Of all the fun aspects of planning a wedding, shopping for the clothes has to be on the top of the list. You need to pick a wedding dress, bridal and honeymoon lingerie and bridesmaid dresses, here’s a little advice to ease some of the stress.

Choosing the wedding dress is a unique shopping experience and with everything else to worry about, underwear may not enter your mind, but what’s under your dress determines how you look on your special day.  All eyes are on you and the last thing you want to worry about is a bra bulge or  tummy roll.  Be sure to bring along your support group when you go shopping and encourage opinions.

You have chosen your dress and it probably needs to be altered, this is when you need to choose the foundation garment.  Is your dress simple and sleek?  You might only need a slip to create a smooth line.  Is your dress formal and structured?  A corset could be the perfect detail to bring out the best in a wedding dress with a tight waist.   A padded or push-up corset will give the “girls” a little something extra and can be the perfect touch for a strapless gown.

Corsets are also outerwear.  Picture a fall wedding with bridesmaids in orange brocade corsets and cinnamon satin long skirts, carrying bouquets that include leaves in gold, brown and pumpkin.  An elegant and ornate bridal corset with a shimmering, sweeping skirt would be stunning and perfect in this setting and your bridesmaids will actually have an outfit they can wear again.

The stress of planning the wedding is behind you and now it’s time to relax.  Whether you’ve been saving yourself for marriage or been with your partner for decades, you still want to look and feel gorgeous on your wedding night and honeymoon.  And whether you have ample curves or no curves at all, there are many styles of lingerie to compliment your body type.

Large busted women will appreciate some support, a stretch lace bodice is both comfortable and flattering.  If you don’t like to expose your tummy, look for a babydoll style with a pretty skirt.  If you love your legs, find something short or with a sexy side slit.  Not real happy with your legs?  Try a dramatic full length peignoir.  Plus size lingerie is not always readily available in your local mall but there are many online stores that offer a wide range of sizes.

Slender women may have just as difficult a time choosing lingerie, you can create curves with proper lingerie.  Padded cups are one way for small busted women to enhance their assets.  Look for lingerie with seams that create a bodice, you probably would not be happy with an unstructured chemise, for example, that falls straight from the shoulders.   If you have a straight waistline, look for lingerie with side cutouts, like a skimpy teddy, that gives the illusion of a curvy waist.

Whatever you wear, try to relax and enjoy yourself.  This is the beginning of an exciting and happy life together!

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Cheri Krueger owns Oh Cheri!, an online store specializing in lingerie and plus size lingerie.

When planning a honeymoon, it is always best to be open to new experiences. Why settle for a week in a Caribbean all-inclusive when you could be jungle trekking in the Amazon meeting Indian tribes, monkeys and learning about an endangered ecosystem. You could always end with a few days on the beach - there are plenty of isolated virgin beaches to choose from in Brazil.

Your tan will only last a couple of weeks, but the memories, stories and photos from you trip will last forever! So why not make it an adventure?… this is your one chance to splash out on a once-in-a-lifetime journey together to start your union.

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Authored by Hilary Brooke-Wavell Honeymoon Planner - WAC Travel

Marriage shifts the focus from “I” to “We” in many ways. One of the most significant areas for couples to understand is the impact their marriage will have on their credit image.

Up to this point, you may have been managing your finances separately. With your marriage coming up, the credit “talk” should happen sooner rather than later. It has been studied, quoted and written about for years how important communication about finances is to a successful marriage. Many newlyweds hit the proverbial brick wall once all the dust settles after the wedding and honeymoon. Credit education prior to marriage will help prevent unpleasant surprises.

The Credit Crunch

With the recent economy leaning towards tighter credit, more emphasis will be placed on credit scores and your credit image. Understanding credit is more important than ever. Your credit image is a snapshot (like a photograph) of your credit worthiness at a fixed moment in time. A credit image is how you look to others who are making decisions about you. This image determines what interest rates you are offered, and affects many other decisions made by lenders, landlords, employers and insurance brokers.

Whether this is your first marriage or not, you probably have some sort of credit profile with all three credit reporting agencies. And knowing how to build a strong credit profile, score and image will give you a financial edge in your future together as husband and wife. If you set aside some time to openly discuss this issue as a couple, it will save you many future misunderstandings. You can also begin working as “We” by deciding how to share the tasks involved in building an enhanced credit image.

Find Out Where You Stand

First and foremost, go to www.annualcreditreport.com and retrieve your free credit reports from each of the three major credit reporting agencies. There is no cost to pull your reports from this site once a year. Once you have all three reports (total of six for a couple), comb all the information on these profiles to make sure the information reported is true and correct. 70% of all reports have some inaccuracy in them. If there are any inconsistencies or inaccurate information being reported, this is the time to dispute it.

You may also want to purchase your credit score. Currently, the FICO score is the most widely used score; however, it makes the most sense to do your research first to know where you both stand and whether corrections need to be made in your credit reports.

Good Score/Bad Score

Maybe one of the “I’s” in this relationship has had some bumps in the road regarding their credit profile and the other “I” may have better credit standing. One suggestion is that you add your spouse (once married) to one of your credit cards as an authorized or joint user. If you do this, make sure the credit card company reports this credit history to each of your social security numbers. Over time, the spouse with non-existent or poor credit can establish or re-establish a good standing credit profile. Since the most recent 18-24 months of history weighs heavily on credit risk considerations, it won’t take long to begin to see improvements in the lower score.

There’s Strength in Numbers

Prior to marriage, you probably have operated as “I’s” in your credit lines, payment history, and credit scores. If you have good standing credit lines, continue to maintain them separately. Over time, you will most likely make a major purchase like a home or automobile that may require you to go into a contract jointly. At this point, each of your credit scores will affect your joint credit and two high scores are definitely better than one.

A Final Thought

Another topic to consider is name change. If you are deciding to change your name, remember to start with the Social Security Office and then the DMV. Next, you may consider reporting your name change to your creditors. This will not obligate your spouse for any contracts you entered into previous to the marriage, as long as neither one of you entered into the contract as “We” before marriage.

There are many changes when two “I’s” become “We.” Start now to practice working together so that these changes work for, rather than against, your marriage and long-term future.

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Authored By Jacqueline Soares, wedding officiant and wedding coach.

As a Wedding planner I have seen the cost of a wedding steadily increase in price. An average wedding in the Phoenix Valley is around $30,000.00 and with the economy today couples are looking for ways to cut their budget. Here are a few tips that might help do just that:

1. If you can wait book your wedding in the summer months, business is slow so the resorts will discount their fees.

2. Hire a planner because they know a lot about the area and where to look for the budget you have.

3. Think about a Destination Wedding. They are becoming very popular because the couple will be taking a honeymoon so why not combine them. Your guest list will be smaller which makes your funds go futher.

4. Instead of a full sit down dinner or buffet why not get married in the morning an do a brunch, or in the afternoon and have tea sandwhices, fruit trays, cheese and crakers type thing.

Hope this helps and have a great day.

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Authored by Searchlight Memories Weddings.

I have been in the wedding business for 20+ years and in the travel business for 18+ years. At Searchlight Memories we have seen a big shift to the hugh fancy big budget weddings to the smaller more intimate wedding or destination wedding.

Searchlight Memories specializes in all types of weddings but the small intimate or destination wedding our what we do best. I have personally traveled the world and if you want a wedding in say Greece, Ireland, Europe, Caribbean, Mexico and more we can help you.

So try us and see how “Our Light Leads To Lasting Memories”