Tag Archives: bridesmaid dresses

Fashion Friday

This Fashion Friday and the rapid approach of July have me thinking about navy. It’s such a timeless color, flattering to all, and pairs perfectly with hints of metallic in jewelry and shoes. Here are a few of my favorite navy numbers.

The fabric belt at the natural waist creates the perfect silhouette, the flowy chiffon will look great on the dance floor and there’s a pop of sparkle with the sequined yoke that carries over onto the back of the dress. Dorothy Perkins, $75.

The elbow sleeves make this dress a winter navy option. The delicate lace contrasts beautifully with the rugged brown belt. Dorothy Parker, $49.

Hello one-shoulder wonder with sparkly belt! Yes, please. The ruched bodice is a little bit Grecian but the metallic belt is totally modern. Max and Cleo Comet Tail Hour Dress from Mod Cloth, $187.99.

The classic silhouette of this J.Crew dress is timelessly flattering. I especially like the sweet cap sleeves. Mirabelle dress in silk chiffon, $265.

I’m always hesitant to recommend a floor-length gown since you’re less likely to have an occasion to wear it again. That said, there’s no doubt a long gown can make a dramatic and stunning statement and I felt amazing when I wore one at Michele’s wedding. I can’t help loving this one’s delicate pleated bodice and the sash available in custom colors. Wtoo, $216.

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.

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.

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

Fashion Friday

This week’s Fashion Friday is devoted to a genius concept: Little Borrowed Dress. It’s a bridesmaid boutique that gives you the option to rent or buy. Each season the company reveals a new original collection with 8-10 bridesmaid styles in cocktail and full length. This season the dresses are all done in light and airy silk chiffon with rental prices of $75 for short styles and $95 for long (between $250 and $300 to purchase). Dresses come laundered and pressed and will arrive a week before the wedding. You wear, then slip back into the prepaid envelope and return post-wedding. The company stresses that their dresses should not need alteration (read: no alterations allowed) and since all the styles are loose, A-line and/or empire-waisted I tend to think that would hold up. I particularly like the strapless Hillary shown in peony below. The one potential downfall I see is that since the dresses are made to fit any shape or size, some of them look a bit baggy on these models. Make sure to pay close attention to the fit guide or attend a trunk show if possible to try on the styles. The next event is in NYC on June 3. Click here for details.

Photos by Elizabeth Messina

Fashion Friday

This Fashion Friday, I want to showcase two of my brides who chose amazing bridesmaid dresses. Unfortunately, both of these dresses were from Priscilla of Boston, which closed all its locations last year. I’ve scoured the web to see if the designer has moved to a new house or if the dresses can be reliably found at a discount retailer, but so far have had little to no luck. Still, I have to give credit to my two brides and show off their choices.

Amanda chose these beautiful purple gowns for her wedding. The neckline was really special and the fabric was light enough for summer but the silky blend fit her more formal affair perfectly.

We all adored the calla lily bouquets. The shoes on the other hand…let’s just say mine have not been seen since the wedding. If you are interested, you may be able to find them in the lobby of the Georgian Terrace Hotel in Atlanta.I have to show off a few pictures of my bride as well (here with her sister and MOH Emily).

So perfect! Amanda’s dress is also from Priscilla of Boston and is part of the Vineyard Collection.

Mr. and Mrs. make their entrance. I can’t believe they’ll be celebrating their one year anniversary soon!

Michele chose these floor-length black dresses that truly were flattering on every one of her bridesmaids. We all loved the empire waist and the fabric stayed wrinkle-free all night long.