HOW I CHOSE MY WEDDING DRESS..
seriously don't know how I did it (indecisive much?) but here are a few tips... :)
1. Research brands you love BEFORE you go to the bridal boutiques
- Pinterest is the best for this! I created a mood board and just started pinning a ton of dresses and than IG came out with the saved boards so I started saving photos on IG too.. this sort of started to curate a "look" and vision for my dress and whole bridal look.. once you pin a bunch you sort of see what you lean towards. However, I will say I was super set on a long sleeve lace dress HA and I went complete opposite - I realized for my body type (short/curvy/petite) it was too much fabric for me and then due to unforeseen circumstances with our original venue (not naming) our wedding moved from April to July..SO anyway research and get a feel for your vibes. This really helps, especially if you change your mind a lot like I did. lol.
2. Take only a FEW close friends/family members with you..
- I chose my sister and mom! My mom came in town and my sister lives here in Austin and since my mom was only here for the weekend, we booked all of our appts on Saturday (not a great idea ha see below).. but I loved that it was just them.
Too many opinions is definitely overwhelming and I knew I just wanted their support and honesty. If something didn't look great (bc sometimes you just want it to look good but can't tell bc every dress you try on is NOT in your size) or if I was leaning too "trendy" and not enough on classic. I wanted a classic look with a whimsical-boho-extra element that I wouldn't dislike 30 years from now. I wanted it to be timeless with a flair of boho elegance! So - I found 3 dresses at Blush Bridal Boutique in Austin! Since my mom and sis weren't available again other than facetime, I ended up going back the following week after work with 2 close friends and my wedding planner (also a friend!). My mom and sis swear they knew which one I would pick, but I honestly was so torn!! However, they were right :) My friends helped me ultimately make the final choice - they all know my style pretty well - and I trusted them telling me "yes that IS THE ONE" or "no, we love it but it isn't right". So I officially chose a Hayley Paige gown... scroll down for more! My other option was layering a full skirt on top. Part of me still wonders if I should've done it but what is done is done! I loved it either way.
3. Do not go to more than 4 appointments in one day!! (I did 5 and it was rough!)
- This was something I couldn't really help at the since I knew my mom and sis weren't available other times and we had a crunch time (TIP: dresses can take 2-3 months to come in and than another month or longer to do alterations **no one tells you this!?!?). But, like I said, research as much as you can the designers you love or the style and find bridal boutiques in your area that carry that designer or those styles! This helped me narrow it down so much!
4. Remember there will ALWAYS be a 'better' and 'cooler' dress that you missed because theres just SO many to choose from - its so hard to choose, especially if you're bad at making decisions like me lol. I tell brides to go with a timeless look that still speaks to who YOU are and your style!
5. It's OKAY to change your mind (just do it before you sign a contract on the dress HA)
- Like I mentioned earlier, I was super set on long-sleeved lace but thank God I didn't go with that because wow it would have been HOT in the summer! Phew.
6. HAVE FUN and don't put to much pressure on this > you want to feel beautiful and elegant but also remember that the wedding day is about you and your lovely fiance and the love you have for each other - not the "stufffff" (material stuff is fleeting ya know?!) and for real true JOY JUST GLOWS! You'll look so beautiful no matter what because you're in love and marrying the love of your life!!!
Accessories:
Guys, this was SO hard for me. Part of me wanted to go ALL out glam, the other part boho, the other part just wanted a mod look. I knew I wanted to incorporate a custom crown and statement earrings...but where to begin!? So I seriously did WAY too much scrolling on instagram and Pinterest and went to Greenweddingshoes.com and junebug weddings a lot to see "real weddings" and what brands brides wore. I stumbled upon Emma Katzka and am absolutely in love with her designs. She does custom work and helped customize the crown I wore with opals and crystals to match my gown. The earrings I wore were a gift from Blake on our wedding day along with a beautiful bracelet! The earrings are the Ava Dangle by Jennifer Behr and I literally FELL IN LOVE when I saw them!!! I looked for so long and felt like there was nothing to tie together my crown and the beading on the gown.. but these were it! If I were an earring, I would be these!!! I knew they were exactly what I had been looking for and Blake knew too ;)
DETAILS:
Dress: Hayley Paige via Blush Bridal Lounge
Headpiece/Crown: Design by Emma Katzka Bridal *custom made to match my dress beads
Earrings: Jennifer Behr
Shoes: Schutz via Revolve
Veil: Blush Bridal Lounge
Wedding Ring: Avante Garde Jewelers; custom design by my husband and Brian via the shop
Hair/Makeup: Lola Beauty - highly recommend
Alterations: Kira Kouture *she's incredible and sewed all the beading back together seamlessly as well as adding a custom slit!!
Florist: Bricolage Curated Florals
Tan: Organic Bronze Tanning Salon
Photography: Kaytee Lauren Photography & second shooter Peyton Curry Photography
TIP: if you take photos trying on dresses and you already chose THE ONE you're going to wear... I highly recommend deleting the other ones or at least taking them off your phone. You already have a million other decisions to make and you don't need to be second guessing or wishing it was different when you can't go back. Lol.. so really don't even look at photos til you have it altered! Then it will all look much better anyway!
So many of you reached out on Instagram and I am SO thankful for all your tips, advice, encouragement, and true vulnerability when planning our wedding! It was such a beautiful journey and to have a creative community to lean on and ask advice and just laugh about things through/with was such a comfort and joy. THANK you from the bottom of my heart for al the "congrats!" and sweet comments!!! You all made my day!!! I know this is SO late but I seriously appreciate you reading this or if you followed me through the process!!! I can't believe I had a wedding that felt like a surreal dream, yes there were so many ups in downs in the planning process and things did go wrong, but wow nothing beats walking down the aisle to the man God literally created for me to become one with.
Seriously, tears. So here's a mushy insight... Blake and I used Hosea 2:19 as one of our verses read during the ceremony and I love how it sort of became an underlying theme to our wedding, it was also the verse my parents had read at their wedding! It says "I will betroth you to me forever...". Love that amongst all the beauty and chaos there is a sweet reminder that my God loves me forever and He's never leaving just like Blake vowed to me on our wedding day.