second (and third and fourth) weddings... to the same dude

I just loved this post I read on Keely's blog, asleep to dream. It's called How to Plan a Wedding in One Week. It's a little lengthy, and somewhat of a thank you note in itself, so there is a lot of name dropping--but there are some cute, romantic moments that I am a sucker for. Keely had a wedding in Mexico in 2006, but her and her husband skipped all the paperwork, so it wasn't technically legal. This past Christmas, they had a little second wedding to celebrate the legal union part!

I originally found this via Elizabeth Dye's blog. She made Keely's original wedding dress for their Mexican ceremony in 2006.

{ gown by Elizabeth Dye in wedding #1 }

{ super amazing vintage shift dress for wedding #2 -- to the same guy }

*romantic sigh*

I love weddings. In case you didn't know that yet (umm... where have you been?!).

When my husband hits the big time and we're rich and famous, I want to be like Heidi and Seal, and have a new wedding for every anniversary. They were originally married in Mexico as well, and have been renewing thier vows on every anniversary since (3 times).

This was their latest (4th) wedding, in LA, due to Swine Flu scares, with a White Trash theme.

 

{ photos via Pop Sugar }

How amazing is that?! Oh yeah, Heidi is definitely pregnant there, too. Classic.

I think my husband would totally be down with a White Trash Wedding, but I think I would want a couple more pretty ones first. :]

First I think I'd go for a 50s vibe... Something like this.

{ photo via Martha Stewart Weddings }

Then something totally whimsical [in a Victoria magazine kind of way, NOT in a Renaissance fairy kind of way] Something like this...

{ custom wedding gown by Leanne M. }

With this pee-my-pants amazing dress, I would top it off with some crazy whimsical headpiece like this:

{ headpiece by twigs & honey; gown by Elizabeth Dye }

My mom remembers me telling her when I was a little girl that I wanted to have lots of weddings--all to the same person. 

So yeah, I am that girl. 

And it's been since birth.

dress shopping, anyone?

Yes, please.

{ gown by Marchesa via The Out Net }

Retails for $4,830. Available here for $1,690.50.

I know, still pricey for a dress. But what a discount, right?!

Marchesa is a New York based design house. Celebrity clients include Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Lopez, Anne Hathaway, Sienna Miller, Penelope Cruz, Kate Beckinsale, Cameron Diaz, and Eva Longoria. You can view these photos by clicking "Red Carpet" on the Marchesa website.

mr. & mrs. montgomery

Here are some detail photos from my friend Cristine's wedding (as mentioned in bold --which, might I add, was spot on --and seen in sewing adventures, continued...) on August 22nd.

Some of my favorite details were...

1. The bridesmaid bouquets are styled with button clusters, and monogram letters of all of the bridesmaid's first names.


2. Cristine's bouquet was decorated with vintage clip-on earrings she found in antique stores and estate sales (umm... can you say "brilliant?") They tied in beautifully with the (also vintage) costume jewelry that she wore.


3. Her veil. I am a sucker for the birdcage.

{ Photos 1-8, and 10 by Amanda Collingham of Divine Design. Photo 9 by Amanda Peters, friend of the bride. }

one lump, or two?

I am loving tea gowns for weddings. I didn't wear one, but one of my good friends told me after I bought my (long) wedding dress that she always pictured me as a short-dress-wearing-bride. I had never seriously considered wearing a shorter gown, but they have some gorgeous options out there. So if that is your thing, and that is your wedding-- absolutely be brave and do it.

This J. Crew gown is just plain cute. Perfect for a beach or backyard wedding, and totally re-wearable (If anyone really does that... uh, besides my mom. That's another story).

{ J. Crew }

I am really not a fan of Brides magazine (Hi, I'd like to pay $6 for a stack of advertisements please?), but I LOVE their cover this month. So fresh. Those shoes (yum, yum Christian Louboutin). And that dress is fabulous. If I had gone short, I would have gone with this one... with those shoes.

{ Brides }

designer of the month :: Elizabeth Dye

Who :: Elizabeth Dye

From :: Portland, Oregon

Why I love :: I am detail obsessed. And this girl's got it. Extremely intricate, luxurious fabrics (either to the hand or to the eye), with details so interesting that you have to study it twice to catch them all. She has fabulous boleros, custom wedding dresses, as well as (drumroll) wedding dress redesign. ...just add sentiment to details, and I am hooked.

Favorite piece of the moment ::

Gorgeous cream linen bolero jacket. I can't get over the detailing. The more I stare, the more I get lost in it. According to her listing, "Embellishments include antique lace, vintage embroidered and french knotted linen, raw-edged linen ruffles, and cream colored soutache embroidery scrolls." A stunning collection of romantic textures, all rolled into a structured couture piece.

Where to go (brick and mortar) :: 1124 SW Alder St., Portland, OR 97205

Where to go (clickable) :: The English Dept. or the Etsy shop

{insert envious sigh here}

So I stumbled upon this gorgeous dress while doing homework for a class that I truly have come to despise... Thanks, OSU. I guess I really am able to apply what I am learning.

And bonus, it really made my assignment much more enjoyable to complete. Minus the fact that I was a little distracted by the amazing possibilities and potential of this dress, and wanting to hurry up and post it on here.

Hmm. Worth it.
This vintage (1977) silk organza gown is by Zandra Rhodes of London. This photo is from Vintage Textile, an amazing website with vintage garments (many of which are for sale) from the 1920s and on. New finds are updated regularly.

I have to admit, it is a little sad that I don't have a photo of this knockout dress on an actual body. Plastic appendages just don't quite do it justice. But can't you imagine??

Gall dang. I want to see this on a bride. Or on a a non-bride who has a fabulous summer evening party to go to.

...Or just on me. {sigh}

flower girl dress

Flower girls. ADORABLE. Let's get that out of the way, shall we? Unpredictable, traditional, sometimes even a little cheesy... Not for everyone, I know. But come on. They can be so gall dang cute.

But what is up with flower girl dresses costing more than prom dresses? Or even wedding dresses? That is just a scam and a half. Tack the name "wedding" onto ANYTHING and it's value is suddenly inflated 6 times over.

Let's face it, toddlers are wearing these things. And often these frocks are white (more on this later) or at least some precious pastel color. It is hard enough for a bride--a grown woman, mind you--to keep her white dress clean. I don't even need to say more about that. But can we mention that this dress will more than likely never be worn again? And sure, her mom might save it in a box somewhere, but who really re-wears those things? And you know that they will be grown out of it by the time you are back from your honeymoon, right?

Okay, so let's cut to the chase. I walked by this adorable dress in Old Navy this week and instantly thought "Perfect flower girl dress!" Why? It is modern, just dressy enough, age-appropriate, summer heat appropriate (but adding a sweater is totally do-able ,too), comfortable for baby (100% cotton!), washable (again, 100% cotton!), and BONUS: It's $19.50!P.S. Seriously, go see this in person. It looks so much better on the hanger, it is almost sad. I really wished they had a photo of this dress on a model, but alas. This squint-your-eyes-real-hard-at-it photo is all there was.

Okay, so now my rant on white flower girl dresses...(I apologize. I do this time to time, but I promise, it isn't daily.)

Whether you are a traditional, non-traditional, religious, non-religious, church wedding, or courthouse wedding-type... Whatev. I think it is a pretty safe assumption that the vast majority of female wedding guests wouldn't want to wear a white dress to a wedding. Agreed? K. You just don't want to take that from the bride. You wouldn't do it even if you hate her, because you know that every other guest would hate you for it. So why are already adorable toddlers exempt from this rule? Isn't the whole point of not wearing white for the "all eyes on the bride" deal goin' on? (Read: I am not into the "I am the princess. It is my wedding, so my day will be perfect, even if you all suffer to make it that way" thing. I hate bridezilla. But this is the one thing I am on Team Bride about.) But really, what is the deal with it not being okay for cousin Jimmy's hot girlfriend to wear white, but it's cool for niece Maddy? Most weddings today include colors other than white in the decor (please!). Put her in a dress that compliments the color scheme or theme of the wedding. She will still look precious, non-white dresses are much more practical, there won't be insane wedding inflation on it, and it will be so much easier to find.

That said. Drumroll, please. Here is my $19.50 perfect flower girl dress at it's finest: