Girl chooses accessories

Boy proposes to Girl.
Girl says yes.
Boy gives Girl beautiful ring.
Boy goes to war.
Girl plans a wedding.
Girl buys a dress.
Girl chooses jewelry.

My mother always says that the year I turned 10, I turned into an alien child. I was awful. But when I turned 11 I went back to normal. Not sure how that happened, but it did. That was also the year I refused to wear color. I wore blue jeans and over-sized white t-shirts. And don't even THINK about anything sparkly. Ironically that is also the year I got my ears pierced (for the first time). And I picked pink sparkly studs. But other than that, there was no sparkle for me.

I am not exactly sure when I changed my mind about sparkle, but if you ask my mom (or J, or anyone else who knows me), she will tell you that I love sparkle now. The more sparkle the better.

So even before I had chosen a dress, I began to think about what I wanted for jewelry. Once I did choose a dress, that vision became much clearer. I knew I didn't want a necklace. The neckline of my dress would be great for one, but I wanted bold accessories that would really be fun.

The first thing I found was a bracelet. I knew it was perfect.



I also knew I wanted pieces from Lauren of Lo Boheme. I've worked with her in the past on shoots I've done, and used her pieces on my models. I also have a few pieces she has made me that I am in love with. I even shot her new line recently. I knew I wanted to use her pieces. But I couldn't decide what!!! So after chatting with her, I decided on 3 different pieces that she is custom making for me (pictures will follow). One for the ceremony will be a birdcage veil and ivory flower. Then for the reception an Ivory and Purple flower piece. J and I are also doing a day after session with our photographers (more on this later as well) and Lauren is making me an amazing headband for that.

I knew I wanted to wear earrings, but I didn't want them to fight for attention with my hair. I found a pair when we were in Las Vegas, but I am still not sure they are exactly what I want. So I'm still searching for those.

There is a place on the side of my dress where there is a little tie (not to be confused with a neck tie) and there is a small space that is perfect for a brooch. And since I am working on the brooch bouquet, I decided that that was a must. When my grandma let me choose from her brooches from my bouquet, I immediately fell in love with this one:



I already blogged about my shoes.

There is one more very special touch. A surprise for J (I'm pretty sure he does not read this blog from Kuwait). J is an avid Miami Dolphins fan. I mean really. He is the definition of fanatic. So I found these on etsy:



I'm not even sure we will have a garter toss, but I knew I had to have these!

All of the little details are starting to come together and it is so much fun!

Girl buys a dress

Girl meets Boy.
Boy likes Girl.
Girl likes Boy.
Boy proposes to Girl.
Girl says yes.
Girl plans a wedding.
Girl goes dress shopping.
Girl goes dress shopping.
Girl goes dress shopping.
Girl buys a dress.

Wedding dresses.
I think it may be the single most fun thing about planning a wedding.
Or at least in theory...

I knew when I went shopping for a dress I wanted my mom to go with me.
And no one else.
(well maybe my grandma).

Have you ever seen "Say Yes to the Dress?"
Have you seen the armies of people that the brides bring in with them?
Have you seen how indecisive and downright MEAN they can be?
I have.
That's why I don't want to bring everyone I know.

So mom and I went to the bridal salon and tried on dresses.
And then we got to go again when we were in Oregon visiting my grandma. She went too.
On both of those occasions, I found several dresses that I liked. And one that I really liked.
But we walked away because I wasn't 100% sold. And I still had a lot of time.

Then I found out about an amazing organization called "Brides Across America". It's an organization that gives away bridal gowns to brides who have served overseas in Iraq or Afghanistan in the last 5 years (or who are marrying a soldier who has). So I found a bridal store in our area that was sponsoring this and made an appointment. The day came and my mom and I headed out.

I looked around the store at the dresses they had to give away, and none of them were really me. The bridal consultant made a generous offer to discount any dress I found in the store. So we perused the racks. It didn't take long, and the dresses began to look the same. I was quickly losing all excitement and hope.

Then mom found one she thought I might like, and I found a couple that were not too bad. So into the dressing room we went. And out we came. With a dress. There was a very clear winner. And I loved it. And mom loved it.

It just so happened that I could buy it right off the rack. Apparently I am a sample size. Thank the Lord! I walked out of the store carrying a bright pink bridal bag full of dress (don't worry, the dress isn't bright pink!).

Here's a little peak of the dress. I'm not showing all of the pictures because, well, it's THE dress, and I have to keep some things kind of quiet, right? Anyway, here's a little sneaky peak.

Girl goes dress shopping

Boy proposes to Girl.
Girl dreams about wedding.
Boy dreams about Girl.
Girl goes dress shopping.

The "perfect" dress.
Some girls dream about it from the time they are young... others have no idea what they want until they try it on.

I don't know if I fit in either of those categories... I was not one of those little girls that dreamed of my wedding day from the time I was a small child. I never played dress up and pretended to be a bride. The closest I came was a princess, and believe me, at 6 years old, I was NOT looking for my prince charming!

I am also not one of those girls that went into trying on wedding dresses blindly. Having been around in the wedding industry, and seeing more than my fair share of wedding dresses, I had an idea of what I thought I would like.

Here is what I knew going in:

From what I have seen, and knowing my body type, I was pretty set on a more fitted gown. I wanted something off white or ivory (stark white is just not as flattering on my skin tone) and I wanted something with character... modern, romantic, and beautiful...maybe even a little funky.

I wanted to go to several different bridal stores on several different occasions. That way I could try on an array of different dresses and styles and price ranges. I wanted to get a chance to see what is out there and make sure that I have looked at options.

I didn't want to buy the first dress I tried on. Or liked. Or even fell in love with. I wanted to go into the stores with NO expectation of buying that day. No matter what the sales people told me, I knew I could always order the dress later. This was not the kind of buy I wanted to make based on impulse or emotion alone.

I wanted to bring a select few people I trust. I know some girls who have taken their entire bridal party. It ends up being a bit of a circus (Ever seen "Say Yes to the Dress? Some of those families should be banished until the wedding is over!). Everyone gets caught up in the excitement and emotion and their own feelings. It is hard to be unbiased and honest in situations like that. I knew I wanted to go with my mom. I was also hoping my grandma could go, but she lives in Northern Oregon so it was a long shot. Three of my bridesmaids are out of town and the other one is planning her own wedding as well as traveling and speaking and doing all kinds of other crazy stuff, so I knew that they would probably not be going with me. I knew my other bridesmaid (J's niece) would be honest and enjoy the experience.

I wanted to relax and have fun... soak in the experience. So many times the wedding planning process, and the wedding itself, fly by soooo fast. By the end of it, people look back and realize they missed so many things. The dress is a HUGE deal... so I knew I wanted to enjoy the process without the pressure of having to choose SOMETHING and choose it NOW!

So with those things in mind, my mom, grandma and I headed off to David's Bridal. We happened to be visiting my grandma so it worked out perfectly. I tried on several dresses... and even a few they picked out that were COMPLETELY not what I thought I'd like.

Dress #1


Dress #2


Dress #3





Dress #4





Dress #5








Dress #6





Dress #7



(please excuse the photo quality, my mom is not the professional in the family :)

It was a fun and successful trip. I found a couple that are definitely contenders... but remember? No buying on the first trip :) It will be fun to look around a little more... I know the perfect dress is out there just waiting to be bought!

So which dress do you like best??