Category Archives: Wedding Planning

I Finally Picked Bridesmaid Dresses!

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After much online-searching, bridesmaid-consulting and bridal store-visiting, I’ve finally decided on a dress for my bridesmaids! I’m pretty happy with my decision and I think my ladies are too.

You may recall that originally I was looking for floral dresses. Well after my mother talked some sense into me, I realized that plan wouldn’t work for several reasons:

  1. No bridesmaid designers are showing floral right now
  2. It’s winter, so no stores are either
  3. Floral would be too much next to my already  intricate wedding dress

Realizing my mother was right I decided to look for a dress that was simple without being boring. Something that would compliment my dress by having a romantic/vintagy feel.

Here’s what I ultimately decided on (the colors look a little weird because it’s not what the color the original photo was taken in, but you get the jist):

bridesmaid

The dress is from Dessy and is really flattering. It’s in a nu-georgette fabric, which is slightly stiffer than chiffon but still really flowy. The color is a really pretty bright “sunflower” yellow that looks good on both dark and light skinned girls. The floor-length ribbon will be in ivory.

Best of all, I was able to negotiate $90+ off to make the price around $180, which includes shipping. =) I am really glad this portion of wedding planning is over. I was beginning to think I was never going to find something right!

Next on our planning list is our save-the-dates, rehearsal dinner venue and florist. It never ends! Good thing I enjoy it so much.

Wedding Inspiration Boards

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If you’re planning or have planned a wedding or large celebration , it’s likely that you’ve spent hours looking through magazines and websites for inspiration for your big day. I sure have!

A great way to compile all your favorite things into one place is to create an inspiration board. You can use the board to show your vendors what your vision is for your wedding including colors, textures and decorations. Here are a few examples I found on wedding blog greenweddingshoes.blogspot.com:

inspirationBoard_05

photo credits:http://greenweddingshoes.blogspot.com/2008/12/inspiration-board-5-romance-in-evening.html
top row: whitebox weddings, brides.com second row: jasmine star, theknot.com, pen carlson
third row: carly mccray, melissa jill, tec petaja bottom row: instyle weddings, jasmine star

inspirationBoard_16

photo credits:http://greenweddingshoes.blogspot.com/search/label/inspiration%20boards
top row: sylvie gil, the knot, elizabeth messina, shona henderson
middle row: w scott chester, j crew, michele m waite
bottom row: lisa lefkowitz, della fiora

Aren’t these pretty? I wanted to do something similar for my wedding, but did not want to spend hours cutting and pasting images. I recently came across this cool application on http://www.dessy.com/styleboard that lets you create your own board without any hassle.

All you have to do is upload pictures and/or choose from images already on Dessy!  In addition, wedding blog www.onewed.com is currently running a contest with Dessy to give $500 in accessories to the best board! But hurry, the contest is only running until Nov. 29!

Here’s the one I created for our wedding using some of my favorite stuff:

b_4780_snapshot

As you can see I’m going for bright yellow, pale green and ivory for my Spring wedding. I incorporated the Dessy accessories I’d wish to win in the contest, which would work perfectly since my bridesmaid dresses are from there (more on that later).

What would your inspiration board look like? If you make one on Dessy.com, leave me a link and I’ll feature them on the blog!

Oh and HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Stuff yourselves silly. :)

Fashion Tips for a Happy Bridal Party

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Since purchasing my wedding dress, I’ve shifted my attention to what the rest of my bridal party will be wearing from the bridesmaids, groomsmen, and mothers of the bride/groom. This can be a somewhat daunting task because not only do I want everyone to look their best, but I’m also thinking about budget, timing and personal preferences of the bridal party.

While searching for the right looks for everyone at bridal stores, online forums & blogs, and wedding websites, I’ve picked up some tips for making sure everyone is happy. These are not the “golden rules” of bridal party fashions, but just some guidelines I’ve been sticking to during the process.

Bridesmaids

1. Keep the cost reasonable- the most important thing for me is to make sure my wedding doesn’t become a financial burden for my ladies. Your maids will appreciate your efforts to keep more money in their pockets.

2. Include your maids in the process- while you ultimately have final say about the dresses your maids will wear, they will appreciate being asked their opinions. I’ve been taking mine to visit stores with me to try on dresses. It’s helped immensely to get their thoughts.

3. Look for styles and colors that are flattering for EVERYONE- while all your maids are surely beautiful, they likely all have different coloring and body types. When choosing the style and color of the dress, make sure it will look great on all body types and that the color will flatter pale to darker skin tones.

Groomsmen

1. Get your Grooms’ feedback- I know some grooms like to be hands-off, but this is really one area they need to be involved. Ask your guy what he’ll feel best in…a suit? A tux? Showing him some magazine or blog photos of grooms may help.

2. Again, think about price- This get’s a little tricky with groomsmen, because they have a higher likelihood of wearing purchased suits or tuxes again than bridesmaids do. It’s a good idea for grooms to ask their party if they’d prefer to rent or buy their attire. You’ll find guys will be pretty frank about their preferences.

3. Determine your desired level of dressiness- regardless of if you decide to go for a tux or a suit, both can be dressed up or down depending on the theme of your wedding. Since my wedding is in a catholic church, if the guys go for a suit, I may require it to be three-piece to fit the formal atmosphere.

Mother of the Bride/Groom

1. Be hands off!- when it comes to the mom’s dresses, I believe the bride should let them wear whatever they feel the most beautiful in. Let’s face it, by the time you have a daughter getting married, you pretty much know what style and colors look best on your body.

2. Put the moms in touch- start an email chain between the moms and let them discuss dress length, colors and fabrics so they aren’t clashing. This is also a great way for the two most-important women in you and your grooms life to get to know each other.

3. Tell your mom she looks georgous- even if she chooses a dress or color you wouldn’t have picked, bite your tongue and make her feel beautiful. This is her day just as much as it is yours. Let her shine!

So what do you think? Do you agree with my bridal party fashion tips? Do you have any to add?

Leave me some love!

Wedding Jewelry Highlight- K. Amato

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TGIF everyone! The entry period for my first giveaway is offically over and I’m super excited to annouce that Angela (@AngelaTenClay) won the earrings!

And speaking of jewelry, a big smile came across my face this week when an email popped up from K. Amato jewelry here in Chicago. If you aren’t familiar with K. Amato, it’s a jewelry line designed by Chicagoan Kristen Amato that is a fan favorite of many of my girlfriends here in the city as well as publications like Lucky Magazine, Redbook, People and US Weekly.

 They recently launched a bridal line that has me swooning. Ever since I picked out my wedding dress, I’ve moved on to thinking about the big picture- the jewelry, hair and accessories, which means I’ve already spent a lot of time trolling the K. Amato website for inspiration.

My colors are green and yellow, and I love the idea of incorporating some yellow into my look. I’m pretty much in love with these earrings and necklace.

ear

necklace

And if my bridesmaids wear a yellow dress like I’m planning, I think this green bracelet would look awesome.

gren

Although I like to think I have amazing taste :), I wanted to get the professional opinion from one of K. Amato’s designers, so I sent an email their way with some questions. Katie, who’s on their design team, graciously sent back her thoughts on the new bridal line.

Liz: Why did K. Amato decide to create a bridal line?

Katie: Kristen decided to do a bridal line simply by seeing a lack in the market. Most bridal jewelry is insanely overpriced in the bridal salons- our feelings are just because its you big day does not mean you need to spend big money. We have the online bridal section on the website as well as a custom design service that we offer through our showroom (K.Amato 1229 W. Diversey Chicago, IL 60614).

Liz: You recently got married, did you wear any K. Amato jewelry? Which pieces?

Katie: Of course I wore K.Amato. I actually designed my own custom jewelry- I had 2 looks: one long lightweight pearl and crystal necklace, and one dainty pearl and rhinestone necklace made with a peal that my Mom gave me. Neither are on the website but that is why we offer a custom service out of our space.

Liz: Brides have many different fashion styles for their big day. Can you suggest pieces for a traditional bride? Retro? Modern?

Katie: There is a big variety of jewelry on the website for all kinds of brides- you do not need to stick to the bridal section. Traditional brides love pearls, retro brides love vintage looking earrings, and modern brides go to the regular line for their looks.

Liz: Have you had a lot of interest in brides purchasing jewelry for their maids? What’s been popular?

Katie: TONS of girls buy K.Amato for their girls- we offer group discounts that make it worth their while. Here are a few items that have been especially popular:

mon

The Monroe initial necklace

larab

The Larrabee horoscope bracelet

car

The Carmen earrings

There you have it ladies. Many thanks to Katie for her time spent responding to my questions! Be sure to check out K. Amato’s upcoming sample sales in Chicago for a great deal. If you don’t live in Chicago, you can buy K. Amato online too!