Tips for the Blushing Bride: Perspective from a perpetual bridesmaid (pt 1 of 2)

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Have you ever read through an old journal and laughed, marveled and enjoyed where you were at in THAT exact time in your life? Here's an article I wrote when I was completing my masters degree for a journalism class KEEP IN MIND THIS WAS PRE-MY WEDDING AND ENGAGEMENT!

Full Disclosure, I was a bit sassy when I wrote it, don't meant to offend ANYONE--just thought my WeddObsessed crew would find it amusing if NOTHING else! :)

Posting this in two entries, as it is a bit long for ONE post!

A group of women exist today who share a bond that binds them closer than sisters. These women have worn dresses they despise while displaying forced smiles on their faces. Many of them know every place you can buy custom dyed shoes in a 20-mile radius of their homes, some going as far as having a personal tailor on speed dial in their cell phones or the five closest florists to any given reception sight. They can pull off an elegant shower without a hitch, mainly because they are experienced in the art of the bridal shower and sincerely know all the right things to say at the right time to encourage a distressed bride-to-be.


Who are these women? They are the highly under-rated, yet all-important bridesmaids, the girls who stand loyally beside the lovely bride and groom as they exchange their once in a lifetime nuptials. For better or for worse, these bridesmaids spend countless hours and dollars satisfying every wish and whim their betrothed friend makes.


Please don’t mistake my feelings and remarks as bitter or cynical. I couldn’t be anything further from that. In fact, weddings literally make me giddy! (Really! They do!) I love so many things about them, starting with the fact that two people are making an amazing statement and a lifelong commitment in front of everyone that matters to them.


To participate in such a role is one of the highest honors that can be bestowed on any adoring friend, but quite candidly, after being in six weddings, none of them my own, there are few things I’d like to share with you, o lovely bride. First things first: if you are wondering, pepto bismol pink is generally not a flattering color for a bridesmaid dress. Period. End of story.


Every bride sincerely vows to her girls to be considerate, thoughtful, relaxed and carefree right after the engagement. Then reality hits. It’s like a switch is flipped that sends one and all rushing pell mell toward that dramatic, idealized, romanticized day of all days, complete of course, with all the thoughtfully orchestrated personal touches.


Suddenly, frantic agendas (in bulletin format) are sent out to the wedding party through mass e-mails. Mandatory tanning sessions are ordered, and the “you-can-pick-your own-dress-style” shifts to the unapologetic “I will chose the style and color for every bridesmaid,” sentiment.


Granted, I realize that you will never please everyone, and you, the focal point bride, should be the one deciding the color and cut of the bridesmaid dresses, but the bride should never choose color or style of the bridesmaid dresses based on the one size fits all body type/skin tone mentality.

.....Continued tomorrow! :)

Ti Amo: Laura Crema & Antonio Mancino

Let's talk about Italy. I adore Italy. After spending some time there in college, I can confidently say this country is one of my favorites! :)

Fibre di luce Photography submitted this fabulous wedding a few weeks ago and I could hardly wait to post the pictures! Enjoy! Grazie!

Commentary by Fibre di luce:

Laura and Antonio wanted a traditional wedding, celebrated within the gorgeous lakeside San Liberato estate, near Bracciano's Lake (Rome). San Liberato's church is a tiny, romantic stone church, with a gorgeous ancient fresco, and Fairytale Wedding Planning suggested not to overload it with flowers, and respect the natural, lovely mood of the stone. The ethereal gypsophila spheres, and candles, for a magical atmosphere. 

For the reception dinner, a total white mise-en-place with golden details, and a minimal centerpiece with a glass boule with pink hydrangea (as for the bouquet), mirror & small candles. Instead of escort cards, guests received tagged cupcakes- lovely and delicious, designed by La Mucca Sbronza. 

















Laser cut invitations were created by KatBlu Studio, and the rest of the stationery Fairytale Wedding Planning and the lovely couple, taking the same colors and arabesque for tags, menu and placeholders. 

After the ceremony, Laura and Antonio had a pleasant walk across the lovely San Liberato's botanical garden, with lots of colorful balloons: they were so ecstatic!

After the classical dinner, they've spent some joyful time with their best friends, dancing and having fun. We loved their wedding, and wish them all the best. 


Here are some of MY favorite things:

1. Who says baby's breath can't be elegant and chic?


2. Pink Hydrangea---a yes in my book!


3. Little details make a big impact, even in you're the only one who will know or enjoy them on your wedding day! :) Love the personalized hanger!



4. There is no better decor than God's creation. NO BETTER.

5. Consider sneaking off for some night time shots of you and your new husband during/after your reception!



Sigh.....well loves, I'm off to convince the Mister to maybe move to Italy??

xox for now! ~Jaime

Photographer:  Fibre di luce

Hair Stylist:  Stefania Macrì

Event Designer:  FAIRYTALE WEDDING PLANNER

Floral Designer:  Daisy Flowers

Invitation Designer:  KatBlu Studio,Fibre di Luce

Cinema and Video:  Glazà Multimedia

Dress Store:  Davino Spose

Cake Designer:  La Mucca Sbronza
Event Venue:  San Liberato S.r.l., Tenuta San Miniatelli   

Obsessed with: {Country Charm times a billion}

Okay. Can we talk about this wedding?? I can't take it! So amazing! I love love love the cohesiveness of this rustic theme, from the cowboy boots, to the venue--it oozes of the care and time bride Marcy and Groom David from Telluride, Washington spent making their wedding day awesome!

 From the happy couple:

We spent the most time on our invitations, (we have this great Japanese printmaking thingy called a Print Gocco.. they are out of business but people are cultish about the awesomeness of this little device and keep it going for now.) We used a lot of veneer from B&B Rare Woods in Colorado. We also made a lot of things from fallen trees on our property: the cake stand, sign for the back of our truck, other signs, a teepee for the kiddos, table names,.. We bought a burnishing tool and burned letters into everything.. even our hangers for suit & dress… everything smelled like a campfire. And all the blue ball jars were found here on our island.. and house our rock/shell/feather/flower collections from each state/country we've lived in or been to together. Fabric projects: the butterfly wings for the flower girls, garter belts for the single girls, and torn satiny fabric for ribbon, Homemade cootie catchers kept the 23 kids occupied during dinner, and we had things like: "Kiss the Bride", "Hug Grampa John" written inside. The kids also were enthralled with the guest book table.. we had an old typewriter that was m's dads, water color pencils and book, and a card box with all the homemade drawings we had received from the kids leading up to the wedding. We have large families & friends from all over, and invited 160 people.. (only 78 attended).. but we wanted it to be an intimate experience so making everything ourselves made it more personal.. and was fun for us! We also wanted to drag everyone to this beautiful part of the world, knowing they may not see it otherwise. Instead of leaving right after for a honeymoon, we camped and adventured with whoever could stay longer. It was nice to have that relaxed time with everyone, and we lovingly refer to it as our Muddy Honeymoon. And because photography, travel and letter writing are intertwined in our 3 years together, we had elements of those throughout. 

Well done, ya'll! 

Vendors to be Obsessed with:

Photographer:  Aubrey Joy Photography 

Reception Venue:  Gorrono Ranch

Dress Store:  anna bé bridal boutique

Shoes:  Frye Boots,Lucchese Boots

Jewelry:  Artfully Elegant

Rehearsal Dinner Venue:  Mountain Lodge

Tuxedo and Mens Attire:  Mahiras
Caterer:  Allred's Restaurant

Guest Post: 2012 Dress Trends! (Warning ravishing ruffles below!)

I'm very excited to feature 2012 Bridal Trends by Sophie from www.forherandforhim.com! This is a great site and resource for brides, bridesmaids and anyone needing a special occasion dress! They have a fabulous variety and reasonable prices! Lots of customization options too! :)

Now, here's Sophie!

2012 has begun, and for the lucky brides-to-be getting married this year, there are so many gorgeous new dresses and trends to choose from. Our Spring 2012 bridal collection presents a gorgeous mixture of classic, modern and totally on-trend wedding dresses, all utterly beautiful and amazingly affordable. I wanted to share a few of these gorgeous gowns with you, and have a look at the main trends in bridal wear we’ll be seeing for Spring 2012.

First up, it’s no surprise that lace is going to be big for 2012. Lace has long been a favorite of those who favor tradition, and want to achieve a classic and graceful look, and it’s been thrust into the fashion spotlight once more, thanks to – yep, you guessed it – Kate Middleton. Designers have jumped on the trend, approaching lace in all kinds of chic and creative ways in order to produce gowns that offer fresh and modern updates to traditional lace gowns. I just love seeing classic and vintage looks reinvented, and for 2012 they have been given a real energetic twist!

For 2012 you should expect tons of luxurious texture. Tulle, lace, ruffles, layers,feathers and 3D flowers combine to create spectacular 3D gowns that just beg to be touched. We have some gorgeous gowns that burst with loads of brilliant, seductive texture. We have lots of beautiful textured gowns - check out the subtle, elegant folds on chiffon on this white gown above! Or for something more extreme – the luscious ruffles on the skirt of the amazing pink gown!  And, this soft pink color fits perfectly into the category of our next trend: you guessed it, color.

 

Yup, color has been becoming a more and more popular choice amongst brides for quite some time now. It is no longer thought strange to choose a gown in a color other than white (though bright orange might be pushing it a bit!), and this is reflected by the abundance of colored gowns seen on the designer catwalks for spring 2012. Romantic, soft and whimsical – my favorites were the gowns in shades of soft pink.  For all of our wedding gowns you can choose the color you like best, making it super easy to rock this trend. 

Illusion necklines are also going to be big for 2012. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, an illusion neckline is a sheer layer of fabric that covers a section of the skin that would otherwise be exposed if you wore a strapless dress. 

Have a look at the cute short dress below and you’ll see what I mean!  Illusion necklines are perfect if you’re bored of looking at strapless dresses but feel that full on sleeves would be too heavy or offer too much coverage. Illusion necklines are elegant, romantic and make sure your dress doesn’t fall down on the dance floor!

All of our wedding dresses come in the color you choose, and have the option of custom size, making sure you get the perfect match. If you’re in  a hurry, we also offer a fast track option that means your custom size dress will be ready to be shipped out to you in just 7 days. Happy 2012 all! - Sophie

Obsessed with {Amy & Colin & their Sweet September Love}

Have you ever met someone who was so friendly to you, it completely brightened your day? That's how I felt when I met Amy my sophomore year as a transfer student at Westminster College. Amy lived on my floor in Ferguson Hall--and she was one of the many reasons I felt so welcomed at college! One of my favorite things EVER is watching college friends fall in love, get engaged and get married. Amy got married this past September, and when I saw her fabulous wedding photos captured beautifully by Elizabeth and John of Craig Photography, I couldn't wait to feature Amy and all her sweetness!


Amy and Colin were married at Green Gables near Johnstown, PA. I LOVE this venue. LOVE. IT.

 

 

 

WeddObsessed: 

How did you and Colin meet?

Amy:

Colin and I first started talking online.  Colin asked if I wanted to meet him at a local bar to watch a Pittsburgh Penguins game.  The evening was totally random and I was pretty tired for work the next day, but I left that night with a feeling that it was the start of something good.  No flowers, expensive dinner or over-the-top first date gestures, just us, the Penguins and a few outgoing locals.

WeddObsessed

What was your least favorite part about planning? 

Amy:

Least favorite part of planning was the details.  I’m a ridiculously organized person, but I was definitely drawn more towards the creative side of planning.  I seemed to get the most frustrated with sending the invitations, the seating chart, and tracking down rsvp’s.

WeddObsessed:

What was something that 'went wrong' on your wedding day?

Amy:  

THE WEATHER threw a curveball on our wedding day.  Little did we know it would be 90 degrees with unseasonably high humidity for our outdoor September wedding in the mountains.  Luckily, the sun was shining, the pictures turned out great and you really couldn’t tell we were hot, sweaty and uncomfortable.

WeddObsessed:
What was your favorite part about planning?


Amy:

Favorite part about planning was the DECOR!  I basically just loved making everything look pretty.  I knew I wanted a shabby chic, Pottery Barn-ish feel, and I was very lucky to find a venue that was the perfect backdrop.  I found TONS of inspiration from Style Me Pretty, and then tried to duplicate it to match our theme.  My step-mom and I worked on the majority of the decor ourselves.  We had a lot of fun searching antique and craft stores for projects – I couldn’t have done it without her.  Etsy was pretty much my best friend for about a year and I worked with a lot of great vendors to help customize ideas.  It definitely brought out the crafty side of me that’s been hiding for the past several years.