Bridesmaids: Black, White and yes, Green!

I know that you can't make everyone in your bridal party happy. As accommodating as you try to be, at the end of the day the decisions you make are going to culminate in what you think looks the best/fits your vision/makes you the prettiest lady in the room (yeah, I said it).

However, I still have kept a lot of important things in mind when choosing the "look" for my five bridesmaids. Most importantly has been affordability. Since three of my bridesmaids live out of state, I didn't want to pile on a lot of costs beyond hotel, airfare, and hair. Secondly, I focused on dresses that could potentially be worn again, dresses that I would want to wear again.

With a black and white color scheme it was a no-brainer that I was going to pick out black and white dresses for the girls. Fresh, fun and high contrast. Fortunately, there's a store that caters exactly to my color scheme - White House Black Market. Their dresses are fun, flirty and always incorporating a great twist on black and white, since that's all they do. On top of that, they're always have sales! And sending me coupons! Love it.

Source: White House Black Market

When I saw this silk houndstooth dress on White House Black Market last fall, I knew that I loved it. When I saw it on sale a couple of weeks later, I knew that my bridesmaids had to buy it. For around $100 this dress has a great black and white print but in a sillohuette that is flattering to almost anyone (no tugging on strapless dresses for my bridesmaids!) and it even has pockets!

I immediately emailed everyone and asked that they order the dress that day. We were not going to lose out on this deal. Even though it was about a year out from the wedding, and this was the first dress I had really considered, I made the decision - seeing my bridesmaids lined up in this dress is exactly how I'd envisioned they'd look.

But what about their feet, you ask? A classic black pump would be cute. But since I was wanting "pops" of green throughout the wedding, what better way to add an element of fun than with vintage-inspired green peep toe pumps?! I found a picture of these online and knew that this was the look I wanted.

Source: Newport News
Peeptoe Mary Jane Pump in green: $25

Through so much searching, however, I couldn't find these shoes (or anything like them) anywhere! However, as I was reading through A Windy City Wedding last week and found her post for these shoes (she was looking at a different shade of green for her girls). It was THE shoes!! The shoes I had been searching high and low for. And for only $25! Score.

Knowing it couldn't get any better than this, from price to style to color, I had my bridesmaids order these last week. I know some of them aren't exactly dying to own green shoes (like I am - I bought a pair for myself!), I figured that $30 after shipping is a pretty fair compromise.

So we're all set, right? Cute black and white cocktail dresses, fun green pumps, and some great jewelry (to be blogged later) to compliment everything. I really thought I'd hit a home run here. Everyone would be happy and maybe even come out of the wedding with bridesmaids who might wear a thing or two again.

Wrong. There's been a little pushback. I think my mom was totally blown off guard with the green shoes. She wanted to make sure I was sure about the green shoes. Me sure? I wish I could wear the green shoes at my wedding. And the dress. This is definitely one wedding I'd want to be in if I wasn't, well, the bride. I think there's also a little unhappiness with one or two in the bridal party.

I'm trying not to focus on the negative, because again, as much as I try, I will never fully win. Some will love everything, and others will hide the dress or shoes away in a closet, never to be seen again. And that's ok. Because my wedding pictures are going to ROCK!

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Tables for 8...But What to Decorate?

I've agonized for months over what was going to serve as centerpieces at my reception. Not having the budget for overflowing floral centerpieces (or for anything that would qualify as a "floral centerppiece") and on the flipside not wanting to simply plop a candle into a hurricane and call it a day, I've struggled. And planned. And changed my mind.

Of course, I could have used the hurricanes that my reception site actually has on hand. I'm sure they're fine. And I love a good hurricane, they can be simple but you can still dress them up. But that's just far too easy. And who wants things to be too easy leading up to their wedding day? Not this girl.

The primary elements I've wanted on my table from the beginning have been (in no particular order): candlelight, a single flower (floating or otherwise), a green element, a black container/plate/charger of some sort, and possibly a touch of damask.

I was convinced for awhile that I was going to go antiquing and find a variety of ornate black trays of some sort from antique stores. How I was going to come up with 15 of these, I don't really know...I struggled to fine even one.

Fortunately Crate & Barrel exists to save my sanity. Somehow I have managed to find almost every element that I've needed - in budget! - for my centerpieces. At least I'm hoping that's the case, I just ordered the final pieces yesterday.

Source: Crate & Barrel

Crate & Barrel "Dots" candleholder: $.95 each, 1.75 inches high. Perfect little tealight holder and makes the most beautiful design on the table when lit!

Source: Crate & Barrel

Crate & Barrel Tropical Mini Vases: $9.00 for a set of 6 vases (normally $17.70), 5 inches high. Great little vase for a single stem.

Source: Crate & Barrel

Crate & Barrel Black Square Plate: $4.95 each (normally $12.95), 10.75 inch square. Porcelain and with a glossy finish, the reflection from the tea lights should look great on these plates.

For $175 I was able to get enough of each of these items to outfit 15 tables, with candleholders and vases to spare! However, I still have to see how each of these elements work together...that's still to be determined. Hopefully by next week I'll have everything and can piece it all together. I'm not sure if the vases are going to look really cute or super awkward. And I'm not even daring to tell my florist yet that I've changed my mind completely (as we've been going back and forth on possible floating flowers). That's a conversation I'll save for later.

I've been debating using these table squares by Darling Damask on Etsy. Depending on the size, they range from $8-$10 per square, and she gives a discount for bulk orders.

Source: Etsy

I had planned on having white linens, and I don't think the damask squares look that great on white. But on black, they look cute and would at the very least add a little more visual interest to the tables. I priced it out, and if I bought the fabric myself and sewed these, it would be pretty comprable to just having her do it. Decisions, decisions! Thankfully, this one can wait as I have plenty of time before I have to actually finalize my linen choices!

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Sassy Feet

On my wedding day, the shoes on my feet may only make select appearances (except for when I'm practically holding them up in the air, begging for my photographer to take some "amazing shoe shots"), but that doesn't mean they shouldn't look fabulous.

Of course, I can't really afford to be sporting some of the favorites...unfortunately "Stuart" or "Vera" will not be printed on the soles of my shoes. But there are many affordable options out there that are great renditions of their designer counterparts, most of which that run anywhere from $50-$100. I searched every site known to man (don't think I'm joking!) to find the perfect pair and came up with a few contenders:

Source: Dyeable Shoe Store
"Melissa" by Lisa Rene around $90 and dyeable to match any color I should choose.

Source: Dyeable Shoe Store
"Bianca," by Touch Ups, $49.95, sleek and sophisticated...and also dyeable.

Source: Dyeable Shoe Store
"Cerise" by Pink, $69.95, perfect heal height, great vintage feel, and dyeable.

What I have learned is that the bridal shoe market is oversaturated with white satin dyeable shoes. And there's nothing wrong with that...I have a girlfriend who bought the best pair of shoes, dyed them a pale blue and had the sweetest vintage chic looking shoes around. I absolutely drooled over them!

However. Let's say I'm going to pay, on average, $80 for these shoes. And I'm probably paying for shipping. And then I'm paying to get them dyed whatever spectacular color I choose from the rainbow of colors they'll show me. And then I'm hoping and praying and double crossing my fingers that the color comes out just as I've always imagined my bridal shoes would be. So let's say I'm at $100+ on my footwear investment, not to mention the kickin' pair of flats I'm going to buy for the reception when I start to lose feeling in my toes. So we're pushing $150 now? And I might wear the flats again, but the pretty pale vintage-styled shoes that I took the time and care to have dyed? They're going to be taking up precious real estate on my shoe rack for months while I stare at them, hoping for a reason to actually wear them outside of the house again.

After pondering this whole shoe budget/wearable debacle, I took the problem to one of my bridesmaids who would never, ever lie to me about footwear. And while she had some favorites out of the bunch I had selected, she gently told me that these just weren't me. Hmph. It's true, I have far to much fun with footwear to just grab a pair of white satin bridal shoes.

I went straight to google and started searching for "crazy bridal shoes." There had to be other brides out there like me. And voila! I came across a link for the Nine West Gohana.

Source: Overstock.com

(cue chorus belting out "Hallelujah") My wedding is black and white but my dress is diamond (off) white. Nine West calls these "natural." Perfect. And at $42 and some change on Overstock.com it's like it was destiny. $42 and I can wear them again?? And I can afford to pick up an awesome pair of flats when these my feet are undoubtably dying after dancing the YMCA? Amazingness.

I love the wedding choices that are completely about me. There's no need to make others feel good about my footwear. They don't need to weigh in on the color, the style or any other teeny tiny little detail. And even though these pretty little pumps may not get a lot of face time in the wedding album, I'll at least know that I'm strutting around with a little drama on my feet.

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And so it begins...

I've been planning my wedding for almost a year now, and we still have about 7 months to go. Through this time the plans have been growing and changing as we've gone on a roller coaster ride from themes to favors to guest books. The one thing that has stayed constant throughout it all is our color scheme.

I had wanted something that my fiance, S as he'll be called, could jump on board with. No "dusty rose" or "perfect peach" for us. Don't get me wrong, I love a good shade of pink and sometimes when I see a picture of a lush pink bouquet a little bit of jealousy creeps in. But overall, I wanted to keep it high contrast, fresh and modern. And, of course, on a small budget, a black and white color scheme works wonders. No need to be matching of certain shades of a specific color that only I really care about. What's there to match when it comes to black and white?!

Sources:
Top Left: Warehouse Fabrics
Top Middle: Wedding Bee's Lovebug
Top Right: Newport News
Middle Left: White House Black Market
Middle Middle: theknot.com
Middle Right: theknot.com
Bottom Left: petalsedge.com
Bottom Middle: Wedding Bee's Lovebug
Bottom Top Right: Dyeable Shoe Store
Bottom Bottom Right: theknot.com

For a little fun, we're incorporating some green into the mix. Some may call it "emerald" and others "kelly," but in my vocabulary it's "grass." A bright pop of grass green here and there is exactly what I think will make this wedding fun, without going overboard.

To keep my insanity level low and to share the ideas as they come, link to fellow bloggers that I admire greatly and Etsy artists who have been saving my life (or so it seems) each and every day, this blog has been born.

Our inspiration board continues to change day in and day out, but the time is starting to tick down (finally!) to our September 19, 2009 wedding, and I'm frazzled just thinking about the work to be done in the months ahead!

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