Wedding Week: The Fashion

We have photos! I'm so excited to share more details of our wedding now that our photos are ready. Every day this week, I'll share a bit about some element of our wedding. Today is all about fashion.

I found my dress at BHLDN (story here). It's the Lita by Catherine Deane. I love how Edwardian it is. I just suits my style perfect. I designed the necklace, inspired by some photos of Edwardian and 1920s designs, and Ryan's mother was lovely enough to make it for me. (Isn't she so talented?) I carried a Kate Spade pencil case as a clutch. After struggling for a while to find the perfect shoes, I realized that I just wanted to wear my favorite vintage leather riding boots with fair isle tights.

With the boots as my something old, the dress as my something new, and my ring as my something blue, I was just missing the something borrowed. I didn't have a plan until the morning of the wedding when my bridesmaid, Sarah, brought over a few of her mother's vintage furs. It was 6º Fahrenheit (-14º Celsius), so they were the perfect cover ups. 

The flower crown was a last minute decision too. I tried to make my own veil, and it just wasn't working out, so I called my florist two days before the wedding, and asked  her to make a crown. It was initially too big (it just looked too editorial), and I considered not wearing it, but ending up just hacking it up a bit with scissors. 

Ryan wore a custom suit from Indochino with his Asos chelsea boots. He and his groomsmen had raw cotton boutonnieres that I made with Ryan's sister. My mom made my bridesmaid's lavender bouquets. Their dresses are from BHLDN, and their necklaces are from Bauble Bar. 

I was inspired to choose gray for the bridesmaids because Ryan said he wanted to wear a gray suit. I think they looked very wintry and elegant. I love how everyone looked when we came together, and it was thrilling to surprise Ryan with my look. He had no idea what to expect. 

All photos by Braun Photography

My BHDLN wedding gown story (in Instagrams)

I didn't expect to find a wedding gown so soon. But I suppose I should have, since I knew exactly what I wanted (lacey, romantic, vintage-inspired but still youthful) and what I didn't want (ball gown, strapless, lots of bling). 

But I still didn't expect the search to be easy. Since 99% of wedding gowns are strapless fit-and-flares with lots of bling, I knew that I would have a pretty small sample size to choose from.

And yet, I hadn't been engaged for a full month, hadn't had the ring made, hadn't announced it to my friends and family, when I saw the gown that I knew I wanted to wear as I said my vows to Ryan.

It was just so me. I'd never seen a gown that was so me before. And I knew that I could spend the rest of my 17-month-long engagement looking, and still not find another gown that was as me as this gown was. 

The gown in question is from BHLD. Since it was last year's style, I knew it would be discontinued soon. I had to act fast. I would go try it on, find out if it really did meet all my expectations in person (or, I guest in gown), and, if so, I would buy it. (It turns out it was good I acted fast, as I ended up buying the very last gown available in my size).

 

Since BHLD is in Chicago, I enlisted my bestie Sarah, who lives there, to help. I also chose her because she's one of the few people whose opinion I trust, since she knows my style and would never push me toward a gown that she liked if that gown wasn't me.

Also, she's really good at being a mom and snapping all those photos and saying things like, "You look beautiful," and "I'm so happy for you."

And, that's how I came to spend a magical morning in the shopping heaven that is BHLDN's Chicago store, followed by a terrific sushi lunch with one of my favorite people. It was one of those moments I'll cherish my whole life, and I'm glad I have these photos to help me cherish it. 

 

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