Category Archives: Bridesmaids

Fashion Friday

Trina Turk at Banana Republic? Yes, please! I did a bit of a double take when I found this mini collection. Trina Turk’s Palm Springs-inspired neon-patterned dresses usually run in the $350 range, so at half the price these are a steal. Her clothing has a very specific resort feel, but it would be perfect for an oceanside destination wedding in Miami, the Caribbean, or Costa Rica.

This is my favorite, and I know what you’re going to say. Caitlin, it’s white. Yes, yes, I noticed. But only partially white! Just picture it! All the girls lined up on the beach, tanned skin, the bride in sparkling clean white flanked by her bridesmaids in pops of neon, perhaps holding bouquets of coral and yellow flowers.

Can’t get past the white? I offer you this alternative. I love the band at the natural waist and the very slight sweetheart neckline. The seaglass blues and sunset yellows are perfect for a seaside nuptial.

Too much pattern for you or not planning a beach wedding? Let me direct you to the accessories. The bangles and rings would be a perfect bridesmaid favor.

Or, how about this adorable makeup bag? It strikes me as the perfect container for a bridesmaid survival kit.

Bridesmaid Survival Kit

As a gift to her bridesmaids, Marisa put together this amazing survival kit. It was the perfect gift, both thoughtful and useful. It’s a great idea to have a kit like this on hand for the wedding day, so make sure to pack some of these essentials. Here’s what Marisa included in her gift box:

Kleenex (for mid-ceremony tears), Altoids, hair spray, Band-Aids, hair ties and bobby pins, Tide to Go pen (for emergency spills and spots), Soft Lips tinted lip conditioner with SPF 15 in Rose (love), a combination mirror and pop-out brush, clear nail polish, a tiny emery board, a small bottle of our favorite liquor (gin pictured for me), Roxy flip-flops to slip on at the reception, chocolates (not pictured, because I ate them) and gorgeous pendant necklaces to wear with our dresses.

An extended bridesmaid kit, ready for the day’s emergencies, should also include some meds: Advil, Tums, maybe some Claritin if the bride has allergies. Dr. Scholl’s heel liners have absolutely saved my life in the past (I once had to beg the father of the bride run to the nearest Walgreen’s to buy six of these). Two-sided tape can come in handy, both in keeping up slipping strapless dresses or fixing a hem that starts to come out. And if someone has a portable MP3 player or speakers for an iPhone, ask them to bring them along! You’ll be happy you have some jams while you’re getting ready!

Fashion Friday

This Fashion Friday is dedicated to this gorgeous one-shoulder number from Alfred Angelo. This is the kind of dress that I would have passed right over if I’d been browsing their website and just seen it on the model. The selling shots are pretty terrible and don’t do the dress justice at all (which is why I won’t even put you through it and post them here). Then I saw these pictures of a high school friend wearing the dress at a recent wedding in Jacksonville…and I fell in love. The silhouette is so flattering and the flowy fabric is romantic and pretty. You can really see the movement in the amazing jumping picture below. Don’t even start me on the color she chose! So perfect. You can see more photos from the event at Tonya Beaver’s blog here.

Here are the details:

Style 7138 by Alfred Angelo

Fabric: Chiffon

Colors: 36 shades available!

Price: Cost will depend on your retailer, but it looks like it runs about $160.

Wear It Again factor (1-5): 3. The one-shoulder silhouette, structured bodice with empire waist and delicate flowers on the strap all make this dress super-flattering, and my guess is you’ll be coming up with excuses to wear it. But there’s no getting around the fact that it’s an “occasion” dress, just right for dress-up events but not a day-to-day pick. Still, I absolutely love it. So chic (and photogenic)!

Thanks to Christina for letting me post these photos!

Marisa and Justin are married!

Last weekend I traveled to Florida for Marisa’s wedding in St. Augustine. I cannot wait to see the professional photographs and share a few with you, but in the meantime here are a couple of my snaps from the day and some highlights from the bridesmaid front.

The happily married couple in our wedding trolley!

Marisa had a rainbow vision for her bridesmaids, a wash of jewel-toned dupioni. We didn’t see the dresses all together until the day of the wedding and we were all blown away with how pretty they looked together. She picked just the right shades! We each chose a style from a selection of three. You can find my ivy V-neck with cap sleeves here, Alyssa’s strapless number here, and Maria’s violet scoopneck here, all by Alfred Sung.


Instead of bouquets, Marisa made us these clutches with retro brooches chosen to match our dresses. They definitely came in handy since we could slip in tissues, lip gloss and even our cameras! I was able to take more pictures before and after the ceremony because of them, although all of my photos conspicuously stop when I reach the reception, probably because I was busy “partying my face off” as Marisa would say. Oh, and stressing about my speech.

Marisa and I before the ceremony! The bridesmaids seriously earned our keep with her gorgeous dress. It was ridiculously heavy and required at least two helping hands to get her in and out of the trolley (or one groomsman lifting her up like a doll. This was much more effective.). All the bridesmaids had something to manage to get her around—her train, her veil, her spectacular oversize bouquet, her towel for dabbing off in the summer heat. Like I always say, being a bridesmaid is hard work!

Probably our favorite activity at the reception was this amazing photobooth, stocked with props. I was really impressed with the photo quality and the imaginative facial expressions. The results can be seen below and the Florida-based company Marisa used is Phobooth.

My darling boyfriend and I. He’s gotten quite good at attending weddings with me. The arrow was supposed to point at him…in the heat of the moment I made a fatal error.

Fellow Maid of Honor Alyssa joins the picture. This is post-speeches, hence our relaxed demeanor.

A gathering of excellent people.

Many more wedding details to come, including Maid of Honor speech tips and Marisa’s amazing bridesmaid survival kits.

Will You Be My Bridesmaid?

The first time I was asked to be a bridesmaid, I cried. I didn’t expect to, but I just felt this wave of emotion roll over me and I started tearing up. It didn’t take much—just a phone conversation and a heartfelt request—but asking someone to be your bridesmaid or maid of honor is a special moment, so choose a personal way to do it. Make a special phone call to each of your ladies or meet with them in person if distance doesn’t stand in the way. There are also lots of beautiful invitation cards or small gifts that can serve as a keepsake for the moment. I think it’s best to ask verbally so you two can share a special moment. Then you can follow up with a card or gift to commemorate the occasion if you wish. Here are some “will you be my bridesmaid?” items I love.

Gorgeous letterpress cards from Concrete Lace.


I love the colors and loopy script on these Blooming Bridesmaid cards from BHLDN.

Another lovely letterpress option found on Etsy at Drippy Ink Designs.

If you’d rather not play the sentimental card, this one from Naughty Betty is hilarious.

Want to go a step further than a card? How about a bottle of wine or champagne with a custom label from Michele Purner Designs? (I almost prefer the groomsmen option. Mustaches!)

Fashion Thursday

Fashion Friday is coming one day early since, surprise surprise, I’m in a wedding this weekend! Lots of post-wedding posts to come. In the meantime, I bring you Modcloth, a great resource for offbeat bridesmaid dresses, especially if you’re interested in patterns, florals or a more casual look. The dresses are also generally a lot more inexpensive than traditional bridesmaid offerings: prices range from $50 to $100. Be sure that all the maids purchase quickly and together after you make your choice though. Styles do sell out and turn over seasonally and new styles are added almost daily. Here are a few of my favorite summer offerings.

Melon Love with a Dress

The Details: Perfect for summer BBQs or strolls in the park, machine washable and in fashion-forward watermelon hue, this dress will get plenty of wear after the big day. The peekaboo lace at the bottom fancies it up a bit for the ceremony and the flowing A-line skirt and empire waist will flatter any figure.

Fabric: Cotton

Price: $72.99


Bayou Blue Dress

The Details: Recipe for style: Add a subtle pop of orange to a cornflower blue swirling geometric print and style with a demure V-neck and flattering band at the natural waist.

Fabric: Did I mention it’s 100% organic fair trade cotton?

Price: $93.99

Afternoon at the Arboretum Dress

The Details: This pretty floral in cream, rose and blue is delicate and feminine, but the cinched-waist silhouette keeps this dress looking utterly modern. The included belt adds a needed touch of hardware and the navy Peter Pan collar brings attention to the face.

Fabric: Polyester

Price: $49.99

Elegant Engravings Dress

The Details: It’s floral, it’s cutout, it’s coral—what more could you want? I adore the intricate cutout design and the sash at the waist. The touch of silk in this fabric gives it a beautiful drape and the creamsicle color will pop in pictures.

Fabric: Cotton/silk

Price: $84.99

The Cost of Being a Bridesmaid

I just discovered this chart by mint.com on the cost of being a bridesmaid and yeesh! $1695!! I have to admit that I’ve never added up all the costs like this before, but in looking at this chart, it seems pretty accurate (and even conservative sometime). The second portion of the chart offers some advice (click to enlarge), which I’ll expand on. I think it’s always a good idea to combine the shower and bachelorette into one weekend. That can eliminate a huge chunk in travel fees, which is where you really get hit hard. When possible, it’s also nice to choose a location where you can all stay at someone’s house or apartment.

I also agree that shelling out for a big-ticket wedding gift isn’t necessary. A personal gift or small item from the registry is fine. The bride and groom want you to be there for the wedding and their priority is your presence, not your presents.

I’d also advise brides to make getting your hair and makeup done optional, or at least shop around for good prices. If the bride wants to spend more on her hair and makeup (and why shouldn’t she?), she could bring in a lower-cost hair stylist or makeup artist to work with her bridesmaids. You can also cut down on costs by using a dress rental service like Little Borrowed Dress or Rent the Runway, or by choosing dresses with lower price tags.

Of course, this is a touchy subject. I think no bride wants to feel like she’s costing her friends a lot of money. And no friend wants to complain about the cost because we want to make our bride happy and make her day as beautiful and special as possible. Try to approach the issue with delicacy and remember that you’ll want her to do the same for you when it’s time for your big day.