Niagara Falls!

Tip one for a Niagara Falls Wedding-- when you Google the phrase, don't spell "Niagara" "Niagra" because Google will think you're an idiot. Fail, Southern girl, fail. The good news? It patronized me and sent me on to find out more about weddings in Niagara Falls!


So, I could go in to the minutiae about a destination wedding, but that's boring (and redundant) and let's admit it-- the reason we all want to get married somewhere like NF is the absolutely amazing scenery that surrounds you! 

(via)

I am all over the river boat at Stone Mountain, but this view? KILLER! Your guests will be in awe of the ceremony and will be in tears about the drama of the falls and the beauty of your marital bliss!


Another fantastic thing about NF or any other amazing outdoors space is that you can take advantage of the setting for your pictures! 

(via)

From what I can tell, a lot of the venues at Niagara Falls definitely go whole hog in the exploitation game-- they love the panoramic views and big glass windows, or meadows by the shores at the bottom of the falls. If you're looking for a quaint town with great activities for your wedding party and good food to munch on, you're good to set sail in Niagara! (Also, stop in at Joe's Crab Shack and you might catch sight of my dear friend and groomsman extraordinaire-- Joe! Note: He does not own said Crab Shack.) Below is what Joe had to say, and to me nothing sounds better than a little bit of kitsch finished with fireworks and a party!

Joe's 2 Cents: Yes! There are some great restaurants. Most of the good stuff is either on the Canadian side or in Buffalo (20 mins south). It's kinda weird...the American side of the falls still sees a lot of tourism, but many of the shops are closed and buildings are abandoned. Kinda represents a cultural shift in the states, really. Some of the activity is kitschy. A lot of neat things go on though, like jazz concerts, musical events, fireworks at the falls, etc.

Ring a Ding King and Queen!

(Telegraph)

Sooo, I wasn't going to blog about the Royal Wedding because many more and far more talented people are doing it, but I'll admit the romance has gotten to me AND I need an easy way out of this evening's post due to exhaustion! I do love Kate Middleton's Grace Kelly throwback gown and thought the pouting bridesmaid as cute as anyone else, but with the grandeur of this wedding, how could your modest affair hope to live up to the new standards?

Princess Grace (Kelly) and Prince Ranier of Monaco

(via fashion-era.com)

We can thank my college friend Taylor for providing tonight's link to Etsy's Royal Wedding List-- wander over and see if you, too, can be taken over by romance!

(And for those of us who are just a little bit geeky, E's Answer Bitch throws a political/historical bone or two our way!)

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