Modern Bride Magazine

Modern Bride is the number one bridal resource magazine in America. Half of the couples who get married each year consult Modern Bride. The magazine is jam packed with all the information engaged couples need to plan their perfect day. Inside the pages of Modern Bride, couples will find advertisers for every aspect of their wedding from their engagement to their honeymoon and even setting up their new home. Although the pages are crammed with advertising, Modern Bride is really a terrific one-stop shopping place for prospective brides, grooms, their families and wedding party. Engaged couples consult Modern Bride for advice, ideas, tips and suggestions on everything related to wedding planning. Almost two and a half million couples marry every year. The US wedding industry is a 100 billion business.

My daughter just got married this August. She enjoyed looking through the pages of this magazine for gown ideas for herself and the wedding party. I consulted the magazine for my own dress. Even the groom searched the pages for gift ideas for his groomsmen and ushers. My daughter also used the wedding planning articles. This is one magazine where we hardly minded wading through all the ads-and ads there are-plenty of them. In fact, the magazine is mostly all ads. But brides want the information in the ads to obtain the products and services that they need for their weddings.

In fact there are so many ads that I had to wade through 16 pages of ads to even reach the Table of Contents pages. The three pages are neatly and attractively laid out with department headings printed in bold shocking pink fonts. Cover articles are printed in lower case smaller-sized shocking pink colored fonts for easy locating - a nice touch. Several beautiful photos brighten the pages. I did find it difficult to navigate the magazine because ad pages aren't numbered and there are so many of them.

I'm unsure whether this publication should be called a book or a magazine. The very thick publication contains 558 pages. The glossy covers always feature gorgeous brides in stunning gowns holding beautiful flowers. Six cover articles are featured on the covers; some even list page numbers. Modern Bride is written in a large white bold font at the top. The Website is listed right on the cover. I am reviewing the September/October issue.

The Website, www.modernbride.com is basically a shopping site. There are also articles from the current issue, great deals on honeymoon trips and a good subscription offer. I didn't find too much interesting here but brides could register their preferences for gifts. The site is easy to navigate and attractive looking.

Most brides purchase Modern Bride mainly to view the selection of gowns. The bridal gown reflects the personal style of the bride and she wants it to be THE perfect dress. Brides agonize over every detail of their dress and spend hours checking out different styles. Modern Bride is the perfect place for prospective brides to view the latest styles. They show a wide variety of styles suitable for all figures and ages.

The current issue displays 700 of the hottest styles for the entire bridal party. The majority of gowns are for the bride. In "Runway Reports" hundreds of this season's hottest styles are highlighted. This season draping and pleats on the gown are popular. Cap sleeves are hot and there are lots of trendy necklines and low backs. Skirts are full, sweeping or slinky. Some gowns have lots of shimmer; some have lots of lace; all are spectacular. There are even two pages filled with photos of brides modeling gowns in bold colors like deeply hued burgundies and blues. Others are shown in gold, peach and pink. Full figured models also wear gowns in plus sizes. The selections for bridesmaids and mothers are equally colorful and stunning. For the most part all these gowns are available in retail stories but some are not. Prices are not listed for gowns in this section but designers are listed. I found that most of the gowns in the magazines that have prices listed cost around $550-$3,000 which I think is a good range.

A prospective bride wants to view all the different styles until she finds the perfect dress for her. Well this magazine carries the most gowns of all bridal magazines. Prospective brides can also check out ideas for hairstyles, veils, headpieces and jewelry worn by the models. My daughter found the designer (Demetrios) of her gown in Modern Bride and also found the hairstyle for her wedding day. I would advise Brides to even try on dresses that they are unsure about because they may find they flatter them better than ones that initially appealed to them. This happened to my daughter. Oh and by the way, her dress was very reasonably priced on the lower end of the price range for gowns listed in the above paragraph. The material was of very high quality and the gown was well constructed. My daughter chose one of the simpler gowns and she looked stunning, sophisticated and radiant.

Brides also consult Modern Bride for wedding planning advice. This issue lists 7 articles under this category. There is advice on budgeting for the wedding in a fun to read quiz, "How Budget Savvy Are You?" with very helpful answers. It discusses tipping policies, consultant's fee and using financial planners. Brides and their families are very unsure of tipping policies and appreciate all the advice they get. Another good article in the financial area is in the Q & A section. Since Modern Bride isn't in any way a financial guide, don't expect in-depth advice. Usually advice is about specific practical money matters. In this issue read advice for wives who make more money than their husbands, use of credit cards for wedding expenses, holiday weekend weddings and finding a job long distance. All the financial articles give good practical advice.

"Organize Your Life" while cute, is basically more advertising. It features products such as calculators, hand held planners and pre-paid cell phones. Read the latest bridal buzz on Newswire, a brief listing of some fun or unusual bridal ideas and facts. One fun idea at beach weddings is to have friends sign a big beach ball instead of a bridal guest book. A fun fact is that 18% of brides-to-be call their fiance five or more times a day to talk about the wedding. Yikes! They are quick easy reads that are interesting. "Peace, Love & Happiness talks about how to achieve bliss using the ancient Chinese principals of feng shui. It is interesting to read and brides, whether or not they believe the principles, can use some of the suggestions.

Another article under Your Wedding Q & A has good solid answers to brides' specific wedding planning questions. Using the question &answer format brides get good advice about nervous speech givers, ways to make weddings unique, lighting concerns, finances and wedding favors.

The last three articles are perhaps some of the most helpful planning articles in the issue. "Oh, What a Site" gives helpful hints on finding the perfect wedding site. The advice is practical and extremely helpful. In addition the magazine list 5 party planning secrets. I have attended several wedding where secret #4 wasn't followed. It says guests should all be seated for dinner in the same room as the bride and groom. I feel the same way. "Let 'Em Eat Cake" is a really great article on how to find a cake that suits your tastes while "Show Your Good Taste" has solid advice for choosing a caterer. I wish this huge magazine had more of these types of articles.

The features in Modern Bride are always interesting and helpful reads. They always contain practical advice and suggestions. This issue is no exception. One great feature tells how to pick the perfect fit for your figure. It gives two different suggestions to help camouflage each problem area. I think the suggestions are excellent and brides will love them.

The next two features are equally helpful. One is a Roundtable discussion with a wedding planner moderating. Three brides and their mom discuss "Whose Wedding Is It, Anyway?" I love it and recommend it to all brides and their moms. Sparks really fly in this 4-page feature. Luckily, my daughter and I saw eye to eye on all aspects of her wedding and we did not encounter any of these problems. Many others are not so lucky. Read all about the mother-daughter wedding wars. The photo shows brides and moms in a tug-of-war game. This is a lighthearted way of opening communications for both moms and brides on a very sensitive subject. Great article! In a similar vein, "Planning Your Wedding Without Losing Your Friends" has equally helpful advice on a topic affecting lots of brides.

The last feature is a nice article about a couple who plan an unusual wedding, wearing untraditional wedding apparel at an unconventional site. Lots of small photos show the happy couple. I think articles like this one encourage brides and grooms to feel more relaxed about having a different wedding. I enjoyed the two-page feature but I'm happy my daughter didn't want that kind of wedding. There are several more articles about weddings with themes.

Under Real Weddings, engaged couples can read about a Las Vegas-style wedding, a Nantucket- theme wedding, and an enchanted wedding complete with wizard's robe for the officiant. Perhaps brides won't want these themes but they can use the ideas on how to coordinate music, decorations and dress to carry out their own theme. The pictures are exciting and the stories are great. For a bride looking for something different, these ideas are terrific. The last article on Real Wedding is about a mother who hand made her three daughters' gowns. All of these are lovely stories that will interest brides. There are more helpful articles on health & sex.

Modern Bride also has plenty of other articles. But, some of them are thinly veiled advertising with pictures, sources, prices and contact phone numbers for the products listed. These articles are " 'Tis the Season," on bridal cakes; "Get Purse-onal" on bridal purses; "Groom Service" on accessories for the groom and "Something So Write" on invitations. Although the information is useful, it is disguised advertising passing itself off as articles. Other ones in a similar vein are "The Right Angle" which is just a designer dress with contact information and "Pucker Up" which is basically just advertising for nine beauty products. They are interesting reads but are really just selling products in an attractive format.

Others are much more helpful to brides and the rest of the wedding party. "Face Facts." is a really good easy-to-read article with professional advice on do's and don'ts for your face shape. All information is clearly listed in a chart format with diagrams and photos to help the reader. This very simple article is most helpful to brides and her ladies-in-waiting. As mother-of-the-bride, I found it helpful to me. A well-known stylist gives excellent suggestions and it is very informative. "Baring Arms" is another easy to read workout for brides. Step-by-step instructions and photos make the workout easy to follow. There are also some very good training tips that brides should also check out. Other helpful short articles are on reception favor ideas and more bouquet ideas (really great photos.) One of the prettiest articles is "The All-White Wedding Reception." All brides will love the beautiful photos on all aspects of the reception. Even if brides don't choose an all white wedding reception, there are plenty of ideas to inspire them.

For bridesmaids there is a wonderful 10-page article just for them. This is a pictorial article showing gowns and accessories and bridesmaids will love it. The magazine has lots of other gowns for them and mothers.

The last 100 pages of the magazine are devoted to honeymoon articles. I love all the different types of vacation packages offered. There are idea for all-inclusive resorts, island trips, desert locations, Disney trips, adventure vacation ideas and so many more. Terrific photos make each seem the perfect idea. Complete details are supplied.

I realize this is a long epinion but the magazine is huge. One last thing I want to mention is that I love the Modern Bride Booklets section. Brides can send away for information from all advertisers listed. Fax or use the handy envelope enclosed. There is a small handling charge of $2.00 for all booklets. Many booklets are free; some have a nominal charge. If brides contacted each individually, the postage alone would be a lot higher. Although individual advertisers include post cards, they all require stamps.

In summary, I like the source book for brides. Here brides can located all the products and services they need for their wedding. The gown photos along are worth the price of the book. All the articles are interesting; most are helpful as well. Even the multitude of ads helps brides choose bridal products. My daughter ordered her invitations and stationary from a company advertised in this magazine. I also love the great travel section and the new home decorating information. The magazine has lots of helpful advice, but it's difficult to find among all the ads. Despite the abundance of ads, I still highly recommend this magazine for brides. Just don't plan on carrying it around with you unless you are try to lose weight; it's heavy.

The book costs $5.99 on the newsstand. Order 6 issues on the Website for $9.95, which is 72% off the cover price. This deal can't be beat! But, my daughter managed to beat it. She attended a Bridal Show organized by the magazine and got her first issue free there. She has since received an absolutely free subscription. Even if she didn't, she would have bought more issues.

If you are engaged, I give you my warmest wishes for a beautiful wedding. My marital advice is this; check out this magazine and enjoy all the wedding festivities.

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