Attire and Beauty

The Dress!!

My dress is an Alfred Angelo, style 1141 in White with Cobalt Blue.  We got my dress at Brides and Grooms in Newark, DE.  It was ordered in late January 2009, and came in July 2009.
I have always been a girl who liked things a little "different", that wow factor.  I know there are girls out there saying that color in dresses is hideous, inappropriate, why would you do that, etc.  For me, it was that WOW factor, something very different that not a lot of my guests will have seen.  And I personally love the addition of the color!
The pictures (except for the stock photos, taken from the Alfred Angelo website) were taken when my dress came in, over a year ago.  Since then, I have lost weight, and the dress looks fabulous on me now.  The sleeves, which are too small in this picture, are huge on me now and have to be taken in.  When the seamstress pinned them, they looked amazing; the whole dress looked better overalll! 
I will be wearing a strapless bra corset, a crinoline, and something with shorts involved (a tummy controller, or something, so the sweat doesn't fall freely!).  I haven't decided if I will take the crinoline off for the reception or not.
The seamstress is doing an intricate bustle that creates the look of a Victorian dress; she hit it right on when she pinned it!
I will take new pictures at my next fitting in September, which will give a better idea of what it looks like now!

Wedding Day Accessories, Hair, and Makeup

My shoes are Crocs, style Malindi in Oyster.
Since I can't wear heels, I had to go with something flat.  I wanted something comfortable, that I wouldn't have to change for the reception. 
I decided to look into Crocs.  I wear Crocs all the time; they are one of the only shoes that give me amazing comfort from the pain in my leg.  I didn't want to wear the standard bulky Crocs, so I browsed the website and came across these.  Friends had them and raved about how comfy they were without anyone knowing they were Crocs.  I decided that these would be comfy, I wouldn't have to change out of them, no one would know, and I can wear them again!
Best part?  They only cost me $25.  If you watch the Crocs website, they do free shipping offers (sometimes with price minimums, but that was fine for me; I just bought another pair that I will wear too!).  This made it easy and affordable.  If you are looking for something comfy (If you are switching out into flipflops, consider these instead!) or if you can't wear heels, I highly recommend going this route.  Crocs has many pairs of "dressy" shoes (some with a little heel!), and I am confident you can find a pair to wear!
For my hair, my mom wanted a tiara for me; I am just not a tiara kind of girl.  I wanted a clip or fascinator of some sort, and she didn't like that idea.  We found this comb at Claire's on Philadelphia Pike.  It fits my style perfectly, matches my dress, and appeases my mom.  It will be placed directly over my hair, which will be worn low as in the pictures.
My hair and makeup will be done at Trilogy Salon on Kirkwood Highway in Delaware, by Jeremy (my regular stylist).  I showed him some of the pictures that I love of hair, and he said not a problem.  He did cut my hair first, but then styled it.  The pictures do not show the veil, but the veil will be placed below the comb, like they are attached.  I will have the option of removing the veil if I want to but most likely will not.  My makeup will be dramatic like, but not over the top, since I don't wear makeup on a regular basis.  I will be bringing in my own mascara (I have really, really sensitive eyes) and also a finishing/setting spray (to help set my makeup so I don't sweat it off).  Other than that, Jeremy did a great job!

Jewelry

Wedding Set #1:
 When we were down in NOLA for our church's national youth gathering, I purchased a jewelry set from a lady who was donating all her proceeds to a Christian Youth Org in Mexico- and her stuff was GORGEOUS.  I told her my colors, and she customized the jewelry just for me.  I spent maybe $50 on the set, and I can definitely wear it again.
Wedding Set #2:
In addition, Terri (my mother in law to be) has a set from Brian's Great Grandmother that is eons old.  It is a Sapphire and Diamond necklace and Earring set, matches my dress/colors, and is beyond breathtaking (Great Grandma was an antique collector, and these are older than that).  From what I have been told, they will be passed down to the first granddaughter (and yes, there better be one).  I don't have a photo yet, but I will try and get one.  I want to try and wear both, somehow; whether it's wear my set at the rehearsal and wear Terri's family set on the day of (something borrowed, anyone?), I will figure something out.
Wedding Set #3:
After trying everything on with my dress, I decided to switch the jewelry to something else.
Brian decided to get the pearl earrings I really wanted as my wedding gift.  We got them from Jared's.  We then got a coordinating necklace from Overstock.com to complete the set.  This set is white gold and silver, and goes with my dress very well.
In addition, Terri had an Amethyst ring set in Silver (an antique from Brian's Great Great Aunt) that she had me tried on.  It fit, so I am wearing that as my right hand ring and as my something old.
Engagement Ring and Wedding Band(s):
My engagement ring was bought at Jared's (and trust me, our Youth Group boys never let us forget); we searched high and low to find the perfect one (Brian knew to in order to save his sanity).  We checked the mall stores, chain stores, regional stores, private stores, etc and I found nothing I liked until we walked into Jared's (on a whim, no less).  I explained what I wanted, and the girl pulled a matching set out (wedding band and e ring setting, no center stone).  PERFECT!  Even better: it was on clearance because it was being discontinued, and we managed to get the set for less than $600.  I fell in love.  I don't have any pictures of just the band or the set together, but I will get some as soon as possible.
We purchased Brian's ring from Jared's as well.  He liked the way Tungsten felt on his hand (it was heavier than titanium, does not scratch as easy, and is durable).  He decided to get the satin finish in the wide style.  It looked wonderful on his hand!

Bridesmaids Dresses

We are getting the dresses from Brides and Grooms in Newark, Delaware.  We did order them kind of late (oops), and they should be here middle to end of August.  The girls will choose where to have alterations done themselves.
I ultimately decided (for my sanity and for the girls' self-confidence) to let them pick out any dress they liked and felt pretty in. My only requirements were designer (Alfred Angelo, to match my dress), color (Cobalt Blue with White for the MOHs, Black with White for the Best Maid), fabric (satin), and length (floor length). Other than that, I let them have free reign; I wasn't going to push a certain dress or style on them that might have looked hideous on them or made them feel self conscious. Having 3 different body types, I was so glad I did; all 3 girls chose totally different dresses, and they all look amazing and stunning in what they chose! Plus, instead of having to spend hours upon hours in the store, we were in and out in 45 minutes!
The first two pictures are my Matron of Honor's/Sister Kelly's dress.  She chose a one piece gown with a V-neck, something she felt comfortable in (and she looked so AWESOME in it!). If needed, we will add fabric at the neckline so that it isn't so revealing. It will be ordered in Cobalt Blue.  The back of her one piece gown has a sash-like train that floats behind her as she walks. The back also comes to V, which looked wonderful on her (we thought about changing the color of the tail, but decided against it).
The third and fourth pictures are my sister Meg's Maid of Honor Dress. Meg was the only one to go with a two piece gown (which we all find hilarious, as she was totally against separates when we first started gown shopping; she changed her mind when she tried on this top and fell in love with how good it looked on her). The top and skirt will both be in Cobalt, and the ribbon accent on the top will be in white. The top is strapless, and has tuxedo points on the neckline (hard to tell in this picture).
The last photo is of the Best Maid Val's dress.  Val chose a one piece strapless gown. Her gown will be in black, to complement the men's tuxes; the ribbon accent and split seam fabric will be in a contrasting white. She was so easy to shop with; she was happy with the first dress she tried on, which looked amazing on her (of course)!

Flower Girl Dress

After searching for a flower girl dress that was adorable AND affordable, we stumbled on this at JC Penney's one random Saturday afternoon. After many picture messages to my older sister (mother of the flower girl), along with going back and forth between my mom and I, we decided on this one (out of several options). The best part was the price: with a sale price and a coupon, we managed to get an $80 dress for $29!!!!!! Now, if my niece spills or falls down, it's okay, because we didn't spend an arm and a leg on it! The flower on the front is a pin, and we are hoping to change it out for a blue flower pin, but if it doesn't happen, no biggie.

For those who are wondering, it's Cinderella brand. This brand is sold at Macy's, JCP's, Burlington Coat Factory, and several other department stores; they do infant, toddler, and girl sizes up to 16. They do have different dresses in different colors; their biggest market is flower girls, first communion, and Easter dresses. Just a note, they do NOT have a manufacturer website, but the dresses are sold on the department store websites.

Mother's/Grandmother's Dresses

I only have pictures of the two mother dresses right now.  My grandmother is searching for something right now (nothing like waiting until the last minute), and my other grandmother is wearing the same dress she wore to my cousin's wedding in 2007.
My mom (mother of the bride) bought her dress at Morgan's in Wilmington (Trolley Square).  They were AWESOME.  They are a ready-to-red-carpet dress shop, and have dressed famous people like Jill Biden, senators' wives, and other dignataries.  Mom found this red dress there, and fell in love with it.  But, she insisted on looking everywhere for the next 3 weeks (I mean everywhere- we visited over 25 shops in 3 different states), and compared every dress she put on to the red dress.  We finally ended up back at Morgan's, where she got the dress (it was under $200).  My favorite part of Morgan's?  They will not send you out looking horrible; Mom actually put dresses on that they said "No way am I selling you that, because it doesn't do you a bit of good" to- and those dresses cost more money!  They really want to see you look your best, not just make a buck.  She looks stunning in the red dress!
Terri was much easier to shop with- we visited one store, and had her dress in 20 minutes.  Aunt Cheryl (not really an aunt, but we call her that) went with Terri and I, and she tried on 5 dresses before putting this one on.  After she put this one on, and she looked great- we all agreed it was it, and we put it on hold and picked it up the next day.

Tuxes

After the HORRIBLE experience at Men's Wearhouse (I DO NOT RECOMMEND THEM; page me or email me for more details!), we finally went with Jim's Tuxes through Brides and Grooms.
See, Brian wanted to try on his tux before he rented/booked it, and since the tuxes through Brides and Grooms are ordered and delivered the Tuesday before your event, he wasn't keen on that at all.  So we decided to check out Men's Wearhouse, and were disgusted.  Plus, they didn't have anything nice in our colors for ties or vests.  So Brian agreed to go Brides and Grooms to look.  After talking to the lady, and understanding that they can fix minor alterations needed there, and if anything drastic needs to be changed, it will be exchanged and delivered the next day, he was fine with that.
He was fine with that, so we signed up him and our guys.  Bonus:  Because we had 6 people needing tuxes (RB, 2 fathers, 2 GM, and Brian), Brian gets his free!
We went with blue vests for Brian and Devin (RB), Black for the GM (to match the Best Maid's dress, which is black and white), and Silver (I think!) for the dads.