The Weddings Series: Part III

THE THREADS

(Did you miss Part I and II? If so, start here and here.)

Let's talk attire.

Considering I love dressing and accessorizing, selecting my wedding dress was not at the top of my wedding to-do list. Oddly, I was much more excited about other tasks like selecting stationery and wedding party gifts.

I felt like there was so much pressure to pick the right dress. It was strange. I didn't expect to feel that way, but for some reason, selecting the dress wasn't as exciting for me as I expected. Did anyone else feel that way? I know, it seems so strange.

I did end up purchasing a dress I loved. I found several that I was drawn to at Bridal and Formal in Reading. I was surrounded by my friends and mom who helped me narrow down the selection to three gorgeous ballroom-style dresses. I finally set my sights on one gown, which of course was $500 over budget. Go figure.

Then to make matters even worse, the embellished silk belt they put on me to style the dress was $900. Let me tell you... When you are in wedding mode, you are not thinking clearly. In my head, I was registering the belt as $90. A big difference, huh. The realization that the belt added almost $1,000 to the cost of my dress led to a total freak out/devestating moment.

After telling the sales associate that I loved the dress, but couldn't afford it all and would have to reconsider purchasing it, she brought out a $300 silk belt... Whew! Much better. Still not cheap for what it was (e.g., an embellished appliqué on a piece of ribbon), but much more doable with the discounts the shop offered. I truly felt I needed this belt to make the dress extra special.

To finish it off, I added a big pouffy veil that I called my "Barbie veil" (Pinterest-inspired, of course).

So yes, the dress cost more than I expected, but I cut corners when making other purchases. You'll be delighted to know that my almost brand new shoes were a Snooty Fox consignment store find and my earrings came from the clearance rack at Charming Charlie.

Here's how it came together...

Now, let's talk my handsome groom. He and his groomsmen wore Vera Wang tuxedos from Men's Warehouse. We bought the guys' bow ties from a random website. We also included striped stocks from Men's Warehouse in their attire package, so they could look extra snazzy.

Lastly, to hit on my wedding party attire.

I thought the bridesmaid dresses were a sure bet. From day one, I was set on ordering these dresses. I loved the ruffle around the neck and bow detail. I thought it was soooo Simply Sarah Style.

While the boutique only had a short version in stock for fittings, I felt comfortable ordering the dress with the full length bottom because the online photo looked so attractive. Boy, was I wrong! The dress skirts were huge. Each bridesmaid (minus the four girls who were expecting babies) had almost eight inches cut out of each side to get a more tapered look. Honestly, the dresses fit like ball gowns worn by the step sisters in Cinderella.

I was devastated with how they turned out. The dresses quickly went from the top of my favorite list to my sh*t list. They were a fail in my eyes, but what could you do after each girl spent so much money on them?!? It even crossed my mind to personally cover the cost of ordering a completely new style dress for everyone.

So now that the bridesmaids dresses were a downer, let's end on a happy note! This flower girl dress... only $19.99 at Burlington Coat Factory. Talk about a major score! And I paid only $1.50 for the headband at Kohl's. I kid you not.

(Isn't she the cutest?)

Thanks for stopping by for the third post in this series!

Photos of our big day by the talented Sherri Barber