Bridal Fashion Trend: Sweetheart w/Full Skirt

Nothing captures my heart like this classic bridal gown style! Trends such as fitted, pickups, and dropped waist come and go, but this shape has stood the test of time. Frankly, the timelessness of this design it's part of the reason that I chose my own wedding dress! While browsing my most recent issue of Martha Stewart Weddings, I was consistently excited by the beautiful gowns featured in current ad campaigns. Some of my favorite designers for the Sweetheart/Ball Gown style are Christos, Amsale, and Kenneth Pool. It's a likely grouping, since all three design houses are connected.

Do you have a favorite classic style? I've love to hear what styles you think will pass the test of time.

Hello Yellow!

{picture from here}

We've seen a lot of yellow lately. Mostly from our new Bachelorette, Ali, but here's another show stopper. SJP looks amazing in this yellow vintage Valentino (of course). I know her style is a little wacky at times, but what girl has never wished to be Carrie Bradshaw?

How many of you are going to see SATC2 this weekend? I know I am! I'll be up in Virginia for my bridal shower, and MOH Dani and I have already decided to make a date of it. And here's a question for you girls (or guys) that are planning to catch the sequel this weekend- did you buy your tickets in advance? We're seeing a matinee, so I'm not sure whether or not we need to get them early.


*Ps- Visit the Possessionista daily (or several times a day like me) for all your Bachelorette fashion scoop*

Silk Flower Sash

{Etsy, of course}

That's hard to say fast. Sorry for my lack of posts this week. After staring at a computer for 8 hours a day, it's the last thing I want to do when I get home. Phone update: I love my Blackberry. Big time. At first I resisted it's lustful powers, but now we're fully in love. My gmail comes straight to my phone, and I'm able to handle all of the wedding plans on the go. Loves it!

Today I had some fun shopping for shoes, veils, and rings with Tami from Little Miss Southern. Love her. She's just as sweet as she is beautiful!

More on the shoes and rings later. But I did decide on a veil and another fun accessory. A silk flower sash! Now I'm not revealing my dress because Mr. SE is a super snoop! But I will tell you about the accessories...because chances are, if he does see them he'll forget in the next seven months (7 months!!!). I'm in love with the idea of a silk flower sash. Etsy has hundreds of options, and I've already got my eye on several contenders.

It's going to be ruffly and romantic, and stuck on a white silk ribbon. Elegant and classic, while giving my dress an edge of fun. What are your thoughts on adding a silk flower? Should I wear it for the ceremony and reception- or just the reception? Did you add any extra embellishments ( broach, silk flower, feathers, etc) to your dress?

Bridesmaid Dresses

I've spent time telling you a little bit about my bridesmaids, and now I'll showcase what they're going to wear! All of my girls are different, both physically and mentally. They have different styles and tastes, and they're all beautiful in my opinion. To showcase their personalities and individual beauty, I've decided to let each girl choose their own style. That's not to say I didn't have any bridal control over the situation: I chose the designer, length, and color. But other than that, the girls are on their own!

The designer is B2 by Jasmine Bridals, the color is cobalt, and the length is cocktail. Here's some of the styles they'll be wearing...What's your take on bridesmaids wearing different dresses? Are you a fan or do you think it's too trendy?

Next post I'll share the rest of their ensemble, including what's on their feet and what they're carrying!

Accesorize Me: Shoe Edition Part II

This isn't the first time I've posted about my wedding shoes. It's been an ongoing saga. The previous Nina shoes didn't work out, and I decided that closed-toe shoes would be too hot for our August affair.

So after ordering 7 pairs of shoes from Zappos (free shipping both ways = amazing), I have finally found my wedding shoe. She's so pretty and perfect and I just love how secure she makes my ankle feel. It goes without saying that we're a perfect match made in bridal heaven. She's currently a lovely shade of white satin, but she'll be sporting a more stylish look on our wedding day.

I'm going to have the shoes dyed at Peabody Shoe Repair in Hillsboro Village. Bridesmaid Nicole (former pageant queen- woot!) assures me that dyeing shoes is safe, as she did it all the time for pageants. I trust her- as of now.


Here are my precious/sassy wedding shoes...
Elga by Nina

Did it take you a long time to find your wedding shoes? Or did you know exactly what you wanted ahead of time?

Sneaky Peek

J.Crew updated their site to now include the Spring 2010 preview book. This dress is absolutely dreamy!

Shoes in Royal Blue

I've decided to sport royal blue shoes on our wedding day. Why? There's several reasons. To name a few:

A) How often will I re-wear white, fancy shoes?
B) They could count as my something blue
C) Blue is my favorite color!
D) I'll be reminded of our wedding day every time I wear them after
These babies are my muse. Yes, they're a Carrie Bradshaw knock-off and I've posted about them before. But I don't care, I'm in love. My only concern is the heat. I'd like to have open toed shoes to a) keep my toes cool and b) show of my wedding day pedi. That being said, royal blue/cobalt shoes are hard to find. They were all the rage last year, so I'm hoping they make a big comeback in holiday collections this year. Until then, I'll lust over these beauties.

Side note- I've thought about purchasing dyeable shoes and having them done in a royal blue. The only problem is that all dyeable shoes I've ever tried on feel like crap. Of course, Stuart Weitzman and Cole Haan make dyeable versions, but I'd like to stay under $100.

Did any of you wear non-white shoes under your gown?

Phoebe Strapless

Somebody please wear this dress for your shower, rehearsal dinner, or brunch. I wish my wedding was sooner- it's on clearance! I'm in love!

*I forgot to mention it's only available in a size 14. I'm scared some brides-to-be might hurt me for not having their size*

Sex & The City: For the Budget Bride

Found these amazing Carrie Bradshaw look alikes via Zappos. Enter Martinez Valero: Zenith. These shoes are so incredibly beautiful and I would love to see them peeking out from under a wedding gown. They're dead ringers for Carrie's beloved Manolo's, but without the crazy pricetag. These babies can be all yours for $179 (and free shipping). Oooh I want them so bad!I also saw these cute little tootsie toppers, Ivana by RSVP (only $89). These would be a fantastic option for the more traditional bride (white), that wants to infuse some fun into her day (heel applique). I've never purchased a pair of RSVP shoes before, but they definitely have some great options for brides.

Christos: Spring 2010 Preview

In the words of Rachel Zoe, "I die". Enough said.

Rachel Zoe Project: Season II

I am obsessed with Rachel Zoe. She's over the top, way too dramatic, and I can't get enough. Last year my roommate and I drooled over every single eposide of Season I. Loved it when Brad & Taylor had to share a room during NY's fashion week- hilarious.

Because of a prior engagement, I missed the premier on Monday night. But no worries- I DVR'd it to watch later this week. The fashion inspires me and I can't wait for the next episode. Here's my favorite look from the show last night...

The SE's Have an Outing

Sometimes I like to leave my bronchitis cave and make a public appearance. This weekend was no exception. Mr. SE and I flew up to Baltimore for the wedding of Mom & Dad SE's goddaughter. Amy was an absolutely beautiful bride, and her husband was moved to tears her entire walk down the aisle. Most touching wedding moment to date: best man reaching out and patting back of groom as he's crying, watching his bride walk down the aisle. Holy waterworks! Mom SE did a reading in the wedding and she did very well, despite being incredibly nervous beforehand. Amy wore the most classic, timeless dress- she looked like Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn (you'd love it Mrs. Smith). My pictures came out awful- but hopefully you can get a feel.

The reception was held at Washington Golf and Country Club- hello fancy! Cocktail hour was on a covered portico overlooking the green. I had a hard time keeping Mr. SE from trying to get down there and play (yes, in the rain). This wedding was so perfect to me. I would've been incredibly happy to just cut and paste myself and Mr. SE into it. And because I know you luuurrrve the detail shots...all anonymity just went out the door...And if there's any males reading this- perhaps this will keep you interested. Please don't write a rude comment since I assumed only guys play golf. Actually, I play golf. And it's my blog, so I don't need a disclaimer.

And With The Monster Veil...

Comes the monster dress....I tried on the. biggest. dress. at David's on Saturday. The attendant kept trying to convince me that it'd be "perfect" for a Cathedral wedding, while I kept trying to convince her how hot Tennessee gets in August. For your viewing pleasure:

and this was all I could think of...Holy Moses it was a big dress! Honestly, I could've definitely hidden a person under there. Normally I'd be completely opposed to someone hiding under my dress, but I think it'd be necessary to have under-cover fan personnel under a garmet of that grandeur.

Onto more realistic dresses. Disclaimer: I wanted to sleep in, so I decided not to wash my hair. Don't judge me- it gets greasy really quick.
**Update** Mr SE saw these pictures on my computer and claimed that he does not care for either of the dresses. He doesn't know that they're my favorites and I almost wanted to buy one. Did anyone else encounter something like this?

Bridal Style: Inspiration

Since we're on the topic of bridal style, I thought I'd share an inspiration board that I made on Style Circle. Haven't joined the Style Circle? It's the brainchild of Style Me Pretty and it's absolutely fantabulous! You can make inspiration boards from their massive galleries, and add "favorites" that other brides have made. What a wonderful idea- there was definitely a need for something like this.

Here's the inspiration board for my bridal style. Now head over to Style Circle and make your own!

Dress Shopping: Part I

I took advantage of our trip to DC and decided to go dress shopping with Mom SE. As you saw in my last post, we chose to visit David's Bridal first. I have to say that I was honestly pleasantly surprised by the quality of dresses. I hilighted a couple in the catalogue, but I didn't expect them to look so nice in person. There were two that I really liked, and one that I completely fell for. I'll upload pictures later. Along with learning what dress style suits me best, I also worked on discovering my veil "type". I knew I wanted a veil, but wasn't sure what style. Here's what I gathered: no mantilla, and no single layer. I want a BIG. POOFY. STINKING VEIL. Here's some inspiration...

{like this level of poof- but fingertip length}

{this is much too much}

What are your thoughts on veils? To poof or not too poof?

Introductions

Hello, my name is Sarah...and I've been a bad blogger. For those of you who follow me on twitter, you know that I a) have bronchitis b) just started a new job and c) am in the process of purchasing a house. Needless to say, things have been a little crazy over at Chez SE these last couple weeks. I try and keep up with everybody's blogs and tweets during the day, but I'm not able to post on my own.

So the posts will continue to be less frequent than before (ie 4 posts a day), but I'll try to post more now that I'm starting to get over the bronchitis. This is how my past three weeks have gone: 5:30 get home from work; 7:00 eat dinner; 9:00 go to bed; 6:00 am get up and do it all over again.

Mr. SE and I have been dealing with some complications on the wedding front, along with an ever decreasing budget. I'll be sure to fill you in on the details once things calm down. Please stay around- I promise I'll be back for some extremely fabulous posts next week. (ps- I lost a follower this week! Sad day!). In the meantime, here's some dresses I'm interested in. But wait- Miss SE, why are you posting dresses from DB? I thought you were going to hit up a fab salon where they served champagne and gushed over how beautiful you are. Yes, my friends, I was. That was before Mr. SE and I had a heart to heart about the budget and what is really important: our love, and honoring the friends and family that mean everything to us.

This weekend we're attending a wedding for the Goddaughter of Mom and Dad SE in Virginia. Mama SE is doing a reading in the ceremony- I'll try and take a picture. Before the wedding, mom and I are going to try on my FIRST wedding dress. I wanted to hit up DB first just to get a feel for the style that I wanted. While browsing their paper and online catalogue, I found some surprisingly lovely styles that I'm really looking forward to trying on. Here's some styles I like...

Going-Away Outfit

How lovely is this going-away outfit featured on Style Me Pretty?!? The look is so classic and timeless. I have visions of me and my Mr jetting off to some exotic local. The hat? Definitely.

Who's excited about Elegance Bridal Gala tonight?? I am!

Clutch: Something New and Blue

This clutch caught my eye earlier today, and I'm having trouble resisting. They got me with the ivory bow exterior, then I saw the inside picture. Blue? Hello bridal! I'm at the point where I'm starting to rationalize purchases based on their usage during the wedding. "Yes, I'll definitely use that afterward"....You know exactly what I'm talking about. Feast your eyes on this little beauty!
Did you get (or are you planning to get) a special clutch for the big day? If so, did you really use it? Please visit their Etsy site for more goodies.

Dear Mikaella Bridal,

You already know I love every. single. one of your dresses. So now you have to go and advertise them in my exact palette? I'm pretty sure I just had a heart attack when I laid my eyes on this beauty...YES PLEASE!!!

Bachelorette Recap: Finally!

*Disclaimer: this is a ridiculously bad picture of Reid. He's way cuter now than he was in the beginning of the season. I think he worked out a lot during the home town visits*

Thank goodness Jillian finally got rid of Wes! Okay, so I just watched the episode last night. I totally agree with what she said, though, that she needed to let him go on her own notion. But seriously- WHAT A JERK! My jaw was literally hanging open while I listened to his monologue in the exiting limo. It was like watching a trailer at the end of the movie; I seriously couldn't believe the things that were coming out of his mouth. I digress...

So the three that remain are Ed, Kiptyn, and Reid. Ed leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I don't like the way he left Jill for "work", and I'm concerned that he's likely to do it again if she were to choose him. Kiptyn and Jillian have a lot of fun together and I can potentially see them working out. But I just get this great feeling with she's with Reid. He sort of reminds me of her in the Bachelor: we didn't see a lot of him in the beginning, but their connection is great now. During the rose ceremony, I could not get enough of the way Reid was looking at her! They definitely act like a couple who's in love. So there you have it: my winning pick is Reid.

Ps: Is anybody else obsessed with her outfits? She wore the cutest clothes during the Bachelor, and they just keep getting better on the Bachelorette. I was loving her yellow skirt, and I'm thinking about trying to find one like it at Forever 21. What about this little beauty?