Wedding Bells: 2012

A great way to learn or to get to know what to expect or do before the big day is by watching movies. Lets face it, we learn about things mostly from movies and documentaries. Wedding movies are actually a great way to list out what to plan and what to avoid and it shows you lots of wedding-related options. So yea, its a really good way to get started.

Here's my Top 10 Wedding Movie list in no particular order.

1. Confessions of an American Bride

Sam (the bride in the picture) is a 30 year old bride-to-be. And like most brides-to-be, she goes all frantic over every tiny bit of detail for the upcoming wedding. The movie's really about how the bride deals with the stress of juggling planning her wedding (to the fella on the right), working on her career, dealing with her mom who seems to favour her sister more, trying to get the new mother-in-law to like her AND trying to make her mind up about a crush she has on her colleague (hottie on the left). A lot on her hands, but hey its every brides-to-be's life. Well maybe minus the crush-on-the-colleague bit. Maybe.

Anyway, this is a good movie to take note on what you need to plan for before the big day. There's the flowers, the dress, the caterers, the first dance, the wedding gift registry, the pastor (and rabbi in her case), a new home, well basically, the movie helps big time. Its got a good story line too. Funny and a bit dramatic. I'd give it 4 stars.

2. 27 Dresses

Jane (the girl in the picture) is the eternal bridesmaids and has been the bridesmaids for her friends 27 times, hence the title. The movie's basically about her handling the mixed emotions she has for her boss who her sister's getting married to. A bit in a tough spot eh? Anyhow, as if that wasn't enough, she's got this wedding columnist on her tail bugging her about details on the big day which she's planning since her sister's an over-bearing-spoilt-brat. Maybe it wouldn't have been too bad helping the columnist if she wasn't totally into the groom.

But anyway, eventually things take a turn and she starts to fall for the columnist. I wont disclose too much. You watch =D So back to the topic. The movie follows her as she plans the wedding. So its a chance for all of you brides-to-be, to take note on what she goes planning for. Like the cake, the venue, the bridesmaids dresses (maybe what to avoid for this one) and also the rehearsal dinner. I give this movie 5 shiny bright stars. I've only seen it like a gazillion times.

3. My Big Fat Greek Wedding

If you're planning a mixed-heritage wedding, this is the movie to watch. Toula (the bride in the picture) comes from a really hardcore Greek family living in the US. Her's family is steeped in tradition and believes that the daughter's role is to get married and build a family. Tulla however is more interested in furthering her studies and building her career. Your typical girl of the millennia. Eventually she meets her Mr. Right, falls in love and plans to marry. Unfortunately, both families are worlds apart and they finally settle with a ceremony combining both religions. Overall, this movie will help brides facing the same ~~dilemma~~ situation to be better prepared. Shows them what can happen if no one cooperates and what happens when there is cooperation. A funny movie too. I'd give it 4 stars too.

4. My Best Friend's Wedding

Julianne (Julia Roberts) is a single woman in her late twenties who has fallen for her best friend. The same best friend who made a promise with her saying that they'll both marry each other if they're both still single by the time they're 28. With 4 days to her 28th birthday, she receives a call from said best friend inviting her to his wedding. Alas. So she flies down to meet him, meets the fiancée and then comes up with this master plan to sabotage the wedding and get him to fall back in love with her (yes, he was in love with her for a long time but she felt the need to concentrate on her career first). So for all of you facing a similar problem where you're unfortunately falling in love with your best friend who's about to get married to someone else, this is the movie for you. It is a movie for brides-to-be too. You can pick up points from Julianne as she follows Kimmie (the bubbly fiancée) around to prep for the wedding. From bakers to fitters, you'll learn lots from this must watch comedy. 5 stars from me.

5. Father of the Bride (1 & 2)

George Banks (Steve Martin and the father of the bride) is the owner of a successful sneaker factory and even though he is doing relatively well, he still maintains a very thrifty lifestyle, although some would look at it as being cheapskate. Anyhow, his daughter comes home one day with news that she's going to be married. So being supportive parents, they accept the news (eventually), visit the future-in-laws and then start planning the wedding. Here's where you future brides come in. The family hires a wedding planner with big ideas for the wedding, from invites, to venue and even to the minute details like table settings. The movie stars 2 very talented comedians, Steve Martin and Martin Short, and will definitely leave you at the edge of your seat with laughter. Its a good family movie to watch too if you have protective fathers with separation anxiety or maybe thrifty fathers (aren't they all anyway?) Part 2 of the movie is also good because there they plan a baby shower. Still a good place to pick up ideas from. 5 stars from me.

6. Bride Wars

Like the title suggests, this movie is about 2 brides at war with each other. Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway are 2 childhood best friends who've promised each other to be bridesmaids for each other. However things go haywire when the wedding planner messes up and books their wedding for the same date and neither wants to give it up. The movie is fantastic as a guide because it goes about the planning of two types of weddings. One very elaborate, fancy, over the top wedding; and one quite minimalistic wedding. So it gives you quite a selection of choices to pick from. Besides the wedding ideas, its also a good movie about best friends with pointers about learning to give in and sacrifice. 4 stars from me.

7. Our Family Wedding (also similar, Jumping the Broom)

If you're a bride getting into a mixed marriage, here's a movie for you and your man. America Ferera and Lance Gross announce their engagement to their parents with hope that it would be well accepted. However things get heated up when it is learnt that their over egoistic fathers have some conflict going on between them. Both families want their traditions incorporated in the wedding while all the couple wants is a simple ceremony. And that's not all. The bride's mother tries to help out with the planning too but is subconsciously planning her dream wedding. The only level headed person in this fiasco is the groom's dad's best friend who manages to put things in perspective each time it gets out of hand and reminds everyone that its "Our marriage, their wedding". It's a good movie to watch to anticipate the things you might encounter when entering a mixed marriage and also possible solutions. Watch it with your husband-to-be so he knows how to handle things on his side too. 5 stars from me.

8. Bridesmaids

Now this is one movie that doesn't meed much describing. It is the most watched bridal movie of the decade. So for those of you who don't know, the movie is centred on Kristen Wiig, the maid of honour for Maya Rudolph, the bride. She tries hard to help plan the perfect wedding for her best friend even with all the problems she's facing in her life. Along the way she messes up here and there and all her efforts seem just not good enough when Rose Byrne (the bride's other best friend who's miss perfect) tries to give her ideas too and they work out better than Kristen's. So even though this is a movie about best friends and jealousy among the best friend's other best friends, this is really a movie for bridesmaids. You can really pick up some good points here about bridesmaids dresses, bachelorette parties, wedding gowns and about working along side your fellow bridesmaids peacefully. 4 stars from me.

9. Wedding Daze (2004)

John Larroquette and his wife are just your average middle-aged couple looking forward to their retirement in their quiet little town. All is good until one day their oldest daughter comes home with a broken heart, looking to start anew at home. A few days later supermodel daughter number 2 comes home with a sprained ankle. Daughter number 3 who already lives with them and she seems to be the least to worry about. Eventually love happens when daughter number 1 meets someone new, daughter number 2's beau from Europe flies down to visit and daughter number 3 falls for someone in John's company. What was once a quiet life now gets turned upside down when the daughters decide to all get married on the same day! A tripple wedding ceremony. Imagine that. For you brides this is a good family movie to watch and learn from them as they expand their wedding plans one by one. 5 stars from me.

10. The Wedding Planner

Jennifer Lopez plays a highly accomplished wedding planner when one day she falls for a too good to be true doctor, Matthew McConaughey. Around the same time, she receives the biggest wedding to plan in her career. Follow her as she decides whether to continue to plan his wedding to his internet tycoon girlfriend or to walk down the aisle herself to him. But don't just follow her. Learn her tricks of the trade as she plans the wedding. There's a million things you can learn from this movie including wedding songs if you don't have your song yet. Including the most important lesson of making sure nothing's going on between your planner and your man, even though its highly unlikely. 4 stars from me.

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think about Empire wedding gowns are beach weddings. Its free flowing form works well with the beach breeze creating a romantic atmosphere. The Empire waistline by itself is very sexy because it accentuates the chest and draws attention to it.

Body types: Body types: Petite, Small busted, Broad or Small hips, Pear shaped. Not recommended for hour glass figured women because it does very little to flatter their already flattering shape.

Here's some I like.

So like I said, I think these gown types give off a very flirtatious, sexy-without-even-trying look. Its so "flowy" and graceful by itself that the dress has very little embellishments if you notice. For the bride going with this design, you've made a good choice.