But I do have a dress...

People always ask me what my own wedding plans are. Seeing as I help others plan their weddings, I should have some pretty solid ideas for my own, right? I embarrassed to admit that I don't have a clue. The problem is I have too many ideas and narrowing them down is impossible. Initially, I thought October would be the perfect month, but now spring and summer are pulling me in. And how great would a wedding be at Christmas time? I've designed 13 (not kidding) different save the dates and have decor chosen for every color palette imaginable. I want a vintage, casual wedding but stylish and modern at the same time.

So, I'm sharing the two things I have made a decision on; the dress and shoes. The gown is a beautiful Carolina Herrera, and if you've been following wedding blogs or buying Martha Stewart Weddings for the past year, you'll recognize it right away. Gorgeous layers of ivory silk organza dotted with daisies, and a sweet little bow in the back. It took me six months to hunt this dress down and it's the last check I've made on my ever-growing list.



I knew I wanted shoes with color, and these red patent leather Mary Janes seem to go well with the dress.



What do you think?

Inspiration Tuesday: Vintage Fabrics

I am so inspired by Etsy shop sohomode. DYING over these dresses! How gorgeous would they be for bridesmaids! I think I might! The fabric, the design, it's simply perfection.

{images from sohomode}

Got me to thinking about vintage fabrics and how to beautifully incorporate them into a wedding. Here are a few examples:

{image from martha stewart weddings}

I like a necktie that coordinates with bridesmaid dresses and overall design of a wedding. If you are having a tough time finding a fabric or print that you, visit Tie Crafters. You can send them your material and they'll custom make your ties to your specifications.

Sew these perfect little clutches for your bridesmaids! You can find a free pattern here. There are, however several other sites offering free patterns if you wish to have a different style.

{image from melissamusgrove}

Have I told you that I love vintage fabrics? Use beautiful, old-fashion feed sack material for your sewing projects. Etsy and Ebay have shops where you can find a variety of colors and patterns.

{image from country living}

These ideas can be beautifully incorporated into a garden or picnic wedding. Tweek the palette a bit for a gorgeous, rustic fall shindig!

Wedding in the Garden

Being a professional wedding blogger, I have a lot of ideas for my own wedding. It's nearly impossible for me to narrow down my color choices, so I'm going with a garden themed wedding; perfect for a person (such as myself) who is unable to commit to one or two colors.

from top left: image from www.cameroningalls.com; source unknown; the knot; country living. 2nd row: victoria mag; the knot; source unknown. 3rd row: stephanie williams photography; country living; source unknown.

How to get this look? Check it out:



Do your own bouquets! When you buy in bulk from Fifty Flowers, you receive a significant discount. When you purchase their garden roses, you'll pay less than if you were getting carnations from a florist! If you would like more of a variety, include peonies and rananculus. For table centerpieces, simply arrange the flowers in large Ball canning jars (less than $1.00 each when you buy a case).



From Party Rental, LTD comes this table setting. Instead of the usual silverware, go with the white handled flatware. The plate looks like it came from Grandma's china cabinet! I chose a pink linen table cloth, white linen church napkins, white folding chairs, and hot pink seat cushions to pull the look together.



I ADORE vintage linens, and these handkerchiefs are my favorite! Peruse the pages on Ebay, visit your local antique store or flea market. Pass them out to your female guests before the ceremony. LOVE this idea! A true vintage wedding inspiration.

Sadly, we are unable to buy Laduree macarons in the United States (if you don't know about these Parisian delights, a favorite of Marie Antoinette, you are sorely missing out, or, very fortunate not to have an unquenchable taste for them). However,L'Epicerie's macarons are pretty good! Purchase in bulk for delicious favors. Pack in mint green or lavender boxes and print your message on the top in a coordinating color.

Bride Power!

In many ways, I am not a typical bride. I agonize at the thought of being the center of attention, hate to give instructions to people and most of all, dread trying on dresses. The whole tradition is a bit nauseating to me. I decided to go the nontraditional and more affordable route of buying my dress on the internet. I knew the dress I wanted, a beautiful Carolina Herrera featured in Martha Stewart Weddings, Summer 2008 issue.

The spread, called "California Dreamy", was the sweetheart of all the wedding blogs for a few months. The organza gown looks like it has little polka dots printed onto it, but it is in fact little embroidered daisies.

I searched high and low, emailing and calling almost 30 bridal shops without luck. My heart was set on this dress, and the feeling of complete let down when I couldn't track it down was discouraging. Then one day, on a whim, I emailed a shop in Newton Massachusetts named Vows. Their website http://www.bridepower.com/ has loads of designer dresses for a fraction of the price. I noted several Carolina Herrera gowns, but not "The One". I sent them an email begging that if they were to ever come the dress to please let me know. Within the hour, April, one of the girls from the shop, sent me the good news that they had the dress in stock and near my size. Getting the dress altered down was not going to be a problem, so two checks. Then she gives me the price...$599! For a Carolina Herrera dress!

Now, a word of caution to prima donnas; the dresses Vows carries are samples from other stores. Be sure to ask the condition of the dress when you find one that you like. Vows dry cleans their gowns before shipping them out (free of charge), but some dresses may have minor imperfections that are mostly fixable.

My experience with Vows and http://www.bridepower.com/ was wonderful! The girls there are super friendly and helpful, and the prices are phenomenal! Check it out today!