Wearing a casual wedding dress is absolutely a valid option these days. Especially for a spring wedding or for a summer wedding that takes place in the backyard or on the beach, a formal dress would actually be inappropriate – a casual wedding dress would look fabulous.
Of course, “casual” need not mean “sloppy!” Your casual wedding gown can still look great – it can be white and flowy and very flattering – but it likely won’t have a long train and will not be very structured.
You can buy a casual wedding gown off the rack – any long white gown will do – or you can opt for a “proper” bridal gown but go with a simple style.
Personally, I love the following styles by Anya Bridal, who offer wedding dresses in Atlanta:
Allison Wedding Gown
I love the way the model is wearing this gown with her hair down. Very appropriate for such a simple, gorgeous style that would look perfect in a backyard wedding.
Brittany Wedding gown
Another simple style that’s very appropriate in a casual setting yet elegant enough for a more formal wedding.
When picking a wedding dress style, it’s very important to make sure that the style is appropriate for the ceremony. Casual would likely look out of place in a church or in a fancy hotel. Formal would probably raise eyebrows on the beach or in your parents’ backyard!
My last post on unique proposals got me thinking: can women propose too? I mean, of course they CAN propose, but is it becoming more socially acceptable for them to do so?
Look at this poster for the recent movie The Proposal:
An excellent movie by the way – very funny – but looking at the poster, one certainly gets the impression that when a woman proposes, it’s somehow unnatural – forced on the man. Of course, one could say that this is only the case for the specific movie where the woman most definitely forced the engagement on the man (at least at first).
Frankly, it had never occurred to me to propose. Without even thinking about it too much, I just knew that it was my now-husband’s role to propose, and mine to accept or decline.
I also suspect that in those cases where the woman ends up proposing, the proposal is very practical and not at all elaborate – something like “hey, why don’t we get married” and certainly not airplanes or scoreboards featuring romantic proposals!
What’s your take on the subject? Do you feel that in this case sticking with tradition is best and that the groom should propose, or is it OK if the bride proposes?
I may be in the minority here, but I never expected a “unique” proposal. I loved the way my husband had proposed – over an elegant dinner at our favorite restaurant. And no, he didn’t hide the ring in the dessert and I’m glad he didn’t – what if I had swallowed it by mistake?
I guess I’m an old-fashioned kinda gal, but I like to keep things classic.
However, I am quite aware of the fact that many grooms are looking for unique ways to propose, and that many brides are happy to receive a unique proposal!
If you’re looking for unique proposal ideas, here are a few:
1. Propose during a hot air balloon ride. Super romantic!
2. Propose on a billboard or on a scoreboard in a professional sports game. To avoid public humiliation, you need to be very sure she’s going to say yes!
3. Hire a plane to fly a banner with your proposal. This can get expensive, but is definitely impressive!
4. Propose during a romantic weekend in a fancy hotel. Arrange with the hotel in advance to have champagne, flowers etc. waiting for you in the room and get a suite if possible. Some hotels will give you a free upgrade if you tell them about your plans.
Whatever you do, my view on the proposal is just like my view on the wedding day: don’t get all worked up about it. It’s just the beginning of what will hopefully be a long, amazing journey of deep love and friendship.
PS. Tips above are for women who decide to propose too!
Photo by Lori Greig
