Wedding Guest Dress Deals

I really love a good deal, but the one thing I love more than a deal is the hunt for one. It's really satisfying for me to go through racks and track down the best of the best. I spent 2 hours tonight at Lord & Taylor at the King of Prussia Mall outside Philly looking for a dress for my birthday outing in 2 weeks, some cancer benefits in April and May, and later these will be worn to the summer weddings I'm attending. I scored BIG time. I scoured TEN $49.99 racks for most of the time and spent a little time on the 25% off rack. First I found a gorgeous cobalt blue Laundry by Shelli Segal dress with a gold beaded collar, originally $285, got it for $39.99. The collar looks very Cleopatra. (There aren't straps those are just the little hanger guys)

My second steal is a black chiffon JS boutique dress, originally $198, got it for $39.99.

And finally I splurged a little and got this gorgeous Adrianna Papell number, originally $228 for $137.

It has gorgeous aquamarine and pearl beading along the neckline and it's this stunning gunmetal silver color. Love them all! Obviously I'm into beaded collars. And since I never can find any necklaces I like, these dresses take care of that problem for me. I'm really looking forward to wearing my own clothes to weddings for awhile. As much as being a bridesmaid is lovely, I adore being one of a kind - and knowing I paid bottom dollar for my designer duds!

Rent the Runway Jewels

I clearly don't have enough to say about this weekend. Today I received a very special UPS delivery of gorgeous AV Max bangles and a pair of Isharya earrings, which I'll be wearing to the Hair of the Dog celebration on Saturday. I borrowed them from Rent the Runway. If you haven't heard of RTR, you should check it out and join immediately. Send me your email and I'll send you an invite (something.blu.eliza@gmail.com). It's free to join, and rental rates are very reasonable, especially for accessories.  Here are pics of what I rented:

My secret is out, I write reminders on my hands.

My earlobe looks funny

I bought this ring to own at Kenneth Cole on sale for $18 earlier this week. Love the stacked look, but it's just one piece.

Nail Polish is OPI for Sephora, Ocean Love Potion

I promise I will post a picture of my total ensemble on Sunday.  Can't wait!!!

My Dry Cleaning Bill

I'm pretty sure my Drycleaner thinks I'm a high class hooker. I've been carting in evening gowns and cocktail dresses in small groups for weeks. I've been rotating them through in groups of 2 or 3 in an attempt to space out the cash. Last week I picked up 3 dresses, a skirt, and a sweater for $50.25. This week I'll pick up 2 dresses and a sweater, I imagine for over $30.00. Trying to get all these dresses I've worn recently cleaned to be put away or others ready to be worn again is expensive! Many of the dresses are ones I have worn to weddings in the past and plan to wear in the future for weddings or related events. One I'll be wearing the the Black Tie Bachelorette this Saturday,  and I wore it to my cousins civil ceremony this past fall. Every time I take a few things in, there are still more left behind. For example, I still have one summer bridesmaid dress that needs cleaning and mending - I ripped a strap reaching for the bouquet, hahaha. Does anyone know any less expensive alternatives to drycleaning for evening wear? I don't trust Dryel for things other then sweaters and dress pants.

Plaid Bridesmaid Dresses???

Now, that's just mean. Don't put your friends in this or this. Puh-lease. I love Alfred Angelo the other 99.9% of the time, but their Style Director has lost her mind on this one. Sorry, but someone had to say it.

Artist Spotlight: Aressa, Etsy

I became obsessed with these wire hangers after seeing them featured over and over by another wedding photographer who I love. After about the 10th one I saw, I asked if he knew where the Brides were getting them and he said Etsy. Lo and behold, after some easy searching I found Aressa. I quickly ordered 2 hangers for 2 friends who are getting married this winter 2011 and next spring 2012. Here are the two pics of them. I had this blue one made in the exact shade of my Bridesmaid dress for my friend Sarah's wedding in 2012. She was very excited when she opened it. I can't wait to see her gorgeous dress hanging from it!!

For Sarah

And the black one is for my friend Caroline. I mailed it to her in TN a few weeks ago, and got to experience her excitement via FB. I can't wait for this wedding day (it's so soon)!! Only 72 more days :D

For Caroline

These hangers make great Bachelorette or Shower gifts. They are VERY affordable - ranging from $20 to $25 each. The creator can make them in various colors and finishes. Ordering was easy and delivery was fast (considering they are handmade)!

7th Bridesmaid dress

Lucky #7? Could be. I ordered this dress today. It's different than all my other BM dresses for a few reasons: 1) it's one shoulder, which is cool 2) it's 3 different colors - mostly brown, don't have one of those yet and 3) I don't think I have shoes to match it. And I have lots of shoes. So now I'm on Zappos.com - dangerous.

What I am wearing! A Hindu Wedding

In mid-October my cousin Emily is having two wedding ceremonies in 2 days. The first on Friday is a traditional Hindu ceremony beginning at a temple in Queens, NY and the second on Saturday a civil ceremony, followed by a fancy reception in the evening at the University Club in Manhattan.  For this weekend I will need 2 outfits, both formal enough for ceremonies but suitable to the very distinct times of day (7am and 5:30pm).  I'm pretty settled on my wardrobe for this event, but as always I love feedback!

Friday Hindu Ceremony and Lunch in Queens, both at the Temple:

Solid Purple Donna Morgan, purchased at Marshalls for around $30.You can see the true color better here.

Saturday Ceremony and Black-tie optional reception, both at the U club:

 

I'm super proud of this purchase. I originally saw this dress at Saks online and immediately fell in love, but it was $495 - out of my reach for sure. A few weeks later the dress went on Rue la la for $99 but they didn't have my size, blast! Then the fates were very kind and with help from my sister, it was mine at last! I am so excited to wear this, but I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Cobalt Nicole Miller full length dress with gold and silver embroidery, TJ Maxx St. Davids, PA $99

WTW Winner - Jersey Winery Wedding

Thanks so much for all your votes! The purple and black BR dress was a clear standout and I'm super excited to wear it to this weekend's wedding. As you can see, my dress is drycleaned and ready to go, card signed, and gift wrapped. There's only one more thing I need and that's my sister! She is arriving on Friday night from Pittsburgh and I haven't seen her in ages because she just got home from 3 weeks in Europe (lucky girl, I know). I can't wait to pick you up kiddo! We're gonna have a blast at this one.

What to Wear? A Jersey Winery Wedding

My cousin Katie is getting married in early October at a very traditional Catholic Church in central NJ and then her reception is at a nearby winery.  I'm especially excited about this wedding b/c my sister Allison Eve is her photographer, check her out!  Again I need your help deciding what to wear. I've been thinking of wearing this black dress with pearl embroidery.  My friend L.A. has a great Milly dress with pearl embroidery that inspired this purchase. Her dress was a huge hit at a black tie wedding where I was a Bridesmaid in July. Some people frown on wearing black to weddings (unless it's black tie of course) and admittedly I am one of them especially in the summer, but in fall and winter I embrace the classic black. It's also easy to mix up a simple black dress with pearls, turquoise jewelery, or a colorful sash. Fellow Bloggers, what are your thoughts on wearing black at weddings?  I'm also considering wearing the Banana purple and black dress from the WTW post in August. The BR dress received lots of votes last time and I do love it (mostly b/c it's purple), but in the end it just wasn't right for the Labor Day outdoor party setting. So we will give it another chance. Here are your two options, vote away!!!

Simple and classic. Maggy London, Steinmart sale, $59

 I was thinking this could be cool, because it's sorta the color of red wines... haha. Banana Republic, clearance, $49

WTW Winner - Labor Day Weekend Wedding

Wow that's a lot of Dubyas. After tabulating the votes from last week's WTW and reviewing the wedding itinerary a bit more, I've decided to wear...

Lilly on Friday (still can't pick which one - will have to be a spur of the moment thing with consultation from my wedding weekend roomie, The Tipster)

CK on Saturday:

And MK on Sunday:

Thanks for all your votes!!! Look for more WTW (What to wear) episodes coming in September - I have two October weddings, two weeks in a row, BRING IT ON!

What to wear? A new series

The main part of wedding season has come to a close, and now I have a few upcoming off-season weddings to attend as a guest.  As fun as being a Bridesmaid is, I am relieved to be a simple guest for the next few months. However, one thing I struggle with when I'm not a Bridesmaid is what to wear. Today I went to Steinmart in search of a deal and I found two great dresses (with assistance via text from Bex). Then when I got home I started to think about where I would wear my new dresses. This led to another text exchange with my friend J-mandy, and then to me thinking up this new feature.

So up first is a wedding on Labor Day weekend: my friends from college Liz and Tim will wed in his hometown of Rochester, NY. I went to their engagement party last fall, you may remember the story. The Bride and Groom's families are very generously including out-of-town guests in a Friday night party, the wedding itself on Saturday and a BBQ at a lake house on Sunday. I'm so excited about all these fun events. But what to wear? I have 2 options for each of the 3 events. Please vote in the comment section, thanks :D

(please forgive the BB pics, I live alone and my digi doesn't have a self timer)

Friday night cocktail party at Groom's parents' home:

Banana Republic jersey and satin cocktail dress, BR clearance $49

Lilly Pulitzer beaded Jubilee dress, LP store $378

Saturday Ceremony - Catholic Church/Reception - Country Club:

Aqua full length sexy back Calvin Klein, Marshalls $40

Navy ruffled Eliza J, Nordstrom sale $69

Sunday BBQ at the Lake House:

Michael Kors maxi dress, Steinmart sale $48

Lilly Pulitzer cotton sundress, Warehouse sale 2010 $69

Lilly Wedding Dresses

I could not be happier about this latest development. Lilly Pulitzer's FB account just confirmed the rumors I heard swirling at this year's Warehouse Sale in June - Lilly Wedding Dresses are a reality! I've never been happier to be yet unwed, to think someday I'll have these to choose from as well, HOORAY! In no particular order, here are my top 5 (all pics via Lilly Pulitzer):

DIY Bachelorette Accessories Part 2

To continue my DIY Bachelorette crafting this week, I also picked up supplies to make a veil at Michaels. I bought 1 yard each of a pink sparkly tulle and white sparkly tulle. Luckily I had given the Bride-to-Be a tiara as a Birthday gift a few years ago, so I borrowed that from her. I also grabbed some sequins I had from a shirt I bought a while back. I don't think I will actually need to replace them on the shirt anytime soon.

I began by ironing the pieces of tulle and then folded them in quarters. I cut the bottom of each color, rounding out the corner without a fold (right side here). I also cut along the long edge (top seen here) to make it slightly rounded. As seen below:

Once unfolded all the way the piece was basically a large oval. Folding it in quarters allowed me to cut it once and have it all be symmetrical. Think about when you folded paper to cut a heart as a child!

Next I took the each oval and folded it in half. Then I folded them individually accordion style, with the folded edge at the top:
This allowed me to gather the wide piece into a smaller bunch. Now I began to sew the tulle to the tiara. The tiara had zig zags, which made it very easy to use. I began with the pink tulle and held the folded edge of the fabric, still folded accordion style and put one stitch through all the layers of the tulle, effectively binding them together. Then I set out to attach it to the tiara. I started at one end and simply weaved it in and out and then repeated the process with the white tulle. The end was result was not something fit for a wedding day, but for my first attempt at making a veil, I thought it turned out great. Also I saved myself some cash. Veils with tiaras, which I saw online, were $20-$30 with shipping. I made this for a grand total of $15.

DIY Bachelorette Accessories Part 1

As Shortcake's Bachelorette approaches I've been working on a few things for her to wear. Earlier this week I looked online and at a few stores at sashes, veils, and tiaras, but I didn't find anything I loved at the right price. It seemed that most items were poorly made or those that were of better quality were quite expensive. So I thought to myself, "How hard can it be to make a sash?"

I went to Michael's Craft Store and picked up a number of things. For the sash I bought 2 yards of wide white satin ribbon, some pink sparkly iron-on letters, and a few stick on rhinestones.

I began by measuring the ribbon with a friend's help. I simply placed it over her shoulder and pinned it where it hit her hip. Later I turned it "inside out" and then sewed that spot together, creating a diagonal hem, then I trimmed it and scorched the edges with a match (so it would not unravel) and then I turned it back to the now outside, seen below.

Next I laid out the letters to spell Bachelorette and then followed the instuctions that came with the letters. Basically iron with a towel on top and then lightly go over the back of the ribbon. Lastly I added the rhinestones, which I stuck at the top and bottom of the sash. To make the sash myself was about $6. They were selling online for about $15 to $20. I will post a photo of Shortcake wearing this ASAP!

Brides with Ruby Slippers

and Blue, Green, Yellow, and Purple too!!

This is a trend I have totally fallen in love with. It warms my heart to see Brides slide into colorful and sometimes sparkly shoes on their special day. As a size 9 (occasionally a 9.5), I realized long ago white shoes on me look like skis. Hence, my plan to someday make my something blue a shoe! Really ladies, what a fun way to showcase your favorite color, coordinate with your bridesmaids, or just show off your personal style when you bustle up your dress to dance at your reception. Here is a collection of my favorite brides with colored shoes. Special shout out to my friend Kaitlyn (below) whose first wedding task was to find perfect Aqua shoes and then build the rest of her wedding around them. Enjoy!

Photo Credits: Red shoes, Martha Stewart.com; Blue Shoes, my friend Kaitlyn (great legs huh?!) photo by Hitched Studios of Boston; Green and Yellow shoes, Brides Cafe; Purple Shoes, jessicalynn402.blogspot.com

The White Wedding Guest Dress

Say that title 10 times fast, I dare ya...

This past Saturday I attended a wedding of two college friends and saw one of the more appalling things I have ever seen at a wedding: a female guest wearing a solid white dress. I'm going to let that sink in for a minute... Lucky for her, I did not know her or her date. Her date was a friend of the groom and she was nicely included and attended with him. I don't know about her, but where I was raised, a guest of a guest need obey even higher standards-- but alas I digress. Allow me to set the scene...

It's a sunny afternoon at a mid-size Catholic church, sitting in a pew is little me, waiting for my turn to rise for communion when I see a girl on the groom's side rise to reveal her tea length white lace dress. This dress was not unlike many I have seen Brides put on for receptions or post-wedding parties or day after brunches. It was delicate, beautiful, strapless, fitted, and white. Then suddenly I realize, "WAIT!!! The Bride is on the altar, not in a pew to my right. Who does this floosy think she is!?" At that exact moment, I hear a sharp gasp behind me, uttered by my best friend (also a bride to be next July). Knowing what she has just seen, I turn around and mouth a definitive, "I know." To which she turns, makes eyes at our other friend and so on and so forth for 3 more pews. (Obviously all 6 of us had to sit on the end to have optimal picture taking range, duh.) So as 6 perfectly coiffed hair styles turn in succession, like shiny dominoes, we begin to step into the aisle for communion. It is then that I lock eyes with the Maid of Honor, another one of my bffs, and telepathically scorn this woman with laser beams shooting out my eye balls.

Okay enough, it's too painful. Now, on to the question my boyfriend asked me when I recounted this story later in the night (he was not present for the mental stoning of this harlot), "Do people still tell their daughters you can't wear white to weddings?" So internet blogging community I ask you, "Do they?!!" Because as a little girl I distinctly remember my mother scolding me for trying to wear a white and blue sundress to a wedding, for as she said "It is not your day to wear white, your day will come." Has this respect for the Bride and her one day to symbolize innocence, virtue, possible (haha) virginity, and general spectacular center of attention-ness gone out the window?!?!

Mothers of America, please tell your daughters, there is only one day you wear white to a wedding, and that is on your own wedding day. Not some one else's.