Nude or Black, Black or Nude

Get your mind out of the gutter!  Nude as in... the color!! ;-)

So now that we've decided on royal blue for the bridesmaid dress color, the next "big" decision is shoes!  By the way, I'll gladly share their dress choices as soon as the final 2 gals pick out their styles.  So until then, let's think about completing the look.  First option I'm eliminating is silver.  While it goes really well with royal blue... with a fall wedding it just doesn't go with the whole "theme" of the day/season.

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I love the look, but it just won't work.  Next option could be getting funky with royal blue shoes to match the dress.  In theory, this sounds fun and sassy... a pair of heels that the girls could pair with another outfit later when they're feeling bold.  But... how do we match the color?  Do we dye them?  I purchased satin dyeable shoes for the last wedding I was in (picture seen in this blog, black dresses, lime green shoes) and due to a little rain and mud they are basically ruined, not able to be worn again... that's a bummer.  I'd hate to see a royal blue overkill though... 

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Royal blue would be fun (especially if we could afford the Chanel pair shown above!), but it seems a little too impractical.  So, next up... what about black?  The guys tuxes are black, which is why I think this could work.  It seems a little dark to match with royal blue, but the positive here is that the girls likely already have a suitable pair of black shoes in their closet at home that could work, heels or flats or even a strappy number.  No need to buy new?  Bonus!

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I think black really has potential... I love the look on Gilmore Girls' Alexis Bledel (of note: FH had to tell me who she was, I had no idea.... why does he know?  Clearly he's a closet Gilmore fan *wink*).  Anyway, the last viable option is nude.  Not going to lie, I think this would be soooo cute!  I am leaning towards this look, but I also know that choosing a nude shoe will probably mean another purchase needs to be made by my girls and if so, I will have to rethink my love of the look.  Nude DOES seem really trendy right now, so maybe they'll surprise me by owning a pair already... :)

Only $29.99 at Payless

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Come on... who can argue with the fashion sense of Kate Middleton... she's a PRINCESS.  I think the nude heel makes her legs look longer and puts more focus on her dress, because they don't draw the eye immediately down.  

So there you have it -- my shoe conundrum.  What would Louboutin do?  

Intentionally Mismatched

I have had the privilege of standing up in two weddings, three if you count my grandmothers second marriage later in life (which yes, counts, but not in the sense of a "typical" bridal party experience).  In the first one... I was one of three bridesmaids and we all went shopping at a bridal shop together and decided on one style of dress, one specific color.  It was a lovely purple and all three of us were a little heavier than we are now, so it was one we all felt comfortable in, which was key.

Source:  www.tworingphotography.com/

The second BM experience was a more relaxed approach (no pun intended on the BM reference, btw, haha).  We had instructions to find a short, black, silk dress.  End of story.  The bride was insistent on us being able to wear them again, which was really thoughtful.  Oddly enough, it made finding a dress a little more difficult because we had such freedom... but in the end, we all looked intentionally mismatched and it definitely worked.

Source:  http://rearviewphotos.blogspot.com/

Fast forward to ME playing the roll of bride and I've decided to blend the two approaches into one.  I am having the girls get their dresses from a bridal store in a certain color/fabric/length and beyond that, they'll have the freedom to pick a one they love.  That gives them about 9 styles to choose from.  This also helps with the fact that they're all so different both in fashion and in body type.  So, ultimately I'm really hoping the outcome will be 5 girls who are 100% comfortable in their dresses and that trendy flare of an "intentionally mismatched" bridal party!

The store?  David's Bridal
The color?  Horizon
The fabric?  Silk
The length?  Short/Knee Length

Here's an example of the color...
(the groomsman's tuxes will also have a similar horizon blue vest/tie)

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Here's the mismatched look I'm going for... :)

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What approach did you take in picking dresses for your bridesmaids and why?  The beauty of this is, there's no right or wrong answer... but I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Time to Get Serious

Okay... so, in my very first blog entry I fessed up about my ultimate goal with this blog, to perhaps be lucky enough to be worthy of blogging on one of my favorite wedding websites EVER.

Buzz...

If I don't start putting all of my thoughts into blog form, I won't even be able to apply, so here I am!  I've neglected to post as often as I'd like to, so I'm modifying my new years resolutions to include BLOG MORE!  I even have a list going of topics I want to touch on... so at least I'm organized!

The above photo is one of the first images that came up in my Google Image search of "time to get serious" by the way.  Among the random images generated-- a few save the date photos, a wedding dress, and some rockin' bridal heels, so CLEARLY I'm not alone here... :)  

Anyone else dedicate time to a wedding blog while planning the big day?  Do you keep it on the DL or do your friends/family know?

The Year of the Wedding

Well helloooooooo 2012!!

2011 was a great year in so many ways... but 2012 is shaping up to be one of the most memorable years on the books, namely because we'll vow "to love and cherish, in sickness and in health, until death to us part" in front of our closest friends and family come October.  We've been engaged since June, so it feels great to actually be in "The Year of the Wedding" and I hope that means planning will kick into high gear.  We're making decent progress so far...

• Budget plan outlined (...still saving... and saving...)
• Rough guest list going (...so hard to figure out that A/B column)
• Church/officiant reserved (...he's very close to my fiance's family)
• Reception venue secured (...it's seriously amazing and sets the whole tone)
• Caterer contract signed (...a bit expensive, but is a package deal with the venue)
• Bridal party selected (...3 of 10 are out of state)
• Wedding dress found (...it's magical)
• Photographer contract signed (...we can't wait to work with her)

... but there is still SO much to do!

All bundled up to ring in the New Year!  Last photo of 2011 <3

At the time, I thought with such a long engagement it would feel like FOREVER before the big day finally arrived, but I'm already realizing how grateful I am for the extra time to make it all happen.  We need it!  I know the next 9 months will fly by, so here are a few of my 2012 resolutions:

• Remain focused on wedding plans and continue to chip away at them with a bit more tenacity
• Be more confident with the decisions we make & try not to second guess everything
• Get our wedding website up and ready to go
• Stay committed to eating right & making exercise a priority (...maybe I could lose that last 20lbs)
• Follow through and get some non-wedding related projects done, like organizing our apartment and clearing away the clutter (... this is a big one, as 2012 could bring about a move too)

I could go on, but perhaps putting just a few things out into cyberspace will help hold me accountable.  How is your own wedding planning going?  Does the to-do list dominate YOUR 2012 resolution list?  Here's to a great new year for all of us, especially those now in our wedding year! *cheers*

Photog - CHECK!

So, I posted before... about feeling the pressure to pick a wedding photographer.  We had four great options all under $1,000 out the door.  But... I didn't have that "this is it" feeling with any of them and didn't want to force such an important decision, so I decided to expand my search (i.e. our budget), to see what I could find.  Well, I think it was meant to be, because we found her!  We found the person who we KNOW is the perfect fit to document this important time in our lives.  She was actually running a special for those who booked before the new year, so we got 20% off of her package, which brought her within our new budget range.  It's such a great feeling to know that we can move on, feeling confident we have such a talented person sharing the day with us behind the lens :)

I'll happily give her a little plug...
http://www.karieannephotography.com/  (Lansing, Michigan)
She's very sweet and really knows her way around a camera, thanks to a photography degree and many years of practice.  Added bonus... she's on Pinterest, which I'm totally obsessed with!  She posts ideas for new and unique photos and I've already seen her then follow through and pull them off beautifully, so we're excited to see what she comes up with for our day! :)

She says she's bringing sparklers!  Um, YES!

Have you expanded your budget to make something happen, after realizing it's something you don't want to compromise on?  More than once?

OMG, it happened!

My teeth feel out.  Four of them.  Behind two, revealed nubs of baby teeth.  Behind the other two, just air.

Okay not really.

BUT, I've heard of brides having terrifying dreams related to the wedding or leading up to the wedding, but I thought for sure that wouldn't happen to me.  I rarely remember my dreams and when I do, I don't remember enough to make sense of it.  Well, last night I had a dream that four of my teeth feel out.  FOUR!  I don't recall it being related directly to the wedding... as in, I didn't walk down the aisle, open my mouth to say, "I do" and there they were, gaping holes where teeth once were.  BUT, I have a feeling it's all connected.  I've been stressing lately about the budget, the guest list, looking/feeling good in my dress, etc.

According to this website it could be tied to a few things:

• Lack of Self Confidence  (Perhaps in planning/pulling off such a big event?)
• Fears of Sexual Inadequacy  (gosh I hope not!)
• Anxiety About Your Appearance  (um, yes)

So... now what?  I vow to try and come to terms with the fact that I can't expect perfection.  Perhaps some of my anxiety will fade if I can truly be okay with that concept!  Have you ever had crazy/scary dreams tied to the big day?

Call Me Crazy?

Okay, so... we've talked face to face with 3 potential photographers so far and while I know that each is great and talented in their own way, each has a personality we mesh well with, and each is very affordable... I still haven't had that "THIS IS IT" feeling.  So, instead of rushing the decision... I've expanded my searches, hoping to find someone who seals the deal so well, that I don't have a doubt or regret and can stop searching, feeling confident that I've picked the right person for the job.  I'm not ruling out the 3 we've chatted with... but I'm not ready to make a decision either.  Am I crazy?? I feel crazy.  I really want to make this decision and move onto the next... but I just CAN'T!

When you first jump into wedding planning, you hear all of this advice of identifying your priorities.  Deciding which things are MOST important to you AND to the man you'll soon call your husband.  Some gals want a runway worthy designer gown, others want an amazing 5 tier fondant cake with hand-painted flowers, some guys want to wear sneakers with their tuxedos... regardless these things are most important to YOU, no one else.  There is no right or wrong answer.  Once you realize what these things are, in theory, your time, resources, and potentially budget should also favor those things.

For my fiance, the most important thing to him (outside of marrying me of course) was having a guest list big enough to include his large family, throwing a FUN party with an open bar, and having his families pastor do the ceremony.  For me, it's a unique reception venue that really reflected the essence of us, amazing wedding photos to remember the day by when it's all over with, and good entertainment so everyone has a great time celebrating with us.

Accomplished so far:

• A unique venue we both fell in love with, that holds up to 200 people 
• A tentative caterer contract that includes beer, wine, and a limited open bar
• My man's family pastor is reserved (and bonus - he gets the church too - it's close to our venue!)

Next on the list is finalizing a photographer, picking a DJ, and if we think we can afford it, reserving a photo booth... which would round out BOTH of our "priority" lists.  In theory... it's a cake-walk after that right?  HA!  We'll see about that... :)

Did you have to stop and remember to focus on your priorities while planning?  Did you stretch or expand your budget to make something on the list happen?