bride happy: SMALL WEDDING CHIC: The Cocktail Bride

Hi Everyone and Happy New Year! I'm Amy-Jo Tatum, editor of Bride Chic and I'll be guest blogging here at Weddings Fresh today and tomorrow.

Ever wonder what makes for a shorter, sometimes sweeter wedding these days? Try a scaled down hemline. Some brides this new year are opting for the briefer, more intimate event, bypassing the traditional all day bash planned months ahead.

THE GARDEN WEDDING

Musings by Suzanne4. (66685)

Cocktail-style and city hall weddings offer an elegant, affordable alternative. Think about it: fewer guests, a shorter hemline and less cake and champagne can sometimes mean more. Short and smaller weddings are ideal for couples with limited time and money issues. Some simply feel more at ease celebrating their nuptials with a few close friends and family present. Focusing on brief, the dresses featured here are all cocktail length. Add some imaginative head chic with a little accessorizing and you'll have your bridal look. (Most would be stunning with a blusher or birdcage)

The cocktail dress defined is street-length and typically made out of exquisite fabric or has special detailing. Redefined in the last couple years, cocktail can also mean daytime-formal as in tea-time or garden party. While cocktail dressing can go either semi-formal or informal, the later doesn’t imply casual. It simply means you can go with elegant street-length attire; a higher hemline is acceptable and your groom,(again following your lead) can skip the de riguer white or black tie if he chooses, getting into a raw silk or linen suit instead. On the other hand, remember, while attire for the cocktail reception is elegant, its never max formal.

THE SUNSET WEDDING