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!
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.
With a wedding season that stretches from March to September this year, my wedding guest attire is going to have to get creative!
Thankfully I was recently introduced to the amazing cocktail dresses from Maggy London - the cuts are super flattering, with unexpected finishing touches like mesh tops, low dipped backs, and exquisite embroidery, patterns, and colors. While the temps are still a little chilly at night, the dress I picked out is perfect with a light wrap. But seriously you have to see this dress in person to really get all of the amazing details!
Shop my favorite Maggy London picks below (the dress I'm wearing is now available here - it was just released today!)
What are you best tips for surviving wedding season as a guest?
This is officially my preferred length of skirt. Perfect to wear while teaching, but still fun & modern enough to wear out & about! Chicwish is killing it with their skirt selection right now. I love the thick pleats on this one, & can't help but think about piano keys every time I see it! I about died with I saw this sequin number ($50) on Jackie's blog post, & then couldn't stop thinking about the swan skirt ($33) after spotting it on Instagram (still trying to remember whose profile it was!) I just got this floral maxi skirt ($60) & know that the cobalt blue eyelet gorgeousness ($42) is coming home with me next!
And on the topic of graphic tees - I have had this one from J.Crew since college (it says "seize the day" in Italian), & have yet to find an outfit that it doesn't work well with (see how I've worn it in the past), but when I pulled it out this most recent time, I noticed several holes front & center (how does that happen? snagging on zippers??) #bummer. While it can still be worn tucked in (I have a hard time getting rid of things!), I am looking to add a few new graphic tees to my collection - good thing all of these on my wish list are under $25 (with most under $18!):
Well folks, we have survived the first year as Mr. and Mrs.
It is funny how when you get engaged, everyone comes out of the woodwork to share about how happy you will be, telling stories of their fairytale marriages, waxing poetically about how beautiful love can truly be.
After the wedding, suddenly all of the, "but you know it is going to be a LOT of work" people begin to circle (ugh, those people!).
And you know what, our experience of marriage IS work, but we wouldn't rather be working harder at any thing else.
Tyler & I are extremely similar, but somehow very opposite at exactly the same time. While I am still trying to get him to read about my Love Language, one year of wedded bliss has taught me that he speaks the "actions speak louder than words" love language, while I speak the "I need personalized compliments every 5 minutes" love language (that reference is around the 2:30 mark in the linked video - hilar!). We certainly don't have it all figured out (how boring would that be) & I am so excited I have this human to study for the rest of my days!
My 1 year of advice (so take it with a huge grain of salt):
- Communicate. About everything! Getting to know someone at this level is just fun. We still play the question game (we try to think up as many questions as we can - about anything and everything - going back & forth until we can't think of any more!)
- Talk about your past 1 time, get it all out, and then move on. Enough said - you are creating a new life together after all!
- Make a budget. For us, sharing all of our finances works, but we still have a budget so that everyone feels like they are equally contributing, & also equally reaping the rewards.
- Carve out time for each other sans phones/computers/TVs. We have spent too many nights on the same couch but not actually hanging out. It is nice to unplug!
- Enjoy each other's hobbies, while also letting some things be just for you. Tyler and I have been pretty successful about merging our lives, without totally losing our sense of self. We do stuff together, but have our own plans as well. It is fun to spend separate time, because then you have more to look forward to when you come back together.
- Enjoy the moment, but don't be afraid to dream big. Ty & I love our life in Nashville - our 2 pugs, the tiny apartment, our favorite restaurants, & even our itty-bitty salaries. It is where we are NOW. But we also have a healthy love of painting what our future will look like together. New city? Kids? More pugs? A house? Who knows!
{ What I Wore: J.Crew sundress (shop my favorite white dresses under $100 below) // Nisolo sandals** // Ray Ban aviators }
