Veiled blessing...

Continuing with the bridal accessories, this is about my veil.  The veil I tried on with the dress was beautiful...very sheer and long with tiny little crystals randomly dispersed throughout that caught the light.  It was $300.  I figured that is the one I would end up getting, but I was already over budget for my bridal trousseau due to the custom alterations on my dress (beaded sleeves) that required extensive hand-detailing.  

I decided to think about it a little bit and tossed around ideas in my head.  I looked at some other stores, and looked at Textile Fabrics in Nashville to see if there was a way to make it myself.  Nothing compared to the beautiful veils that Arzelle's carries.  So I eventually determined I would have to bite the bullet, order the $300 veil and cut my budget in another area, and made my way to Arzelle's.  It was the last day of their sample sale.  I pulled into the parking lot and sat in my car and prayed.  (I'm not trying to make it all super-spiritual, but God knows what I need and what I desire, and I just took a few minutes to give thanks for everything He had provided thus far, and ask for favor.)  

I walked in and noticed the sample sale included a rack of sample veils.  I browsed through them and didn't think there was anything left that would work...then I noticed one that was wrapped up.  I spread it out to see what it was.  It was cathedral length (too long for my dress), but had the tiny crystals on it just like the other one I had tried on.  It also had some beautiful hand-stitched embroidery along the bottom edge.  The comb was gorgeous--it was a metal comb with crystals on it.  The original price?  $700.  Sale price for the sample?  $50.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Unfortunately, it also had (on closer inspection) many tears and holes in the delicate material, and was especially bad around the bottom.  I was standing there wondering if it was beyond hope when I spoke to Bonnie (Arzelle's owner) about whether she thought it could be repaired.  She said she didn't realize there was that much damage to it and she wouldn't have had it on the floor if she had known.  As I contemplated it and she reviewed the damage, she said "Just take it.  You might be able to fix it, you might not, but I can't charge $50 for something that damaged.  If you can't fix it come back and order the other one."  She stuffed it in a bag and I was out the door and to my car, where I immediately broke down and cried.  The blessing was UNREAL.  She had no idea how much I needed a financial miracle for a beautiful veil, but God did and used her to provide it.  And provide He did!!  A $700 veil for FREE?!?

Practical moral of the story for brides on a tight budget?  LOOK THROUGH SAMPLE SALES and explore.  You never know what you'll find!!  

How did my veil end up?  Well, my friend (who is also my pastor's wife) was SO excited about how God had provided the veil that she wanted to gift me with the alterations as my wedding gift.  She referred me to an amazing seamstress.  Lynn Headley took a look and got to work.  The end result was unbelievably gorgeous.  She took the length that I didn't need off, and cut around all of the embroidery detail, then reattached the embroidery by hand to the "new" bottom of the veil.  There was one tear that was in the middle of the veil that she had to repair by hand and the stitching for the repair was visible to me because I knew, but if you didn't know it was there it wasn't obvious.  Her work was stellar!!  

The veil was more than what I had dreamed to have and was a perfect compliment to my dress. 

 (p.s Arzelle's also has a blog.  It's full of delicious photos and fashion ideas--not just bridal!  I'd say they are the best bridal shop in Nashville, and I would highly recommend it.)  

Photos courtesy of Amber Beckham Photography

Something old, something new...

We've already established I didn't have a something blue.  But my something old was a pair of earrings I've had for years.

I bought these earrings a long time ago, and they were just what I needed (a little big) since I elected not to wear a necklace, and stick with the bling on me as opposed to pearls.

My earrings next to the bracelets I wore are pictured here.
I got the bracelets for next to nothing a month before the wedding.

To blue or not to blue...and bling instead!?

Bridal accessories...

I've seen SO many beautiful ones!  There are so many options: wearing a necklace or not, wearing pearls or diamonds, wearing a bracelet or not, tiny delicate earrings or not, any kind of hair accessory or plain?  

I wasn't totally conventional and I admit I didn't have a something blue...or something borrowed, for that matter.  For this blog I'm going to focus on fabulous heels.  I wanted blue shoes--I'm talking bold blue with bling.

Something like this:

The dreamy Manolo's featured in Sex and the City Movie...

Or these lighter blue Manolo's...

I thought about creating my own bling for a shoe.  Maybe getting a glittery or blue shoe and doing crystals and perhaps even peacock feathers on it.  Here's an image of a similar idea but it's not quite "there" yet:

I also fell in like with ruffles and other dramatic elements of heels:

I got over the blue shoe idea (because A. the affordable versions were not as delicious as the very expensive ones, and B. I decided going with bling fit my wedding vibe better.  Also--remember this girl is on a DIY tight budget!).  Then I tried on a pair of Betsey Johnson heels at her store in Green Hills Mall.  She has a line of shoes that are made by a ballroom dance shoe company (something like that).  They were glittery fabulous and were actually completely comfortable.  They were also $225.00.  *sigh* 

So, I left without buying them but knew I'd likely be back.  On a whim, I looked on the internet......

Thanks to Overstock.com, I bought the SAME Betsey Johnson "Glitter Polly" shoe, brand new for $89.00, with FREE shipping.  

LOVE it.  

For those of you not into the silver, they also make them in white (great for bridal) and other colors:

On that same trip at Betsey Johnson, I tried on the Starburst Upper design (also $225.00) but all they had in store was turquoise.  I was walking through TJ Maxx at 100 Oaks in Nashville one day (after one of my MANY trips to Michael's for various wedding DIY supplies) and couldn't believe my eyes.  For $69.00 in black--the Starburst Upper.  I wore these heels for my bridal shower and my rehearsal dinner (they're much prettier and more sparkly in person than what they photograph):

I love pretty, sparkly heels...and anything with interesting design details.  

Here are my shoes on the wedding day:

Photo by Amber Beckham Photography

Bridesmaid fashion...it's all in the details!

I wanted the bridesmaids in black...and I wanted them to feel comfortable in a style that fit each of their personalities.  So I decided to go with David's Bridal separates & dresses.  Each gorgeous woman could pick their own look and style, all in black satin.  Since they aren't in matching dresses, that's already got some original flair, but I wanted to take it a step further.  Martha Stewart Weddings issue from Summer 2009 featured patterns for creating dahlia,  peony, and rose templates.  I went to Hobby Lobby and bought different fabrics (I wanted textures that were different--some stiff, some more delicate) and some feathers, and took the templates and supplies to my super-creative seamstress friend.  She created AMAZING fabric flowers that were perfect.  The ladies wore different flowers...some small, some large...some in their hair, some on their dress.  


Martha Stewart magazine pic:

Same template, on my matron of honor 

(all photos by SUPER talented Amber Beckham Photography):

In my sister's hair...

Pinned to the waist of one of the dresses...

This one was used as a hair pin.  

It was made from a sheer fabric and feathers with a rhinestone clip in the center...

The bridesmaids together...

We used small ones in the flower girl's hair...

 Lovely friends!  For my attendants and honorary bridesmaids, I chose jewelry as their gift and bought items specific to their personalities and their dresses.  It was so fun! 

My gorgeous sisters and honorary bridesmaids!!  

 Each woman also picked her own style of shoe:

I love heels and bling! 

Say YES to the dress... (I GOT MARRIED!!!)

The most incredible and exciting event of 2009 was MY WEDDING!!!!!!  I can't believe I met THE man who is literally the answer to every prayer I've ever prayed and all of the ones I couldn't even verbalize.  Jonathan Hunkin is the perfect man for me and is the love of my life.  He loves the Lord, is strong, secure in who he is, adventurous and funny, and the way he loves me still blows me away. Even right now, I'm listening to him sit at his keyboard playing worship songs and hymns while he sings and it makes my heart SO happy! 


But this is a blog about style (! :-)), so I wanted to start blogging about some of the style elements of my wedding.  Although I did book some style/make-up jobs last year, most of my summer and fall was consumed with decisions that would make my wedding day exactly as I dreamed it would be!  I was very hands-on in the design process...out of necessity and budgetary concerns, but also because I wanted to be.  I love all of the elements of wedding planning (MINUS the stress!) so I had fun with it.  I knew I wanted black bridesmaid dresses, bling, and calla lilies...and a beautifully elegant (but definitely not over-the-top or fussy!) dress for me!!!  There will be several blogs about my wedding design, so I will start with my very own SAY YES TO THE DRESS moment.  


Every wedding magazine and planner (and episode of TLC's "Say Yes to the Dress") will tell you the dress sets the tone for the entire event.  I knew I didn't want a prolonged search, but you hear so many stories of months of searching and hundreds of dresses.  I really hoped my dress search would not be drawn out or include travel to other cities.  I also knew I was on a tighter time frame.  Most people have a year to plan a wedding (at least)...and Jonathan knew and told me he wanted to marry me in early summer and we picked November 7th as our wedding date.  I had a relatively short amount of time to plan, but it was an adventure and I knew we didn't "need" that much time to plan!  We were more focused on preparing for marriage, not a wedding day. 


One summer Saturday I decided to just at least go look with a couple of friends...just "see" what's out there but insisted I was not going to try anything on--just look.  The first place we went was a stuffy and impersonal boutique in Green Hills.  I won't name them, but it wasn't anywhere I'd recommend...not welcoming or helpful, and the selection wasn't "wow."  


Next, we went to Arzelle's on West End.  I had been there as a little girl when my aunt Lisa got married.  Of course, my friends found a couple of dresses for me to try on...and I agreed.  I didn't have any real set ideas of what I wanted but I knew what I didn't like.  I had seen a Badgley Mischka bridal gown that I LOVED but it was $5,000.  TOTALLY unnecessary to spend that kind of money on a dress, and way outside my budget.  This is that dreamy dress:

I tried a few and wasn't feeling it...until the last one.  I loved it, but when Bonnie (owner of Arzelle's & fabulous seamstress) told me she could create custom beaded sleeves to resemble my dreamy dress, I was SOLD and placed my order!  I admit it, tears filled my eyes, and my sweet friends were crying.  Here's a couple of pictures from my fitting (Bonnie is holding up scrap material to get an idea of what we wanted to create):

I love my dress...and this is the finished product:  

click on the image to enlarge...

Photos courtesy of Amber Beckham Photography, used by permission. 

Next blog will be about the shoes, veil and jewelry...all miracle blessings for a girl on a DIY wedding budget!!