Seasonal Shindig

One of the things that I wanted so hard to avoid was having a Seasonal Shindig-- we got married less than a week before Christmas and by golly, I had no intention of having a Christmas-y wedding!

I frequently say things emphatically and then end up having our goddaughter/flower girl dressed in red and white, favor boxes that look like wrapped presents, and a gift table with a tulle-wrapped Christmas tree...

But you know what? It was so. cute! People loved the favor boxes (which were filled with mini York Peppermint Patties, thank you Sam's Club!) and adored the Christmas tree table! Again, this is all about perspective; if you do your Christmas wedding and mean it, you won't come off looking cheesy, instead it will be just the opposite!

Think how cute black or Christmas green bridesmaids dresses would be with candy cane tights! Or a cute little flower girl in a Christmas dress? And, instead of the popular pom bouquets with flowers, have them made with tulle and ornaments instead!

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You want to know something else awesome about getting married at Christmas? Most places, especially churches, will have decorations provided! One less thing to worry about/spend your money on!

Poinsettias? Perfect! 

Christmas tree? Sparkly!

There are loads of ways to stay seasonal with your wedding while still keeping it classy-- from vintage Christmas to modern merriment, keep track of these items and more on my Winter Wedding Pinboard on Pinterest!

This one's for the girls!

After all my crazy wedding shennanigans were over, I neglected to unenroll myself from all the e-mail lists. Sometimes, it's annoying, but sometimes I find a little gem like this one from Dessy-- they've decided to go whole hog in to the "nobody ever wears that dress again" sentiment and have started a program called "Newly Maid" for the bridesmaid in need of a LBD.

Now, you're probably thinking to yourself that it sounds too good to be true, and it sort of is-- when you start looking in to the details, you realize that you don't actually get to swap out dresses, but that Dessy has six styles of dresses that range in price from $165-200 before your Newly Maid discount and are dropped in price from $90-115.

Now, I'm not the kind of gal that's going to spend $90 on a dress, especially if I've already spent the money in the first place, but if you have a particularly hideous dress that you couldn't think about wearing again to save your life then maybe this is the deal for you!

Ring a Ding Ding (Pt. 3)

Have you picked up on a theme yet? Ring around your finger, ring around your neck/wrist (cut me a little slack here, I'm stuck on this Frank Sinatra thing), and now a ring around your head! Headpieces and veils are SO hard to decide on; everyone loves a cathedral veil, but who really wants to deal with that? And how big does your tiara need to be before the whispers of "nouveau riche" or "wannabe princess" start? And what about comfort? Do you WANT a big thing on top of your head all day?

I scoured Etsy when looking for mine, and encourage you to do the same-- even if you don't buy one you're bound to find some amazing things like this adorable little shop carries!

Be Something New is another Etsy find of mine, though this one didn't come through Heartsy like the last two-- this one just popped up by happenstance! I wish it had shown itself sooner, because what a perfect place to find a vintage headpiece, or something that's not a long flowing veil, OR something adorable for bridesmaids and flower girls!

These would be perfect for all three-- flower girls will feel pretty, and bridesmaids and brides will look understated and beautiful!

Bridesmaids in blue or yellow will look smashing with these daisies in their hair-- and how perfect that they won't fade away! Your gals can keep the headband for years to come and remember your wedding each time!

And for the outdoors wedding? C'est magnifique! Yes, I'm obsessed with spring weddings because I didn't get one, but how could you not be with a beautiful piece like this that would fit so perfectly? Alternatively, you could work it in to a winter wonderland sort of theme; it's really one of those things that will look lovely no matter when you wear it!

Ring a Ding Ding (Pt. 2)

OK, so AO Designs isn't carrying Rings per se, but she does have some amazing jewelry that are perfect not only for the woman building her family by addition, but by building her family through combination! I just picked up this beautiful garnet necklace (I'm in love with my birthstone, what of it?) and some earrings as well.

I'm having the hearts stamped with my initial and my husband's, and husbands to be take note-- this would be a terribly sweet present for your wife to be!

There are a few beautiful necklaces that would be perfect bridesmaids gifts for a spring wedding; a friend of mine picked the eggs in a nest necklace in pistachio-- one for each child she has running around the house! The stylish bridesmaid would no doubt be pleased as punch to have one of these delicate little items hanging around her neck. 

There are beautiful necklaces, bracelets, and initial pieces that would be perfect for the bridesmaid, flower girl, cat of honor, and mothers of brides/grooms alike! I know my mother in law loves family pieces, and if you picked one up of these Small Circles necklaces, you can contact Angela for more discs as your family grows.

Head on over to see the other beautiful pieces she has for sale-- you won't be sorry, and you may just end up as addicted as I am!

Bridesmaid's Dresses

When you hear the phrase "bridesmaids dresses" you may think of some cute little numbers chain stores like David's Bridal and Dessy Group have come out with in the last few years or you may think of Katherine Heigl's overstuffed closet of monstrosities from "27 Dresses" with plenty of tulle, satin, and pastels to boot. When I hear the phrase "bridesmaids dresses" I think of endless opportunities!

At my wedding, my bridesmaids all wore different styles of the same color dress from David's Bridal-- the color coordinated with a sash on my dress and each woman had fun picking out a dress that fit her shape and style! Emily, on the far right, was in a wedding several months earlier with similar colors to mine so she chopped off the bottom of her dress and made it in to a shawl! There are several good reasons for going with this tactic, especially if you have a long engagement planned:

1) Your bridesmaids will thank you for letting them wear something flattering
2) Your unique wedding will be even moreso
3) You will get to showcase not only yourself, but the amazing women who have undoubtedly done their fair share of work for your big day
4) Your bridesmaids may be able to find something more within their budget range
5) Your friends will have a dress they are more likely to wear again in the future, which makes laying down $100+ on a dress a little less painful!

So what started this all in my head? Why this post? Because of this dress:

This is the Limerick Lass Dress from Modcloth and I'm dying to own it. This dress just screams Spring wedding, not to mention it looks comfortable and has a small amount of customization to it. (the bow around the waist is a removable sash) It made me think-- what would I have done if I wanted everyone to wear the same dress? What have I advised some of my clients who are looking for alternative options to do? Just what I'm doing tonight-- browsing stores online! From Nordstrom's to Bluefly, to more independent online shops like Modcloth, there are endless options for the frugal, fashionable, and unique wedding party!

I love everything vintage, so it's extremely hard for me to narrow down my choices, but here are a few categories to help break up the visuals...

Spring Weddings

In addition to the Limerick Lass dress above, I love the City of Emeralds Dress with its flowing layers just begging to be worn to an evening wedding in March or April. The Kennebunkport Dress, seen below, is the epitome of (duh) a beach or bay wedding with classic lines.

The Bubbling Over dress is another classic dress with a flirty skirt and top that's made for an afternoon wedding!

Romantic Weddings

Well of course weddings are romantic, but I mean in the Walt Whitman kind of way-- a touch of florals, wispy fabrics, and light colors kind of romantic. If this is your game, I would be remiss if I didn't send you to the Blossoming Clouds dress...

You should also take a look at the over-one-shoulder styles that come in several colors, like the SoCal Bungalow Dress and the Fluid Dynamics Dress.

Vintage Chic

I'm trying not to wear you out, but I would be completely remiss if I didn't send you to look at the next three dresses! Vintage weddings are huge right now, and with plenty good reason-- the styles are classic, the lines flattering, and nobody's cooler than a dame who knows what she wants. What do I want? These babies:

The Ilsa Dress

Dream Collector Dress

Ablaze With Beauty

Just imagine sending these dresses down the aisle before you show up in a beautiful silk and lace sheath with a fascinator pinned to your updo-- talk about a wow factor!

I'll end it on that bombshell, but see below for a few more dresses I'd love to see walking down the aisle as an introduction!

Missing the Pacific

Atop the Grand Staircase (a must have for a holiday wedding!)

Kalanchoe Blooms Dress