Do or Don't: Non-Traditional Wedding Dresses?

 Friday is my 11th wedding anniversary, which seems so strange to me because it feels like it was just yesterday and a lifetime ago, all at the same time.  In the scheme of things, 11 years isn't really that long, but it's hard to remember what life was like before my husband.  I've mentioned here before that we got married in Hawaii, in a VERY low key wedding (think Mai Tais, hula dancers, and flip flops) and admittedly, at the time I didn't realize how perfect the wedding was for us as a couple.  Now, more than a decade later, if I had to do it all over again there is little I'd change, and I feel like that in and of itself is pretty telling.  Our wedding was the beginning of our life together, and it was definitely a great way to kick things off, barefoot and on the beach. 

Lately, I've had a lot of time to think about our wedding since I'm in the midst of helping my little sister plan hers.  10 years ago there was no Pinterest, no wedding blogs, no tutorials on how to throw the perfect wedding, there was just The Knot, Martha Stewart Weddings, and your imagination.  Some would say that it was probably easier without so much information, and your guest's expectations were certainly lower, but I have to say I'm really enjoying the process the second time around, and as an old married lady, I'm loving any excuse to comb wedding websites without looking like a crazy lady. 

I told my sister from the beginning, there are two, and only two, things that I would have absolutely done differently that day.  The first was to hire a "real" photographer, and the second was my dress.  As far as the photographer goes, I have only myself to blame for that one.  I was planning a wedding 6000 miles away from our destination, and I took the first person who was recommended to me.  He came for the ceremony, snapped a few pictures, and sent me an album of about 30 of them a month later.  There were no digital files, no pictures capturing the essence of the day, and really there were very few that even had us looking anywhere near the camera.  This used to bother me tremendously, but over time I've realized that you rarely look at your wedding pictures, but still, it would be nice to be able to have one or two around the house.  Such is life. My sister headed my warning and hired a great photographer. Yes, they don't come cheap, but 10 years later I can guarantee she will be happy she did. 

As far as the dress goes, I don't really know what happened there.  We were on a tight budget and lived far away from our family.  I knew there wasn't going to be a designer gown, nor would there be some big event where I tried on dresses in front of my bridal party, so I pretty much did what you should never do... I settled.  One day after class, I went to a store that sold prom dresses and inexpensive wedding dresses, and I found one I loved that would have been $500 (a knock off of Carolyn Bessette's to be precise.)  I thought that was way to much to spend, and as I was leaving I saw a white one on the rack that was marked down to $55 dollars that fit me perfectly.  I figured I was getting married on the beach, and it was white, so whatever, it would work.  "Whatever" is never how you should feel about a wedding dress!  To this day I still kick myself and while I'm not saying you should spend a year's salary, you should definitely love your dress.  After telling this story to my sister about a dozen times we went in search of dresses and luckily found one  that she LOVES, that was also well within her budget.  It doesn't need to be expensive but you do have to love it.  I actually tossed my dress in the trash when we returned from our wedding and that was pretty much my favorite part of owning it.  (No, I'm not bitter at all.)  We had a running joke that while my sister was trying on dresses that I was only allowed to try on three just to help re-create the moment I missed all those years ago, but I'm happy to report I only tried on one veil.  Proof that I have restraint!

Had I tried on dresses, I can definitely say it would have been something non-traditional.  Every where we went there was a sea of white and tulle, and it was those few that were, gold, blush, or yellow that really stood out to me.  It got me thinking that maybe it wasn't my dress I hated but just that fact that it was a predictable white dress?  I see my friend's pictures, where they look stunning in their white gowns, and I always wonder how I would have looked, but if I were getting married tomorrow, I definitely think I would go for something a little unexpected.  I feel like if you want to go the non-traditional route, your best bet is to go for a classic shape in a pastel, or a non-traditional shape, like the jumper below, but in white.  That way it's a little unexpected but not something you will regret down the road.

What do you all think? Is a wedding the right place to try to be fashion forward, or do you think you would end up regretting it down the road?  In the end you obviously go with what you love at the time, but I wonder how many of you would change things up if you had it to do all over again?  Do tell!

My Sister's Save the Date.

Plans for my little sister's wedding are coming along nicely, and I have to admit I am LOVING my new role as wedding planner!  So far we have found her dress, the bridesmaid dresses (both stunning), a caterer, a photographer, a band, a venue, and right now we are finalizing the menu and linens.  Considering we still have nine months to go, I feel really good about what we've accomplished, and hopefully this means we won't be scrambling in the weeks before the big day arrives.

Our first order of business was to create the perfect Save the Date card.  Since we had the wedding date set in stone, we figured it was better to get them out a little on the early side since the guest list is fairly small, and she wanted to make sure everyone would be available for the event.  Initially we were at a loss for what we wanted to do, and both the bride and groom were adamant that they didn't want a picture of themselves on the card.  You know, the one where the couple looks dreamily in to each others eyes?  While that makes for a beautiful card, they both recognized that it just wouldn't be very "them."  What I really wanted was to create a card that would show off both of their personalities, but would also reflect them as a couple.  My sister is pretty bohemian and free spirited, while her fiancé is somewhat more of a traditional guy.  He loves riding motorcycles, so I really wanted to make sure that his passion was somehow incorporated in to their wedding.

After looking at inspiration images, I found myself constantly coming back to these two images, and started thinking of how we would be able to include one of his bikes for the what would be the first impression of the wedding.

I had an idea to make a license plate for the one the motorcycles, and cover it with flowers to reflect the two of them as a couple.  The lovely Julie from Posh and Prep, and I chatted, and together we decided that chalkboard paper, over cardboard would be the best way to go, and she designed a perfect sign, that we then tacked a few simple grocery store bouquets to.  We taped it to the back of the existing license plate, and photographed it in a park near my house.  The end result was even better than I imagined, and the two of them couldn't have been more excited with the final product.

I love how individual this is to them as a couple, and I think it sets a perfect tone for what is going to be a pretty awesome affair.  Save the dates, done... only about a million details left to go!

An Inspired Affair.

 Have you all seen the STUNNING pictures from Poppy Delevingne's weekend wedding?  If you haven't then your eyes are in for a real treat!  Since I've been helping my little sister plan her wedding, I can definitely say my interest in this type of events has peaked, but I've been somewhat disappointed in a lot of inspiration that is out there.  Sure, most of it is couple centered, and I get that everyone has different taste, but lately what's been turning me off is just how over the top some of these events can be.  It's like people hear the word wedding, and they try to add in everything but the kitchen sink as far as decorations, favors, table settings, menus...etc.  I don't know about you all, but as a guest, the most memorable weddings that I've been to are the ones that are simple, with great drinks, good company, and a killer band.  Now, since I'm not a supermodel, nor am I friends with one, sadly, I was not invited to this wedding and cannot attest to the perfection of the reception, but if these wedding shots are any indicator, you can bet it was a beautiful, understated affair.  You can bet we're taking copious notes from this one! 

Obviously we all can't get married in custom couture Chanel, but I have to say that this dress is probably the most beautiful I've ever seen.  EVER.  The cap sleeves, the detail, the structured bodice and flowy skirt, all so so so beautiful.  I also love how she wore her hair down, and kept everything so white, from the flowers to the bridesmaid dresses.  Whoever thought to add that subtle smokey eye is genius, and I can assure you I'll be pushing for some of this at my sister's wedding. Of course, we can't leave out those darling flower girls, and her husband looks so dapper in that gray suit and tails. I'll take one of everything ;)

(Photos via Who What Wear)

P.S. You can follow our wedding board on Pinterest if you'd like to follow along with our wedding prep.

Weekend Links.

 

Happy Easter weekend! Wait, wasn't it just Christmas a few weeks ago?  Seriously, where has the time gone?  Since we are not followers of any religion, we don't have a whole lot planned this weekend, but the kids are very much looking forward to their baskets on Sunday, and tonight we are going to decorate eggs!  Gray is in his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle phase right now, so we have adopted it as this years "theme."  What that has to do with Easter, I'm not sure, but we are going with it.  Other than that we are just going to be hanging around our hood, trying to take advantage of any sunshine that would like to come our way.  You know, the usual. ;)

I hope you all have a wonderful, egg and candy filled weekend. Here are a few fun links from around the web that caught my eye this week. xo

Tis the season of the hard boiled egg.  Did you all know that they come out 100 times better if you bake them instead of boiling them?  It's true! I'll never go back after trying it!  The best part is that they don't smell when you put them in the fridge.  Seriously, trust me on this one.

Speaking of eggs, how a genius makes an egg sandwich.

My husband and I are super in to this new show.  Are any of you watching?  P.S. I've slowly started Scandal, and yes I'm hooked. Kerry Washington drives me crazy though, and I feel like I'm the only one who thinks that way!

The cuteness of these little Easter bags is too much.  Someday I will be this crafty.

Did you guys see the pictures of Michelle Pfeiffer at Coachella? She's 55 years old, and may be my new idol. Damn girl, I'll take 10 of whatever she is having!

What your home movies look like when your dad works for DreamWorks.

My girlfriend turned me on to these little 100 calorie chia bars, and I'm obsessed.  I get really cranky when I'm hungry, and these are definitely great to have on hand!

I think we are going to steal this idea, and have a French macaron cake at my sister's wedding!  I'm pretty sure it is going to be a hit, I mean, who doesn't love macarons?

I made this for dinner on Tuesday and it was INCREDIBLE!  I served it over red quinoa, instead of rice, and I've been dreaming about it ever since.  This one is definitely in the weekly rotation!

This home slays me... and really makes me want to move to California. Standing ovation for this couple!

My favorite new polish for Spring.  This is the perfect alternative to white!

My hunt for the perfect baby blue shirt ended the second I tried this one on.  Yes, I plan on wearing it every day for the rest of my life.

Last but not least, the tutorial for that adorable cake pictured above! Next year I am all over this one!

My Little Sister is Getting Married!

My little sister is getting married! This is amazing on so many levels, but the highlight for me has to be my duel maid-of-honor/ wedding planner position. You guys, we get to plan a wedding!!!!!!! Mine was so long ago, I can't even remember it, and with the invention of Pinterest, Etsy, and blogs I feel like this is a whole new ball game! So far the bride and groom have decided on a outside wedding, sometime next summer. We (ahem) they are thinking intimate, rustic, simple, and, of course, gorgeous! I honestly could not be more excited for them, and I can promise you, this is going to be one awesome party!!!!! 

Since we knew this was coming, I've been bookmarking ideas for a while now, but now I finally get to share them with all of you! Here is the initial inspiration (in my mind) for their big day. 

 Certainly there is going to be a lot more wedding talk going on around here, and I will most definitely be posting any DIY projects that we come up with! I'm so out of the wedding loop, I would love to know what your favorite wedding blogs and sources are! Please share!