I discovered this young up-and-coming designer on Etsy a few weeks ago when I was in the beginning stages of searching for my wedding dress and I fell in love with her drapey designs and amazing photos. Last week she was featured in Daily Candy and I’m sure that we’re going to see more and more of her in the future.  Her prices are totally reasonable, and the turn around time for ordering is only 4-6 weeks after providing her with your measurements. If I didn’t already have my dress in progress I would have definitely ordered from her! Oh yeah, some of the proceeds go to charities. Amazing…

A few of her dresses for bridesmaids or brides who want to go with something a little less traditional (left to right): The Raspberry Perfection Dress, The Flock Dress, The Robin’s Egg Dress, and the How She Sparkles Dress.

Amazing dresses for brides (left to right):The White as Snow Dress, The Athena Gown, The Pink Petals Dress,  and the A Peaceful Afternoon Gown. Check out some more amazing pieces- Sarah Seven Wedding and Bridesmaid Dresses.

So far, the most fun that I’ve had with wedding planning has been picking out our save the date cards. At the beginning stages of planning, you’re allowed to go with something a little more fun that doesn’t necessarily have to match with the rest of the wedding theme. We picked cards that highlight San Francisco to prepare our out-of-towners excited for a fun visit to a great city.

In my week-long search for save the date cards, I came across some real gems. I especially like the cards with the initials of the be-trothed carved into the tree: The Weeping Willow cards come in 4 colors.

Hello Lucky makes some amazing cards that you can get in either digital or letterpress depending on your budget. You can get as simple or as fancy as you like with cards like: (left to right) the Monogram Letterpress cards, the Fancy Feather Cards, or the simple  Meadow Digital Grass and Gravel Card .

I’ve also seen a ton of DIY brides and grooms making their own cards. My favorites are the ones made by Miranda that are posted on Flickr. She even made the envelopes.

Check out some more Save the Date Cards

I’ve noticed in my search for the perfect wedding dress that designers seem to be adding all kinds of dreamy fabrics to their dresses; it’s like an updated version of the princess ball gown. If you’re looking for that slightly romantic look on your wedding day, layered fabrics will really give you a spectacular, ethereal silhouette.

Of these three dresses, my fave is the one on the left by Monique Lhuillier. The subtle layers add a bit more interest to the dress than having just a plain sheath. The dress on the right, also by Monique Lhuillier, from her Platinum Collection, has a delicate but slightly heavier feel to it and the embellished tulle is amazing. The Tiered Analisa Gown is, believe it or not, from JCrew; definitely made for the more fun and flirty bride. I could see this dress in a vineyard wedding.

I also found two very similar dresses, one from a designer on Etsy (on sale for $280!) and one at Nordstrom by Robert Rodriguez. Both equally amazing with ruffles galore:

Check out some more tiered dresses in my Layered Wedding Dresses buyer’s guide.

For the ultimate modern vintage bride look, I think what a bride chooses to wear on her head is almost as important as the dress. Headbands and hair accessories are huge right now in fashion, so I put together a list of some amazing head pieces and headbands for brides who want to go with something other than a veil. Most of these are handmade the lovely shops of etsy, so expect some time for construction.

See more Veil Alternatives…

I’m completely obsessed with shoes of all kinds and am ECSTATIC  that I get to pick out two pairs of shoes for my wedding; one pair of flats and one pair of heels. Originally, I was just going to wear a pair of heels, and my fiancé reminded me that I may not want to wear heels for the entire reception- seeing as how there will be TONS of dancing;-)

My ultimate goal is to find two pairs that I could maybe, possibly, one day want to wear again. Which basically means that I don’t want a pair of dyables. The flats don’t matter quite as much as the heels, because my dress will probably cover them, so a simple pair of ballet flats will work. I know that I’ll have to wait until I have my dress finished to pick out shoes, but I’ve got a good list going of both heels and flats for when I’m ready to make the big decision. I’m really going for a vintage feel for the wedding and I love the idea of having gold, silver, or off-white shoes (my dress is going to be closer to off-white than pure white).

Here are a few of my pics:(from left to right) Silver Vintage Bow, Vintage Gold Bow, Check’s in the Mail by Seychelles, Light Gold Metallic Bobbi Blus, Vintage Silver Pearl.

Everyone always likes to pretend that a bridesmaid dress can be worn again. I, and most of the women that I know, can attest to the fact that, This Is Not True. I got to wear one dress more than once and this was only due to the fact that a friend of mine allowed all of her bridesmaids to pick their own dress, as long as they were within a certain color palette. She just happened to pick the color of a dress that I had already had in my wardrobe. It worked out perfectly because they were different sets of friends, so nobody had seen it before. Perf!

My wedding is in November of this year and I’m beginning the search for dresses for my ladies. Luckily, they are all incredibly easy-going people and I’m sure that there’s going to be no problemo whatsoever finding the perfect dresses to for them when they accompany me on my wedding day. But, to o be honest, I’m really bored with most of what I see in bridal magazines. Check it out- The “It” bridesmaid dress of the moment:

Picture that dress offered in about 7,000 colors with names like: Cornflower, Wasabi, Pumpkin, and Blush. I’m not saying that the dress wouldn’t make a wonderful accessory to the bride, I just find it a little predictable. Especially if the bride is going for a strapless look also.

Because my vision for my wedding has a bit of a 1920’s style to it, I’m on the hunt for something a little more Clara Bow or Louise Brooks, but updated. That means the hemline will have to be a little bit on the tea-length side (not until the late 20’s was the super short Charleston style dress in style) and I’ll have to work with soft fluid fabrics and a simple silhouette. I’m still trying to pick out wedding colors, so we’ll have to deal with that later.

You’ll have to use your imagination and picture these dresses with amazing accessories* and hair to give them the final touches (left to right): Donna Ricco Split Neck Sheath Dress, Silk Tricotine Robin Short Dress by J. Crew,  Jones New York Sweetheart Shutter Pleat Dress. Check out the rest of my dress finds at Amazing Bridesmaid Dresses.

*Wedding Accessories list in progress!

The only thing I love more than attending a theme party is hosting one. I don’t think it’s ever too soon to begin planning your shin-dig and a garden theme lends itself perfectly to any season, so get on it! Whether your party will be held indoors or out, during winter or summer, it’s important not to stray from the theme and season in your party details, from the invitations down to the napkin rings. Not to say that every plate, fork, and candle has to come from the same set at the same store. In fact, I would even go so far as to advise against this, especially if the vibe you’re going for is a relaxed and comfortable gathering amongst friends. As long as the colors, style, and vibe are consistent, get creative, “branch out,” if you will. There’s more to a garden than just flowers.

A garden party can be very elegant with the use of simple, solid colors, crystally accents, and delicate place-settings. My personal garden party preference, however, is a colorful, homey, slightly cluttered, springtime gathering at confettied picnic table. Personal touches, such as monogram nametags (for napkins, favors, or wine glass stems) and pink hand-stitched felt birdies (that you can make or purchase) add so much character to a garden themed tablescape. Take a look at my Kazowie Summer Garden Party guide to see what I mean.