Turn (Back) Around

Struggling with your workouts? A strapless gown or dress with an open back should be a little motivation to keep going. But it gets tough when you have work, meetings, and happy hours to attend. When you do make it to the gym, try these easy 5 exercises for a sexy back and wait for envy to set in. (Other's envy that is.) ;)

http://www.sheknows.com/health-and-wellness/articles/803952/five-exercises-for-a-sexy-back-illustrated-back-exercises

Worth 1000 Words

Aaaaah!! It's been a month since I last posted. I'm slapping myself on the wrist as we speak but I have been productive in the meantime, which means I have awesome info for you, so be nice to me. On top of planning a wedding, Matthew and I decided to do some house shopping as well so that has taken up every second of my free time. But, I'm back, I'm ready, and I'm more excited than ever.

The one category of wedding planning that was stressing me out the most was Photography. Taking photos is a hobby/side job for me so it made me very anxious to try and pick the best fit for my style and taste. It's my big day! I don't want to worry about saying 'hey, will you take a shot of that..' or worry that the details I want captured won't be captured. I confidently want to hand over all of my expectations and say 'hey, I trust you, here you go.' It took almost 5 months of research, several skype sessions, countless phonecalls and endless googling for me to finally narrow the search down to a person/company I was ready to commit to. (Wow, it's only photography). (Yeah, but it's the ONLY professional pics you'll have of your day. For forever.) SO, I'm going to make you a list of very talented, helpful, AND reasonably priced Photographers that I found. I liked different aspects of each one. I just made my lovely final decision yesterday. So, here ya go. Skype away:

adam + alli Photography -  (collections starting at 3500)
A husband and wife duo who specialize in weddings. Located in central Mississippi.

Property of adam+alli Photography

Whitney Bower Imaging-  (collections starting at 1950)
A pretty girl with a pretty great eye. Located in Arkansas.

Property of Whitney Bower Imaging

Studio 6-23-  (collections starting at 3900)
A husband and wife duo who specialize in all things creative. Located in Grand Rapids, MI.

Property of Studio 623

Glass Jar Photography- (pricing unavailable)
A Katie Holmes and Adam Lavigne look alike couple who specialize in vintage and fine art weddings.
Located in Huntsville, AL.

Property of Glass Jar Photography

And the lovely lady that I've decided to go with is:

Annabella Charles - (collections starting at 3200)

A darling who shoots beautiful, light + airy pictures with an assistant. Located in Memphis, TN. 

Property of Annabella Charles Photography

Just a few TIPS for your picking:

• Try and find someone who includes an engagement session, or at least offers it. 
• Shoot with 2. Find someone who has 2 photographer or shoots with an assistant. You'll get another set of eyes with different viewpoints and twice the photos. 
• Decide if you want extras. Add ons can include anything of a guest book of your engagement session to a photobooth set up at the reception for your guests. 
• Talk in person. Never rely on email only. Call, skype, or meet in person with your potential photographer. Chances are you will hit it off, or maybe not at all. You want someone who gets you and your vision. 
• Talk hours. Make sure to get the details of when and where they'll be the whole day. 
• Hand it over. Once you make a decision, breathe, and let them make you pretty. 

HAVE A GREAT WEEK LOVES. 

Detail of the Day

An amazing rendition of a one tier cake with blush ruffled icing on top and bottom with silver edible beads adorning the outside served on a silver platter. Lovely.

Detail of the Day

Ivory striped organza strapless bridal ball gown with sweetheart neckline, full flounced skirt, and taupe raw silk sash at natural waist with chapel train. Dreamy.

Find this dress!

Hayley Paige Spring 2013 Collection

Soo Pinteresting

   What would a girl DO without Pinterest these days? It's genius, super helpful, and what I've recently relied on most to get ideas on wedding decor, dresses, food, and photography. I've come across some amazing little things lately and I wanted to share Bouquets/Flowers with you today, my dears.

   I didn't realize that when I started envisioning flowers for my big day, my dreams would be cut short by someone telling me they are out of season or very expensive. Of course. Champagne taste on a beer budget. But I'm hard headed so I researched ways of getting around this and basically my conclusion is that I can a.) pay more for flowers to be imported from far, far away or b.) find similar ones that look almost identical to the budding blossoms I had hoped for. Let's go with option B. (But feel free to choose A if your budget allows).

Red Dahlia Bouquet
(available year round)

Zinnia Queen Red/Lime Bouquet
(available year round)

Yellow Acacia Bouquet
(available Spring + Summer) 

Bouquet Mix of Roses, Succulents + Baby's Breath
(available year round)

Blush Pink Peonies
Similar Seeds: English Tea Roses, Ranunculus 
(available Spring + Summer)

Mason Jar White Flower  Centerpiece 

White Bouquet Mix of Peonies, Roses + Ranunculus

As great as Pinterest is there are times when I want to throw my computer across the room because I found something so amazing only to find when clicked, it leads me to Tumblr or somewhere in China. Use this tip: Save the picture to your desktop. Pull up Google in a separate browser and click on Images. There should be a tiny camera icon in the search box. Click on the camera and it will prompt you to upload a picture from your desktop. Google (being the awesome guy that he is), will reference every single website, image, or download that your selected pictured has ever been on the Internet. Find a safe and desirable website and order away. :)

Detail Of The Day

Bridesmaid Dress of the Day:

Ms Prom
Luxury One Shoulder Dress in Buff

Dressed To Impress

235 Days to go until Wedding Time!!

I have a checklist that shows big things to nail down each month- in that handy Mindy Weiss Wedding Organizer. Months 12-9 go as follows:

• Draw up preliminary guest list. { still in progress }
• Set wedding date. { done! }
• Scope out/book ceremony/reception sites. { done! }
• Hire wedding planner. { i'm not using one, so, done! }
• Hire photographer. { still in progress }
• Book officiant. { done! }

Some of these still aren't complete but that's okay, don't fret if you are a couple weeks behind. Just keep in mind that more affordable companies/dates will book up faster and you could be left having to choose another route than you had hoped. If you see something that is oh-so-lovely and in your price range, jump on it quickly. Then, mark that thing off of your list and you're a little closer to your big day. {It also helps to spread out the finances so you aren't paying for everything all at once. If you break up the payments of each venue by when you book them, it's easier on your (or dad's) wallet.} 

So, since it is now February and 8 months are left in my journey I need to get on this checklist:

• Select bridesmaids. { done! }
• Refine guestlist. { still in progress }
• Start looking at invitations. { done! }
• Book blocks of rooms for out-of-towners. { still in progress }

Bridesmaids are the easy part. Deciding what they'll wear is the challenging (fun!) part. I found a picture (on Pinterest, of course) that inspired me to go a different way from the traditional taffeta trends and venture off into the world of selecting different dresses for each bridesmaid. AHHH! Just kidding- it's actually quite awesome. Most of you have probably seen Molly Sims' amazing bridesmaids photo floating around every woman's Pinterest board. These stunning dresses were obviously made to order with a custom theme and personal seamstress at hand. In my case, that's not the case. BUT! Here are some tips to help ensure that our collection turns out cohesive.  

1. True Colors- {Pick a color and stick to slight variations of it. Don't get too far off track or one bolder dress could stick out like a metal chair at a chaise lounge party.}
2. Material Girl- {All satin, all chiffon, all beaded, etc. - this will help make the group look as if they came from the same store, same website, same designer- even though this was all mastered by you! Chiffon and Taffeta are the 2 leading textures in traditonal dress shops so keep that in mind as you start researching options. More options, more dresses to choose from.}
3. Day Dream- {When you think about your day, the best thing is that it's your day. It has a flair to it, a speciality, details that make it your style. Keep your 'theme' and YOUR dress in mind while picking out your bridal party dresses. All dresses are not created equal and aren't always the traditonal color! Choose accordingly. Those gowns need to flatter you, not forget you.}
4. To Each Their Own- {Everyone is different, especially with style. This is why having options for dresses can be awesome. Skinny Minnie, Precious Preggers, and Average Annie proooobably won't all get excited about the same threads. Let each girl's personality shine through and find them something they will actually like. I know, I know- but it's only a myth that you have to find dresses that no one will every wear again! It's 2013, demand a hot bridal party!}
5. Accessories Not Included- {Style your sisters right. Let the person whose dress is very simple adorn a bigger/better necklace. If another girl's dress has some bling, assign her with understated stud earrings. Be smart and use the jewels to accentuate the gals' gowns.}

via Meagan Mitchell on Pinterest

Dress shopping has been one of the funnest (yes, I use that word) parts of this process. I won't reveal what dresses I have picked yet but I will share with you some websites/stores that have been very helpful in my selection. Here we go:

Dessy Bridesmaids
Strapless Style 2882 in Cameo

Watters Bridal
Dress 1341 & 1346 in Positano + Smoke

Adrianna Papell via Nordstrom
Sequin Blousen Dress in Gold

Virgo's Lounge
Nicola Dress in Mustard

Badgley Mischka via Rent the Runway
Rosalind Peplum Gown in Black
(Retail $695, Rent $135)

There are a thousand ways you could go with bridesmaids dresses so figure out your main colors and go from there. Be creative, let loose, and have some fun! 

xoxo.