a princess. Now you can draw inspiration from the different Walt Disney princesses and create your own fairy tale wedding, one that you will remember and other guests will talk about for as long as you live.

A disney princess wedding

Snow White

Think high collars, puffy sleeves and don’t forget the red signature bow on your head. For a sexier look, incorporate a scooping neckline when designing your dress. You may choose to adopt the same color scheme or have some modifications made to your Snow White wedding gown by having a single color accented in the overall look. For example, the color red can be dramatized by putting on red accessories and red shoes. Have a tiara custom made with red garnets and other striking crimson gems to replace Snow White’s bow. You don’t need to have your hair styled like Snow White but having it cut into a short bob can be both chic yet cute.

Be a Disney princess. Disney has a wedding line of bridal gowns but it does not resemble anything like the cartoons. Stick with a costume.

Princess Jasmine

If you desire to dress up as Princess Jasmine, why not go the whole nine yards and opt for an Arabian themed wedding? Make emerald the color of your theme. Think of creating an exotically designed belly dancer’s outfit and modify that to suit your preferences, thus resulting in the wedding outfit, Princess Jasmine style. Use dark makeup and smoky eyes effect for the Arabian princess look. Don’t forget the tiara embellished with sapphires and emeralds. Instead of a wedding veil, consider adorning your dress with a wedding shawl that will definitely give the impression of sheerness and sexiness.

Real Disney Princess Wedding Gowns

Ariel the Little Mermaid

Ever dreamed about dressing up like a pretty little mermaid on your wedding day? This definitely can be done. You don’t have to don a mermaid’s fishtail. Instead, create your wedding dress so that the train is elegantly long and slim, resembling Ariel’s own fishtail. Don’t be afraid to be elaborate with your wedding dress. Create intricate motives and embellish it with colorful gems and crystals, much like those found under the ocean. And when it comes to accessories, a single tiara with diamonds and a choker made from mother of pearls come to mind.

by Editor Tommy Glauning

Fairy tale princess red wedding dress

We’ve received tons of mails from our loyal readers, asking if people really do buy red wedding gowns to wear on their wedding day. Well, we’d like to clarify that yes, countless brides have gone where other brides dared not venture and that is to wear a red wedding dress on her grand day. The brides-to-be at our site are either all for wearing red or they are mulling over whether to cancel out on that white wedding dress which now looks rather drab next to a red one or some other color!

Asian brides puts on four to six outfits on their wedding day.

Unlike a white wedding dress, you can look instantly ravishing in a red gown! The brighter color gives you freedom to choose different textures for your dress. It can be rather difficult to spot all the fabric textures against a white wedding dress but all the wonderful features of your carefully chosen fabrics can be seen on a RED wedding dress with a single glance. Your accessories will stand out more, and your guests will love how resplendent and bold you look.

STYLE MT16A Miss-t Couture

Wearing a red wedding dress also allows you to inspire other people to do the same. We’ve been sent many thank you notes in the past from brides who told us how they were inspired by Red Hot Brides to wear red on their wedding day. They also added that their friends and sisters eventually warmed up to the idea and even chose red wedding gowns for themselves! A red revolution is on the rise!

So for those who are still hesitating about whether to take the plunge, hesitate no more. A red wedding dress is not taboo, and in fact more and more brides are warming up to it. Listen to what does your heart say and if your heart tells you to be bold and ravishing, just do it. It is after all the most special day of your life.

by Karen Vander

A real life fairytale princess

A real bride wearing Forever Yours Style #42211 in a quick video put together by RHB.

It is not the end of the world if you can’t have a lavish wedding. So positive was Loida Rennish that when she did not get to experience her dream wedding the first time around, she renewed her vows ten years later and threw a second one in Heathrow, Florida… and this time she got to wear her dream wedding dress!

She and husband renewed their wedding vows after a decade of being married together. 10 years ago, Loida married her sweetheart and did not quite care about the fact they were not from well to do families. Their parents supported the relationship all the way and paid most of the wedding expenses. Even though the wedding was small and modest, Loida was appreciative of what their parents had done for them. There was a small wedding cake, simple wedding favors and only the closest family members and friends attended the wedding. To add, Loida’s wedding dress was a plain white off shoulder affair. She admitted that it was nothing fancy and definitely not the dress she had always dreamed about. Left with little choice, she went along with it in the end.

Forever Yours Style 42211 - Matte Satin Matching shawl included. Dress in Ivory or White with 50 Lamore colors on the threading. Strapless one sided draped princess skirt. Top of bodice is heavily embroidered and beaded as is the side panel of the dress. Full chapel train is heavily embroidered as on top of bodice.

This year, Loida and her husband decided it was time to renew their vows! Ten wonderful years had passed and they were blessed with a daughter who is 8 years old. They did not think it was wise to wait until it was their 25th wedding anniversary, and thought this year was the perfect time to do it because by then, their daughter would be well into a marrying age herself, and they’d be so busy preparing for her wedding that they might forget about their own!

Loida shared with us that the entire event went on ever so smoothly! The “second wedding” was a total success. She finally got to wear her dream wedding dress! Her husband looked so very handsome in his suit and blushingly Loida added that she was reminded of how he looked like when they got married 10 years ago. Plus, Loida’s daughter has her very own bridesmaid attire and she looked resplendent in her fairy princess-like dress!

Matching bridesmaids

Almost all of their friends and family came to the event and everyone commented how beautiful Loida’s dress was, and how angel-like the bridesmaids were. At the end of the day, she looked back at her dream wedding and was glad they waited as long as they had to do this. Everything was perfect and Loida does not mind doing it all over again! This were her parting words:

“The important thing to remember is that even though you do not have the means to throw a lavish wedding at first, you may have a chance later on to do so and when that time comes, by all means go all out and get the wedding dress you know you deserve! I’d wanted the perfect dress that projected a statement about who I am and I am glad it did.”

“The dress is by : Forever Yours Style 42211. It’s a size 1-2 and I’m 5′2 *just to give an idea for those interested in buying*

An Oasis of love