Wedding Wednesday: Brides who Budget

Today I'm coming at you with the nitty gritty details of creating a bridal look for less. To be honest... this was the easiest part of my planning process. I was extremely stressed at first because Luke and I had to use a lot of our own money to pay for the wedding... so the beginning process of looking at dresses was VERY overwhelming. So here goes my bridal look breakdown and how I stretched my budget to the limit... and still left room to splurge on shoes.

1. I bought my dress from the J Crew Warehouse Clearance store in Lynchburg, VA. If you are located within driving distance to this place... GO! The staff was so incredibly helpful and kept an eye out for dresses I was in search of. I could not have been more pleased! This also helped to calm my nerves about the feelings I would have about buying a dress without my mom. I was very lucky to catch a sale at the store and received an extra 25% off the price... my dress was $200+ tax! WHAT?? I know! Best score ever!

2. Shoes were a splurge item for me... and I know what some of you are thinking... no one sees them! I realize that, but shoes are my vice... so sans fancy shoes on my wedding day was not optional. I purchased these gems back in November and didn't look back. They were different, had a bow on them, served as my blue item, and were Tory Burch. Did I miss anything there... nope! These shoes are my obsession! 

3. Gems were a last minute decision for me. I was obviously a J Crew bride... so I decided to pop in the week of the wedding and see if they had any options that would work for the big day. The sales girl at Tyson's actually pulled the earrings out for me... she had been hiding them for herself and when I showed her my dress she said I had a better reason to buy them than her! What a gem! I adore them! I also went with the pearl hammock bracelet to match the necklace I've already had in my collection for a couple years. I knew I would wear it on the daily so it didn't seem like a splurge. 

4. My veil was special made for for me by my seamstress. She charged me a very minimal fee ($27)!!! That was a major steal!

5. I did my own makeup. I went to sephora about a week before the wedding to do a little product testing. I used some products I was already using, but if you added up the product list I invested about $200 total on all my makeup and brushes.

6. Hair was a no-go for DIY! I went to a salon for a trial earlier in the week and then the day of. Total for hair was $125.

Total investment for my Wedding Look: 

-Dress: $200

-Shoes:$325

-Jewelry:$125

-Veil: $27

-Makeup:$200

-Hair: $125

_____________

Total: $1,002.00!!!!!!!!!!

I really debated whether or not to share the entire breakdown of my wedding day look... to be honest it's a little personal... but I know that there are a million girls out there who are in the same boat I was in! Ladies, you can look like a million bucks on your wedding day and not break the bank!

Please let me know if you have any questions about where I found great deals and ways to cut corners! I would love to share! It is so much easier than you would think!

Thanks for stopping by!

Wedding Wednesday: Best Day Ever

Hi guys! I wanted to kick off the return of Wedding Wednesday with a look into our special day and the week leading up to. I will share more details in future posts about what I used, wore, etc. I will also share DIY info and things I would have done differently. 

The week leading up to the wedding was a struggle for us. Luke's grandfather passed away the Friday before we left to go to Delaware and we were so in shock that I don't think it really hit us that he was really gone until we got back home from our honeymoon. He was such a sweet man and really was still sharp as a tack so losing him was completely unexpected even though he was in his late 80's. He truly was a loved man and we will miss him so much.

The days leading up to the wedding were such a whirlwind I really don't remember much other than running from one appt to another and making many many trips to Michaels. 

I can't believe it has been three weeks since the wedding! To say it was anything short of a fairytale would be a lie... I couldn't have imagined a better day. Yes, some things went wrong throughout the day, but the things that really mattered and I will remember the rest of my life went off without a hitch. 

I could not be more pleased with our photographer. He did more than his fair share that day... from helping me get into my dress, keeping people in line when needed, and even helping when we hit some bumps in the road throughout the day. I am so appreciative for him.

My Nana was my matron of honor and Luke's father served as best man. We had such an intimate ceremony and our pastor could not have been more fantastic. I have never heard a ceremony so personal before and he definitely made the wedding as great as it was.

My best friend and Aunt worked so hard to help me the day of the wedding. They were angels and definitely filled in as the perfect wedding planners... (my biggest regret is not hiring one!)

I can't wait to share more of this with you guys, but wanted to share this snippet from the best day of my life. I will be back next Wednesday to share my bridal look and Luke's attire from the wedding. See you then and thanks for stopping by!

Blushing Bride

 Dress: LoveLee Boutique c/o / Boots: Ariat / Earrings: J Crew (sold out, also my wedding earrings!) / 

Necklace: Love Always (wedding gift) 

WOW!!! Three weeks! That's quite a break! I have missed sharing in this space so much, but life gets a little crazy sometimes... It;s been two weeks since the wedding and trust me... the week leading up was wedding overload. A lot has happened between then and now and I can't wait to share! First though, I have to share the details from the time leading up to the wedding. My best friend held a shower for me on May 17th. It was the epitome of anything I could have ever wanted...  mimosas, a photo booth, best friends, and tea room grub. I couldn't be more grateful to know I have friends who care enough about me to share special moments like that by my side.

For the shower I had Kelsey from LoveLee Boutique send over the most perfect dress!!!! OMG, I am obsessed! I am a true pear shape... so things like this are usually not my style ( I'm a little self conscious so body-con is scary for me!) This dress was so soft and delicate that it didn't have the effect of a body-con. The batwing sleeves create such a feminine effect... I just can't get over how perfect it is. 

I have to admit that I didn't get to sneak in many pictures the day of the shower... please see below for more details from that day... I went for more of a bohemian look that day. I had imagined something like that for our wedding day, but a country club wedding doesn't quite have the bohemian bride look going.... So I decided to sneak it into something wedding related. My hair was a little crazy that day so I did a mermaid braid and wore flat sandals with gold hardware. I swear I could have been a beach bride that day.. I felt amazing in this dress!

Saturday we traveled to yet another wedding... we are three for three in June right now. (wedding season in full effect!) I decided I just had to wear this dress again. The wedding was in Nashville, so boots were a must!

Please check out LoveLee Boutique! There are several ways to do so via their website or now in Knoxville at Southern Grace Mercantile (8903 Oak Ridge Hwy Suite 102 Knoxville, TN 37931) You can also use coupon code GLITTER to receive 10% off your purchase!

I am so glad to be back and thank you for bearing with me! Wednesday I will share the personal details of the last few weeks to catch up with you all! I hope you have had a fabulous weekend! 

Cheeky Florals & New Monograms

Dress: Charlemont Boutique, similar here | Wedges: Old, similar here | 

Clutch: Benevolent Jewels (use code LFCODE20 for 20% off) | 

Bracelet: Benevolent Jewels | Watch: Michael Kors

I'm back! Finally! We can attest this to me finally having a day off and taking a minor break from wedding planning. Let me tell ya, I totally underestimated the amount of time it would take from my life. Glad to be back though... and finally sharing what I wore to a good friend of mine's wedding in Asheville a couple weeks ago. (Told you I was behind)

It was the weekend after my birthday and I had taken a day off earlier in the week to honestly clear my mind and get some things done for the wedding. I ended up making that a  spa day and getting a mani, pedi, and blowout. That's what birthday girls should do though, right?

When I was at the salon, I popped over to their in house boutique to see what they had in stock. This dress immediately popped out at me. I loved the floral print and immediately thought of these shoes to throw the look together. It was perfect for the wedding on Saturday. We had a bit of a hike from the ceremony to the reception and I can't imagine how I would have managed with anything heavier. I found a great dupe and Charlemont offers phone orders if this dress is still in stock. 

I hope you are having a wonderful day and thank you so much for reading. I appreciate you baring with me through this very busy time in my life! Looking forward to a blissful summer as a newlywed with much more time on my hands! 

XO-L

Wedding Wednesday: Wedding Reception (take 2)

Welcome back to Wedding Wednesday! As I've stated before, my wedding planning situation hasn't been that of a "normal" bride. (whatever that is, right?) For that reason I've decided to share some details on yet another thing that sets us apart from the typical soon-to-be couples out there planning weddings right now... 

Luke and I are both from Tennessee. His family is also from Tennessee... for that reason we tend to spend most holidays with that side of the family. Just like every other gal out there though... I love my grandparents. They have always been my steadfast and what has always been there to keep me grounded. So having the wedding anywhere, but close to them would make absolutely no sense to me. 

My Nana and Pop are from the Eastern Shore of Maryland, but in the last few years made the move to Dover, DE for their permanent retirement spot. That is where we will be hosting our wedding and I am so excited I can barely contain myself. I know that may seem crazy, but my Nana and Pop are my home... I feel so much more at home in that area than I do in Tennessee... always have.

We do have an amazing support system here in Tennessee though, and asking them all to travel the crazy long distance to the wedding would be selfish. So we have decided to hold a welcome reception a few weeks after the wedding to allow a celebration with our loved ones here who cannot make it to the actual wedding.

Here comes the fun part: pictures! Our wedding is extremely nautical inspired, but that's not really going to work with what we are doing for the reception. We decided to have a backyard BBQ theme and needed something to coordinate for our invitations for the event.

My best friend Lori was kind enough to lend her services and snap these photos... she is kind of amazing despite not being a "professional"... you'd never know it by looking at the photos though! Rockstar I tell ya!

These photos also have some sentimental meaning. The truck we used is actually Luke's Dad's. It's a 1952 Chevrolet. He bought it went Luke was little and it wouldn't even run... he restored everything including the mechanics and here it is today a couple decades later. Fun fact: Luke can't drive it until he is 35... papa G is a little bit of a control freak with the Chev. 

We are still planning for this event and it will be even more DIY heavy than the actual wedding. I plan to continue these posts with decor details and how-to's leading up to the event. Stay Tuned!

Thanks for stopping by!

XO-L

Look details:

Lacey: 

Dress: Cynthia Rowley via TJ Maxx (amazing find!)
Watch: Michael Kors
Bracelet: J Crew Factory

Luke: 
Button Down: Polo Ralph Lauren
Denim: 7FAM