I had a major meltdown last night. It was over the fact that the entire future of my wedding, marriage, and everything is up in the air because of my lack of a career. I hate that the state budget of Illinois (or lack thereof) is dictating my future personally as well as professionally. I love my job, but it won't be around next year. And who knows if I'll be hired as a teacher anywhere next year. it sucks. But, thankfully Jim understands and listens when I freak out. Someone has to be the practical one.
So if I ignore this blog from time to time, please don't think anything of it. it's just that until things are clear, thinking about it kind of makes me sad. It's going to happen. Hopefully soon. I'll keep you posted.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Dress Anxiety
Today I went to David's Bridal to try on a bridesmaid dress. While we were there, my mom and I decided to look at the dresses. It was my first time looking at dresses in person instead of photos online. It was fine, there were a couple dresses I would consider trying on, but nothing that made me want to get married tomorrow. I don't know, I think shopping for the wedding dress has been hyped so much that there is no way it can live up to it. I am not a super girly girl. I don't get excited about clothes the way some people do. And that makes me worry that there will never be ONE "THE" DRESS. I know I'll find a dress, I just don't think I will ever have the reaction brides are supposed to have when they try on the dress.
My other concern is the complete lack of styles I like. Or the abundance of styles I do not. Strapless Dresses. I HATE them. I have a few reasons for this and the number on reason is the pull up. I want to look effortless and elegant and classy on my wedding day. There is no way I can look that way if i have to pull up a strapless dress that is sliding down too low. I could go on and on about why I hate them, but it wouldn't make a difference. Brides everywhere love them. And so that is 99% of the wedding dresses in the world.
I do have hope. Ivanka Trump(Donald's daughter) had a beautiful dress with sleeves. And that is starting some whispers of the winds of change in the bridal gown industry. My other hope: the Royal Wedding. I'm hoping that since that wedding is a huge part of the Church of England, Kate Middleton will choose a more modest style. Whatever she wears will be a HUGE influence on the wedding industry, and I am hoping it goes the way of sleeves!!
Thoughts? What do you think of sleeves on wedding gowns?
My other concern is the complete lack of styles I like. Or the abundance of styles I do not. Strapless Dresses. I HATE them. I have a few reasons for this and the number on reason is the pull up. I want to look effortless and elegant and classy on my wedding day. There is no way I can look that way if i have to pull up a strapless dress that is sliding down too low. I could go on and on about why I hate them, but it wouldn't make a difference. Brides everywhere love them. And so that is 99% of the wedding dresses in the world.
Thoughts? What do you think of sleeves on wedding gowns?
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Crystal's Wedding
I'm very excited to have my second guest post from a veteran bride. This week is Crystal, one of Jenny's bridesmaids with me. I LOVE the trend of brightly colored shoes with wedding dresses, and I think Crystal was one of the first to embrace this idea with her gorgeous orange shoes!
1. Your name? Your husband’s name?
My name is Crystal and my husband's name is Gary.
2. When/Where was your wedding?
We eloped in Savannah, GA during October of 2007.
3. What were your colors and flowers like?
My favorite color is orange, so I knew it had to be featured prominently when I got married. The flowers were orange roses with fall foliage mixed in. Gary wore an orange orchid.
4. Tell us about the dress. How/where did you find it?
I wasn't really sure what kind of dress I wanted, so I went to David's Bridal and tried on every style possible. Big poofy princess dresses, slim slinky form-fitted dresses: I tried them all. I ended up choosing a tea-length dress that had a beautiful lace beading. I loved how light and airy the shorter dress felt compared to the weight of the all the other dresses. Plus, having a short dress allowed me to show off my orange heels!
5. What did you decide on first? (the dress, the location, the colors?)
I knew from the start that orange would be the major color, regardless of what everything else turned out to be. I knew I didn't want to wear a veil; instead, I wore an orange rose in my hair. I knew I wanted the ceremony to be outside, and we ended up exchanging our vows in front of an old fountain under moss-covered trees.
6. How long did you plan the wedding?
We started out planning a big, traditional wedding, and went with that plan for awhile. In the end, that path turned out to be too much. We decided to elope in Savannah, because the city has great significance within Gary's family. It is also a very unique, beautiful spot, with a perfect blend of city and natural elements.
7. Did you DIY anything for the wedding? If so, what?
Because we eloped, we chose a wedding package in our destination city. A very sweet wedding planner helped us customize the details. Everything we needed was included in the package, so there wasn't much for me to do! I did make our announcements we sent out after we were married.
8. What was one thing you thought was worth splurging on?
Because we got married in a city different from where we lived, we wanted to live it up! We stayed in a super fancy bed and breakfast with the most amazing bed I've ever slept in. I still have dreams about that bed!
9. What was your favorite detail?
A lot of the experience felt very new and surprising, since I didn't spend a lot of time hashing out every last detail. My sister (who walked me down the "aisle") and I took a horse-drawn carriage to the wedding site, which was a few blocks from where we were staying, and that was really fun. I also loved how handsome my husband looked. We started dating when I was sixteen, so it felt amazing to be husband and wife after dating all those years!
10. What was the part of the planning that scared you the most?
It was definitely different getting married in a city I had only visited once before. There was a freedom though in trusting the wedding planner-- I didn't have to sweat any of the details, and even if things turned out a little crazy, it was okay to me-- the most important thing for me was the act of getting married.
11. Which was the most difficult decision to make?
Once we decided to elope, everything was easy from there. The hardest thing was breaking out of the wedding "box" - feeling like we "had to" do all these things. It was difficult to get married without all our loved ones present, but in doing so, Gary and I were able to focus on each other and make the day about us.
12. What was the most memorable part of the wedding?
Gary and I wrote our own vows, so exchanging those words was very moving.
13. What advice do you have for soon to be brides?
Your wedding day is not a reflection on how your marriage will turn out. My wedding was very different from what I originally envisioned, but I could not be happier with the man I married.
Thanks Crystal!
Want to be a Guest Bride? Leave a comment!
My name is Crystal and my husband's name is Gary.
2. When/Where was your wedding?
We eloped in Savannah, GA during October of 2007.
3. What were your colors and flowers like?
My favorite color is orange, so I knew it had to be featured prominently when I got married. The flowers were orange roses with fall foliage mixed in. Gary wore an orange orchid.
4. Tell us about the dress. How/where did you find it?
I wasn't really sure what kind of dress I wanted, so I went to David's Bridal and tried on every style possible. Big poofy princess dresses, slim slinky form-fitted dresses: I tried them all. I ended up choosing a tea-length dress that had a beautiful lace beading. I loved how light and airy the shorter dress felt compared to the weight of the all the other dresses. Plus, having a short dress allowed me to show off my orange heels!
5. What did you decide on first? (the dress, the location, the colors?)
I knew from the start that orange would be the major color, regardless of what everything else turned out to be. I knew I didn't want to wear a veil; instead, I wore an orange rose in my hair. I knew I wanted the ceremony to be outside, and we ended up exchanging our vows in front of an old fountain under moss-covered trees.
6. How long did you plan the wedding?
We started out planning a big, traditional wedding, and went with that plan for awhile. In the end, that path turned out to be too much. We decided to elope in Savannah, because the city has great significance within Gary's family. It is also a very unique, beautiful spot, with a perfect blend of city and natural elements.
7. Did you DIY anything for the wedding? If so, what?
Because we eloped, we chose a wedding package in our destination city. A very sweet wedding planner helped us customize the details. Everything we needed was included in the package, so there wasn't much for me to do! I did make our announcements we sent out after we were married.
8. What was one thing you thought was worth splurging on?
Because we got married in a city different from where we lived, we wanted to live it up! We stayed in a super fancy bed and breakfast with the most amazing bed I've ever slept in. I still have dreams about that bed!
9. What was your favorite detail?
A lot of the experience felt very new and surprising, since I didn't spend a lot of time hashing out every last detail. My sister (who walked me down the "aisle") and I took a horse-drawn carriage to the wedding site, which was a few blocks from where we were staying, and that was really fun. I also loved how handsome my husband looked. We started dating when I was sixteen, so it felt amazing to be husband and wife after dating all those years!
10. What was the part of the planning that scared you the most?
It was definitely different getting married in a city I had only visited once before. There was a freedom though in trusting the wedding planner-- I didn't have to sweat any of the details, and even if things turned out a little crazy, it was okay to me-- the most important thing for me was the act of getting married.
Once we decided to elope, everything was easy from there. The hardest thing was breaking out of the wedding "box" - feeling like we "had to" do all these things. It was difficult to get married without all our loved ones present, but in doing so, Gary and I were able to focus on each other and make the day about us.
12. What was the most memorable part of the wedding?
Gary and I wrote our own vows, so exchanging those words was very moving.
13. What advice do you have for soon to be brides?
Your wedding day is not a reflection on how your marriage will turn out. My wedding was very different from what I originally envisioned, but I could not be happier with the man I married.
Thanks Crystal!
Want to be a Guest Bride? Leave a comment!
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