Wedding Belle

I've been too lazy to clean and organize my house in time to participate in the "Show Us Where You Live" Kelly is hosting, but I already got all dolled up and have the pictures to prove it, so I'm joining in on Show Us Your Life. Today's Topic is My Wedding Dress.

I can't resist an opportunity to celebrate our special day all over again, so here we go.

I found my dress during a birthday trip to Atlanta for my 27th birthday. No, I didn't go to the famous Kleinfeld's so you won't find me on Say Yes To The Dress reruns. We found it at a store called Bridals by Lori. It was the first dress I tried on. The truth is, I only really got to try on a few dresses...okay, maybe 10 isn't a few, but since it was my first time, I wanted to try on a TON.

I really wanted something that wasn't strapless because that seemed to be what everyone else I knew was wearing. I was hoping for something cap sleeved, but couldn't quite find anything. My last requirement was that the style be pretty timeless. My aunt and step mother were both married in the year of the large, almost cowboy like, bridesmaid hats...and unfortunately that trend also extended to the veil. Oh my beloved 80's, how could you be so good and yet so bad?! I did not want my dress to scream 2007!

I liked my dress the best of the bunch and it was a sample, so it was a do or die kind of moment. I was really feeling a lot of pressure. The dress was a little more than we budgeted, but it was half the normal price (because it was a sample). It felt kind of meant to be because it almost fit me perfectly. So, I got wrapped up in the moment and bought it. I did kind of wish I'd been able to try on some other dresses at some other places, but I resisted because I was afraid I'd want another one.

In the end, I'm really happy with my choice. I felt like a princess, a little embarrassing fact about me is that I've always secretly hoped I would one day discover that I actually AM a princess-Thank you, Anne Hathaway for your captivating performance in The Princess Diaries.

These first few shots are courtesy of my photographer, Elissa Queen in Charlotte, NC. They're from my bridal portraits at my Alma Mater, Salem College in Winston-Salem. I'm house sitting, so I don't have many shots with me. I borrowed these from my facebook profile




The only shot that's actually from the wedding is this one with my mom half way through buttoning the many many many buttons. We even had to get a special tool to get them all done.

I wore a long veil and a blusher. I love the classic look of the blusher and my mom and I had a special moment at the end of the aisle when she flipped it for me. The headpiece came from a great store in Charlotte called Brideshead, they do custom veils and headpieces; they also made pins for my hair. At the reception, I removed the long veil and wore the blusher flipped back. One of the many bridal ladies I worked with convinced me that I should get the most out of it and that it would really make me feel like a bride and make it easier for folks to spot me in a crowd...just in case you missed that big white dress!



I'll leave you with a shot of my Old, New, Borrowed, and Blue. My mom, grandmother, and aunts presented them to me at my Bridesmaid Luncheon. The cameo belonged to my great great grandmother. My mom monogrammed the blue panties as a surprise (I'm sure Freddie appreciated that she chose such a modest pair!). The earrings were my new (don't tell her, but I actually wanted to wear another pair), and my borrowed was a handkerchief that belonged to my grandmother.