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Trip to David's Bridal

I signed up for a David's Bridal appointment when I was at the Eugene Bridal expo to get a free Shutterfly coupon.  I decided to use the appointment to take another look at bridesmaid dresses and maybe a special occasions dress for myself.

I probably wouldn't be looking at dresses for myself at David's Bridal, but my roommate has a credit for over $100 that she has offered to give me.  She says she won't buy anything there, so I might as well use it!  I hope she is able to transfer the credit to me.  :)  Since I bought my dress at David's Bridal, I also get an additional $20 off each dress I buy. 

Here are some of the dresses I tried on:

The black one-shoulder dress ($99) is by far my favorite.  However, I got the most compliments from other shoppers when I came out in the white dress ($159).  By the way, I hate the fluorescent lighting at all the David's Bridal stores.  So unflattering.

I found a necklace that might work with my dress.  My dress has really chunky beading on the belt, so I think whatever jewelry I go with should have similarly-proportioned jewels.  Here's a picture:

While at the store, I decided to browse the bridesmaid dresses.  I came to some very important conclusions while shopping!  Here they are:

1) I like the cotton sateen fabric best.  This fabric feels like a cotton sundress, which would be perfect for a July wedding.  Also, the cotton sateen has very cute styles!

2) I definitely will have my bridesmaids pick their own style of dress.  Everyone will be happy!  :)

3) I love the color MALIBU!  I made a decision, and this IS the color!  I just talked to Lee, and he likes this color too.  Yay!

Here are the current cotton sateen Malibu dresses (plus a lace Malibu dress):

I was so excited about figuring out the color, that I had to try a Malibu dress on while I was in the store.  I did a test run of the top right dress with black accessories.  My camera made the blue color a little different, but you can get the overall idea.  What do you think?  Black accessories on the bridesmaids, or silver?

I also bought a swatch of the color.  Does this mean it's "official"?!

Bouquets

When it comes to flowers, I have been drawn to white, monochromatic bouquets.  Depending on the color scheme I end up choosing, I suppose this preference might change!  I do know I want to make my own bouquets, most likely with silk flowers.

Here are some examples of traditional white bouquets:

While looking at bouquets, I discovered a very fun trend right now.  I found modern bouquets made of feathers, beads, rhinestones, brooches/pins, and pearls!  Feast your eyes on these interesting, yet beautiful bouquets:

Wardrobe

A few things I like.  The first two are really cheap on eBay.  

This veil for $20:

This garter for $4:

Sparkly headbands:

My New Color Love: Turquoise and Black

I'm not ready to commit to a color scheme yet.  However, I am having a ton of fun looking at fun pictures like these!  

Turquoise reminded me too much of a beach wedding, so I hadn't considered using turquoise.  ...That is until I saw some bright turquoise and black wedding inspiration boards.  Adding black to the color scheme makes turquoise suddenly seem more edgy.  And I love it.  Here are some inspiration photos:

VIP (Very Important Purchase!)

I "purchased" Lee's wedding band this weekend while he was in town.  I used the gift card I got at the bridal expo to get his ring.  Before we picked out the ring online, we went to the mall and had Lee try on rings to get an idea of what he liked best. 

I really like the ring he picked out.  This ring is a Tungsten Carbide ring, with a polished edge and a brushed middle.  Tungsten Carbide is called an alternative metal and is really trendy right now.  The ring will never scratch and should never need to be polished.  The only downside is Tungsten Carbide rings cannot be re-sized.  Luckily, the company allows for lifetime exchanges if you need a replacement ring.  Even if the company goes out of business, Tungsten Carbide rings are very inexpensive and would be easy to replace. 

Boot Camp and Hairstyles

I found out yesterday I won a two-week pass to Eugene's "Boot Camp" from the bridal expo.  I went to the workout class for the first time tonight.  It was really fun, and I will not be surprised if I am sore tomorrow!  The pass is good for ten sessions over the next two weeks. 

I am not sure how I will want to wear my hair for the wedding, but I am leaning toward having my hair half-up.  I will need it either half up or all up so I can somehow attach a veil.  Here are a couple of inspiration hairstyles I have found:

What kind of hairstyle can you imagine me wearing?  :)

Bustles

The other day I became fascinated with bustles.  I hadn't paid much attention to them before, but I think the bustle is an important part of the dress.  I like the traditional over-bustle, but I wanted to see the other options.  I googled types of bustles and found I was drawn to a few different types:

The Double French Bustle

 The Over-bustle plus French Bustle

 The Multiple Over-Bustle

 The Train  Flip Bustle (aka Ballroom Bustle)

I know the type of bustle I will choose will depend on the bustle style most appropriate for my dress.  I like all of these options, though!

DIY Card Box

I found a fun idea for a wedding card box.  Once I have decided on colors, something like this would be fun to work on:

Cakes

Here's a couple of simple cake ideas I really like.  I think going the simple route is both modern and elegant!

Bridal Expo

I went to the Eugene Bridal Expo today, and I had an amazing time!  Did you know for around $750, you can have an actual arcade photo booth brought into your wedding reception?  Instant souvenirs for guests!  Too bad that option is out of the budget.

I tasted lots of food, entered many drawings (crossing my fingers!), and got a few free goodies to take home.  Just for attending, I received a one-year subscription to Brides magazine, a $20 Shutterfly gift card, and a $600 gift card for tungsten wedding bands.  I also got to see a bridal fashion show and collected ideas for my own wedding.

I took pictures of some of my favorite things I saw:

Cakes

 

Table Settings

 Flowers

After my "budget" post, a few great things have happened.  My mom booked the XL93 DJ, and we ended up getting the $100 deposit waived.  Also, the photographer we want offered us a free engagement package (with 50-60 free digital images) if we booked our wedding with her.  Along with the free wedding band gift card I acquired today, these things help the budget out!

Because I got my dress at David's Bridal, I received a coupon for a free hardcover photobook (valued $60).  The coupon expires in June, so instead of making a book with engagement pictures, I am going to fill it with pictures from when Lee and I first met up until now.  I am looking forward to working on this in my free time. 

I didn't mention this last post, but I got my ring back from the jeweler after having it sized.  It feels much better to have a ring that fits perfectly.  I missed wearing it the week I didn't have it!