it’s a wonderful life

With Christmas just 50 days away, I’ve started considering my holiday décor, drinking egg nog and watching my favorite old time Christmas movies. My number one choice is the classic film “It’s a Wonderful Life”. “Every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings.” Totally my favorite quote from that movie. The message in the film is pretty awesome. An underlying theme seems to be that family and love manage to conquer all. The hard times pass and things always seems to get better. The flick is quite relatable to our current time period and economic state.

This week alone there has been so much good news in my world that I was reminded – it is a wonderful life!

Where to begin? Well, 2 baby boys were born to 2 near & dear friends of mine. All parties are healthy and happily celebrating their first born. While on the topic of babies, another special couple found out the gender of their baby on the way to everyone’s delight. And finally, another expecting couple went to settlement on their dream house this week.

Needless to say, I am thankful for an unlimited text plan because the announcements, updates, pictures and overall good news have been coming through like a rain shower.

Speaking of houses, I’ve identified my own dream house and the simple fact that it could actually be a reality at this point in my life. Fingers crossed.

In other spectacular news, one PopPop is recovering well from a triple bypass surgery he underwent last week. He shows off his scar loud and proud against my squeamish wishes. Additionally, another friend is pursuing his longtime dream of running the New York marathon this weekend. I’m thinking good thoughts as he approaches that milestone.  Two important people in my life continue to advance their careers as they both started new, dream jobs this week.  Sweet November!

And, because this is a wedding blog after all, one of my 2011 bride friends got the long awaited call that her wedding gown is in! Naturally, she can’t wait to try it on and imagine her dream wedding that is just months shy of reality.

Moral of the story is that this has been a week for dreams coming true all around me. I want to remember this one for a very long time. And maybe go out and celebrate too…

-The perennial bridesmaid

white wedding

Last Friday I was a bridesmaid in my first all white wedding. This was a relatively new style concept to me considering the age old rule that I have lived by.

Do not wear white to a wedding unless you are the bride!

Has this cardinal dress code rule been tossed? Not exactly. While a guest should still not make that fashion faux pas, it appears that the bridal party can. You know why? Because what they bride says goes!

In Friday’s case we were all instructed to wear an ivory, tea length dress that was distinctly vintage-inspired. Mine had a bit of 1950s flair with an A-line skirt covered in appliqué flower like designs…my favorite feature. It also had a boat neck with a deep V which was a nice alternative to the closet of strapless dresses I already have. Other than 50s, some of the other girl’s dresses seemed to capture 1940s styles…think form fitting, pleats & brooches.

We went with vintage themed to coordinate with the grand old mansion that the reception was held at. The bridal party complemented the décor not just in our dresses but also with our flapper-esque blue feather headbands. The blue tied in the only other accent color and the feather gave us one identifying, same feature. When allowing your bridal party to select their own dresses, I think it is important to have a similar accessory on each girl.

The groomsmen also went with the theme. Not in white but in formal, vintage-inspired tuxedos with tails. Haven’t seen those in awhile but it only seemed right on point with the rest of us.

Although, the bride’s gown was a new Maggie Sottero, it evoked lots of lace and beading detail reminiscent of the 20s and 30s. She looked stunning and stood out amongst her white-clad entourage. There was no mistaking the bride in this bunch!

Fortunately, we had perfect weather. June in Philadelphia can be traditionally hot and humid which is a combination that doesn’t agree with me! The humidity and heat went away for a few days and sent calm, early spring-like weather instead which was perfect for outdoor photos overlooking the river and sunset.

Apparently this white wedding trend is hot. I have already heard about another all white wedding taking place this summer. Maybe we can blame it on P.Diddy and his “white parties”. Either way, this is a refreshing option for summer weddings. Just don’t spill anything on your dress.

-The perennial bridesmaid


Check out some of the pictures that inspired the white wedding bride to execute her idea.

i heart shopping

Even wedding gown shopping.

As I mentioned earlier this week, I spent a good portion of my weekend in bridal shops…4 to be exact. I encountered many types of sales associates or consultants as they’re called in the fancy boutiques. I most definitely formed an opinion on how they can be helpful and how they can be down right annoying to a bride when she’s shopping for the most important garment she’ll ever wear.

Ready for a harsh synopsis of the experience?

When a sales associate can ask what style you like, what your budget is and other important pre-qualifying questions and then turn around and pull 10 gowns that fit that description: that’s helpful!

When an associate says, “There are the dresses. Take a look and let me know what you like.” That can be stressful. There are rows and rows of white fabric, in some cases covered in plastic. We need suggestions. How do we know what styles are where? Not helpful.

When she can tell you exactly how the dress is supposed to look when it’s tailored to your body: helpful.

When she has to ask everyone who works there (not just the seamstress) how the dress is meant to look (trumpet vs. mermaid for example). Not helpful.

Providing accurate product information, prices and timelines on when the dress can be ready by: helpful.

Referring to the designer by nickname and acting like she’s your BFF: not helpful. And annoying.

Intercoms blaring a request for bridal assistance. I guess it’s technically helpful to someone but an overall annoyance.

Fetching yourself water from the water cooler because you’re overheating from the lights combined with the heavy gowns: not helpful.

When she serves you and your entourage wine or champagne: very helpful.

-The perennial bridesmaid

whirlwind wedding weekend

And no one even got married.

It all started Friday afternoon with my first trip ever to David’s Bridal. How did I avoid this bridal warehouse all of this time? There’s an overwhelming amount of racks and rows of satin, lace, taffeta, silk, chiffon, etc, etc. And women in black suits with clipboards. And dyeable shoes. I thought they left with the 90s?

Needless to say, I learned a few new things.

I went in to try on 8 pre-determined knee-length options of apple red bridesmaid dresses for a 10.10.10 wedding. I’ve narrowed my choices down to 2 in just 45 minutes and a total of 4 DB sales associates with clipboards that I got passed between. I threw out all of my strapless options simply because I have a closet full of those already and want to own something different.

To be continued…as I weigh between scoop neck and v-neck.

Day 2 was spent on a bridal dress shopping marathon around the greater city of Philadelphia with our 3.12.11 bride. The verdict is still out on this one but the very first dress of the day set the bar pretty high. Not much could compare. I learned about fit-and-flair gowns and the difference between mermaids and trumpets…yes I am still talking dresses here. I also learned why bridal shops serve you wine while watching your friends try on gowns; since I nearly bought a $400 designer cocktail dress just-because. I’m sure I have a wedding that I could wear it to, right?

Later that evening I was at a birthday party (just happened to be for a newlywed) where I was surrounded by more brides and grooms-to-be. 4 sets to be exact. Naturally weddings and bachelorette parties were a topic of the night. It’s an epidemic!

Finally, Sunday arrived. I was honored to be asked to be a bridesmaid for the 10th time.

-The perennial bridesmaid

something blue

Something old, Something new,
Something borrowed, Something blue.
And a sixpence in her shoe.

You’ve heard it before but what the hell is a sixpence? That just goes to show how old this poem is since a sixpence coin has been out of commission in England for centuries. Outdated or not, this poem seems to still stand out as a bridal tradition meant to promote good luck and happiness in the marriage.

I got some blogspiration to chat about something blue specifically. (That’s inspiration to blog NOT perspiration to blog.) My friend is contemplating what her something blue should be and wanted a few ideas. The bride’s blue is meant to symbolize purity and fidelity so you’d better have it on! Apparently, back in the Victorian day, some wedding dresses were even blue.

While it is traditional that the something blue is actually ON the bride, I say you can stretch it a little further to something that is WITH the bride during the wedding day such as your wedding flowers or your purse. The delphinium is a great blue accent flower that can subtly be added into your bridal bouquet or opt for blue ribbon on your bouquet.

A very popular something blue right now is the bride’s shoes. Better be something fabulous too!

Other blue accessories might include the bride’s jewelry. Some drop earrings with dazzling blue crystals or sapphires sound nice to me. Bracelet or necklace will do the trick too.  A daring accessory in blue but also stunning could be a shrug or bolero for a chilly evening.

Of course there’s the traditional garter which is screaming 1993 to me but who I am to judge. Rock out with that elastic blue thing on your thigh if you want. If the garter isn’t your style but you want a discrete something blue, go for blue undies. Most wedding gowns have so many layers that your panties won’t show through the light fabric.

Blue ribbon in your hair is also a way old school tradition but you may consider upgrading it with a blue flower, fascinator or headband.  There are literally hundreds of options of incorporating subtle blue into your hair.

Enough from me. Check out fun “something blue” options from my oh-so favorite etsy.

-The perennial bridesmaid


blue clutch by cadybriar

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
blue drop earrings by OtisB

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



blue shoes by tractordog

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
blue hair fascinator by sophinegiam

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 
blue bolero by TianaCHE

mama said

I’m on a veil kick this week. There are just so many styles out there. I am not going to list them all in this post. I’d rather address yo’mama’s veil. Many of my friends are telling me about their mom’s dream of having their daughters wear their veil. These dreams have been in place since before these girls were even around. Fast forward 30+ years and mom’s pulling the veil out of preservation. These vintage styles tend to range from finger tip to cathedral in length. Perhaps that’s not your style. How can you let mom down (especially if you’re her ONLY daughter) and not wear the veil?

Consider using it in your bridal bouquet. Swap out the ornate florist ribbon for the tulle of your mom’s bouquet. You can wrap the stems with the veil or actually weave it amongst the flowers. The former veil will still be a feature on you during the ceremony.

One of my friends is doing just that with her mother’s veil. The veil-turned-bouquet will also coordinate with the lace huppah at the ceremony. The bonus is that the lace was an heirloom tablecloth that belonged to the bride’s great-grandmother.

Which brings me to another use for cathedral length; you can use the veil to dress the arch or the huppah that you plan to marry under. You can also incorporate it into a table runner. Are you having a sweetheart table for you and your groom? The veil may be just the right size to decorate the table.

If your mom really wants you to actually wear the veil, you might just be able to without forsaking the veil of your own dreams. Incorporate mom’s veil into your dress. The netting can be used as an overlay on the skirt or panel on the waist. Talk to your seamstress. Most are happy to make customizations when fitting the dress to you.

Think about lining a clutch purse with the netting. This is not an overt shout out to mom but you will know her veil is with you. If you’re lucky enough to have combs or floral accents on your mom’s veil, you should easily be able to accent the outside of your clutch or shoes with the flowers. Plug in that hot glue gun!

-The perennial bridesmaid

a day in the life

An engaged friend is coming into town to shop for her wedding gown. She lives in a rural area and was hoping to cover a multitude of dresses & designers in a day or so. She asked for my advice on where to go. I have been to my fair share of bridal salons and was happy to put together an itinerary for her.

We dream about trying on wedding dresses as little girls. We discuss it again in high school and college with our friends. As adults, we get to live out that dream. In this instance, we have a head start on the hunt because the bride has already tried a few things on and found out that she likes the mermaid style and prefers straps. It is wise that we visit shops that carry designers who make those styles. I used the Kleinfeld's gown search feature to narrow down our targeted designers. From there I surfaced the following local shops that carry them. A few of my personal fave wedding designers are Maggie Sottero & Nicole Miller, incase you were wondering.

Here’s a snapshot of what we plan to tackle...I can almost taste the champagne!

Day 1

10am
Bridals by Danielle
203 South 13th St.
Philadelphia, PA
215-670-9500
www.phillybride.com
My chosen featured designer: all Jim Hjelm collections including Alvina Valenta & Lazaro

11:30am
Maria Romia Bridal
2100 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA
888-362-2651
http://www.mariaromiabridal.com/
My chosen featured designer: Priscilla of Boston

1pm lunch in Rittenhouse Square

3pm
The Van Cleve Wedding Pavilion
72 E Lancaster Ave
Paoli, PA
610-647-5085
http://www.vanclevecollection.com/
My chosen featured designer: Badgley Mischka

4:30pm
Arielle Bridal Inc.
139 C East Butler Avenue
Ambler, PA
215-542-9902
http://www.ariellebridal.com/
My chosen featured designer: Maggie Sottero


Day2
10am Brunch in Manayunk

12pm
Nicole Miller
4249 Main Street, Philadelphia
(215) 930-0307
http://www.nicolemiller.com/

Feel free to use the itinerary if you are wedding gown shopping in Philadelphia. There are numerous shops & designers in the metro area to visit…too many for just one day!

-The perennial bridesmaid