Guest blogger: Rosanna Casper, co-founder of Idojour.com, a new wedding website where brides, grooms, family and friends can purchase a stylish and affordable mix of beautifully curated pieces. Designed to make wedding planning all the more inspiring and enjoyable, Idojour offers accessories and apparel for your wedding weekend, complemented by both inspirational and practical content. Rosanna oversees content, among many other things, and makes sure that everything comes together beautifully on the site.

Here, Rosanna shows her favorite dramatic dress backs.

Your moment has arrived  — the doors swing open, and your guests and your groom get their first glimpse of you as a bride. They "ooh" and "ahh" over your dress, the bouquet and the beaming smile on your face. But the real surprise comes when you walk down the aisle and reveal the gorgeous, dramatic back of your gown — and oh, what a sight it is!

Photo Credit (left to right): Claire Pettibone; Summit Entertainment

On your wedding day, it's practically inevitable that something messy will get on your beautiful, pristine wedding dress, from a smudge of lipstick to a splash of red wine. At my wedding, it was chocolate — a young cousin really loved the chocolate fountain and decided to show her appreciation by giving me a hug, with her hands and face still covered in chocolate (find yourself in a similar situation? Scrape off any excess with a butter knife, then blot/rub with baby wipes until the stain has disappeared. Still visible? Cover it with white toothpaste!).

Luckily, the experts at the Whirlpool Institute of Fabric Science have you covered. Pack these items for your big day, and print out this handy guide to removing any kind of stain! 

Must-have items for your emergency kit:

• Dry shampoo
• Paper towels
• Club soda
• White toothpaste
• Baby powder
• Baby wipes
• Vodka
• Spray bottle
• Lemon

Share your best stain-removing tricks and tips!

—Kristen O'Gorman Klein
 

Recently, the bridalguide.com team was invited to a special preview of Kathy Ireland for Mon Cheri’s Spring 2013 bridal collection. The dresses were stunning — inspired by the simplistic and elegant styles of a 1950s Grace Kelly era with a modern twist — and we were thrilled to be getting a sneak peek from Kathy and her team!

Within the first few minutes of meeting the supermodel-turned-business-mogul, I could hear the passion in her voice as she spoke about her latest designs and her excitement about the upcoming collection became contagious. What struck me most about Kathy’s gowns was that she really understands what a bride needs from her dress on her wedding day. Kathy focuses on tailoring each gown in a way that allows all brides to feel beautiful and confident.

As the first gown was presented, there was a collective round of “oohhs and ahhs,” thanks to a romantic strapless mermaid dress with elegant lace detailing. To add some sparkle, Kathy decided to place an eye-catching crystal embellishment onto the ultra-feminine gown, which made it one of my personal favorites.