Maid of Honor and Sister of the Groom Bohemian Bridesmaid Dresses: Part 2

Sorry I didn’t post this a few day ago like I promised! The women will be wearing Bari Jay #910.

Yippy, the stress of girl attire is now over!

With less than three months left until the wedding there was no time for democracy. (Again, who am I??) I couldn’t wait for unanswered emails. We had to order fast! Only one store was left that would let me order at such a late date–it was time!

Earlier in the process the selected Bari Jay dress made it on to my MOH’s top likes–so that, coupled with the fact that it was romantic, whimsical, flowery, and comes in the perfect shade–made it a go!

Since both bridesmaids are not in the immediate area (one is 2,000 miles away, the other 50 miles), I took matters into my own hands. It was just too difficult to get a final nod from both ladies. Or have them try the dresses on. I waited a month already trying to do so and because of it missed the deadline of my store of choice–RK Bridal.

So back to the dress. Bari Jay #910 is an asymmetrical dress with ruffled flowers going down the strap towards the bust. See the pic of me trying it on above. Isn’t it really cute! It is made with a stretchy, biased cut fabric so it is really comfortable.

The only thing: I am a bit worried about how my ladies will look in it because they are busty. I really wished one of them could have tried it on! But, oh well, it was in the right color–a perfect peach/pink–and the perfect fanciness. So it would have to do! Sorry MOH, it doesn’t have sleeves like you were hoping.

After work I made my way to RK Bridal. Even though I couldn’t order from them it is really convenient to try things on there. No appointments necessary. And besides it was there that I first found it with my niece.

My sister is on the short side, about 5’2″, so my mom thought the shorter version of the dress would look better on her. And since the other bridesmaids are in short dresses too, it was the more sensible thing to do to order the short dress. Even though my heart really goes to the long one. Will the short one look too blocky?? There wasn’t a sample so I couldn’t really picture it.

RK Bridal requires just over three months to complete the transaction. We missed it by two weeks. So instead, we ordered from House of Brides. They offer rushed delivery for $40 extra so the dresses will come in early July. (Can you believe it, a 15 month engagement and I needed them rushed?) The best thing is that both places offer the dresses for a discounted price–basically half price –for $129 so it isn’t too bad economically. But then add $40 rush delivery to both, and $40 for plus size for my sister and it adds back up.

We ordered the color “Tulip” which is very similar to the other bridesmaids’ J-Crew Wild Chambray dresses in Papaya. I was contemplating Chanel which is a bit more pink so there would be really pretty variety of hues. Ultimately Tulip won!

So what do you think of the choice, Boho Brides? Will the MOH & SOG dresses go with the other dresses? Have you had a frustrating experience with your bridesmaid dresses?

Maid of Honor & Sister of the Groom Dress

Last week I had a terrible stomach flu. I felt terrible for almost two weeks straight. In the middle of my sickness was the deadline to order dresses for my Maid of Honor and Sister of the Groom. (There is going to be a freakout moment…you can tell, right?)

Originally I sent my Sister of the Groom a list of four dresses to choose from, directing her to order the one that she likes the most. I thought that I had it very clear, with lots of options–so surely she would like one of them. There was (1) a classic chiffon a-line with a v-neck and straps that I thought anyone would deem it worthy, (2) a strapless silk taffeta dress with a big bow that would speak to a fashionista, (3) a more beachy empire-waist chiffon dress, and then (4) a more of a classic bridesmaid strapless chiffon dress. She would select Rosebud (a more subdued and elegant rosey orange) if in Taffeta fabric or Deep Rose (a brighter reddish peach) if in Chiffon.

But my Sister of the Goom never ordered! A few months passed. So then I mentioned that she and my sister could match, she can just get what my sister gets. It would be easy.

The only problem with this that I didn’t realize when I made these suggestion: my Maid of Honor sister is plus size, my Sister of the Groom is not. It is VERY hard to find dresses that run both plus size and regular sizes in my style and in the color I wanted. I wanted a papaya, not a coral. A deep rose, not a mauve. Even a blush pink would do, but not a fuschia! Oh, what have I become?!

I was hoping my gals would only spend $100 or $150 so I was looking for brands that they could find in the mall. Ordering a “bridesmaid dress” is always much more expensive so I was avoid this option but put the deadline in my head just in case: 3 months until the wedding.

So in the middle of my stomach flu the deadline hit. The days leading up to it were of a hysteria–me, little ole me, roaming the mall after work, then breaking down crying because I was so frustrated and tired. What I did find at the mall that would match my theme wasn’t the right color. When it was the right color my sister didn’t like it.

So after this fiasco I broke down and decided they would need to order real “bridesmaid dresses.” With that extra bit of money your selected dress comes in dozens of color shades to choose from in sizes 0-32. Come on! It only made sense! And I wouldn’t go crazy!!! So look for the post tomorrow with the dress I selected.

Bringing Back the Tux

My groom has decided that he wants to “bring back the bowtie.” Now this may not be an OMG for you. For me, I have been resting on the assumption that he wanted the most relaxed outfit that he could get by with (well, me and his mom, would let him get away with!). So I was thinking an Italian Chino Suit or a Linen Suit. Making it comfortable with Clark Wallaby’s, Sperry boatshoes, Vans, or Chuck Taylors. All my girls are mismatched and some are even wearing cotton dresses with unfinished edges!Uh…can this work with a tux??? Will the ladies be too casual?? Here is the range of dresses from bridesmaid, junior bridesmaid with sash, and sister of the groom, now paired with a bowtie tux. We are off to Men’s Warehouse so bid us good luck.

Image from Style Me Pretty

Image from J-Crew

Image from J-Crew

Image from J-Crew

Image from J-Crew

What is “Wedding Linen”?

So what exactly is wedding linen? Do I need a price quote for tablecloths and napkins? Do I need to specify this or do they include these two items when I say “linens”? These are my questions as I cruise websites knowing I need more information. I am a newbie at this. But, hey, I’ve never done this before and don’t plan on doing it again!

So I emailed a company that did the linens for one of my favorite weddings. But when I requested more information, I completely left out that I didn’t know what “linens” included. After emailing back and forth with a company representative about my color scheme (blush pink, amber, deep rose) the friendly woman said she would send me some swatches. And she did, they just arrived!

I absolutely love the colors and fabrics she suggested. And yes, I still am not quite sure if I need to specify that I need napkins to accompany the tablecloths! Anyhow, check them out!

From left to right: Light Pink, Peach, Antique Rose, Iridescent Opal, Citra Green.

Which one would you go for, Boho Brides?

Bridesmaid Dresses & Colors Schemes

I finally decided on the bridesmaid dresses for my ladies! And thus gotten much closer to finalizing my color scheme. My wedding colors are primarily amber, blush pink, peach, and deep rose! Here is an inspiration board with the natural, earthy, orange-pink I am imagining.

Settling on these colors is mostly due to finding this J-Crew dress:

j-crew strapless chambray wild rose dress

I have been in love with J-Crew’s chiffon bridesmaid line, especially in the color Deep Rose (dusty peach) since beginning my wedding planning. But the cost of the bridesmaid dresses were a bit more than I wanted to ask my bridesmaids to spend ($165-$275). My goal was to find something between $50-$100. To find something “casually elegant” a.k.a. something that captured a destination/relaxed/fun/romantic feeling while at the same time could be fancy enough for a wedding. Something that would fall in a color between champagne to soft pink to coral orange.

So here is a picture of the fabric swatches from J-Crew.  My Sister of the Groom will be wearing a chiffon dress in Deep Rose. My three Bridesmaids will wear the Strapless Chambray Wild Rose Dress in Papaya (a new arrival for spring).

From left to right: soft shell, papaya, deep rose, rosebud.

The eldest Junior Bridesmaids will wear the Twist Tank Dress in Soft Shell. While the other two Junior Bridesmaids will be wearing dresses in the same shade but in a different style—I am not entirely sure which dress but perhaps this one that isn’t on their website yet (it is a ruffled dress with a sweetheart neckline). I am going to try to find something similar to Rosebud for my Maid of Honor who is a bit larger than J-Crew’s sizing.

I am so excited! This is a big check mark off my to-do list!

Cotton Makes Its Debut…

Image from Jasmine Star Photography Blog

Image from Jasmine Star Photography Blog

Image from Jasmine Star Photography Blog

…as a feature flower.

And, wow! Softness never held its shape so well!

Take a glimpse at these gorgeous photos from Jasmine Star Photography Blog. They shot an amazing wedding in Orange County.

The star of the show, besides the bride and groom, is the cotton! The floral arrangements were put together by Lauryl Lane and they are just so fresh!!

I love the different textures together, and the softness of the bouquets mixed with straws.

Very rustic, yet very fun and very chic.

“Neutral” Bridesmaid Dresses

How about a neutral colored bridesmaid dress–something hand selected by each of your girls? Finding dresses that fit each bridesmaid’s body type and in a comfortable price range is a real challenge! If the dress is on the cheap end–less than $50–then it is typically made for a lean, youthful frame and usually is really teeny tiny. If it is on the high end then it isn’t affordable–especially for bridesmaids that are already asked to travel for a destination wedding! And what if the dress will never be worn again. Is it over indulgent to ask your close friends to buy something that is probably felt to be “too fancy” or “not really my style”?

I am weighing the pros and the cons about offering up the option of asking my bridesmaid to choose a dress in a specific hue . The negatives are that you don’t have much control over what they wear–obviously–which translates to a *possible* loss of your vision. Bridesmaid dresses can really influence the feeling of the wedding. They can almost instantaneously inform your guests what type of wedding they will be attending–traditional, modern, casual, eclectic. So is the loss of your wedding’s theme worth the trade off of having your gals not look like soldiers, and more of a possibility that the girls will wear their dresses again?

When I see posts like the one of Jenn and Brad’s “Indie Wedding” from Ruffled of bridesmaid dresses similar in hue but ranging in styles, I think it is a fantastic idea! Long and flowy, short and sleek, urban chic, fancifully fun…it shows off each girl’s personality and it is a bit more relaxed then if they were in the same dress.

What it all boils down to:
1. uniform bridesmaid dresses
2. the girls in the same style dress but in complementing colors
3. bridesmaid dresses in one color but different styles
4. dresses in a range of colors but all of the same “theme”–chiffon fabric, flowy, bohemian

Soft Summer Palette

This inspiration board from 100 Layer Cake is helping to fuel my wedding color palette.

Muted Jewel Tones? is the title of this color combination. I prefer to think about it as a lazy summer afternoon. When you are laying on the beach everything looks a bit washed out in the afternoon sun.

These are the warmer shades of the pinks, peaches, and aquas that I am working with. I find it helpful to use these inspiration boards as brackets for my wedding palette. If it goes with this board or my brighter inspiration board then I can be a little bit more sure that it will work with my vision.

How do you focus your vision, Boho Brides?

Coral and Aqua

A few weeks past I blogged about my wedding color palette. It is grounded in shades of peach with more of an organic stance towards accent colors (marigolds, dusty rose, mint, aqua).

Yesterday Style Me Pretty featured a beautiful photo shoot using coral and aqua for what could be a wedding in any season. My wedding is in the summer but the flowers they use look as if it would be from late autumn to early spring. For the bouquet velvety and bold anemones, for the tabletops crisp peach tulips. I absolutely love the soft shades but still playful use of color.

I am trying to get ideas for alternatives to the traditional rice toss after the ceremony. The satin ribbon keeps it youthful while remaining elegantly detailed. Perhaps this is a solution to my problem — my venue does not want rice or petals to be thrown. What do you think Boho Brides?

P.S. Brava, Millie Holloman and team!