A vintage dress with a pillbox hat. Red and purple flowers in June. Lime green cakes. Today's bride is changing all the rules. What do you need to have a wedding that's all you? Just a vision and the confidence to express yourself, even if it means throwing tradition to the wind.

Older and wiser or older and bolder?

Today's brides are often older than their mothers were when they tied the knot and they're willing to look at new ways of looking "bridal." An older bride is more self-aware and confident, says Diane Tresham, owner of Arctic Rose Fine Fashions & Bridal Boutique. "They know what looks best on their bodies," she says. "They know how to enhance their best features."

Laisne Waldron of The Wedding Shoppe & Boutique agrees. This translates to a "sleeker and more sophisticated look." Older brides are cutting away the yards and yards of tulle, she says, and revealing themselves in the process. "We're seeing more colors," she says, pointing out that some brides bypass the gowns altogether and head for the bridesmaid dresses. And many are doing away with the veil altogether, she says, and opting instead for hair adorned with flowers.

Looking good and feeling great from the inside out

While some brides still embrace the wedding fantasy -- the professional makeover, the fancy up-do -- many are focusing on more lasting changes to commemorate a new stage in their lives.

Crash diets are out. Straining to squeeze into a dress one size too small is out. Fit brides are in. Brides-to-be are heading for the gym. They want to look great in their gowns, but they are looking for something more, says Kristi Wolf of Powerhouse Gym. Exercise is a great way to relax during the stresses of planning the big event, she says. And exercise can give you the confidence and the stamina to be at the center of attention for the weeks leading up to the big day.

Photography advice: Look good now -- and later

So you're looking great, decked out in a sensational gown, now how are you going to immortalize the moment? If you're dreading the hours of standing around in high heels with a plastic smile on your face, fear not. Photojournalism is a modern bride's choice, says Jeff Nordby of Nordby Photography. "It's the very hottest trend," he says. His job, he says, is just to "document the event as it happens." In photojournalism, Nordby explains, there is no posing. Plastic smiles and sore feet are out.

Nordby often recommends that wedding photographs be taken before the actual ceremony. After the wedding, he says, the bride "is drained emotionally. She will photograph so much better before. Her eyes are open, vibrant, alive and excited," he says.

Today's bride is savvier and more knowledgeable than ever before, notes Nordby. "They're doing a lot more research," he says. "They're more educated and aware of what's out there. They're looking at magazines and seeing a lot of style and techniques." What they're choosing, he says, is a lot of black and white. "For one thing," he says, "it's timeless." Plus you get to indulge in all the fun color trends without immortalizing them for the ages. In other words, you can have your fuschia cake and eat it too. With color photographs, says Nordby, "years from now, you're going to look at the color and think, 'Where'd that come from?'"

A cake of a different color

Fuschia cakes? Why not. Also lime greens, pinks and oranges, reds and greens, jewel tones. Most brides are looking for "bold colors with a whimsical look," says Jeryll Luper of Creative Cakes by Jeryll. Carved cakes continue to cut edges, she says. As for plastic toppers? Toss 'em. Fresh or fashioned flowers are the way to go.

Kory Joyner of Superstar Pastry Design wants your cake to be a reflection of you. "Everybody's special," she says. "Your cake should be special too." Take the cake she designed for a couple tying the knot this summer. The self-described "book worms" met in college and spend lots of time in libraries. Their cake is going to look like a stack of books -- right down to the gold gilding on the pages and the ribbon bookmarkers coming out. Think leather colors, if you can. No lime green here!

"I don't tell brides 'no,'" she says. Now that's hot.

Hot choices from the hot house

Flowers are turning up everywhere at hot weddings, according to Lori Ellis, owner of Picadilly Flowers -- "on awnings, the ends of pews, spread throughout reception halls." And the colors are bold, such as combinations of red and orange, and purple and lime even in summer.

Tina Osmond, Picadilly's lead designer, says that unique accessories are allowing brides to make their arrangements more personal and unique. Colored beads in pastels and berry tones are taking the place of traditional pearls. Assertive shapes such as curly willow are adding pizzazz and structure to a wedding's look.

As for the arrangements? Think large, lush and elaborate shapes, says Osmond. And cascades and crescent shapes are definitely au courant. So, when it comes to flowers at least, more is definitely more.

Dancing to her own tune - Snoopy's tune, that is

When Laurie Wolf and Daniel Heath became engaged, they knew from the beginning that theirs would not be a traditional wedding. At the advice of a friend, she and her fiancé Daniel chose five wedding "deal breakers" and then consciously chose to relax about the other details of the event.

One "deal breaker"? A four-legged member of the wedding party. Her dog, Abraham, served as ring bearer. "He's 14," Laurie says. "It's the longest relationship I've ever been in. He's part of my family."

Another must-have, was the location: her parents' backyard -- a beautiful location that had meaning and memories for both her and her fiancé.

She chose a non-traditional cake - chocolate. And non-traditional music -- "Snoopy" theme music, no less.

The most important deal-breaker was in her choice of officiant. Her father performed the service allowing her to incorporate valued traditional Jewish rituals while respecting her fiancé's more secular views. In this way, breaking from tradition allowed them to embrace tradition in a deeply personal way.

When it came to her gown, however, she surprised herself. While shopping with her mother, she found herself unable to resist a flowing white gown.

Wolf sums it up this way: "I didn't do things by the book. I'm at an age where I don't need a book because I know more about myself."

Read more about planning the ultimate Alaskan wedding. Pick up a copy of Alaska Bride & Groom magazine, on newsstands now. Alaska Bride & Groom is your complete Alaska wedding guide.