Wedding Dress Shopping

I remember when Kris and I set a date for our wedding like it was yesterday. We decided in February that we were going to get married in May, exactly one year after he proposed. As soon as we picked the date, I set up an appointment to try on wedding dresses.

I made my appointment at David's Bridal and had an absolutely wonderful experience! I remember being a little overwhelmed because the store seemed so crowded. My consultant explained to me that February is a very busy time for them because many people get engaged around Valentines Day. So, because Valentines Day is upon us, I thought I'd share some tips that I had about wedding dress shopping!

I absolutely love weddings! I'm obsessed with anything and everything wedding-related. But not in the way that most girls that I know are. My friends have been dreaming about their wedding days since they were about six years old. I was never that girl. I was more focused on the fairy-tale romance that I wanted. I always knew that I'd figure out the wedding details when the time came. Plus, I'm too frugal to dream about a fancy wedding. But I have always been addicted to wedding shows, especially Say Yes to the Dress and Four Weddings. I love seeing how creative people get and just how much they can come up with. And of course, my favorite part of weddings has always been seeing the beautiful brides in their wedding dresses. So, I was very excited but hopelessly nervous the day that I picked it out. If you're a bride-to-be, you may be experiencing some of the same things that I did. I really hope that this helps you.

1. Don't be afraid to try on different styles- I'm a very short person, so I figured that a ball gown would swallow me up. I didn't even bother trying one on, even just for the fun of it. I went into David's Bridal with the sole purpose of buying a trumpet or mermaid gown. I figured that it would accentuate my curves and give me just the right amount of personality at the bottom. I only tried on those styles of dresses and it did work in my favor. But part of me wishes that I had at least tried some others on and kept an open mind. Wedding dress shopping is something that you're only going to do once. Have fun with it. Make the most of it. This is one of the most fun parts of the planning process.

2. It's okay to like everything but you'll know when it's 'the one'.- Liking multiple dresses was one of the few problems that I had. I remember thinking, "What am I gonna do? How am I gonna pick one? I don't have time to love everything! My wedding is in three months!" But I had to take a step back and realize that the gowns are supposed to make me feel beautiful and it's okay to feel beautiful in more than one gown. I made my decision when I realized that I found a gown that made me feel more beautiful and confident than the others. That gown was 'the one' as soon as I put it on. I instantly forgot all about the other dresses.

3. It's okay to speak your mind- I vividly remember the third dress that I tried on. I liked it. I didn't love it. But my mother did. She absolutely loved it. I remember staring at myself in the mirror, trying to make myself love it because she did. But she looked at me and said that she could tell by my facial expression that I didn't love it. I told her the truth and without hesitation she said, "Okay then, onto the next one!" She didn't care that I didn't love the dress. She just wanted me to love whatever I ended up picking out. That really meant a lot. I ended up buying the next dress that I tried on. I told the consultant that I wanted something more simple and she picked out the perfect dress. My mother loved this dress more than she loved the third dress. She even cried when I put the fourth one on (She didn't cry for the third one). Having her blessing on a dress that I chose meant the world to me. I would not have ended up with my dress had I not spoken my mind. It's your day, your wedding, your dress. Make it the most magical day of your life by getting what you want. Everything else will fall into place.

So those are just a few tips that I hope will enhance your dress shopping experiences! I can't explain just how much fun I had the day that I picked mine out. I ended up buying my dress at my first appointment and I love it now, almost two years later, as much as I did the day that I bought it. Enjoy your shopping! I hope that your weddings are everything that you want them to be!

-Chelsea

Wedding Wednesday! (Part 1)

Hello, everyone! I realized today that I have been married for 9 and a half months but have yet to do a recap! I can't believe that I've restrained myself for this long! So I've decided that today is the perfect day to do so! 

Kris proposed May 12th, 2012 and we planned on a long engagement. However, when he decided to join the service, that sped things up and we planned a wedding in less than 3 months! Needless to say, it was quite stressful! We got married on May 12th, 2013 (otherwise known as "Mother's Day"). That day was very sentimental to us and the best day of our lives.

I'm so excited that I finally get to share the details of this amazing day with all of you!

We had decided to get married at 5:30 p.m. at Veteran's Park, so for the entire day, I was a bundle of excitement. To be honest, I wasn't nervous at all. I just wanted to get the party started! So I went with my father to pick up the flowers and start decorating the reception venue. We had a very small affair of about 50 people, only close friends and family. Due to the short time frame and budget, most of our day was DIY.

A family friend did my hair and makeup and my mother and sister helped me get ready. I only had two people in my bridal party, my sister (Kelly) and Kris' little sister (Genna). When the time finally arrived, I was feeling beautiful, excited and nervous. We were having an outdoor ceremony and there was a horrible thunderstorm! We ended up having to move the wedding to the other side of the park because our original venue didn't have any cover. But nevertheless, the ceremony was still beautiful.

This was the first photograph that the photographer took that day, just before the ceremony.

The first one to walk was Genna. Thank goodness the rain stopped in time for them to walk!

Next was my sister Kelly, the Maid of Honor!

And of course, my father walked me down the aisle!

 Another family friend of ours was a notary, so we asked her to perform the ceremony. She did a flawless job, as expected!

After the ceremony, which was short and sweet, (just how I like it!) we took pictures with our immediate family/bridal party.

This is Kristopher's family: His step-father Ray, his mom Kim and of course, Genna. 

Kristopher's family is originally from Ohio and a few of his family members flew down for the occasion. Here with us is his Grandmother, Sharon and his cousin Sage, who was also the Best Man.

I'm so pleased with how the green and yellow color scheme worked out! In case anyone is wondering, the green is Clover and we got the dresses at David's Bridal! 

Then, of course, there's my family: My father Chris, (Yes, I married a man with the same name as my father.) my mother Michele and Kelly.

Everyone then made their way over to cocktail hour, which was held in the same area as our reception. Kristopher and I didn't want to have a traditional reception-type venue, nor did we have the money for it. So we decided to have our reception at a family friend's restaurant. (Do you see a theme here? A lot of family friends were involved in making my special day what it was!)

But Kris and I stayed behind to take more photos first!

Of course, these are not all of the pictures that we took; they're just a few of my favorites! If I put every photo we took on here, we'd be here all night! 

So then it was time for Kris and I to head over to the reception for our big introduction and Mr. and Mrs.!

That brings us to the end of Part 1! I'll have Part 2 up very soon! I hope you've enjoyed learning about mine and Kris' special day! 

Until next time!

-Chelsea