It’s no surprise that weddings are a serious business. Photo Courtesy of ARA
It’s no surprise that weddings are a serious business. They are, after all, a $25.3 billion industry.
Not only does the average bride take 7 to 12 months to plan her wedding, but she will also spend some $25,000 making it one of the most memorable days of her life according to the Web site, www.hallmark.com. Of that budget, some $3,000 or more can go to a wedding dress according to about.com.
So with all that riding on the big day, what does today’s average 18-year-old dream about when she conjures up her own wedding day?
Well, she may not be average, but Elana Bloom, winner of The Art Institutes first Passion for Fashion competition, and a $70,000 scholarship to study fashion design at The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, has given the subject some thought and she’s decided she wants something, “sleek and sexy.â€
Sleek and sexy is one of the hottest trends in wedding style today. “Less pouf and more sheer fabrics that accentuate a bride’s body and offer sleek silhouettes,†says Bloom.
According to Jacqueline Peterson, senior academic director of fashion marketing for The Art Institute of Phoenix, Bloom’s take on wedding style is right on target. “Choosing simpler styles over showy flatters every bride, no matter their shape or size,†she says.
“For embellishment, today’s modern bride may look for stunning bead work or other simple accents to draw attention to her dress, rather than lots of lace, bows or other details that may take away from the fit or fabric of a dress,†she adds.
In addition to a wonderful dress, accessories are one of the most important ways a bride can personalize her wedding look. If you weren’t lucky enough to inherit a wonderful piece of antique jewelry, you can find a bracelet, necklace or earrings by checking out a few key Internet sources.
“There are so many retail shops operating online these days that anything in a store can be found online and for accessories, the Internet is ideal,†says Peterson. For example, Peterson likes E-Jules.com, a great site for jewelry accessories, necklaces, bracelets, broaches, earrings and more. The prices are very “friendly†she says, especially when you want a particular piece to tie together your wedding look, but don’t want to spend a fortune.
Like most teenage girls, Bloom says hair is always an important accessory, “on a wedding day, or any day for that matter, brides need to remember not to lacquer their hair to their head. Instead, brides should look as natural as possible with a swept away up-do.†Add a dainty necklace and jaw dropping earrings. Keep make-up simple, she recommends. “Lots of mascara, a dust of bronzer and a sheer tinted lip-gloss are all a bride needs.â€
More important than a dress, jewelry or make-up is the day itself, the whole wedding experience. And even though Bloom, at 18, is a few years away from her own wedding, she sounds like she has the right idea.
“I want my wedding to be about dancing and all-around family fun. People should leave my wedding with sore feet from too much dancing! That’s my idea of a perfect wedding day,†she says.
To learn more about The Art Institutes Passion for Fashion scholarship, visit www.artinstitutes.edu/passion4fashion.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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Lanesborough Town Meeting to Vote Budget, Bylaws & Vehicle Purchases
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Tuesday's annual town meeting includes a $14 million operating budget, new short-term rentals, accessory dwelling units and sign bylaws, and free cash article appropriations.
Voters will gather at Lanesborough Elementary School on June 9 at 6 p.m. to decide on 20 warrant articles.
The fiscal 2027 budget is up a little over 10 percent. Some of the main increases are the Mount Greylock Regional School District and McCann Technical School: the McCann assessment is up more than 30 percent based on factors including enrollment and the school renovation project, and Mount Greylock's is up 11 percent.
Article 11 is for the town to vote to approve from free cash the sum of $16,298.48 for the McCann Technical School roof and window replacement project so as not to impact the budget. Article 3 is appropriate $7,586,284 for Mount Greylock Regional School assessment.
Another notable increase was in life and health insurance, showing an increase of about 26 percent.
Ambulance Director Jen Weber is planning 24-hour coverage, which means more staff and a hike in her budget. One of the articles asks the town to appropriate $234,100 to operate the Ambulance Enterprise Fund for salaries and expenses.
Many town departments are looking for new vehicles. The Fire Department is looking to replace its outdated 1996 fire engine. There are two articles related to the truck at a total of $813,366. Article 12 would transfer $225,000 from free cash into the Fire Truck Stabilization Fund; Article 13 would transfer $605,000 from the fund and authorize the borrowing of $208,366.08.
The total includes a $100,000 contingency cost to cover any additional costs if a 2026 model-year chassis cannot be secured before new emissions standards go into effect in 2027.
The board at its last meeting moved the $225,000 transfer to come before the borrowing article, changing the stabilization number. If the $225,000 is not voted on, then they will amend the next article's number on the floor, subtracting the $225,000. This shows the borrowing number significantly lower.
Article 17 asks for the transfer of $80,000 from free cash to replace a police cruiser.
Police Chief Rob Derksen's aim is to replace one vehicle every other year, meaning the oldest vehicle gets replaced about every 10 years.
He stressed that if delayed this year, the town may have to double up in a future year to get back on schedule, and that paying later usually costs more. The article will ask for $80,000 from free cash, the vehicles used to be funded by the BHRD.
Lastly, the Highway Department is looking to replace a 2014 International dump truck that will be a total of $330,000 and will take two to three years to receive.
Money will be used from last year's approval of $250,000 from free cash for the replacement of a 2012 highway front-end loader that was underspent $49,261. Town meeting is being asked to approve a transfer of $53,274.85 from free cash and the use of $227,464 from funds from the Sale of Town Real Estate to fund the balance.
Other free cash proposals include $1,200 to purchase software to support tracking and ongoing maintenance schedules of town-owned vehicles; $42,000 for the replacement of the Highway Department's storage shed roof, $200,000 to reduce the tax levy.
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