Time To Set The Table

The woman who used to live in my new apartment is engaged, and has yet to forward her mail. I know this because yesterday I "stole" her new copy of Martha Stewart Weddings. (Also available online.) In general, I find bridal magazines to be only mildly helpful. There are usually a few good articles about how to cut costs, and anything that can tell me what style of dress will best hide my problem areas is always welcomed; but for the most part, I find them to be mostly pretty pictures of dresses I could never afford and bodies I will never have. Oh, and a lot of advertisements. This particular edition, however, had a really good article about table settings--something I've been struggling to conceptualize in my mind. One suggestion really struck a chord with me: have wine bottles play double duty. They suggest printing out table numbers and placing them over the labels on wine bottles. I really like this idea and may very well use it myself come May. I was already planning to have bottles of wine set out on the tables, and by using those bottles as table markers too, I can avoid cluttering up the table space. Plus, if you choose the right font for your table numbers, it looks very classy.

I also really like this idea:I think it is a really nice idea to place a different picture of you and your fiance at each table. Choose photographs from throughout your relationship and display them in chronological order, with the earliest photograph presented at Table 1. Your guests could visit each table during the reception and see how your relationship progressed from its earliest beginnings to its current state. Make the last photograph one of your engagement pictures. When the wedding is over, you can take all of the photographs back home with you and hang them all together on one wall, perhaps surrounding a larger framed picture of the two of you on your wedding day!

Another really cool idea I have read/heard about is to have your table cards play to your wedding theme (if you have one). For example, my fiance and I have chosen our trip to Europe as our wedding theme. While we are not going over the top with this theme, we do plan to incorporate it into different elements of our wedding. We have considered the idea of, rather than numbering our tables, naming them after landmarks or locations that we visited in Europe and having pictures that we took in Europe accompany the table names. So rather than sitting at Table 3, people would sit at La Tour Eiffel, and get to see a picture of the Eiffel Tower on Bastille Day, lit up by fireworks. Yes, it sounds a little a hokey, but it can also be a nice way to let your guests share some of the experiences that have brought you and your future husband closer in love.

It's Here!

The "tying the knot" brooch I ordered last week from Yoox.com is here! I'm really happy with the quality. It sparkles and is really well constructed. But it's a lot bigger then I thought it was going to be! I was imagining something more dainty but this baby has some heft to it. I think it will be too overwhelming for my flower bouquet but I can definitely pin it to a plain clutch to jazz it up.


^Close up of the brooch


^Next to something for a size comparison

What Really Matters

I just ran across this touching story from another wedding blogger and I had to share it because it really illustrates what's important when it comes to weddings.

FataFelice was on her way to having the big wedding that most of us have been dreaming about. She was having a castle wedding, with the most adorable letterpress invitations and a beautiful gown that was handmade by a top New York dress designer. Naturally, she'd been planning for months.

This dream slipped away, however, when a week before her wedding her Fiance's mother had a heart attack and died. Needless to say their wedding was immediately postponed. What should have been a busy wedding week was now replaced with funeral preparations. Fiance's mother was well loved and the funeral was huge. Finally, on the Wednesday before they were to be married Fiance's mother was laid to rest.

I can only imagine the emotions that both of them were feeling. Sadness, loss, disappointment, and more then anything just wanting to be married. So on the Thursday before they were supposed to be married they decided that they did indeed JUST WANT TO BE MARRIED. And they decided they WOULD be married and that they would be married on the same date that they had been planning on for the last year.

No, it wasn't going to be the dream wedding they had put all their efforts into for the last year. There would be no castle, no letterpress invitations, no designer gown. They had 48 hours to make a wedding happen and there wasn't going to be time for all that. To make a Saturday wedding happen in two days they leaned on friends and family for help.

One family friend was a florist, a neighbor was a sports photographer, another family friend had a catering business, a family member was a pastor, etc. etc. Throw in a trip to Marshalls and the outlet malls for a wedding dress and groom's attire and in two days they had a BEAUTIFUL wedding.

It was a simple wedding with only a few family and friends but I think she just looked so pretty. Pictures are below. Her dress was very flattering, her hair was perfect, the flowers were gorgeous and in the end they were MARRIED! FataFelice is still planning on having the dream wedding a year from now but I just think that they will always remember this ceremony and the friends and family that came together to make it all happen.

All the big wedding stuff is nice but in the end the only thing that really matters is you, your fiance, and your close family and friends. And that's really all you need!

Follow FataFelice's story and see more pictures on her blog!

Cursed Colors

So yesterday I told you how I chose my colors, now let me warn you: Don't Chose My Colors. Why? Well they are kind of hard to find. White and green hard to find? Yep. Colors come in and out of season and if you pick a color that isn't one of the "it" colors of the moment then you may find it difficult to find bridesmaid dresses, decorations, invitations, etc. Save yourself a lot of time and stress and pick a neutral like brown, silver, gold or a super common color combo like sage green and pink, but whatever you do don't pick "kelly green."

My biggest frustration has been trying to find bridesmaid dresses. For a number of reasons my bridesmaids can't wear strapless or spaghetti strap dresses and I need a style that works for both large and small frames. At the very least the shoulders should be covered but I don't want to make my bridesmaids suffer through carrying around a light wrap with them all night and feel like they have to cover their dress. Ever try to find a bridesmaid dress that wasn't strapless? Apparently they don't exist. Or if they do exist they aren't in kelly green. Naturally, I have a lot of other demands....must be around $200 or less, can't be matronly or look like it came out of the 80s, needs to be dressy enough for an early evening wedding but not too formal, etc. I check the Nordstrom, MaxStudio, Ann Taylor, JCrew, Banana Republic, and Bluefly sites on a regular (o.k. daily) basis and I have for months but no luck so far.

I am considering the below skirt from JCrew paired with a white wrap blouse or white lace jacket but at almost $200 for just a skirt the price needs to come down a lot.


I'm also trying to open my mind to alternatives like white dresses with possibly a spring weight green sweater (no I don't care if other people besides me are wearing white at the wedding). The advantage to that is that white dresses are easy to find and re-wearable after the wedding but I'm worried the look will be too casual.

Invitations are another problem. My sister is handling my invitations and we've been on a hunt for kelly green cardstock but most of what we've found is too dark or too light. I even went to the sacred Paper Source and they didn't have anything anywhere near the right color. Sigh.

I think I'm going to head over to the new Bloomingdales in Friendship Heights this weekend to browse around and continue the search. If anyone has any suggestions for dresses I'm all ears!

Tobi - For the Look You Need

Ok, you are the bride. In my, never again to be humble opinion, I think you should look fabulous during the entire planning process. Let the radiant glow of engagement be upon you. The reality is though that many of my brides are so busy frantically researching, planning, working, studying and DIY’ing that they’ve let themselves go.

Help has arrived! I need for you to head on over to Tobi.com for some really fantastic fashions and bring your man. Tobi has really fantastic items for both of you. Fall is here and what’s better than cashmere. Vince sweaters are the way to go. I especially love the babydoll sweater. Couple it with a pair of Paige jeans and have your honey grab one of these fantastic by Diesel jackets to toss in the backseat and you are ready to hit the road and negotiate with any vendor out there! While over at Tobi be sure to take a peek at the Beauty Bar, again for Him and Her.
Billy Jealousy is a must try. What better way to really get HIM into a skin regime (just don’t call it that.) Lastly, be responsible and cruise through their eco-friendly shop, Eco-Tobi, an entire green shopping area. While there peruse their neat findings from an eco-friendly visit to Costa Rica. Get on it!

Claire Dratch

Hm, so I've been MIA for a bit since my first post--I've just been swamped at work with the fiscal year ending today. But since I finished what I needed to, I thought I'd treat myself to some dress-shopping!

I had an appt last night at Claire Dratch, a special-occasions shop in the heart of Bethesda. The bottom floor has dresses and skirt suits galore--even just from glancing through, I saw any number of MOB outfits I would gladly have my mom wear! A lot of brides-to-be complain about the limited selection of elegant, appropriate MOB dresses in dept stores and online--if you are currently looking for one, I highly recommend a stop in this store. The price point seems to hover in the low to mid/high hundred's. I also saw a section with some definite rehearsal dress potential, although I didn't stop to check out the prices.

The upstairs floor houses the bridal salon. At first glance, the place could definitely use some renovation. The carpets and such are a bit worn down, but it's nothing that'll hamper your experience there. Claire Dratch carries 10 designers, including Lazaro, Liancarlo, Marisa, and Watters & Watters among others. There are a couple racks on display (including marked-down samples) but there is a separate closet where the sales ladies pull most of the dresses out to try on. I was helped by Inna, who listened to what I was looking for and picked out 4 or 5 dress for me. I wasn't bowled over by anything I tried on, but there were some very pretty dresses.

Although I didn't find the Dress there, I would definitely recommend a stop in for those who are looking. Despite the 80's interior, the sales ladies are GREAT (not pushy or snobby in any way; I was helped by Inna) and there are very affordable dresses in the $1000-4000 range. The two I liked the most clocked in way under $2000. From what I hear, the weekends are crazy so try to nab a weeknight appt--they are open till 9pm on Thursdays.

Claire Dratch 7615 Wisconsin Ave. (301) 656-8000

Picking Colors

It's pretty common for most wedding bloggers to say something like "i was never the sort of person that dreamed about and planned her wedding since she was a little girl." I guess I fit that mold too. I knew I wanted to get married and to have a nice wedding but I never did any more planning or thinking about it then that. I definitely wasn't a "keep a file of back issues of Martha Stewart Weddings just in case I get engaged soon" type of girl. So when I got engaged I had to start putting together an idea of what I wanted. One of the first questions everyone asked was what are your colors? For a while I didn't want any "colors" because I hated the whole matchy-matchyness of weddings. I quickly realized this wasn't really going to work mainly because everyone else needed guidance and "no colors" was way too vague.

So how did I chose my colors? First, I started keeping a file of all the types of flowers, bridesmaid dresses, decor, invitations, etc. that I liked. Most of these are from online as I don't really read a ton of bridal magazines. Soon I could see some trends emerging. Second, I knew that I wanted my wedding pictures to really pop with color. Some brides like warm reds and browns, others like soft pinks and purples, but I wanted something that really screamed "it's spring time!" since I'm getting married in May. Finally, I built my colors around my reception site and not the other way around. I wanted to work with the colors they already had so that I didn't have to spend a ton of money renting linens, china, chairs, etc.

From the pictures I clipped I saw that I really liked bright colors and clean, linear designs. I didn't save any pics of fluffy pastel peonies but I had a ton of pics with bright greens, crisp whites, and linear calla lilies. From there it was easy to see what my colors should be: green and white. I call it "grass" green but I think everyone else would say "kelly" green. I love the clean and modern look of it. I love that there a million types of white and green flowers so I don't have to blow my budget on anything out-of-season, and I love that it will be easy to decorate with (every reception site already has white table linens).


Here is just a handful of the photos that inspired my color search

^I fell in love with this photo from the Photos Unscripted Blog. I love how bright the dresses are. Hopefully my green will be a little bit richer/deeper then those above and less citrusy but I knew I was on the right track. As an aside Kim Hawthorn from Photos Unscripted was one of the photographers we were seriously considering for our wedding because she had competitive prices and I think she's pretty talented with a camera. Unfortunately, at the time we inquired about her services she wasn't allowing brides to book more then a year before their wedding and there was no way in the world I was going to wait around to book a photographer not knowing if I'd get my date for sure and possibly missing out on other photographers I was considering. If you're less then a year out, though, she's definietly worth taking a look at.


^ Calla Lilys were the one flower that just kept popping up for me. And a lot of orchids. I love how clean and elegant they look. The above are from Chestnuts in the Tuileries, a NYC based event and floral design company.


^ The above picture from wedding designer Rebecca Thuss was one of the first pictures I cut when I started doing research. So simple and easy to execute.

How did you decide on your colors?

No One "Nose"

No One “Nose”…

About my major issues with my…nose. I’ve not only been self conscious about my nose since we did a silhouette project in 4^th grade, I’ve been paranoid about anyone seeing my profile. The peak of my nose loathing was in high school when it seemed all that mattered was how people looked. If I knew someone was watching me from the side, I either turned directly toward or away from them so they wouldn’t see me from the side. Now, at 22, I feel like I’ve grown into it a little more, but am still slightly uncomfortable with my overall profile. I haven’t worn my hair in a ponytail to work or school in seven years, half out of habit, half from subconscious profile issues.

So now, this insecurity is back at the forefront of my worries. I want to wear my hair back for the wedding. I really would just go for it, but the problem is, on my wedding day my profile will be the only angle of my face showing and in all of my pictures for a lifetime to come, I will be slightly disappointed about it. I can’t help but worry that instead of being able to enjoy those few moments of exchanging vows, the fact that my jaw line and nose are exposed will be eating away at me inside.

I know this may seem extreme or materialistic, but it’s not even an everyday insecurity anymore, or even something I worry about other people looking at. Mostly, it’s the fact that I don’t feel pretty from that angle, and it’s supposed to be the day I feel the most beautiful, ever. I could just wear my hair down and curled, but then my face won’t be visible to anyone at all, and I’d like everyone to be able to see me gazing into the eyes of the man I’m marrying. He thinks I'm the most beautiful woman in the world, and that's really all I should be worried about.

Does anyone have anyone have any ideas on some loose hairstyles that might cover my ears and still allow some view of my face from the side?

These are a few I’ve seen:

Meeting of the Parents....

Its that time, Tonight will be the first time my fiance's parents meet my parents. People seem to be shocked when they hear this, but with Fiance's family in Ohio and my family in New York, we always go one place or another, and have never found a time to meet, until now that is.

I'm sure that there will be lots of wedding talk, We are planning on seeing the reception sight, and possibly meet with caterers/florists....etc.

I'm sure I will have a lot more to post after this weekend, for now I will leave you with a cute idea I thought of. For the grooms cake, I am going with my fiances favorite baseball team ( he is border line obsessed :) ). I found this wonderful cake topper on ebay




They have many Different Sports teams, and I think they add a unique touch to any grooms cake!

I wanna dance!

In college I took ballroom dancing for my P.E. credit. From this I learned two things: 1) Being a great dancer is a god given, inborn talent that cannot really be taught...in the same way one either does or does not have artistic talent or musical talent,etc. BUT 2) Everyone can learn to dance.

I'm not a great dancer. Never will be. I don't have the smooth, graceful, natural rhythm that some people possess. I pretty much have no sense at all of beat or rhythm, but even I was able to learn the basics of ballroom dance, feel confident, and look knowledgeable on a dance floor. Even though I learned the basics I really haven't done anything with them for the last 7 yrs b/c I never really met any guys who knew how to dance. It's true what they say...use it or lose it. All that was left was a vague memory of the basic steps.

For the wedding I really want to do more with Fiance then just sway. However, I don't want our only good dance to just be our first one. I want to be able to dance through the night...and not to just some choreographed routine we frantically try to memorize.

So last night Fiance and I started dance lessons. We are taking lessons at the Dance Factory in Arlington (Virginia Square). I like the Dance Factory b/c it is close to where we live and right off the metro. They offer incredibly flexible class times and the staff is really nice.

We are starting with Ballroom Dance I. Ballroom Dance I is made up of 3 parts. Each part is 4 weeks long for a total of 12 classes/weeks overall. After you are done with the 3 parts you can move on to Ballroom Dance II which is also made up of 3 parts for a total of 12 classes/weeks. We signed up for a package where if we buy all 3 parts of Ballroom Dance I we get 1 part of Ballroom Dance II for free. The cost of this package is $189 per person. We have 8 months until the wedding so my plan is to take the full six months of Ballroom Dance I and II and then spend the last two months learning specific steps for our first dance song.

So last night we started our first part of Ballroom Dance I which includes learning the Foxtrot, Triple Swing, and Rumba. Last night we learned the triple swing and I was amazed that after one hour we could already do something that resembled a dance! Our instructor is Sam. I like him a lot because he's very funny, elegant, and easy to follow. Our class was made up of mostly younger couples our age but there were a few older couples as well. They have classes at 6, 7, 8 and 9 p.m. so there really is no scheduling conflicts. I have the feeling that younger couples tend to frequent the later classes more.

I forgot how fun it was to dance (even when you are messing up!) and what good exercise it is too. Both fiance and I broke a sweat. It's a good way to keep fit and I'm excited that we'll be able to dance the night away at our wedding and look good doing it! Just remember even if you aren't a naturally gifted dancer if you learn the basic steps you will already look better then 90% of the people on your dance floor because hardly anyone knows how to dance anymore.


Pictures of the Dance Factory

I'm Back...Let the Waiting Game Begin

First an update:
I found a dress pattern and a highly possible final fabric! My mock-up dress is due in November and I couldn’t be more excited—I finally feel like I’ll have a dress I’ll love! If you are really struggling to find the right dress and you have a friend/relative/acquaintance who is a skilled seamstress, I would strongly recommend considering and exploring the custom-made dress route. It feels incredibly satisfying and fulfilling. You can search some patterns here.

And now this:
Having never planned a wedding before, I by no means consider myself an expert. Thus, I am more than happy to take any advice I can get. So when my future mother-in-law tells me that wedding planning really all happens in the last two weeks before the wedding, I take this to heart, and feel slightly disheartened. I, of course, already knew this deep down, but foolishly allowed myself to believe that my near obsessive organization and above average planning skills would afford me the chance to softly coast through the month before the wedding. Sure I would have to tie up a couple of loose ends, finish any unfinished business and just generally oversee that all is still well, still fully planned, but the hard stuff would be done. Alas, I now fear what can only be certain reality: I’ll be planning like crazy and rushing around like a chicken with my head cut off right up until the last minute. Oh how relaxing. No wonder someone invented the honeymoon!

It occurred to me, on the flight back from Michigan (uplifted greatly by thoughts of my dress) that preparing for a wedding is a bit like preparing for an old-fashioned battle. It is important to plan ahead, get all your reinforcements in order. Your soldiers need to be trained. They need to be stocked with proper ammunition, armor, protection. You need to scout out territory, be prepared to attack from all sides. You need to know ahead of time the difficulties you’re likely to meet, need to prepare for possible surprises. But in the end, no matter how much you have prepared, how well you have planned, a battle’s not a battle until some General yells fire, until one side starts to charge--and then who knows what might happen.

Maybe the flowers you chose with such painstaking contemplation will begin to wilt halfway through the celebration. Perhaps one of your maids gains too much weight and can’t fit into her dress, or another loses a ton, and looks like she’s drowning in hers. The officiant gets stuck in traffic. Or maybe it’s the groom who’s running late. Your heel slips on your first step down the aisle, you roll your ankle and have to limp the rest of the way to the altar. You can plan and plan and plan, but you can never be sure that everything will go off without a hitch.

So now, and next month and every month after that, all the way up to the last two weeks before the wedding, and on through those weeks as well, it is probably best to just take a lot of deep breaths. Keep on preparing those troops, lining up reinforcements. And in the end, be willing to accept chaos. Because when the smoke all fades, and the people disperse, and the wedding comes to its end, chaos or not, you’ll be married and if you’re lucky, you’ll soon be on your way to a nice relaxing honeymoon.

Jennifer Behr Discount

Jennifer Behr made a splash on the bridal scene earlier this year with her simple and romantic hair accessories. Now thanks to Daily Candy you can take 30% off everything on her site. So if you've had your heart set on one of her designs now is the time to buy. Just enter code CANDY! at checkout.

All images from Jennifer Behr. Click to enlarge.

The getaway mobile...

Transportation, Very important aspect of our wedding, especially with many out of town guests, so we are already starting to figure this out. We arent quite there yet ( playing with the idea of trollys)

However, my fiance has already booked our car for us.

We are renting from Regal Limousine a beautiful 1933 Rolls Royce

However they offer an array of other cars...

Emitations

In the latest edition of Instyle Weddings they have an A-Z resource guide for good wedding websites. I didn't see much in there that I haven't already seen before, and there were a few instances where I thought they overlooked some really good resources. The one exception to that was the recommendation of Emitations under J for Jewelry. Emitations supposedly makes celebrity inspired jewelry for less. I didn't think their stuff looked very similar to the designs they were supposed to imitate but that doesn't mean there isn't some really fab looking stuff there. If you want to be a bling bride but you're on a budget or if you want that one "wow" piece of jewelry for your outfit but don't want to say "wow" when you see your credit card statement you should give them a look. If anyone has tried them let me know what you thought of the quality.



Penelope's Vintage CZ Brooch . $115 down from $135


^Boisseau Pear CZ Chandelier Earrings. $74.00

^Leaha's Pave CZ Circle Bracelet. $90.00 down from $125.00


^Ava's Antique Pear Shape CZ Dangle Earrings. $59.00 down from $100

You can have your cake and eat it too..

As every bride is taught to do, we are told to prioritize what is most important to us on our wedding day ( in regards to planning ) . For me that included Photography, a great location, good food and nice music. The wedding cake isn't high up on that priority list, yet it is something that needs to be done. With help from a friend I found out about Just Cakes a bakery in Bethesda.

^ These cakes are classic, even lines, which is what I'm looking for, yet at a price that isn't outrageous ( it is just cake after all :) )




^ I know this wouldn't be a grooms cake, but it shows the ability they have to make speciality cakes!

Sharp Find from Sharp Lily

One of my favorite non-wedding related blogs is Sharp Lily. Sharp Lily is a blog about finding "something fabulous at a price that doesn't force you to chose between buying it and paying your rent." Her motto is "you don't need a lot of cash to look money." She features great sales on quality clothing, shoes, accessories, etc. or hints on how to get the same designer looks you see in magazines with things you can find at discount retailers like Target or Kohl's.

Sharp Lily doesn't normally feature anything wedding related, but yesterday she wrote about a great brooch at yoox.com. It's from Pink Soda and originally cost $68 and has been marked down to $30. It's supposed to be a "bow" but I like how it looks like "tying a knot." Get it? Tying the knot? So naturally, I had to have it. I think I will put it on the wrap around my flower bouquet or pin in to my wedding day clutch.

For extra savings I went to my favorite shopping site Retail Me Not. At Retail Me Not you enter the website address of the site you are shopping on and they list any discount codes available. So I put in the Yoox website and I got a discount code for another 5% off. Yoox doesn't charge shipping so I got the brooch for only $28. Not too shabby. Thanks Sharp Lily! I'll let you guys know if it looks as fab in real life once it gets here.

Graffiti Does Invitations Too

As a follow-up to my earlier post today about Wonderful Graffiti Wedding, I also had to point out these unique invitation and favor ideas from their site. Now I'm not really into monograms, as I think they are kind of overdone for weddings nowadays but I know 99% of the wedding world is into monograms so I'd be neglecting my wedding blogging duties if I didn't tell you about these lollipop invitations. 6 inches in diameter, they come with your monogram as a part of the candy, and your invitation on glossy cardstock on the back. The RSVP card is the hangtag from the lollipop. They come packaged in a box with your monogram on the box. They come to you completely ready for addressing and mailing. Naturally they don't come cheap...They are $35 each and cost about $6 each to ship! But talk about a "wow" factor for your guests. Plus they could eat them instead of just tossing your invitation into the trash after the wedding (yep, almost everyone does).

Too rich for your blood? Yeah me too. But the below favors are actually really reasonably prices. They are sucker favors with your monogram as part of the sucker. They come wrapped with cellophane and they each have a bow and a hangtag wrapped around it. The hangtag is personalized and can say either "Sucker for Love" on the outside or "Thank-you." On the inside you can completely personalize the message, so you can put your names, wedding date, or just a nice message for your guests. The best part is these are only about $2.50 per sucker...less the more you order. I think it would be incredibly hard to find wedding favors with this level of individualization for such a good price. Plus no last minute DIY panic trying to finish your favors since these come ready to go.

Wonderful Graffiti Still Wonderful

I know Wonderful Graffiti has been featured on pretty much every wedding and interior design blog for their wall graffiti , but I just realized they have a whole separate website devoted to weddings - Wonderful Graffiti Wedding, and they have moved far beyond their traditional wall decals. If you don't know what Wonderful Graffiti is, it is a thin piece of matte vinyl that looks printed but is removable and will not damage walls or other surfaces. It's an easy way to add personalization without a ton of expense.


^ This wedding car graffiti looks much nicer and won't harm your car's finish like traditional shaving cream and shoe polish. Not to mention you won't be scraping of flecks of white for the next six months.


^I adore these restroom icons . These would be so cute on the bathrooms at your venue.


^ Just in case your guests get confused over which church is yours you can get these above door signs.



^And for the traditionalists they still have their traditional wall graffiti. This one is an Irish Toast.

Dress Ordered!

Well, yesterday I ordered my wedding dress! No turning back now without losing out on a bunch of cash so I think I'll stick with the dress. I went back to Promise for the Savvy Bride in Bethesda to try on the dress I liked the most out of the 40 or so I've tried on since starting the hunt. The previous attendant who helped me on my last visit, Kori, is getting married this weekend so she wasn't there, but the two women in the store this time were equally as friendly and easy to be around. I can't rave enough about the warm feelings at this place.

I tried on a few more gowns that were new since I had been there last and they were nice but when I tried on my favorite one again I knew for sure that it was "the one." No use wasting anymore time. I've tried to find a picture online of it but haven't been able to so far. I would post pictures of me in it but my fiance knows I blog and although he doesn't regularly read DCNearlyweds I don't want to take any chances.

The dress is made by a Chicago based design house called Vwidon. A husband and wife duo, Carla Hwang and Kenneth Park , are the designers behind Vwidon. They are both graduates of the Art Institute of Chicago and have been designing gowns since 2001. Most of their dresses have a very modern feel with contemporary silhouettes. Their main boutique is in Chicago and there are only three other stores in the country that carry their dresses. Promise for the Savvy Bride is the only store in the metro area that carries Vwidon. I wish I lived in Chicago so I could have tried on their entire line :(

What I love about my dress is the high quality of the fabric (silk), the simplicity of the design, and how light and soft the dress feels. A lot of bridal dresses can feel heavy or itchy, but I just want to roll around on mine.



^My dress is most similar to the above design, but if y'all know me at all you know that I don't do poofy. So imagine the top part of the dress but with a close fitting, non-poofy bottom. It's very sleek.


Below are some of their other designs:

^As you can see they mostly do modern cuts with great fabric


^I love the cap sleeves on this one. Great quality.


^Even when they do poofy they make it look contemporary.