A Foxy Fête: A Little Somthin' Somthin'

Let's take a super quick sidestep from recaps for a minute, mmkay? There's some details I'm dying to share with you all!

Now sure, I absolutely adored my wedding dress, but I also had a bit of a love affair with my wedding day accessories, too.  For organization's sake, I'm just going to lump them all into one of a bride's four favorite categories: old, new, borrowed, and blue!

I also want to write about them in categories because I realized that I never wrote much about about a few of them previously - probably because I wasn't sure I was actually going to have all of them (old, new, borrowed, and blue, that is) - but alas, it all happened to come together in the end!

Something Old:

I ended up having two "something old's". First, there was my grandmother's vintage clutch that I (aka, one of my bridesladies) carried around for the first part of the day for essentials like lip gloss and my sunglasses.

(personal photo, as I completely forgot to have Laura take a picture of it)

Second, I wore a right-hand ring that was also once owned by my grandmother, one that I also believe has been in the family for quite some time. This just so happened to be the ring that I previously used as my "replacement" when I was sans engagement ring while it was being molded for my wedding band.

(personal photo)

Something New:

Omigosh, so many things.

Aside from the dress, there was also my my hair piece and my garter, both of which I've previously posted about, and both of which I also forgot to get special detail shots of. (Yes, I forgot a lot.) Although, as I'm sure you noticed, it's kind of hard to miss my hair piece in 99% of the photos I'm in from our wedding day. Bling bling, yo.

(photo by Exclamation Imagery)

As for the garter.. well.. not only did I forget to get any pictures of it, but I also forgot to wear it. So I wore it to the after party, and that was about it.

(personal photo)

One of my most favorite new things, though, were my earrings. Last I left off with you was my search for the perfect pair of long and dangly earrings - a search that lasted months. And then, a mere six weeks before the wedding, I finally, finally settled on a pair from Etsy shop Bridal Bling Jewelry that ended up being completely perfect!

(photo by Exclamation Imagery)

You can also see my grandmother's ring at the top of the photo!

I totally loved these bad boys, and totally loved telling people they were actually rock candy. And having them believe it. Heheheh. (They were actually little Swarovski beads.)

Something Borrowed:

I'm not going to lie, I was so worried about not having anything in the borrowed category, but ultimately ended up having not one, not two, but three borrowed things! Two of which were incredibly last minute.

The first last minute "something borrowed" was from Officiant Em; en route to the venue on Friday, I realized that I didn't have any kind of acceptable studs to wear in my second holes in my ears. She came blazing to the rescue, letting me borrow her grandmother's vintage diamond studs, which I rocked all day long (and even managed to remember to give back to her)!

(photo by Exclamation Imagery)

I spy with my little eye.. some studs!

The second last minute "something borrowed" was from MOH Copper. As I was getting into my dress on wedding morning and putting on all the finishing touches, someone asked if I had a bracelet that I would be wearing. I never really had any desire to wear one, so I never thought about it much. However, when I looked at myself all gussied up, I totally regretted my previous decision. I just needed.. something. A bracelet, to be specific. Lo and behold, out of nowhere, MOH Copper pulls out two fabulous ones - one coral and one turquoise - and gives me the option of wearing one or both. And you guys? That turquoise one nailed it.

(personal photo)

I think I got more compliments on that last minute addition than I did for anything else I was sporting that day.. and all thanks to my super stylish bestie and, evidently, one bangin' clearance rack at Banana Republic! I was so super sad to give it back to her at the end of the day, no lies.

Last but not least in the borrowed category was none other than those precious little bee charms you may have seen some other Bee's blog about - I got mine from the lovely Mrs. Hawk, and eventually passed them on to the fabulous Mrs. Scone! They made the most perfect addition amid my summery bouquet.

(photo by Exclamation Imagery)

Something Blue:

My shoes. Duh. I mean.. turquoise is a shade of blue, right?

(photo by Exclamation Imagery)

(photo by Exclamation Imagery)

So the moral of the story is this: make a list of all your wedding day details. Give it to someone who won't forget about it, or just give it to the photographer. Have them take pictures of everything. Or don't and instead be like me and forget everything. Then take a bunch of weird photos with your dSLR and iPhone months after the wedding and pretend that you're just as good as a photographer. Except your not.

Can you tell I'm annoyed that I didn't get a professional artsy shot of my clutch, just my right-hand ring, my bracelet, my studs, my garter, and even my perfume? 'Cause I am.

I did, however, get a professional artsy one of our wedding rings!

(photo by Exclamation Imagery)

Anyway, I loved all of my "somethings", and loved how each and every one truly completed my wedding day look (professional picture as proof or not). Did/Do you have a favorite accessory or "something" for your wedding day?

Miss a recap? Catch yourself up!

It's Wedding Week! - The week of the wedding started out pretty hectic, but we made it through (relatively) unscathed.

We're Cool People (who had to deal with a slight change of plans) - On Friday, we made our way to the venue, had a relatable moment on the radio, and learned about some last minute changes that we made an effort to take in stride.

Practice Makes Perfect.. And Crabs Don't Hurt, Either - After most everyone was settled in on Friday evening, we had our rehearsal followed by the best dinner ever - a Maryland crab feast!

Rise and Shine! - Wedding morning was soon upon us, and I woke up at the crack of dawn ready to get prettified.

Pretty Women - Over the course of the next several hours, myself and the girls hung out, got our hair and makeup done, had a photo shoot, and drank champagne.

Dressing Up - Soon enough, it was time for me to slip into my dress!

Dapper Dudes - At the same time, Foxy and his guys were ironing and getting into their suites - and Foxy was opening his wedding day gift!

The First of Many Looks - We had our first look, and both felt so much better after being able to see each other for the first time that day.

The Status of the Shoes

Remember when I pimped out my wedding shoes? If not, here's a reminder!

A lot of you were curious if they were easy to walk in or if they were slippery at all, and all I could give you was a semi-confident "yes" and "no", respectively. Before the wedding, I only had the chance to walk around in them on our tiled kitchen floor for a few minutes at a time, because I didn't want to mess the soles up. Blame it on my obscene "need" for photos of the whole shoe. Of which I got (half of) one.

Photo by Exclamation Imagery

Let's just all ogle at my pretty shoes for a minute, 'kay?

I will tell you that around my kitchen, they were not slippery. And generally, no, they were not slippery on our wedding day, either! I had a brief holy shiz moment when I first stepped on our venue's wooden floor with them, but after a few steps I got used to it. It was part "walk careful in these 4-inch glittery shoes, Fox" and part "walk careful because you're in a wedding dress, this is not everyday shoe-strutting!" Once I got those thoughts through my head, though, the shoes were a perfect little piece of cake to walk in.

Photo by Exclamation Imagery

On the flip side, I have to admit that the only time I was really on a potentially slippery surface was when I was walking through our venue's main house, like during the cocktail hour. We also did a lot of walking around on sidewalks and grass before the ceremony, so the soles had a chance to wear down a bit. But, I think the true test is that I kept those babies on for 99% of the day (minus a few minutes at the reception, until I realized no heels = me tripping all over myself). And no slips!

In short, here's my advice: glitter up your soles, but there really isn't any need to do the whole sole. If you're worried about slippage, skip the ball of the sole, where the front part of your foot goes. I promise you, you won't miss any pictures of it. If you are having a relatively outdoorsy wedding with minimal wood surfaces (and are a nutcase like me), go ahead and do the whole thing!

I mean.. let's be honest, though. They're gonna end up looking like this anyway.

A sure sign of a good time.. glitter and worn in soles!

Are you having any kind of painted or fancy wedding day soles? Are you worried about scuffing them up or slipping at all?

Saying NO to bare feet

There I was, in line to buy a few wedding related items of clothing, when the girl in front of me puts her purchase on the counter. It was a pair of crocheted turquoise flats, slightly reminiscent of the ever popular Toms.

I saw, my interest got piqued, I envied. I had already waited in line for 10 minutes and really didn't want to hunt for those turquoise beauties and have to wait another 10 minutes on the newly formed line behind me. So I let out a sigh, bought my items, headed for the exit.

But then.. there they were. Just to my left, on the opposite side of the store. It doesn't hurt to look, right? They might not even look good. They might be more than I'm willing to spend on bright, summery flats. So I made a beeline over to the wall of shoes, and there they were again, right in front of me: a size 9.

I tried them on, I loved them, they were $15. My mind was practically made up for me. I made another beeline back to the register and bought them on the spot. These were far too good to pass up.

And so, if you haven't guessed already.. these will officially be my "back up" pair of wedding shoes! You know, the ones to you change into when your poor little feet are screaming at you for wearing a new pair of 4" heels all day. Even though I originally swore to myself that I'd be fine trotting and dancing around in my pimped out shoes all day.. let's be realistic. I always tell myself I'll be fine, and then in the wee hours of the night when the dancing and drinking is coming to an end and I'm heading home, they come off.

Shoes in hand, walking on the streets of DC. I have no shame.

I also like to keep those feet pointed!

Rest assured, I will not be running around barefoot in my wedding dress (I think). If my feet start getting angry with me, I'll definitely be sporting these cuties!

 

They also coincidentally match my new bird tattoo!

Have you made a wedding related snap decision purchase? What was it for?

How I pimped out my wedding shoes

The shoe saga has come to an end, dear hive. Way back when I went in for my first dress fitting, I brought along three pairs of shoes with me:

rsvp Lovely | Pour la Victoire Cristella 2 | rsvp Jaceline

Images via Zappos

I figured I would try each pair with the dress, and would hopefully "just know" if one of them was the right pair. Lucky for me this strategy worked, as I did indeed have my very own magical Cinderella shoe moment. I tried on all three, and one just.. matched. It was a far more perfect pairing than I would have imagined.

Ready for the reveal? Drumroll please....

..the Jaceline's totally nailed it! I was iffy on the color at first, but once I saw them with the dress, I had no question in my mind. The other two pairs, while sassy as heck, just didn't "go". Done and done!

Well.. sort of. You should know it wouldn't be that easy by now.

I was perusing Pinterest the other day and came across this photo:

Image via I Am Never Naked

Those are DIY glitter soles, by the way. Um, hello.. this is pure genius. So I did it.

So very, very blingtastic. I'm kind of in love.

Here's the process:

1. Assemble "ingredients".

If you couldn't tell, I love all things Martha Stewart.  Also, you don't need anywhere near as much stuff as I have.. all I used were a sponge brush, the big bottle of turquoise glitter (center), and the bottle of decoupage glue and sealant (right). You can also use just regular ol' tacky glue.

2. Mix glue and glitter.

3. Start painting the sole of the shoe with the sponge brush! (You may also want to use painters tape or masking tape around the edges of the shoe to prevent any accidents.. I didn't do this because it was too much work. And I'm lazy. And like to live on the edge.)

This is how the glue/glitter combo will look when you first paint it on with the sponge brush. After you do part (or all) of the sole, you just sprinkle loose glitter on it until the sole is covered.

4. Touch up

You can see how in the photo above, there are some spots on the sole near the edges that are missing glitter.. it's hard to get the sparkles all over while still keeping the glue in a restricted area and not onto the shoe itself. I went in with a small paintbrush dipped in the glue/glitter combo and touched up the sides after the soles had pretty much dried.

5. Top coat

After the sparkles were dry - and since I used a clear sealant - I brushed a topcoat of sealant on the entire sole. I definitely recommend this step.. it will prevent you from leaving a trail of glitter everywhere you walk (although I kind of think that would be awesome).

Then.. tada!! Sparkly, pimped out soles!!

Would you dare DIY part of your wedding shoes? I have to tell you, I'm still surprised I didn't manage to somehow mess these up (yet)!

But.. but.. the buttons!

I will tell you this about my dress: it's relatively simple. It has just a bit of bling, but the cut and fabric make up for the lack of "stuff" going on. That being said, one of it's selling points to me was the fact that it had buttons. Buttons that went from top of the back of the dress alllll the way down to the end of the train. Simply gorgeous, and as I said, pretty much the deciding factor in declaring this dress the one.

So.

I went into my initial try-on at RK Bridal incredibly excited.. I mean, who wouldn't be?! There it was, hanging in the dressing room, my beauty in all it's glory. I slipped that baby on (and actually remembered to bring a strapless bra this time, woohoo!) and was thrilled that the top and bodice fit me to a T. Porkfect. I could tell that even with the one pair of 4" heels I'd be wearing during the wedding that I would still need to get the dress hemmed a bit - no biggie. I also need to get cups or something sewn into the top, but I already figured that would be the case regardless of the dress I bought.

Foxy Mama and I taking pictures of each other taking pictures of my dress ;)

So far, so good.

While I was admiring myself from the front, side, and back (narcissistic much?).. I noticed that those buttons I mentioned? Stopped midway down my butt, where the zipper stopped (yes they are faux-buttons, whatevs). Um.. where were my buttons???

I looked at my mom and mentioned it, and said that there were definitely buttons all the way down, to which we both agreed. Just to be sure, she had our assistant, let's call her Lisa, pull the sample - sure enough, it had buttons all the way down. I was getting every so slightly antsy (but totally kept the bridezilla at bay, I promise!) until Lisa told us not to worry; they would either get a new dress with the buttons all the way down, or would order the buttons and sew them on for me. The plan was to have my mom go back in the store when  it's corrected to do a once-over of the dress and make sure everything is kosher before having it shipped to Maryland (cost of shipping < NY taxes).

And THEN.

We go up to the front to possibly buy and take home my hairpiece (which we didn't because of the silly NY taxes, again), and the sales associate behind the counter, Mariah, was on the phone with Allure asking about the rogue buttons. From what my mom and I could gather, the person she was talking to at Allure was a big ol' bitch and not being very helpful. She didn't know if the dress should have buttons all the way down, kept putting Mariah on hold, insisted RK had the wrong sample or that they sewed the buttons on themselves.. who the heck knows. All I knew was that I tried on a dress with buttons, and I wanted my buttons. All my mom knew was that she would NOT pay extra for something that is supposed to come on my dress already. We weren't being bitchy - RK was totally on our side and trying the best they could to figure out the best way to get me those damn buttons.

Eventually, Mariah handed the phone over to Candy, the store manager. While I believe she was still on the phone with Allure when we left the store, she assured my mom and I that regardless of how it happens, I will get my buttons. When the dress finally reflects the sample I tried on, she will call my mom and have her come in to pay and do a once-over before shipping it and the hairpiece to me.

I know this is not the end of the world. I know it can be fixed. I know that I have more than enough time to get the buttons sewn on/order a new dress, have it shipped, and have it be altered. But it's just annoying, you know? Le sigh.

Anyone else have any trials and/or tribulations in regards to your wedding dress?

The shoe saga continues.

I don't know why I'm so obsessed with finding my wedding shoes right this instant.

Ok I lied, I do know. It's because I wanted them in my possession before I went to my first dress fitting.

That being said, I was browsing everyone's favorite obsession site (aka Pinterest) the other day and saw these:

Image via Martha Stewart Weddings

I don't even need to tell you why I'm in love. Just look at the TURQUOISE SOLES. Amazing.

I did some research (aka looked at the caption) and saw that the brand, Pour la Victoire, has a whole line of bridal/wedding shoes, many of which are sold on Zappos. Which is where I saw these:

Pour la Victoire Cristella 2

Are you dying yet? You should be. They're amazing.

So I ordered those babies on the spot at about 10:30pm. I woke up the next morning to an email from Zappos saying that they already shipped them, and got them in the mail the very next day. Seriously? I said it before, I'll say it again, and no I'm not being sponsered: I love Zappos. Big puffy heart love. That's twice in a row that I got my shoes in less than 48 hours!

So the shoes are totally gorgeous both off and on. They are a unique shade of ivory that I'm a bit cautious about, since I'm not sure it will "go" with the dress. Then again, I never really cared about that kind of stuff, and I'm not inviting the fashion police to the wedding, so I should be ok.

My one gripe is that the only turquoise is on the soles, and I really want something by the peep toe. If these work with the dress (both color and height wise), I'm thinking of shnazzing them up a bit. Maybe bling it out with some turquoise crystals or take off the bow in the back and put a flower in the front. I have no idea. But the world is my oyster and these shoes are totes-magotes the pearls.

Terrible analogy, but you get it.

Meep!

Are you my mama llama?

Or.. are you for reals my wedding heels?!

First and foremost, before we get to the good stuff, I LOVE ZAPPOS. If you haven't used them yet, find a reason to! Sure, they have a huge selection of shoes. Sure, they have free shipping. Sure, they have a 365 day return policy.

They also sent me two pairs of shoes within 24 hours of ordering them. I didn't even ask them to.. I was perfectly happy waiting 3-5 days for their standard free shipping when I ordered a few pairs one morning back in April. When I got an email early afternoon on the same day saying that they were already being shipped, I thought "sweet"! Then, when Mr. Foxy texted me around 1pm the day after to tell me that they were just delivered?

My jaw hit the floor. Amazing. And perfect, because I'm probably one of the most impatient people you'll meet.

As I mentioned, I made this purchase back in April - with spring and Easter season starting up, there were lots of pretty colored shoes out there that weren't available a few months prior. And one of those colors was fortunately turquoise.

Now remember when I said that my wedding shoes should ideally be closed toe and under 4"?

Yea, scratch that. Beggars can't be choosers. I need turquoise shoes. And the only ones I'll even consider are all coincidentally open toed and 4"+. I can't help it. It's my style.

So without further ado, options please!

rsvp Jaceline

Option numero uno: I included these on my list last time, and finally bought them. rsvp Jacelin. They are super cute, aren't they?!

rsvp Lovely

Option numero dos: rsvp Lovely. These are.. lovely. Sparkly heels and just a bit taller than the Jaceline's.

My main issue is that they are two very different colors in real life. The Jaceline's are more of soft teal color, and the Lovely's are more of a bold turquoise. I'm more partial to the bold turquoise on the Lovely's, but am so in love with the style of the Jaceline's.

Ignore my gross toes.

And my pasty-ness.

You know.. just looking at these pictures and the ones of my dress? I feel like I might know which I like better.

But I want your opinions! What do you think? And have you used Zappos yet?

SHOE-bee-doo-bee-doo

Ok. I need to get better with post titles.

In case you didn't get it.. this post is about shoes! Huzah!

I've been poking around online as of late for viable wedding shoe options. I've already decided that I really, really, really want turquoise shoes, a la our color palette. It's our main wedding color for a reason.. I have a minor obsession.

I have also realized that turquoise shoes? Are pretty rare. At least the *right* turquoise, anyway. I'd be ok with a pale pink shoe, but it would have to be pretty sassy if I went that route (honestly, it'd have to be sassy even if it was turquoise). 'Cause I'm a sassypants.

I would also prefer a closed toe shoe, mostly because I hate my feet. Not like you need to hear it, but my toes are pretty blech from dancing my whole life on bare feet and in pointe shoes. A pedicure can't save those babies. And I absolutely must have a few feet/shoe shots at the wedding.. so I either need a kick ass photographer who can avoid the toes, or a closed toe shoe.

My preliminary search brought me to Zappos, where I actually found some good options. The first pair of turquoise beaut's that caught my eye were these:

Carlos by Carlos Santana

They are a touch bluer than I might be looking for, but you never know until you see the shoe in person. I actually have these exact shoes in a purplish color, and they are pretty comfy. The one con I can come up with (aside from the open toe thing and possible wrong color.. so really, the third con) is that it's a 4.5" heel. I'm no stranger to sky high heels, but that would put me in somewhere around the 6'2" range... aka, taller than Mr. Foxy. So those probably won't work.

I think I just talked myself out of them. Onto the next pair.

These turquoise shoes appear to be more along the color I'm going for, and are a good blend of sassy and simple. Maybe a little too simple, though?

RSVP Jaceline

They are pretty cute. And wouldn't overpower my dress. The peep toe seems minimal enough that I might be able to get away with them. But.. they are also 4.5". Meh.

And that's it for turquoise options, at least from Zappos. Lame.

I did find this amazeballs pair of pinkish heels, though.

Nina Neva

Ok yes, so there's a peep toe. Come on, I'm not going to find adequate closed toe shoes, let's just face it. But I absolutely adore the design on the back of the shoe.. it makes it classy and simple and not overpowering in the front, then va-va-voom look-at-me-I'm-gorgeous in the back. Plus, I think it might actually "flow" better with my dress, which is very.. flowy. But they're also 4.5". (WTF!?)

The next two, I just think are fun. I would really prefer not to have white wedding shoes. I'm not a white wedding shoe type of person. But you can't deny their cuteness:

Menbur Carmen

Unlisted Natural Glow

That last pair is the only one listed at 3.5" instead of 4.5". Personally, I think Zappos just had a bit too much to drink the night they wrote down heel heights, because I just refuse to believe all those shoes are 4.5". Refuse.

On the bright side, I can always buy a couple pairs and then return the ones I don't want back, free of charge. They even give you a year to return shoes if they were never worn.. not like I need that much time, but it's still good to know.

Where did you look for shoes? Did you do colored or did you stick with white/ivory?

All above images via Zappos.com