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?

Wedding Palette – Ocean & Sunset

a happy palette

I am rethinking my wedding palette. Okay, I’m having a bit of a freakout moment. Selecting wedding colors has by far been the hardest thing to do (by a landslide). As of right now my wedding palette is: blush pink, peach, aqua and marigold (newly termed Vintage Beach).  Think sunny, beach, relaxed, happy, romantic.

artwork: vintage beach by orangetopatos

But should I refine it? I think it is difficult to find bridesmaid dresses of these colors that aren’t an arm and a leg (the closest matches are often called Papaya, Aqua, and Lemon and that is not it!). I really like the colors blush pink and navy together. This could be an exciting combo–only two colors (this is good) while capturing the feeling I want (this is great). But from the start of my wedding palette ideas peach was always involved (it was first amber, blush pink, and peach). I originally changed it because there wasn’t enough color (should I revert?).

these are the colors i love

Would blush pink, peach and navy be too odd? What about blush pink, teal, fushia, navy–just like the clothing line I loved last outing to Saks? It is a little more “dusty” and subdued (not so colorful, aka refined) but still Vintage Beach. I love chiffon navy dresses and these would be beautiful. Perhaps it will be based off of the vintage beach digital artwork I found while Googling “Vintage Beach”!

Copper, Rose, Champagne and Bronze…

Just a few bridesmaid dresses I have stumbled upon this week:

Charlotte Russe Rosette Dress

Mod Shop’s Trace of Lace Dress in Copper

Dresses without thumbnail images:

Topshop Apricot Lace

Topshop 1940s Drop Waisted Ruffled Bronze

Topshop One-Shoulder Champagne

“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!

Color Palette in Automatic Pilot

How do you create your inspiration? A few weeks back when I was in color palette craze I was inspired by photos of my wedding site. With this application that I discovered while reading eLucky Me you can upload a photo and it will automatically generate swatches of the colors contained in the image.

It is so simple: upload photo, press “Create” and there you have it! A dozen or so colors matching your picture. The colors are “titled” with their color names, which really helps me conceptualize them. I mean, there is a big difference in “Bermuda Blue” and “Regal Blue” but I don’t think that I would be fully aware of this difference without them being named this.

So what colors make up this Avalon image? Monsoon (grayish purple), Big Stone (blueish grey), Cyprus (blueish green), Napa (khaki), horizon (dusty blue), Madras (cargo green), Hot Curry (yellow ochre brown)…the only bummer is that it didn’t capture any of the “Terra Cotta Red” in the picture. I wonder what it would title it.

Check out Big Huge Labs!!

Color Inspiration #5

Could this be fate? I have been toying with these colors since the very beginning of my wedding planning and as I become more confused here they are in a formulated little chart. I googled “inspiration board” and this March 25th post from 100 Layer Cake was the first thing I clicked on. Coral, peach, blush pink has always been a color combo that I come back to but with an alternating accents, sometimes dusty blue, sage green, aqua, etc.

It reminds me of…Paris & the Pacific.

Selecting Wedding Colors — From Wheat & White to ROYGBVI

I am getting closer to deciding on my wedding color palette. Well, closer, to me, means a few more inches in opposite directions. I keep telling myself “Come on already! Almost everything is dependent upon it!” Can I not just choose the standard two colors and be done with it? Not without a little more consideration. 

Color Palette #1 — Wheat & White
There is something so beautiful and natural about this color combo. It feels effortlessly elegant and it would be easy to stick with. Key words: Earthy, California, Natural Beauty. But would I miss playing with color? I just might…

Color Palette #2:  Sunset, Succulent, and Ocean
Hues of peaches, corals, blues, greens reflecting the beach cottage feel of summer. Happy, whimsical, and relaxed.

Color Palette #3: Herbal — Sage, Lavender, Yellow
Nothing is more romantic than the smell of herbs, the feel of herbs, the taste of herbs. 

Color Palette #4: California Bungalow
Hibiscus orange, bougainvillea red, italian pine, and sky blue. I am thinking a summer picnic from the Farmer’s Market (strawberries and wildflowers). 

Color Palette #5: Peach, Blush, Champagne
When first thinking of my wedding I wanted a romantic glow of candlelight. These are the colors I imagined.

Help me choose my colors, Boho Brides. What color palette most inspires you the most? 

my wedding: california’s catalina island