The Attic: It's All in the Details (Part 1)

Getting Ready for the Big Day!

As I told you before, my wedding day was magical. It was everything I hoped, dreamed and planned; however, it would have not been so absolutely wonderful, if it were not for the hard work of my family and friends. (I would list all of their names, but suffice to say, that would take up most of the post.) In honor of their hard work, I thought I'd showcase some of the marvelous details.

If you are dreaming of or planning a wedding, or you know someone who is, perhaps these suggestions and ideas can help.

We'll start where every girl wants to start: the dress.

My dress is a Matthew Christopher gown named "Poppy." Matthew Christopher designs beautiful gowns- the construction is perfect, and the details are lovely. And he sews "The greatest of these is Love" into every single one of his gowns. He knows. It's all in the details.

I got my dress from Stardust Celebrations in Plano, Texas. At first, I was thrown by the name, but let me tell you, it is a beautiful salon. They have a wide selection of couture gowns, and the staff is extremely helpful. If you are looking for a dress, you should check it out!

When I was dress shopping, I had lots of ideas of what I wanted, but there was one thing I was sure about: I wanted to find a dress to match my mother's veil. My grandmother made this veil for my mom and hand sewed all of the lace. It is breathtakingly beautiful, and it made me feel like royalty. Lindsey wore it for her wedding too. It was both of our "something old."

When it came to accessories, I went the light and delicate route. I love pretty things, but I do not love wearing lots of accessories. I appreciate them on other people, but it's just not me! And on your wedding day, you want to stay true to your own style.

My belt was also from Stardust Celebrations. I tried on a lot of belts. Some wide, some skinny, some colored ribbon and some sparkly. I ended up going with an ivory ribbon (that matched my dress) that had a cluster of pearls in different shades set in a vintage setting. It was perfect. It didn't detract or distract from the dress, but it accentuated my waste. And I loved it! It fit my style perfectly.

Both my necklace and my earrings were from Ross Simons. My necklace was a simple strand of pearls. I loved it's simplicity and it matched the belt!

My earrings had little pearls on them to match the necklace and belt, as well as tiny baby blue crystal in the shape of leaves, which matched my shoes!

I got my shoes from BHLD. They were so lovely and exactly what I was looking for! I didn't want typical bridey looking shoes, but I didn't want crazy shoes either, I also didn't want sling backs, as they tend not to stay on my feet very well. The my most difficult criteria of my wedding shoes was that they needed to 3" and only 3" high. Because I'm on the taller side (5'7"), I couldn't buy taller shoes without ordering extra length for my dress. I didn't want to pay for the extra length, so I couldn't buy tall shoes! But those of you who know me, know that I really, really don't like kitten heels. Thankfully, BHLD had these lovely ivory and pale blue brocade beauties with a 3" heel! Perfection.

My sisters (my matrons of honor) helped me put them on.

But before we put on our dresses and shoes... we got ready in our oversized monogramed button downs! Part of the bridesmaids' gifts were pink overside button downs with their monogram in green. My button down was white, with my NEW monogram in pink. It is still one of my favorite shirts! I smile every time I wear it.

And of course, no bridal party could get ready without food! My mother's fabulous friends provided this wonderful spread- vegetables, fruit, and of course, Chick-fil-et chicken nuggets!

They also brought these cute cakeballs decorated with a "W" for Wielenga. So cute and tasty!

What I didn't realize, was that the bridal party was surreptitiously writing sweet messages on the plate! I got to take the plate home with me. As newlyweds, we don't have many serving pieces, so this was a welcomed addition! I baked the plate at 350 for 30 minutes to set the signatures.

Isn't that a fun idea?

For the finishing touches,

I put on my Chanel lipstick and lipgloss. Chanel makes every girl feel glamorous and on your wedding day, a little glamour is always a good idea! I also spritz Juicy Couture's Viva La Juicy. Typically, Juicy Couture is not really my style, but I could not resist the delicious warm vanilla scent! When I studied abroad in Spain, my roommate wore this perfume, and I fell in love. It was the perfect perfume for my wedding and honeymoon scent! Now, every time I wear, it brings Jon and I back to that wonderful week.

Before Jon and I had our First Look, (which by the way, I totally recommend. We had an evening wedding, so by having a First Look and taking a lot of our pictures beforehand, the ceremony flowed right into the reception and the guests didn't have that awkward lag time. It also allowed Jon and I to have a moment alone, which is hard to get on your wedding day.) I had a chance to pray with parents and my wedding party. It was so calming and it definitely started the day off on the right foot.

...I did almost cry when I was praying with my Dad though. Gosh. I love him!

Praying with my mother was so sweet. She is such a wise woman. I am so glad she's my mother! (And doesn't her hair and dress look AMAZING? She got her dress at Saks, by the way. It was perfectly beautiful and classy.)

Praying with my bridal party was so meaningful. These girls have been with me through all of life's major and minor events. I'm incredibly thankful that I got to share this day with them too.