Wedding Wednesdays: How to Plan a Perfect Day of Dress Shopping

Dress shopping doesn't have to be stressful! Make it the perfect day by planning ahead. Before you make an appointment, consider these five tips to getting the most out of your bridal experience! And don't forget to bring the bubbly!

Tip #1: Call Ahead and Make a Game Plan
While most of us do our usual shopping by popping into our favorite stores on a whim and unannounced, wedding dress shopping takes a bit more planning. You will want to start shopping 6-8 months before your wedding date to allow for time to have your dress come in and several alteration appointments after you find “the one.” Make sure to call ahead to the stores you’re going to want to visit, and they will set up an appointment for you so that a retail associate can give you their full attention and help you find the dress of your dreams.

Once you have a dress appointment, decide on who will be joining you that day and make sure they put it in their calendars! You'll need their undivided attention for the whole day. It’s also a great idea to get to your appointment 5-10 minutes early so that you can browse the racks of dresses before you dig into all the details.

Tip #2: Go into Your Appointment Prepared
You’ll want to have as many details in mind for the dress consultant as possible. Here are some good questions to keep in mind: What time of year are you getting married? What will the weather be like? Will it be a formal affair or a casual one? Then as far as your taste goes, you will probably be asked what silhouette, fabric, and embellishments you have in mind. But don’t worry too much about having a specific wedding dress vision. It’s good to stay open-minded! You never know what you’ll feel best in, so don’t box yourself into one category of dresses.

Another important piece of information to know ahead of time is your dress budget. There’s nothing worse than falling in love with a gown just to discover that it’s out of your price range. Not to mention, it’s such a waste of time trying on dresses that you won’t end up buying. So, tell your sales associate right away what you are expecting to pay.

Tip #3: Look at the Dress from All Angles
On your wedding day, you will be photographed at so many different moments, and seen by your guests from all angles. So, it’s a good idea to make sure you are viewing your wedding dress from all angles before you decide it’s the one. We even recommend having someone snap some photos of you at different angles so you can see how the dress photographs. And, it’s nice to have those photos with you while your dress goes to alterations, so that you can remember each beautiful detail (just don’t let your groom sneak a peek on your phone!).

Tip #4: Focus on the Fit
When you’re trying on dresses during your shopping day, make sure you’re narrowing in on dresses that flatter your figure and make you feel good! You’ve probably heard it before, but there’s truth to the saying that “it’s all about the fit.” It doesn’t matter whether you love a dress that has lace, embellishments or tulle if the fit isn’t right. On your wedding day, you will want to feel your best without fidgeting or adjusting areas of your dress constantly.

Tip #5: End the Day with a Celebration
Once you’ve said “yes!” to your dream dress, it’s time to celebrate! We recommend ending your day of dress shopping with a celebratory lunch…and some champagne, of course! You’ll be able to reminisce about the moments of the day and relax while you enjoy your meal.

Don't stress! Say yes to your dress and devour the details of a perfect day of shopping with these helpful planning tips!

Six Savory Sweet Potato Crockpot Recipes

We've been on a sweet potato kick lately! Mashed, baked, fried--we can't get enough of this perfect side dish. But we're done just having them as an accompaniment to the main course. It's time to make this sensational starch the center of attention...on the dinner table! Check out these six savory sweet potato crockpot recipes perfect for the winter months.

Quinoa & Sweet Potato Chili

The perfect dish to make on Sundays while watching football. Get the recipe here!

Scalloped Potatoes

This dish combines regular potatoes with sweet potatoes for big flavor per bite. Try this recipe for the best of both worlds!

Sweet Potato Curry

This recipe warms your belly on the coldest nights! And the leftovers are perfect to bring to work for lunch.

Sweet Potato Soup with Maple Bacon

Sweet and salty! Dipping is required so be sure to grab a baguette when shopping for this recipe.

Candied Sweet Potatos

As if they weren't already sweet enough--take it up a notch with this candied recipe!

Creamy Chicken, Wild Rice and Sweet Potato Soup

A hearty and satisfying sweet potato dish the whole family will enjoy! Get the recipe here.

Feed your need for sweet potatoes with these perfect crockpot recipes and devour the details of this sensational starch!

Monday Mashups: Ocean Spray Holds Thanksgiving Boot Camp

Each year, nearly 20 million Americans prepare to deliver a Thanksgiving feast for the first time ever. Ocean Spray wanted to do its part to help these newbies by inviting them to their recent brand activation at Rockefeller Center. The festive, multi-generational event on November 1 whipped guests into holiday-hosting shape at the Thanksgiving-themed boot camp with CranMas (that's grandmas, Ocean Spray style) and celebrity chef Curtis Stone providing instruction.

To create the perfect autumnal experience for the holiday-entertaining course, Arnold Worldwide—Ocean Spray’s long-time brand experience agency—enlisted design and production partner Tyger Productions. Led by Ty Kuppig, Tyger has partnered with Arnold and Ocean Spray on numerous projects across the country, including the Thanksgiving Then & Now event for Ocean Spray at Rockefeller Center in 2015.

Before press and influencer invitees entered the 20- by 60-foot cranberry bog, they first visited four stations where they learned a different skill for the Thanksgiving holiday. These included how to welcome guests with a crafted cocktail, hacks for impressive side dishes, techniques for preparing the turkey, and “Setting the Scene”—how to set the perfect table. We could've totally used an invite to this boot camp! After making their way through the stations, guests were invited to join Ocean Spray’s CranMas and Chef Stone to sit down for an early Thanksgiving meal in the cranberry bog.

To create a more intimate experience and suggest a dinner under the canopy of a fall forest, Tyger Productions constructed a 12-foot-tall by 36-foot-long arbor covered in autumn foliage surrounded by live cranberry turf installed by a professional horticulturalist. In addition to creating a cozy cocoon for the press and influencers while they dined, the arbor created a social media-friendly statement that could easily be seen over the heads of the crowd, adding further excitement and inviting passersby to watch from the sidelines.

Tyger pulled inspiration from Arnold’s CranMa concept to design an environment that elicited a sense of nostalgia, displaying traditional elements that evoked grandmothers with more contemporary touches that a first-time holiday host might incorporate from their own home. Mismatched vintage china was paired with modern rose-gold flatware. Cut crystal stemware was mixed with vintage embossed glass and new cranberry-red goblets. Handmade crocheted table runners were paired with rose-gold glass candleholders. The 32-foot-long dining table in the center of the bog was anchored by oversize autumnal floral arrangements of lush blossoms, greens, and fruits.

Following the lunch, and to emphasize the health benefits of the cranberry, yoga was held at the bog the next day, as well as a spin class with Vitamix blenders attached to each bike to blend a cranberry smoothie. In addition, Ocean Spray team members handed out samples of its various cranberry products.

The New York activation was part of a five-city “Bogs Across America” tour. Tyger Productions created three different-sized bogs that were featured in Hollywood (at an indoor venue), Washington, Chicago, and New York, and culminated outside the Prudential Center in Boston. Only the New York location served lunch. Ocean Spray sure knows how to devour the details of a cranberry-filled Thanksgiving! We hope these tips and tricks inspire you for future Turkey Days to come.