This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.

Way back in the day, I was having some issues deciding on shoes. Because I am oh-so-indecisive. I just couldn’t get my ish together. Same old, same old. Well, really, I just couldn’t stop thinking about these lovelies.

{Kate Spade}

Hello there, beautiful.

They were expensive, but I just could not stop thinking about the bows! And the sparkles! And the pretty slate-grey! And the square, ballerina-slipper-esque toe! Like Cinderella shoes, but cooler.

Anyway, in the happiest of coinkydinks, Kate Spade ended up having a ridoncadonc sale the weekend of my birthday, and Mr. CA, being the sweetheart that he is, decided he wanted to get me these shoes for the reception. (Because we can’t stop thinking about/talking about/ dreaming about/ breathing the wedding in these here parts.) Isn’t he sweet? Really, I think he just got sick of hearing me gush about them. Or, maybe he was tired of driving me to the Kate Spade store and having to watch me stand outside the window, gazing longingly at them inside. I mean, um, no, I didn’t ever do that. And, because the sale was so amazing, he only had to promise up our firstborn child, rather than the first two. What a deal!

Mmm, stripes.

Needless to say, I was quite excited to open them and get those babies on mah feet. Let’s be honest, they do give me a bit of toe-cleavage. But I’ve come to terms with that. My dress is long enough to cover them, really, and if anyone gets a glimpse, they will be razzle-dazzled by the bows and the sequins, and won’t notice my immodest cleavage.

Box within a box.

As per usual, I am obsessed with these shoes. The bottoms are super-smooth, and I slide around on our carpeted floor, so I’m going to need to break them in before the big day. They need a good knifing, perhaps? And let me tell you, I have been so tempted to wear these out and about, particularly since it’s getting nice and sunny. Toe-cleavage be damned – these beauties need to see the light of day! Dang it.

Oh, you want to see them?

Clearly, I love the bows.

Yes, Hive. You have now seen my lack of a badonkadonk. You’re welcome. Happy Friday.

Yummy – blurry toe-cleavage. The best kind.

Obviously, I love them, and I am way too excited to wear these shoes out onto the dance floor. I want the wedding to be here now!! They will just have to wait, I suppose (although I might be wearing them as I type this. Maybe).

Did you get an item of attire gifted to you unexpectedly? Are you planning on wearing different shoes for the ceremony and reception?

This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.

Ladies, I have finally made the plunge. My first Etsy purchase! (Can you tell I’m excited??) OK, it’s not even really a purchase yet, but I have put down a deposit on a custom order for my jewellery. After spending some weeks poring over pictures of glittery earrings, I have finally chosen (a few) items I will buy.

Hair comb:

Images above and hair comb by Lulu Splendor on Etsy

Pearl necklace with a back feature:

Images and necklace by Lulu Splendor on Etsy

Floral pearl necklace:

Images and necklace by Lulu Splendor on Etsy

Chandelier earrings:

Images and earrings by Lulu Splendor on Etsy

Small pearl drop earrings:

Images and earrings by Lulu Splendor on Etsy

Kind of a mish-mash! I really wanted big sparkly earrings, but I’m also a little hesitant that they might be too heavy for the whole wedding day, so I wanted to get something smaller as well as a safeguard. The pearl ones here match the rest of the jewellery, so after the wedding I will have some nice jewellery to mix and match when I go out in the evening. (Or to the office—whatever I want!)

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do for my hair because my sister-in-law is already loaning me her fingertip veil; so I didn’t really need to buy my own veil despite all those adorable birdcage and cathedral-length veils out there. I did think I wanted something extra to put in my hair, and while I kept looking at pretty flowers, fascinators, headbands, and sashes that could be tied into the hair, I just thought they were too much or random or weird. So many pretty things to choose from, but I just wanted something sparkly to put in my hair that would actually match my other jewellery.

Carla from Lulu Splendor is actually going to make all my jewellery together at the same time, so it will definitely all match. Nice plus! I’m so excited to work with her. I fell in love with her chandelier earrings…they look perfect—not too over the top but oh-so glam.

Originally I decided I’m NOT wearing a necklace with my dress because it’s way too sparkly and has a whole lot going on on its own. So I focused on searching for the perfect earrings. But when I was looking at Carla’s work, it was so pretty I kind of wanted it just for me (and the hubs) to enjoy later on. I’m sure Mr. Funnel Cake would love seeing me in a low-back dress with that pearl necklace dangling there…

At first I was going to get just the flower necklace, but they were both too tempting to pass up. I’m totally falling for the wedding-splurge excuse…but really, I don’t buy myself jewellery or clothing in general that often in this country, so I think it’s OK to get something nice for the big day. In fact, the first and last time I bought jewellery in Switzerland was for our civil union!

Carla has pretty bracelets as well, but I’m really not a bracelet girl. They just get in the way of doing functional things like using computers, so while it might be OK for the wedding (or annoy the crap out of me), it wouldn’t be an item I would wear a lot after the big day. I will decide if I want to wear either or neither of the necklaces when I try the dress on again in October! If it’s no to both, then I can always wear one of them to the rehearsal dinner or on the honeymoon or something.

Did you end up splurging on yourself because of the wedding? Which accessories were most important for you to nail down first? Did you surprise yourself getting something you originally thought you’d vetoed?

This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.

During my wanders across Etsy last night, I came upon the glory of fake gauge earrings.

Earrings by TribalStyle

Now, I think gauges are kind of cool, but I would never actually want to make the hole in my ear big enough to wear them because a.) that’s gross, and b.) you can’t wear normal earrings then without unsightly loopy big holes. (Gross!)

Solution? Just wear fake gauges! You get the same look as the gothic hippies without changing your earring holes.

Earrings by TribalStyle

Earrings by TribalStyle

Earrings by TribalStyle

Will I wear them for the wedding? No way. But I am thinking about getting a pair sent to my mother’s house to pick up when we are there. Could be my rehearsal-dinner earrings…

Have you come across anything really cool on your quest to find the perfect XYZ?

This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.

Remember back in the winter, when I got dress regret? I was so annoyed and embarrassed by my own wishy-washy indecisiveness that I almost held out on the hive.

Well, I’ve been holding out on you again, this time about my shoes. You see, the wedding is very rapidly approaching, and I’ve been having major shoes blues. I was really afraid that I’d fail in finding the perfect wedding shoes and that I’d have to be a barefoot bride.

To recap:

First, I bought two pairs of pink shoes.

Two Lips Strawberry, image via 6PM.com

Vivienne Westwood Ultragirl, Image via Zappos

Then one pair broke and I realized that the other pair didn’t go with my headpiece.

And I bought an adorable pair of silver shoes.

Butter Shoes, image via Endless

But in real life, they looked nothing like they did online. Back they went.

And then, I found a pair of Paris Hilton shoes that were absolutely adorable. I thought that my problems were solved, and I finally shut up about my damned wedding shoes for a while.

Paris Hilton Shoes, image via DNA Footwear

But it turns out that my search for shoes hadn’t ended as quickly as I thought. Because the shoes hurt like a mother. I started wearing them around the house in order to break them in, but the longer I wore them, the more they hurt. There’s no way I’d even be able to wear them for our brief ceremony, let alone the entire day. OUCHERS.

So back they went. And you could just call me Shoeless Joe.

A few weeks after sending back the Paris Hilton shoes, I was in a Goodwill store, looking for baskets, when I came across a pair of unworn Chinese Laundry shoes. Adorable shoes.

Image via ChineseLaundry.com

They cost less than $10—score! And they were fairly comfy. And I adore them, but I started to think that the rosettes on the shoe would be too matchy-matchy with the rosettes on the headpiece I’ll be wearing. And how the texture on the shoes might compete with the texture on my dress.

Yes, I am aware that these concerns make me seem like an absolute lunatic. And so I decided to keep the shoes as a last resort (and also because I do love them and I’m sure I’d wear them somewhere else). But I wasn’t ready to abandon my search.

And then finally, finally, finally, I found my shoes. They are silver and flirty, with a low heel. They were super-affordable. They are cute, and most importantly, they are comfy as hell.

Amiana Shoes, image via Zappos

So that’s it. I’m done! The shoe search is over, and I don’t want to look at another pair of silver shoes ever again. Or, at least not for the next two weeks!

How many pairs of shoes did you try on before you found “the one?” Or, rather, “the two?”

This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.

OK, so the first attempt at BM-dress shopping didn’t go so well. Thankfully, I’m not one to get bummed out at the first sign of failure. Instead, I devote every waking moment to finding a solution until I can show that obstacle who’s boss. Maybe not the best method of coping, but it works for me. So, I turned to my trusty interwebs to find some BM dresses that would pass muster. I scoured all of the various collections that my salon carried, hoping to find some winners. Unfortunately, nothing really jumped off the screen at me. I decided I just wasn’t trying hard enough and proceeded to look at the same dress pictures over and over and over again, willing one of them to wow me. Still nothing.

Then I took the alternate approach and decided to make everything a possibility. Short? Sure. Long? Why not. Chiffon or satin…why not both?! In a matter of one short mentality shift, I went from having nothing that caught my eye to having my eye caught by about 50 different dresses at once. I will confess that a certain dress was kind of pulling ahead…

Image via Jasmine Bridal: Belsoie L3009 (The catalog image is in Cobalt, but the image above is in Bordeaux. To preview the dress in any of the available colors, click the color box and the “preview” button.)

…until Mr. Snow Cone let it be known that long BM dresses weren’t exactly his cup of tea. I know, I know…he’s not the one wearing them, but it’s kind of bold to say, “OK, thanks dear…I’m going to do the exact opposite of what you just suggested.” The combination of my change in perspective and Mr. Snow Cone’s feedback pretty much drove me to bridal insanity.

Image via Wedding-Inspiration

I began texting and emailing my mom every bridesmaids’-dress-related thought that popped into my brain…which was not just one or two. I then took some good ol’ motherly advice and stopped looking, stopped thinking…just…stopped. I closed my computer, refusing to look at another dress. I tried my best to shut my brain down to prevent the nonstop loop of dresses from parading through my thought bubbles. I took a temporary hiatus from the BM-dress world. And then, when I was ready, I employed two specific strategies, courtesy of mi madre.

First, I picked up the nearest bridal magazine and scanned through it as swiftly as possible. Rather than debating about the miniscule details of any given dress, I scanned all the images rapidly, taking note of what really caught my eye. And then I took myself (and just myself) to the bridal salon to try on as many dresses as I could stand. Considering that I had no direction, I decided this would be the best way to go. I could select a huge variety of dresses and try them on myself—I could get a handle on what I liked and didn’t like without feeling guilty for asking one of my poor BMs to try on the 40th dress of the day. Stay tuned to see some of the winners and some of the (ahem) losers of the bunch!

How did your BM-dress search go? Was it a headache or a breeze?

This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.

Glitz, glamour and sheer girliness; it’s the Jimmy Choo bridal collection, which has been seen in variation this year on many red carpet walkers!  Investing in these show-stopping pieces of art can seem daunting, but for the special occasion of bridal bliss, there is no better time than now.  To truly take the edge off splurging an entire month’s rent on a single pair of gorgeous pumps, find the perfect pair that will work long after your wedding.  Have a long-lasting love affair by doing the dirty work during the shopping process.  Find your perfect pumps then match them with your favorite jeans and skirt.  Once you find your one and only, enjoy your happily ever after.

Jennifer Aniston in the Jimmy Choo “Lance”

Natalie Portman in the Jimmy Choo “Macy”

Leighton Meester in the Jimmy Choo “Zafira”

Diane Kruger in the Jimmy Choo “Vita”

This article was originally posted onBridezilla.

I thought once my dress came in, I’d have my jewelry figured out. I mean, the wedding is in four months. That’s practically four weeks in wedding-land. But I haven’t been slackin’—I’ve tried, honest!

Before the dress arrived, I purchased some J. Crew pieces. When we visited Priscilla of Boston to pick up the girls’ dresses and I slipped on Wallis with the J. Crew earrings and bracelet, but the metal finish and rectangle shape didn’t go.

Ooops. Guess I’ll just have to find new pieces! But I wasn’t sure where to look for inspiration… until I saw a pair of earrings from my own jewelry box a little differently. Of course, they were too casual but why not look to the rest of my collection for inspiration.

My taste in jewelry trends from bold baubles, like multi-strand pearls the size of gum balls…

and statement cuffs…

to colored stones…

and assorted custom pieces.

Since my gown features dimensional details over every inch, I’m keeping the rest of my look as clean as possible by focusing on one statement piece. No necklace. No bracelet. Just earrings.

Studs are not enough of a statement. Pearls are too demure. Drop earrings will do nicely. Something like these, perhaps?

j crew

Etsy – jonquil

Etsy – champagne briolette with pearls

wedzu – lucite teardrop

charm & chain – teardrop

But before I could order any of these, I found these lovelies and will try them on with my gown this weekend. Here’s to hoping they work!

Does your wedding jewelry reflect your “everyday” style? Did you have trouble finding wedding jewelry?

This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.

The bridesmaids’ dresses arrived a few weeks ago, and I am just now getting around to picking them up. To explain, the shop is 45 minutes away and the weeks leading up to the holidays were a bit, ahem, hectic. I also wanted my local bridesmaid, BM R, to join me. She’s a wedding expert and my advocate when I’m being too polite…so if the dress, color, or something else was not as ordered, all would be fixed.

*Tangent Warning*

While the dresses were retrieved from the lower level, BM R and I browsed the bridal gowns. (You won’t mind the distraction, will you?)

Mmmm, texture.
Bridesmaids’ Dress: The Color Reveal – continue reading…

Carving out a steady clientele of A-listers, Jennifer Behr has found her super talent in the creation of gorgeous hair accessories and headbands.  Her glitzy and delicate yet tough pieces have made public appearances on celebrities for several years now.  The best part is she is available, both in product and price, for just about anybody wanting to sparkle up their wedding in a special head-turning, statement piece.

This article was originally posted onBridezilla.