HaselBride

{Help!} Black or ivory?

When I first started this blog, I posted my inspiration for our winter wedding and how I became a reluctant winter bride. There were a few specific things that really swayed me into thinking a winter wedding would be just as beautiful as any other season {an inspiration board from Style Me Pretty, a crystal tree from Enjoy: The Blog, and a gorgeous fur coat from Knottie TarHeels&Rebels}. It has come time to make some decisions regarding the coat.

When we first started looking at gowns, I was sold on the idea of wearing a vintage fur coat in a brown or sable color. My mom and aunt didn't hold back and neither did the sales girls saying that they didn't like the brown at all. The seamstress who is altering my wedding gown, also creates faux-fur coats and stoles. I tried on one of those and liked it. So I decided I would go with ivory.

That is until I saw this fabulous black faux-fur jacket on photographer Anne Ruthmann's blog.

AHH! This is pretty much the exact design I had in mind, but in black. And I LOVE IT in black. I think it would be the perfect tie-in to the bridesmaids dresses and tuxes. Plus, there would be a possibility I would wear it again. However, my mom still doesn't love it which has me second guessing myself. What do you think? Black or ivory?

 

Images in square {clockwise}: © Brides.com, Brides.com, The Knot, New York Magazine.
Bottom photos: © Anne Ruthmann Photography.

Oh J.Crew....continued

Loving this clutch from J.Crew. Wishing it came in an apple green to coordinate with my shoes, but either way I want something to keep my lipstick and gloss handy. This could be perfect. {The price maybe not so much...what else is new with J.Crew?}

Did you carry a purse on your wedding day? If so, what was it like?

Hair and Makeup Trial: Before and After

Ahhh... I'm so glad to finally have these pictures of my hair and makeup trial. My "baby" cousin and bridesmaid, B was holding them hostage! She came down a few days prior to my shower to help with the planning and played photographer for these shots.

Here's the hideous before. Please, please don't mind the weird face. This is me with a bit longer hair and my low-key makeup.

The after {below} which turned out FABULOUS thanks to my stylist from college! Not only is she an uber-talented hairstylist/colorist, she is an excellent makeup artist as well. I am so so relieved she is available on our wedding day. I live in fear that something will come up and she won't be able to make it. She is awesome.

I showed her my inspiration photos and she loved them. I think the look she created {below} is just perfect. The face will be a bit darker the day of and the curl will be a smidge tighter. Plus, it won't be summer so the humidity won't pull it down or ruin the makeup.

What do you think? How did your makeup and/or hair trial go? Or did you go the DIY route for hair and makeup?

Photos © HaselBride.

{Poll} Seeing Each Other Before the Ceremony: To do or not to do?

Big discussion and debate at my house this weekend with a good friend over the eternal question...should Nick and I see each other before the ceremony to allow for extra time to take photos or stick with the traditional and have the first time we see each other be when I come down the aisle? Photographers always encourage seeing each other before with some kind of "first look". From the beginning, I said I did not want to see him and I wouldn't change my mind for anyone. Well, now I'm starting to waiver. I really want the first time I see him to be when I walk down the aisle, BUT I also want great photographs of us all decked out. There are so many pros and cons for both.

If we see each other before, there will be no rush after to hurry and take the photos so we will make it to dinner on time. It would definitely be more relaxed and I would be fresh from hair and makeup. I know there would be a first look that could be equally special. However, at the weddings I've been a part of it was decidedly unromantic. The bride and groom were in and out of each other suites; it just didn't feel as exciting to me. Because my church has a Saturday afternoon mass, our wedding has to be at the somewhat early time of 2:30. All pictures before would mean getting up even earlier and I am so not a morning person.

If we went with the traditional route, we would take photos before separately with our respective family and wedding party members. Then after take photos with two of us together and with families and wedding party. We would be {hopefully} be glowing from finally becoming husband and wife. We are having a cocktail hour at the hotel immediately following to build in extra time {plus allow us to serve dinner at a normal hour and then dance and celebrate all evening long}. However, the more I think about how many photographs we need to take {we both come from divorced families}, the more worried I am that we will feel rushed for time and not get any great photos of just the two of us. Then there is the dreaded risk of having the ugly cry in all of the photos of you walking down the aisle. {As blogged about in the post The Big Reveal on Weddingbee by the then-Miss, now-Mrs. Cupcake.} A first look could definitely ease some of the very strong emotions of the day.

So... time for a poll: what did you do and why? {Or what are you doing and why?} Vote in the poll and/or leave a comment below. I can't wait to read all of your answers!

online surveys at easy-poll

	Did you see your fiance before the ceremony for photos?
	Yes and I was happy with our decision because...
	Yes and I regret it because...
	No and I was happy with our decision because...
	No and I regret it because...
	We are not married yet, but are planning to because...
	We are not married yet, but are NOT planning to because ...
online casinos club

{Help!} Flower Girl Dress Dilemma

Dilemma is a bit strong, but I'm definitely in a bind. The time has come for me to chose a flower girl dress/outfit for my four-year-old niece. I've blogged about other flower girls dresses before: here and here. I have {kind of} given up on the fabulous tutu idea because I don't think an ivory tutu will look as great as the multi-colored ones floating around. {I'm scared to go with green because it might clash with the flowers and look a little too Tinkerbell.}

Left image © Forever Yours, right image © Watters.

I like the idea of the two dresses above; they seem slightly tutu inspired. The one on the left from Forever Yours {imagine it in ivory} seems a smidge dowdy. I'm not a huge fan of the long skirt and boring neckline. I particularly like the shorter one on the right from Watters' flower girl line WaWa, but maybe in ivory with a black or green ribbon. Or would the green work? I'm worried it might be too Eastery and not wintry enough. It will be COLD during December in Indiana.

Image © Forever Yours.

While at my first dress fitting last week, my mom and I leafed through a few of the catalogs of flower girls dresses available through the salon. The dress above was the only one that really leaped out at me. I love love love the bodice...BUT is it might be a little too miniature bride and I am not in love with the skirt. I would almost want it to be shortened and both layers the same length.

All images © J.Crew/crewcuts.

This last outfit is pretty traditional, but still very cute. The patent shoes, I'm guessing an ivory stocking. I would take any of the tops, but would love love the sequin one {but it is pretty expensive, unfortunately}.

So what do you think? Which would you choose that compliments my dress, shoes, and the bridesmaids dresses?

{Help!} Possible Wedding Day Jewelry

My dress is in, I found my shoes, so naturally I've started thinking about what jewelry I plan to wear. I love love bracelets. I wear the same two bracelets {one Nick gave me for our first Christmas, the other is a bracelet made from a necklace that belonged to my deceased godfather} every day with my engagement ring and grandmother's ring with a mix of other bangles.

On our wedding day, I'm planning to wear my engagement ring, my grandmother's ring, and the diamond studs my Dad bought me for Christmas my freshman year of college. I don't wear necklaces that often. I guess it is because I don't have a long neck and upper body, but I'm not really a necklace person. Since my dress is strapless and I'm not wearing dangly earrings, I think I'm going to need a necklace.

I've looked and looked at various websites {Bag, Borrow or Steal, I'm Over It, Sonya Renée} and have seen many beautiful necklaces, but nothing that really screamed out wear me! I really had no idea what I wanted to wear until the August issue of Vogue found its way into my mailbox. The necklace Kate Moss wears on the cover and in the corresponding feature story is PERFECT. Of course I love it, it is super expensive! It is a Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquière strass necklace for only $795.

I found hope in a real wedding featured on Brooklyn Bride. The necklace worn by one of the brides was beautiful and pretty similar to the one featured in Vogue. However after I inquired, Lauren explained that it was her grandmother's, an antique necklace from the 1930s.

So, I'm back to the drawing board hoping to find something similar for not a ton of money. I've been  scouring ebay in the hopes of finding the perfect vintage necklace. I found this great necklace yesterday in an auction on ebay and told myself I would only bid up to $100. The auction ended tonight and the necklace sold for $273! I'm pretty disappointed, because this necklace was PERFECT, not expensive and almost exactly like the one above.

Where did you look for and/or purchase your wedding jewelry? Do you have any other great jewelry sites to share? Any ideas for other places to look for vintage costume jewelry?

Top image © Vogue/Condè Nast, photography by Mario Testino. Middle photo © Daniel Kreiger via Brooklyn Bride. Bottom photo from ebay listing.

Wedding Day Hair and Make Up

I'm headed back home again to Indiana next week. I have a whole laundry list of things to accomplish before I leave and while I'm there. One of those things is a hair cut and hair/make up trial with my hairstylist from college, Courtney. I am VERY excited about this because I thought she was moving to a different state this year, but instead she just moved an hour to Indianapolis. I thought all hope was lost on having fabulous hair for the wedding, because I still haven't found someone in Mississippi who I really love to cut my hair and I don't know anyone back at home who I trust to fix it up the day of the wedding.

I have some ideas of what I'm going for style wise. I'm planning to keep it long even though it has been killing me in this Mississippi heat. KILLING me. {A little Allison hair history: I had long hair from toddlerhood on; I finally cut it short until 11th grade. I accidentally grew it out two years ago, but I am dying to go back to short.} I wear my hair in a ponytail most of  the time {I work from home now!}, but I feel more like myself with it down. I don't think I'm an updo bride, although some family members keep trying to convince me otherwise. "You'll be so hot dancing," my mom keeps telling me. Either way, I'm going with a long, curly look, possibly with it half up because I am wearing a veil.

Left two images from Brides.com; right from Fabsugar.

I love love the curly look and I know a lot of brides have gone this route. I'm hopeful that Courtney will be able to create this look, and that it will be able to last all day and not fall out by the time the ceremony is over.

I have a lot less ideas regarding make up. I'm not a huge make up person. I won't leave the house without mascara, but my more lengthy routine mostly includes a bit of eyeshadow, bronzer or blush, and a smidge of powder. So really, not that lengthy. I'm liking the looks below: tan, pretty natural, with a little bit of glitz on the eye.

What was your hair and/or make up inspiration? If you are already married, how did it turn out in the end?

{Real Wedding} Ruthie and Dylon, part II

More from Ruthie and Dylon's gorgeous and unique nuptials. First up, the after-ceremony portraits. Ruthie's bouquet is to die for! I love it. I'm digging the every bridesmaid in a different black dress and kind of wishing I'd gone that route.

A few shots from the reception. What a fabulous cake! The train depot is such a perfect location; hardly any decorations are necessary. The final photo is the one that originally caught my eye. I love a sparkler exit and this one is so well timed and it photographed beautifully!

Ruthie: We live in Winter Park, Florida in a little one bedroom loft apt on a super cute cobblestone street atop storefronts. I am a nurse downtown and Dylon is a musician (drummer) for a local band "Band Marino" he also has a PR company called Record Ace. We met eight years ago at the college Dylon went to in Lakeland, Florida. I was visiting my best friend and a group of us went to a drive-in movie Remember the Titans. It wasn't then that we started dating, we met again two more times before we started dating five years later in 2005.

Our ceremony & reception were both held in the same building, it's a historic train depot. [The depot has] concrete washed floors and brick walls... outside the depot is a gorgeous park and rose garden; one block away is our apartment.

Our wedding day was very "chill" nobody had nerves...maybe my mother and Dylon's mom...that's it. Dylon and I were so calm; he went to the YMCA and swam in the pool all day while I hung out with my girlfriends and ate cupcakes, drank champagne, took silly pictures and just had fun. Our theme for our wedding was "classic Hollywood black and white film" (there are also some pictures that are not on Flickr that Tessa took with a vintage square camera....they are amazing and really pull together the classic look). We really just wanted a classy sit down dinner where we could hang out with our friends and have some laid back fun.

My favorite details from our wedding were my dress, how it wasn't a typical wedding dress, and Dylon's look, his hair and skinny tie and how perfect his suit was. I loved my hair, too! I really wanted those finger curls and I thought they turned out perfect. I think that the sparkler pictures turned out SO great. Another favorite part of our wedding was the music, a gypsy jazz trio called The Cook Trio; they really tied in the mood that we wanted for our wedding.

I think that it was all God that it came together so smoothly. Dylon and I both swore we would stay chill and no matter what happened that we didn't really care, we just wanted to have fun on our wedding day...and we did!

We decided we wanted all white flowers...so honestly.. I went to the flower place with my mom and just picked out anything that looked like it would go in a botanical garden and was white. I couldn't even tell you the names of 90% of those flowers, hydrangeas and tiny roses, some peonies.

My dress I actually found at BCBG, but it was short short short! So I bought it and my mother pulled it all apart, only used the lace and made my wedding dress...added beads and it was amazing!� I chose the dress because it was just so perfect, vintage looking, classic, and the lace & pleats & neckline! Haha.. all of it was exactly how I wanted it. Also, my mother being able to play a part in remaking it meant a lot.

I think that we were so happy with our wedding because we just took it as it came..we weren't uptight about anything and our only goal was to have fun. There's not much room for disappointment when you only have one goal. For other "brides-to-be," I would say...DO NOT just wait for the day to be over.. take it all in. It flies by like everyone says and you only get to do it once. Don't let your wedding coordinator tell you you have to "cut the cake now" or "have your first dance now." Do what you want when you want!

A huge thanks to Ruthie and Dylon for letting me share their fabulous wedding and to Tessa for providing the great photographs. For more information about photographer Tessa's services please visit her Flickr photostream: Hitched Foto or online portfolio {coming soon}. View additional photographs from Ruthie and Dylon's wedding here.

All photos © Tessa Hutchcroft/Hitched Foto. Please do no repost without permission.

{Real Wedding} Ruthie and Dylon

I have been holding on to this post for quite some time, and I finally had some spare time to get the the photos and content together. I am so excited to share this with you! One day while surfing around on Flickr, I discovered photographer Tessa Hutchcroft's altar ego on Flickr: Hitched Foto. The photographs from her  weddings were beautiful; the weddings themselves were incredibly unique. Today I'm going to share some of the details from one of my favorite weddings Tessa has shot: Ruthie and Dylon's union in Winter Park, Florida in May 2008. I'm going to split it into two posts; in the second the bride kindly provided us with some behind-the-scenes info.

Love love love the dress! So different and fabulous. It was so hard for me to narrow down the photos of Ruthie in her gorgeous dress. I could devote an entire post to it! Ruthie and her mother worked together to create the dress; more about that in the second post.

Now for some shots of the groom in his equally fabulous outfit.



Some ceremony photographs. I couldn't resist posting these of the ringbearer and flower girl; their outfits are so cute.



Isn't this wedding gorgeous? I love the space it was held in.

More photos and the note from Ruthie to follow in the second post. A huge thanks to Ruthie and Dylon for letting me share their fabulous wedding and to Tessa for providing the great photographs. For more information about photographer Tessa's services please visit her Flickr photostream: Hitched Foto or online portfolio. View additional photographs from Ruthie and Dylon's wedding here.

All photos © Tessa Hutchcroft/Hitched Foto. Please do no repost without permission.

{Help!} Possible bridesmaids gift and accessory

I'm wedding planning away today. {If you're one of my bridesmaids, please skip this post! That means you, Cat! I think you're the only one who might be reading.} If not, click continue to read more.