The Ensemble -- Alternately Titled, "Go away, Mr. JeffMemorial!"

We're under the 70 day mark, which is just terrifying and exciting all at the same time. I now regularly get that "Oh my god! I'm getting married!" feeling. I mean, it's really happening!

Thankfully I have had most everything done for quite some time now considering this wedding has been almost two years in the making. While I am now tying up loose ends and firming up dinner reservations and winery tours for the honeymoon, for the most part I'm not feeling like I have left something undone. (Hooray!)

This does, of course, lead me to dwell on details. (A bride dwelling on details?! Next thing you know, I'll be telling you the sky is blue and water is wet!) Recently I've been pondering my whole wedding ensemble. It's taken a few months, but the whole look as finally come together... I think.

Well, I have the dress...

It's the dress picture above in this color (navy blue, for the click-through phobic), and no that's not me.

I also have the shoes.


I have Swarovski Bella Golden Earrings.

And I have a cute handmade clutch from Etsy seller "UpStyle"!

But I'm not really sold on wearing a necklace. I've asked a few people, and they're sort of split down the middle between "Absolutely no necklace! It'll take away from the dramatic neckline," and "Of course! That dress screams for a necklace!"

God, I feel silly writing this--pondering extensively over whether to necklace or not to necklace. I guess it's one of those things where, since I very rarely get dressed up, I want to do it right. And it's not just the necklace. It's an overall ensemble anxiety, which sounds pretty ridiculous. I love all of these pieces separately; let's hope they play well together, as well.

I am, however, inclined to say no to the necklace, favoring the "dramatic neckline" which is sad because there are so many beautiful bridal necklaces out there.

Part of me wonders if maybe I should have left a few actually important projects to the end of this planning process, heh. Then I wouldn't spend actual time thinking about frivolous stuff like this. Or maybe I should spend more time on my homework.

What little things did you surprisingly get hung up on?

More Than Just Handbags… A Jewelry Conundrum Solved?

As I’ve mentioned previously, I am a lover of accessories. This is especially true of purses. I love and adore purses. We have a separate closet out in the hallway, where the upper half is just my purses. (Thank you, Mr. JeffM!) You might say I have a problem, but I’d like to consider myself an… enthusiast.

Source.

When it comes to choosing accessories, I generally find choosing the bag for an outfit to be the easiest decision. This was true with my wedding ensemble, as well!

But I have been at my wit’s end about jewelry. I’ve scoured etsy, and every online storefront I can think of and nothing is jumping out at me going “Love me, Liz! You know I’m just right for you!” So tonight, I took a break from pulling my hair out over jewelry to look at, well… I admit it, I decided to look at handbags from one of my favorites: Kate Spade.

While I was clicking around, lusting over the clean lines and bright aesthetic, I noticed a link on the left sidebar that jumped off the screen and shook me!

JEWELRY

I didn’t want to get up my hopes up, so I hesitated in clicking. I have had such difficulty finding anything I liked! I didn’t want my gal Kate to let me down… I would be heartbroken!

She didn’t. She didn’t let me down at all. I wanted all of it! It doesn’t all go with my outfit, but I had to share some of my finds which would go great with a lot of different bridal outfits.

Park Avenue Pearl Studs
Cute. Clean. Love.

Crown Jewels Drop Earrings
For the bling lover in us all!

Know the Ropes Knot Stud
These are my personal favorite.

Moon River Double Pearl and Bow Necklace
If I was wearing a necklace with my dress… I might need to find an excuse. Rehearsal?

Park Avenue Pearl Cuff
Would be so adorable with the matching earrings.

All Wrapped Up Idiom Bangle
HOW CUTE IS THAT BOW??

I know the Mister is probably just THRILLED that I have found more reasons to shop, but seriously, I never thought about my favorites being designing multitaskers! I guess it’s kind of a “DUH!” thing, but hey! I can be taught!

"Don't forget to use the accessories wall, designers!" --Tim Gunn, Project Runway

Last night, I decided to take a break from all the coverage of the impending SNOMG (snomfg, snowpocalypse, snogasm) that will be descending upon our area today to catch up with this season of Project Runway! Bless you, DVR. Bless you.

In addition to being a local alum (that's right, gals, he went to our area's very own JMU!), we all know that Tim Gunn is all that is style and fashion. And what does he always say, other than "Make it work!" of course? Accessorize, because accessories can make or break an outfit.

And he's right. My philosophy has always been about accessories. I'm not the biggest fashion maven in the world (an understatement), but I love handbags, shoes, and jewelry. And given that I'm wearing something a bit non-traditional for my wedding dress...

To find out the backstory (and see more of the detailing) on this dress, click here. As a note, though, it's navy blue, and it's not as dark is it appears on screen.

...accessories are going to be pivotal. I already have two of what I consider to be my Major Player Accessories: shoes and handbag!

I spent many many hours over almost as many weeks searching for the right shoe to go with my outfit. I knew I wanted a nice gold shoe, but I had limitations. As I mentioned before, I am a whopping six feet tall. Mr. JeffM is about 6'2", so our limited height difference and, honestly, my complete lack of any motor skills or coordination precludes me from wearing anything other than a flat shoe. I had also decided that I wanted to wear a dressy sandal. The dress I chose has a lot of movement, as it is made from a flowing fabric, so I wanted shoes that were feminine but with a little more of a "take it easy" attitude.

I honestly thought I would never find them. After awhile, it got very frustrating. I would get shoe envy (of all things!) for people who could wear those gorgeous heels with the ribbons, bows, flowers, and other fun embellishments. It seemed like the fashion industry just didn't care about cute flats... or if they did, they cost in excess of $400, which is a hair out of my price range. I scoured Zappos, DSW, Piperlime, eBay, Nine West, Aldo, Steve Madden.... all countless times over. I was about to throw my hands up in the air when I decided to try Piperlime one last time. And there they were. Waiting for me. In my size!

Finding this gem of a handbag was a little bit easier. (I will say one note about the photo: the background isn't yellow like it comes across in this picture; it's more of a muted creamy gold. In fact the bag appears a lot more WOW YELLOW GOLD than it actually is.) For years I've lusted after the handmade clutches on Etsy, and finally I had an excuse to buy one. I was looking for something that had more of a bold design, aside from your standard bows, ruffles, and flowers. In design, I love bold lines and distinctive patterns, and this fit the bill perfectly.

About a week and a half after placing my order, this beauty arrived in a box on our front doorstep. The quality was out of this world. The silks used, and the stitching is just, for lack of a better word, divine. (I always feel so cheesy saying "divine," like I should be on Dynasty, wearing shoulder pads, and slapping someone.) Even Mr. JeffM was impressed, and he's not an accessories kind of guy.

The only thing I'm struggling with is jewelry. After some helpful hints from friends, I'm forgoing a necklace, as it will "only detract from the drama of the dress' neckline," but I am on the lookout for earrings and a nice bracelet. So far I do have a front runner for earrings.


These beauties are from J Crew. I love them, but I'm not entirely sold on them. I'm going to go to J Crew in person soon to see how they look against some of my accessories.

So far jewelry is proving to be the biggest challenge. I actually ordered an earring and bracelet set not too long ago, and while they are beautiful, they aren't exactly quite right. And I hate that! I hate that whole, "I don't know what I'm looking for, but I'll know when I see it," mindset. That's the problem I had with my shoes.

Sigh. So that's where I am so far. Hopefully Tim Gunn would be proud. I just wish he were here to give me some pointers!

Hello, Lover!

Ah, that classic line from SATC...nearly always my first reaction when I see a beautiful pair of shoes. Especially a beautiful pair of shoes on sale.

These are on sale right now at South Moon Under. They are $49.99. They are beautiful. I love this brand of shoes (Seychelles). They are comfortable, practical and beautiful. I might have to pretend I didn't already buy shoes to go with my wedding dress...

Tiara

Ok, so I may have previously mentioned a wedding tiara I was purchasing for a great price on Ebay. It arrived. It's beautiful, It would go well with my dress, but there's one problem. The decorated part of it is just not wide enough, not that I have a huge noggin or anything, but I just want anyone looking to be able to catch a bit of the tiara's bling from all angles. On my Ebay tiara, the bling is only in the front. Ah well! I knew what I was getting into when I decided to purchase from Ebay. That's 20 bucks I'll never see again! lol!

Recently, I found Tiara #2 on the web at a site called EverAfterBridalVeils.com. I really think it's gorgeous. The previous tiara is also pretty, the its detail is only about 6 inches wide. Tiara #2's detail is 8 inches wide, offering both front and side bling. I ordered it a few days ago, and I hope I love it as much as I think I will.

Bella Rosa Online Wedding Catalog

Ok, so everybody knows that I'm just crazy about my bridal boutique, Bella Rosa Bridal, in Richmond, Virginia. I purchased my wedding gown there, and will hopefully visit it soon when I fit for alterations. I was just on Bella Rosa's website, looking at the samples for sale, when I noticed a new link. Bella Rosa now has an online wedding catalog of fabulous items! You can find veils, jewelry, shoes, bridal party gifts and more. I'm so excited about this, and so far I've found several pairs of earrings that I love! Now, I need to choose just one pair to wear on my big day.

Originally, I wanted dangly chandelier earrings, but then I saw this pair, and I love them! These Anna Bellagio earrings are my top choice right now. I think they'll look fabulous with an up-do.

Miss Capitol Hill Wedding Recap - Walking Down the Aisle

After we were done with a few pics of just us, it was time to start the ceremony. 

^Here are the beautiful wreaths from our florist Blue Ridge Floral Design 

^I told our florist that I wanted green and white wreaths, but that I wanted them to look "modern" which for me meant not having traditional wreath florals like roses and hydrangea. I think she did an awesome job. 

^And here is the inside of our tiny little chapel 

^This is the view from the front looking out the door 

^Our pew florals, which I also loved.  Also from Blue Ridge Floral Design 

^Here come the guys!

^Waiting outside the church 

^I love this pic of my nephew! He escorted my Mom

^Waiting to head into the church 

^Here I come! The families, groomsmen, bridesmaids, and flower girl came before but for the sake of brevity I'm skipping to the key moment 

 

^Fiance watching me walk down the aisle 

^Coming down the aisle. One of my friend's husbands had just whispered something like "you look awesome"...which is why I'm looking at him and not at my groom! Haha 

^Now my eyes are where they are supposed to be! For such a short aisle it still seemed like a long walk when you have everyone watching you

^Finally, we're ready to start the ceremony! My flower hair clip is from Etsy seller Ella's Alley. When I bought it in Feb it was only $9! Her prices have gone up a bit but they are  a steal compared to some of the other hair clips people are selling for upwards of $100 or more. I just didn't see the point in spending that much money and I was thrilled with how my little $9 flower came out. 

Vendors So Far:

Video- Monachetti

Photography - Linda Wallace

Hair/Makeup- Daphne Latham

Dress Designer - Vwidon

Dress Salon - Promise for the Savvy Bride

Shoes - Vera Wang new from Ebay

Bracelet- Carolee

Veil- Occansey Design

Purse - Belk

Hair Flower - Ella's Alley 

Flowers - Blue Ridge Floral 

Suits- Men's Wearhouse

Ties - Wild Ties

Socks - The Gap

Bridesmaid Dresses - Maggy London from Nordstrom

Flower Girl Dress- Rare Editions from Dillards

Sportscar - Sports Car Rental

Reception/Accomodations - The Clifton Inn

Miss Capitol Hill Wedding Recap - Posed Photos

Once we had the big reveal it was time to take the posed family photos.  Don't worry, though, I'm not going to post most of those...I always found it kind of boring when people posted family photos cause nobody besides myself knows those people so it's not very helpful for other brides. But I will post some with the bridesmaids/groomsmen. 

All photos below the work of Linda Wallace 

^Before we went for photos we had to get the flowers!  This is my calla lily bouquet from Blue Ridge Floral Design and my purse!  I looooved my purse.  I don't know why I even wanted one, but I did, and I searched high and low and never really found anything that I liked that wasn't insanely expensive. I ended up buying something that was "o.k."  Then the day before the wedding I had a last minute errand to run and ended up at the Charlottesville shopping mall (which is tiny) and the only real department store they had was a Belk. Which is a pretty inadequate department store...but there on a sales rack marked down half off was my no name brand purse.  It matched my dress perfectly and was only $25!

^Here is one of the groomsmen's bouts, also from Blue Ridge Floral Design 

^Here we are with all the groomsmen.  Navy Blue, three button suits from Men's Wearhouse, navy blue ties with green shamrocks and groom's kelly green tie with navy blue shamrocks from Wild Ties.

^Socks from The Gap 

^Bridesmaid dresses from Maggy London at Nordstrom. Flowers from Blue Ridge Floral. Bridesmaid hair from Daphne Latham. 

^My cutie flower girl in her Rare Editions dress from Dillards. 

^Once photos were over we all began to leave for the church. Linda captured this great photo of my Dad looking on as fiance and I shared a moment. 

Vendors So Far:

Video- Monachetti

Photography - Linda Wallace

Hair/Makeup- Daphne Latham

Dress Designer - Vwidon

Dress Salon - Promise for the Saavy Bride

Shoes - Vera Wang new from Ebay

Bracelet- Carolee

Veil- Occansey Design 

Purse - Belk 

Flowers - Blue Ridge Floral

Suits - Men's Wearhouse

Ties - Wild Ties

Socks - The Gap

Bridesmaid Dresses - Maggy London from Nordstrom

Flower Girl Dress- Rare Editions from Dillards 

Miss Capitol Hill Wedding Recap - Getting Ready

Now that you guys have already seen my awesome wedding video, I'll start the recap of the day in photos.  All the photos below are the work of our wonderful photographer, Linda Wallace. I've spoken before about how I chose my photographer and we were really happy with Linda's work. We got over 1,000 photos!  And for the price...I feel like we got the steal of a century. 

Much like my preferences with video, I really wanted a more photojournalistic style.  Not that I don't love all those photos of brides jumping in the air (actually I hate those) or everyone standing in a wheat field (yes I do like these), but I wanted more of a journal of the day as it actually happened.   I just feel that these photos will stand the test of time better.  

That's not to say we don't have posed photos...just not a ton.   

Of course it all begins with the getting ready....

Remember you can click to enlarge!

^Here I am with my great and incredibly affordable Charlottesville based hair & makeup artist, Daphne Latham.  She was so much fun to have around. 

^Daphne's kick-a$$ tattoo

^Talking with bridesmaids/family as I get ready

^I wanted a lot of curl since it's the opposite of how I normally wear my hair.  Daphne made the curls very tight so that they would loosen the closer we got to the ceremony. 

^I had a room all my own to get ready in that was next to my bridesmaid's room, my sister's room, and my sister-in-law's room.  I liked this cause people could come in and out and chat but everyone had their own space to go back to and get ready. 

^Here I am checking out the makeup in natural light. That's my dress behind me!

^There is my beautiful Vwidon dress from Promise for the Savvy Bride that I blogged about forever ago. To my knowledge this is now the only picture of this particular style anywhere online.  

^And here are my awesome Red Satin Vera Wang shoes (if you remember, I got these brand new on Ebay for a steal)

^ I got so many compliments on my shoes all night long.  If you are on the fence about colored shoes then all I can say is "DO IT!" It was so much fun.  And remember, your guests don't read wedding blogs all day, so they have no idea that this is a huge trend.  So many friends and family members thought I was so "original." Ha...if only they knew how un-original I really was!

^Now I've slipped into my dress.  And I got into my dress all by myself! I never really understood why it takes 8 bridesmaids to put on a wedding dress. Mine was easy to get in and out of.  

^Here I am putting on my wedding bracelet from Carolee that I loved. 

^Getting ready to put on my shoes.  

^ Look! I could put my shoes on all by myself too!  Though I did have proper bridesmaid supervision. 

^And now it's time to put the veil on

^Daphne getting things just right 

^I wouldn't say all that fretting I did over veil length was worth it, but I was pretty happy with the length of my Occansey Designs veil.  It was long, but not so long I felt like I had to keep up with it. 

^I must not look too shabby if I got looks like this from my bridesmaids. 

^Here I am...all done....ready for the big reveal.  

 Next up: the total look and seeing soon-to-be husband for the first time.