Getting Ready Part 2: "You're Never Fully Dressed without a Smile...and Some Fabulous Shoes"

There are three girls in my family (my poor father), so when it came to all aspects of wedding planning, I had to be very creative in finding deals and saving money. I really wanted our wedding to have cute, personal touches, but I had a very limited budget to work with. This is where etsy, online shopping, and the fabulous state of Delaware, "The Home of Tax Free Shopping," came in handy.

I figured I'd start these pics from the bottom up. First up the shoes. Oh my goodness did I L.O.V.E. my shoes. I wanted something non-traditional, but colored shoes didn't look right with my dress. I thought these fit the bill perfectly for a summer wedding. They are Charles David Fizz. I bought them of amazon.com for 75% off. Score! They are currently on sale in black if you are looking for some new shoes!

sweet sweet yumminess.

Bridesmaids shoes. My friends Laura and Stephanie picked these out. I think they look fabulous. I heart bows. Kenneth Cole Reaction Rich n Post.

Bridesmaid dress. It was very hard to pick out bridesmaid dresses due to the fact that my bridesmaids lived in 4 different states, with one even living out of the country. Aria Dress fit the bill. The dresses were pretty much true to size, and the material was extremely light (a requirement for an outdoor reception in the summer). Here is the style the girls chose. I think it looked amazing on everyone. The dress company offered a discount if all of the dresses were shipped to one address. I chose my parent's house in Delaware, so that we not only got the discount, but all dresses were tax free. Every little bit helps!

Bouquet Charms. I got this idea from Miss Magnolia on Weddingbee.com. I worked with oliviamoon on etsy to customize different fonts and backgrounds. The best part about these charms (other than the fact that it allows everyone to remember which bouquet is theirs) is the fact that there is a mirror on the back of the charm. I love how they turned out, and Susan was absolutely wonderful to work with.

Dress Label. Most brides choose to do their new initials on their dress label. Since my initials stayed the same, and due to the fact that the hubs put the kibosh on the Hokey Pokie and a maroon and orange color scheme, I decided to surprise him with this. I love it. Ordered from The Gartermaker. They were so easy to work with and even emailed me back with a, "Rock Chalk Jayhawk KU!" I love that they got into the spirit of it :0)

The Dress. I walked into the dress store without a clue as to what I was looking for in a dress. When the salesperson asked me what styles I liked, I literally replied, " I want to be able to use the bathroom on my own." Umm yeah, probably not what they were used to hearing. It was the bow and the back that sold me on the dress (and the fact I could use the bathroom without assistance of course). I found the dress in Virginia, but found a store that sold it in Delaware, so again I could take advantage of some tax free awesomeness. Yay Delaware!!!

Bridal & Bridesmaid Jewelry. It can be very hard to find ivory wedding jewelry. Once again, I hit up etsy, and made a fabulous find. I worked with the amazing Kim at KYM Jewelry to customize my bridal necklace and earrings, along with necklaces and earrings for my bridesmaids.

Youngest sis models jewelry with her classic spunky look

Bridal Necklace

Bridal Earrings

Putting on the finishing touches.

The Veil. I have no idea who made my veil, but I absolutely adored it. It was the accessory I spent the most on. For some girls it's the shoes, others the jewelry, but for me it was all about the veil. I just love the way it photographed!

Enjoy!

All pictures courtesy of Kate Leigh