dressing the maids

I've pretty much decided that I'm a backwards sort of person. I haven't finalized the venue, picked out my dress or decided on a color scheme but I'm already looking at bridesmaids dresses. Maybe some of you can sympathize - how am I supposed to choose everything else without getting an idea for what the full picture will look like? I'm not planning on buying the dresses today (my wedding is over a year away) but I absolutely want to get a feel for what will and won't look good. I also want to decide on the basics - will dresses be long or short, formal or informal, matching or mismatched?

Matching vs. mismatched is giving me the most trouble. I love the idea of mismatched bridesmaids dresses (same color and material but different styles) but I'm worried that they're more trouble than they're worth. I want everything to look cohesive. In comes the inspiration.

First, a couple of mismatched bridesmaids looks to inspire you:

I love the style of the two below but, are they inappropriate for the maids?

via  La Femme, Amsale

And a few more dresses I'm considering:

via  Sophia Tolli, Liz Fields, Enzoani, BCBG

Would love to hear your thoughts on any of the above or of your own plans!

in sweet October

my to do's for the month of October:

• choose a wedding venue (pricing & impressions from my visits to come shortly)
• begin interviewing photographers
• decide on a budget (this one should probably have been done already)
• blog at least once a day
• cook dinner 2x this month (I swear I'm not a bad fiance, we just don't live together yet)
• resume my Zumba workouts!

what are your October "resolutions"?

autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile

I love fall. The scent, the look, the feel. To me, it's all romantic. It's also one of my favorite seasons to shop for. Fall is a chance for designers to experiment with textures (wool, cashmere, suede, and leather) and different patterns. A new purchase needs to live up to the potential of the season. Friends? The beauty below will be a fall staple.

via Modcloth

engagement pictures that leave me breathless

a Notebook themed engagement shoot (link), eskimo kiss in an open field (link) and a sophisticated shot in the middle of Paris (link)

 et c'est tout?

trend report: rustic weddings

Rustic. Non-traditional. Vintage chic. Call it what you want but I'm in love with the recent shift towards personalized, home-spun weddings. I think oftentimes in planning a wedding people lose sight of themselves, of their budgets and of what truly matters. The new take on an old trend (homespun weddings were the norm in our grandparents time) can be adopted by most anyone irrespective of budget. Don't believe me? Take a look at the beauties below.

[Via the amazing Style Me Pretty]

[Via Luna and Chloe]