Unveiled starts at 6pm on Thursday the 16th, and space is limited, so RSVP ASAP! (they are taking reservations through Feb 6th)

{click here to see the whole board}

INKA:

LUCY:

LULU LONG:

{photo credit lindsay b}

There are choices you never really think about until you're there, and you'd be surprised how little things can turn into big things if you are less than specific. Case in point: are you choosing shoes for anyone else? Are you setting what shoes your bridesmaids are wearing? Are you buying them or are they? Do they have to find their own, but choose a certain color? Does your mom want to coordinate as well? What about your flower girl? Does she get the same type of shoe, just in flats? Does she wear white because her dress is white? What if everyone else is wearing colored shoes? Welcome to a world of choices that you didn't know existed!

If you really want a uniform look, pick a conservative middle ground that everyone can comfortably wear (some girls will be fine in all stilletos, others might need flats) If you're thinking different shoe heights, make sure the color and sheen match, it is okay to ask for shoe approval from bridesmaids, as long as you can give them reasonable price options if the pair in their closet doesn't work. And if you really want something high-end for all your girls, consider making it part of their bridesmaids gift, no one wants to be forced into a $500 pair of shoes on top of everything else they're committing to the wedding!

Flowergirls traditionally wear all white no matter what, but ballet flats or mary janes that match the rest of the party are cute too. Ringbearers, ushers, groomsmen should all have the same color/type of shoes as well.

And as far as matching you? You get to so whatever you want! Don't worry about coordinating with anyone else, you are your own statement on the wedding day, so let your look be unique from head to toe, literally!

{click here to see this whole wedding}

There is something so elegant about simplicity, and when you're in crazed million and one things to bring together wedding mode, it's easy to forget to leave some things out, intentionally. The editing process is an essential part of the creative process, you have to try stuff, put it all together, and see what you just don't need. Removing a sentence can make an entire paragraph or even chapter of a novel clearer. Removing 1-2 pillows can make a sofa remain stylish and not cross over into garish. Excess is made to be tempered with moderation, otherwise it looks like a design magazine exploded everywhere. So whether its jewelry, tablescapes, makeup, dessert, find at least one thing to take away to help clear your palate, and help the whole event feel easier and more elegant.

{click here to see the board on pinterest}

DRESS: vera wang (it's at anna bé!)  |  FLOWERS/STYLING: the perfect petal
CAKE: elegant bakery  |  PHOTOGRAPHER: jenna walker photographers 

Jessica Chastain.  
J - This dress would have been perfect on Michelle Williams and suited her personality better.  Charlize Theron or Anne Hathaway also could have pulled it off in a different way, but on Jessica its just not working.

M - I honestly didn't know Jessica, so originally I thought "what a pretty and age appropriate dress"... until I found out that she wasn't pushing 50. baad neckline!

{photo - huffingtonpost.com}

Jessica Biel.  
J - Aside from the weird third boob issue, this dress would be perfect for someone like Kirsten Dunst, who would have styled it completely different and made it feel more special.  Biel's hair and makeup were good but would have been better with a different dress...

M - Biel just isn't cool enough to rock this covered lace look. It made me think more rocker chick, you know tattoos peaking through and electric pick eyeshadow

{photo - mtv.com}

Evan Rachel Wood.  
J - How old is this girl?  I'm too lazy to google, but this dress would be perfect for someone in their 40's like Julianne Moore.

M - I don't know what Joy is talking about, sure that plunge neckline would be super hot on Julianne, but I think she looks amazing. sparkle, feathers, yes please!

{photo - huffingtonpost.com}

Sarah Michelle Gellar.  
J - This silk faille dress must have been amazing in person, but SMG just doesn't seem to have a big enough personality to carry it.  I would have preferred to see it on someone like Cameron Diaz.

M - No thank you, the white is just too bright, and reminds me of a bad tie-dye job

{photo - mtv.com}

Claire Danes
J - loved everything about this dress, nothing bad to say.

M - loved the dress from the back, little doudy in the front

Octavia Spencer.
J - she could not have chosen a better dress for her figure, she looked fantastic

M - THIS IS HOW BIG GIRLS SHOULD DRESS! Perfect color, shape, fit, coverage!

{photo - huffingtonpost.com}

Ariel Winter.  
J - I loved the purple, and the shape was fresh and age appropriate, so cute!

M - color, style, bodice, all great, but the shape/volume of the skirt was just wrong

{photo - huffingtonpost.com}

Zooey Deschanel.
J - Good, BUT I hated her hair

M - I liked it too, may the hair was a touch too mod

Natalie Portman.
J -  It seems as though her bad life decisions are also affecting her style.  Pink taffeta?  Really?  Didn't you win this thing last year??

M - nobody looks good with an extra 6" width of fabric hanging off their hip.... no one!

{photo - mtv.com}

 

Mila Kunis.  
J - I know she has a deal with Dior, but it wasn't just the dress, her makeup was also meh.  It must be a black swan curse.

M - pretty, but kind of a snooze fest

{photo - huffingtonpost.com}

 
Reese Witherspoon.  
J - Was she going for playboy bunny or jessica rabbit?

M - Reese, put your hair up, this ain't the Country Music Awards!

Tina Fey
J - Love her, hate every single thing she has ever worn on the red carpet

M - Couldn't agree more. While the color could have worked, that is just not her shape!


 

Nicole Kidman
J - Is it me or does the bust looks ilke 2 pac mans heading toward each other?

M - Couldn't agree less, this might be my favorite look on the night (and that might just be me too) She looks flawless in Versace, there's no one I'd rather be walking into an awards show with.

Have your own thoughts? Want to weight in? We'd love to hear what you think!!!

I want to clear up a common quandary I come across in bridal appointments. The idea of a dress being "too much". Now yes it is possible to overwhelm yourself with dress. Super petite girls wearing dresses the size of a Gypsy wedding, that sort of thing. And it is possible to go too formal, full satin ballgown at City Hall would be a bit overkill. But as long as you're not getting ridiculous, it's hard to have "too much dress".

Think about it, this is a once in a lifetime shot to indulge that more decadent side, to enjoy detail and volume and shine. It's pretty impossible to give the impression that your wedding dress is out of place at your own wedding (previous examples excluded), guests will always expect you to be the belle of the ball... even in your own backyard.

The key to keeping your look in line with the style of your wedding is by, well, styling. Think of the accessories. If your dress is beaded, you might just need the simplest of earrings. A full lace dress? Perhaps a full lace veil might be tip the scale, the dress is the important part, so let yourself shine in that first, then let your accessories be dictated by formality, style, feel.

And there's not much weight to the idea that your dress can be wrong for your venue either. I mean if you love the dress, and you love the venue, than obviously there's a connection right there. It it's continuity you're looking for, remember you don't want to get matchy-matchy, juxtaposition is your friend. A very modern clean-line dress can be just the thing to take a romantic flower garden weddings and saving it from looking too Disney!

Remember all the elements of your wedding are about surround yourselves with things that are special (friends, food, laughter, music included!) so don't let your venue "style" be more important than your own! Trust me, it's not "too much".

click here to see more of this gown {tamara murphy photography}

click here to see more photos of this wedding {chad morgan photography}

click here to see more of this wedding {cedar house photography}

{click here to see the full pinterest board}