For the past few years, bridesmaid dress trends have been influenced heavily by the economic downturn and its aftermath. Though the economy is looking sunnier, a lot of the trends from previous seasons have held over and evolved into what bridesmaids will be wearing this spring!

The biggest trend in bridesmaid dresses has been knee-length dresses. Though many brides are still putting their bridesmaids in tea and floor length gowns, shorter lengths have become increasingly popular in recent years. Knee-length, cocktail-style dresses are much more likely to be worn again, so brides who want their bridal party to be able to reuse their dresses more easily have been moving toward shorter dresses. You can never guarantee wear ability for everyone, but by keeping reuse potential in the back of your mind, you’ll be doing your bridesmaids a big favor.

The strapless dress also still holds its own, for bridal gowns and for bridesmaid dresses. Many, if not most, of the dresses for spring 2011 are strapless, an elegant style that emphasizes the neck and shoulders in a classically feminine way. A strapless bridesmaid dress that has been properly fitted to its wearer is one of the most flattering styles around. Just be sure to invest in a quality strapless bra!

One-shouldered dresses are also rapidly growing in popularity. The unique, asymmetrical shape of a one-shouldered bridesmaid dress suits brides who want a bridal party with a fashion-forward edge. The single shoulder strap can be delicate, for a feminine look, or bolder, for a more sassy and urban appearance.

Feminine touches like lace, floral, bead, and sequin embellishment are back in a big way, as are soft chiffons. Many bridesmaid dresses for Spring 2011 are somewhat more body conscious than in recent years, using sashes, bows, and ruching in order to emphasize the natural waist for a classic and feminine look.

Popular colors for spring 2011 are brights like apple green, fuchsia, coral, amethyst, emerald, orange, and yellow. New classics like grey, navy, and chocolate brown will make a return appearance as well.

Finally, the trend away from a completely matching bridal party to a more relaxed, color-coordinated but not identical group of bridesmaids is still going strong. More and more brides are letting their bridesmaids each choose a personally flattering and appealing dress in a selected color palette. By selecting the style of bridesmaid dresses on their own, bridesmaids will be sure to always have a dress that they love.

Regardless of the style, color, and cut of your bridesmaids dresses, in Spring 2011 the biggest trend is to make the saying “always a bridesmaid, never a bride” be a little less depressing by providing your bridesmaids with beautiful and wearable dresses that they will love forever.

Jordan Fashions is a designer of affordable and beautiful dresses for bridesmaids, mothers-of-the-bride, flowers girls, and the rest of the bridal party, as well as formal and semi-formal wear for proms, homecomings, quinceañeras, and more. Jordan dresses come in sizes 0-34 and in over 75 different colors.

So you’re engaged and you’ve got a wedding to plan. You begin to decide what traditions you wish to include in your wedding. Would it help to know how some of those traditions got started?

What is one of the first things that come to mind when hearing the word wedding? More often than not you think of the wedding dress. Chances are pretty high that you are going to opt for a white wedding dress although this is by no means always the case. Believe it or not many centuries ago women actually wore gowns that were colorful and bright. A wedding is a joyous time and they wanted to wear colors that reflected this joy. Somewhere along the way, the white wedding gown was introduced. Some people say that the tradition of wearing white was actually started by Queen Victoria. Another reason white has often been used for the wedding gown is to signify purity.

To complement your perfect dress you’ll almost certainly want the perfect veil. Not all women agree on the length or style — some prefer long veils while others like short ones, some like the simple look while others want it to be ornate — but most agree the veil is almost as important as the dress. Traditionally, the bride wears her veil down until the couple is officially married at the end of the ceremony, a tradition that has its origins in the belief that the veil provided protection against evil spirits, but even this is becoming less common these days as some brides choose to have their father lift the veil before giving her away.

”You may kiss the bride.” This is a familiar phrase. Everyone eagerly anticipates the first kiss as a married couple. Believe it or not kisses used to serve as a legal bond in ancient Rome. In fact, engagements were not valid unless sealed with a kiss. On wedding day, the first kiss is usually the first of many more.

When the bride walks down the aisle to stand next to her groom she is traditionally accompanies by her father, but today more and more women choose to have both parents walk down the aisle with them. If the father is unable to be at the wedding, normally another family member (not the mother of the bride) escorts her to her groom. The origins of this tradition are not well-established, it has been with us for many centuries.In my research this was one of the few traditions I could not discover a well-established origin for.

Most couples have the ring presentation at their wedding. The man slips the wedding band on the woman’s finger and she does the same with his ring. Wedding rings are to be work as a symbol of everlasting love. The circle should never be unbroken. Today much time and thought is often put into the selection of the wedding bands. Wedding bands have been around for a long time. They were first made of grass that was braided or made with hemp. Diamonds that could be found in wedding bands came roughly around the 1400′s.

Rice was traditionally showered over the newly-weds just after the ceremony because it is a symbol of fertility, and of course all the older relatives want the newlywed couple to start having kids! Often people will substitute birdseed or wedding bubbles these days because it is widely believed that if birds eat the rice, their stomachs will explode. This is patently false, but that is another story altogether.

Many wedding traditions continue on to the wedding reception. There is usually a first dance by the couple. Many daughters also dance with their father for a traditional father-daughter dance. This has been common practice at many weddings. Some traditions just happen by themselves

Another common tradition at the reception is when the new bride throws her bouquet. This is just done for fun although the woman who catches the flowers is to be the next to marry. This tradition has an interesting history that can be traced to England. Long ago in England guests at a wedding would try to get the woman’s flowers or part of her clothes. This was to be their way of sharing in the joy. It got to be so bad that a woman would run away from guests and would toss her flowers to try to get them happy and away from her as she ran.

A wedding would not be complete without the cutting of the wedding cake. In the days of yore cakes made of wheat would be broken apart above the head of a bride. This was to bring the couple fertility as well as good luck. Wedding cakes are traditionally tiered. A baker in England started baking these cakes which date all the way back to the time of King Charles II.

Weddings certainly do not need to be traditional. Traditions vary among different cultures and even different families. However, it is often fun to implement some of the traditions into a wedding. These traditions may not really bring good luck, but then again maybe they will.

Being asked to be a wedding MC (Master of Ceremonies) is a once-in-a-lifetime honor for the average person. The wedding MC is traditionally unpaid and often a close friend. There is no question that this person has one of the most essential roles in a successful and enjoyable wedding celebration.

The wedding MC by tradition is the person responsible for the reception activities. This is the person in charge of making sure all reception events and activities happen in an orderly fashion, and on time.

It’s the MC’s responsibility to insure the reception flows smoothly, the guests are enjoying themselves, and the bride and groom are the centers of attention at the reception.

Here are a few helpful tips to remember in your role of wedding MC.

Get to know the key family members of both bride and groom. One of your roles will be introducing the bride and groom, and their families, to the wedding guests. You’ll also be introducing anyone who plans on speaking. It’s very important you be familiar with both Father of The Bride and Mother of The Bride and the Grooms family.

Spend time with key family members so you will feel comfortable and at ease in making introductions. Know exactly what the bride and groom expect of you. When talking with family members, carry a clipboard, take plenty of notes, and listen carefully. In this early pre-planning stage, ask questions, get your questions answered, and make sure you clear up any confusion on what your role will be, and what is expected of you.

Prepare a detailed checklist for the wedding reception. This checklist and agenda will act as your blueprint to insure a smooth flow of events for the wedding reception. Have your checklist and agenda approved by the bride’s key family members (or who will be paying for the reception). In planning the reception, get everything approved early on.

Know exactly, EXACTLY, how to pronounce the names of everyone you’ll be introducing. Don’t be shy, ask someone how to pronounce their name if you’re unsure. Ask for their first and last names. Ask exactly how they want to be introduced.

When introducing a speaker, keep your introductions short. A good rule is to keep your introductions to sixty seconds or less.

Being the wedding Master of Ceremonies is an honor and a sincere compliment if you’re asked. A wedding reception is a time of celebration, and if well-planned, the reception is an opportunity for the wedding party and guests to enjoy the celebration of a lifetime.

Being asked to be a wedding MC is an honor. And if asked, the MC should plan carefully down to the last detail. The wedding MC responsibilities should not be taken lightly. And for the wedding planner, choosing the right MC is critical to the success of the wedding celebration. The wedding MC and the wedding planner should work closely to insure the success of this happy event.

Discover how to be a sensational, charming, and unforgettable wedding MC at http://WeddingMCGuidebook.info

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