Successfully planning a wedding is a little like matchmaking. You have the bride, and somewhere out there is the perfect gown for her, the ideal wedding location, and the cake that will make her swoon. It's all a matter of matching up the right bride to the right wedding concepts. If you identify your basic style, it will make the wedding planning process much easier.



Traditional Bride: Did you start planning your wedding when you were eight years old? Do you imagine a bridal party with seven bridesmaids, two junior bridesmaids, and a flower girl? Are you very sentimental? If so, you are a Traditional Bride. Traditional Brides are happiest with wedding trappings that remind them of the black and white photos of their grandmother's wedding. They love lace, and long trains, and pearl drop wedding jewelry. A traditional bride will be happiest with a wedding in a house of worship, followed by a reception in an historic hotel ballroom. The honeymoon will be two weeks in Hawaii. She will save her bridal gown so that it can be cut down into her first daughter's Christening gown one day.

Classic Bride: Is your favorite wedding phrase, “simple but elegant”? Do you read the Martha Stewart Weddings magazine from cover to cover each month? Do monograms make your heart sing? If so, you are a Classic Bride. Classic Brides love clean lines, timeless style, and understated elegance. Your ideal wedding reception will be held in a yacht club or your family's country club. The décor can be all-white for the most formal weddings, or can feature color combinations like pink and green or baby blue and chocolate brown. You will be delighted by floral displays with bunches of one single type of flower, such as peonies, roses, or tulips. A classic strand of pearls is your perfect wedding jewelry. Loud d.j.s make you cringe.

Earthy Bride: Do you love wildflowers? What about contra dancing? Is your dream to be married in a field and bake your own cake? If so, you are surely an Earthy Bride. You will be happiest with an outdoor wedding in a beautiful natural location. Seasonal, organic food served family style will be just right for your reception. An Earthy Bride will be radiant in a pretty linen bridal gown with unique handcrafted wedding jewelry. Great ideas for your favors include a little tree that can be planted, or something handmade like a jar of jam or maple syrup. For an especially auspicious start to your marriage, schedule your wedding for the summer solstice.

Diva Bride: Will you only wear a bridal gown from a top designer? Do you want to have the tallest wedding cake the baker has ever made? Did you dye your dog's fur to match your wedding colors? If you quit your job to concentrate full time on planning your wedding, then you are definitely a Diva Bride. The Diva Bride lives to be the center of attention, and everything about her wedding must be the biggest, the best, and the most extravagant. The diva will have all eyes on her in a heavily beaded bridal gown with opulent crystal wedding jewelry. Her motto is: “More sparkle, please!”. The wedding venue has to be absolutely fabulous for a diva bride – think St. Patrick's Cathedral or a castle.

The truth is that all brides have a little bit of everything in them (especially the diva!). You should love your wedding, down to the smallest detail (and of course the biggest one – the groom!). Finding the style that feels most natural to you will help you to personalize your wedding and make it really feel like your own custom event.