Sunday Shopping: All Things Bridal

When I was engaged, I really wanted to take advantage of wearing bridal white to all of my events - engagement party, bridal shower, bachelorette party, rehearsal dinner, & even on the honeymoon! But one of the most surprising wedding fashion dilemmas I faced? Finding stylish white dresses that hit the right tone (not too fancy, not too casual) at a price point that I needed - let's be honest, weddings are already expensive for everyone! 

If you are finding yourself in a similar situation, let me introduce you to your stylish little white dress source - Maggy London! I love the feminine details of these white dresses & feel confident that they could be fabulous wardrobe additions, that are worn even after you say "I Do"!

Psssst -  if any of your friends are engaged, earn some brownie points by sharing the LWD secret!

 

New Face: Nashville

Part of what I love about blogging is connecting with people both near and far. When Jordan reached out to me about relocating from San Diego to Nashville, I was not only excited to share my favorite local places with her, but also wanted to extend and big Nashville welcome to her by introducing her to you as well! Jordan is a wedding coordinator and would love to connect with any brides looking to get married in the Nashville area! Check out some of the gorgeous pictures of her weddings and read more about her below!

Jordan, please introduce yourself a little bit:

Hi, I'm Jordan Dull, a Portland native who has been residing in San Diego, and now ready to call the south my home. My husband and I have been married for nearly 4 years, and love the adventurous life we lead. My husband is an engineer and a mechanic, and I am a wedding and events coordinator with a passion for decorating the home and making beautiful events. We couldnt be more opposite, but he is truly my best friend. 

What inspires you?

Inspiration for me is anything that speaks to me in a creative, beautiful way. I find it in books, on the street and in gatherings. I live for a well set table and a group of friends gathered around, talking about life and enjoying the finer things in life. I find the most inspiration in the people I surround myself. I have placed a group of people in my life who set fire to my dreams. They give me the passion I need to think creatively and newly. I couldnt be what I am today, without my people. 

What are you looking forward to most in Nashville?

Good ol' southern hospitality! Living in Southern California, I am ready for a change. Just the times I have visited Nashville, I am in awe of how friendly and slow paced people are (for the most part ;) ) I am excited to make new friends, book new brides, and launch something I truly believe in, in a place that speaks to my heart. 

If you are interested in finding out more about Jordan's wedding coordination services, please check out her website, or shoot her an email!

Have a great weekend!

Wedding Wednesday: Getting Inspiration

Right after Tyler popped the question, The Not Wedding came to town & it was the only wedding "fair" I had to attend to pick out all of our wedding vendors. I don't even know if you could call it a wedding fair though, this is a big fun wedding party, with everything except someone actually getting married.

I love the idea of getting to see the vendors in action & just check out the gorgeousness below from the 2nd annual Nashville Not Wedding if you don't believe me! The rest of the dreamy day can be seen on Ruffled.

Interested in getting in on The Not Wedding action in your area? See the upcoming events here.

This section of photos is by Cassidy Carson Photography 

This section of photos is by Hannah Elaine Photography 

This section of photos is by Maile Lani Photography 

Check out all the amazing vendors that made this beautiful day possible here.

Wedding Wednesday: For the Guys

I of course have tons more to over share in regards to our wedding, way more than would fit into "Wedding Week", so from now until I get it all out, I hereby decree Wedding Wednesday.

This week is all about the guys. I have to hand it to Tyler, I mostly let the guys just do their thing, plan their outfits, & show up on the day… & they totally rocked it! It certainly doesn't hurt that Ty has the most amazing group of guy friends, wonderful people that kept me laughing all day long, kind souls that helped my parents clean up at the end of the night, & ran tons of errands for us the next day while we were jet setting to the beach.

When I started out the planning process about a year ago, I was surprised that this collage I made of my "boho groomsmen" vision got pinned so many times on Pinterest! I guess other people are just as clueless as I was about what the menfolk should be wearing!

It was actually Tyler's idea to have the guys wear mix-matched but similar pants. I was trying to explain what the ladies were doing (see their fabulousness here), & Tyler thought that the guys were getting to pick out their outfits too… after I heard the record screech to a halt noise in my head, I had to agree, it wasn't a bad idea (he does in fact have a few of those from time to time)…. off topic, but why is attempting to explain Pinterest to a man harder than communicating with a giraffe? 

The groomsmen outfit directive was: bring your own pair of charcoal grey pants, a white button down, & navy suspenders. Tyler supplied the matching ties & navy Converse sneakers. Seriously, most of the guys already owned the pants + shirts and only ended up purchasing a $5 set of suspenders from Amazon. Budget friendly indeed! And they went home with a classic pair of Converse and versatile tie from J.Crew… happy friends!

The other men's attire decision we had to make was vests, jackets, vests & jackets, jackets no vests, or none of the above. We went with no vests + no jackets for the groomsmen, and Tyler went with no vest + jacket for the ceremony, but then removed the jacket for the reception (you did see his sweet dance moves in the wedding video, riiiiight… he of course can't be encumbered by a jacket when he is busting out the stanky leg on the dance floor!)

Did you have any groom/groomsmen attire dilemmas?

Anyone else go jacket-less?

Let's here it for the guys!

all photos by Jessica Ranae Photography

If you are looking to recreate a similar look for your groomsmen, here are my top accessory picks:

Wedding Week: Etsy Finds

Last day of wedding week! I know that Pinterest is now a huge resource for brides planning their big day, but another great place I found inspiration was Etsy. We definitely wanted our ceremony & reception to have a bit of a made-with-love personal touch, so finding unique, handmade items on Etsy was a huge procrastination tool at work fount of goodies!

These are the things that came to me in cute boxes from talented people all over the US via Etsy:
1. Flower crowns 

baby flower crowns 

2. Pug bow ties

3. Tassel garlands - use these on 2 tables and some large balloons too! 

4. sequin hangers

5 . bridesmaid knot rings - I forgot in yesterday's Bridesmaids box, but this is a peek into what I sent when I asked to be a part of our wedding. A note, my request, and a knot ring, with the tag "thanks for helping me tie the knot"…. a tee hee!

6. embroidered parent hankies 

We also got our chalkboard stickers on Etsy! You can check out all my favorites on Etsy here. Some things that were made/gifted to me, but I've also seen great versions of them on Etsy.

return address stamp - saves your hand so much!

What have you found on Etsy lately?

I hoped you liked Wedding Week. If you missed a post, catch up:

Our Wedding Video trailer, saying yes to The Dress, where we saved vs. splurged, and bridesmaids.

And a wedding related giveaway! If you want to win tickets to the Nashville Not Wedding, enter here.

Wedding Week: Bridesmaids

I owe a big shootout to my lovely bridesmaids. They hosted showers, traveled many miles, partied down at my bachelorette party, purchased gifts, gave heartfelt toasts, saved the day by convincing the venue coordinator to let us use the sky lanterns last minute, and were just the best friends any gal could have. 

Oh and they did a super swell job of taking my annoyingly vague dress shopping directions of "blush chiffon", to create the best mixed bridesmaid dress roundup I've ever seen!

Tips for making your best friends happy during your engagement, wedding planning & big day?

1. Be upfront about your expectations. When you ask your ladies to be a part of your day, include the activities/costs that you expect as their duties. Having a destination wedding, with a destination bachelorette party and dreams of your bridesmaids footing the bill for their Vera Wang dresses… it's only nice that you tell them that!

2. And then stick to what you said. If you say, "I don't need you at my shower" & then get super hurt that they don't show up, that is poor communication. You still want to be friends after the wedding day!

3. Give them clear directions & then let them actually do their assigned jobs without you micromanaging. They are not only your closest friends that know you better than anyone else, they are also totally capable adults. Don't lose sight of this during the wedding planning craze.

4. Treat them right - say thank you, get them a token of your appreciation (I went with pretty robes to get ready in on the Big Day), remember to ask about their lives, go out for lady dates, don't forget to be a good friend back.

Any Bridesmaids horror stories or tips you have learned as either the bride or bridesmaid?

I'd love to hear them!