Today I watched the live broadcast of Meghan Markle's wedding to Prince Harry. Watching the blushing bride marry her Prince took me back to my wedding day on August 2014. Jason and I got engaged while on a safari in Tanzania. I was not expecting the proposal. While we had been together for several years, we never went ring shopping.

Meghan Markle walked down the aisle in her Givenchy wedding dress just hours ago. Givenchy has been worn by American pop stars for years including Beyonce and Kim Khardasian. This was a less traditional fashion choice as seen by other royals. Since Meghan is an American actress, I feel this was the right design house for her. The designer Clare Weight Keller took over the role of Givenchy's Creative Director in 2017. While Clare is new to Givenchy, I was curious about the recent collections of Givenchy wedding dresses.

Here are my top in-store wedding dresses inspired by Meghan Markle's wedding day look. I love when brides are inspired, but are not necessarily looking for a replica. Each individual should  have their own wedding dress. This is one of the many things I love about our boutique. We only have one of each dress with the exception of a handful of special order dresses that can be replicated.  

During my decision to open up The Bridal Finery, I continued to think about these women. They really led me. I saw their strength. I saw what they accomplished out of a small loan as little as $70. I saw how their business was flourishing and how they were able to better provide for their children

Traditional wedding dresses are a thing of the past, which was made clear in this years Spring and Summer 2019 collections shown at Bridal Fashion week. Designers were eager to tailor to the bold bride and the bride that is ready to embrase her inner royalty. Fear not, if neither of these descriptions fit you there is a dress for every bride in between! From feathers to swarovski crystals and new hair styles to look out for the designers have come up with lines that fit the modern bride extremely well.

 Just as there is the honeymoon phase in a new marriage, as a recent Bride, I can attest to the same overwhelming joy immediately following a recent engagement. You try to enjoy it as much as you can, bottling up that over-the-moon bliss of this life changing moment, but before you know it in a blink of an eye you’re three weeks engaged and diving right into wedding planning mode. The questions of venues and menus, photographers and videographers suddenly weigh heavier than the new rock on your finger. 

Quiet moments to reflect on the true purpose of The Big Day seem few and far between in the wedding planning process, with contracts and vendor availability looming around every corner. 

For me, I was able to find these pockets of tranquility in choosing my wedding gown. 

Once you've asked your bridesmaids to be apart of their bridal party, let them know how they can help with the wedding planning and the wedding dress. 

Here are five ways bridesmaids can help besides going shopping with you to find the wedding dress…

In this interview The Bridal Finery got the opportunity to talk to Anita Aguirre, the woman behind the designs of Girl & A Serious Dream. Her company provides brides with everything from accessories to veils, robes, lingerie, and bridal cover-ups. Anita gives us a look into her design process along with tips and tricks for brides to be when shopping or thinking about veils. 

Weather you are a bride to be looking into mens fashion, an attending guest of a wedding, a groomsmen or the lucky groom John Craig Clothier known mens fashion that will make any man look sartorially sophisticated for that happy day. Dressing up your look with the right amount of color or even picking a texture to make your tie pop is what they do best.