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Author Archives: Jenn
Wedding Wednesday: 3 Tips for Picking The Perfect Wedding Gown
Happy Wedding Wednesday everyone, I can’t believe we are only two weeks shy of getting married in New Orleans. Our garden glam design plan and all of the little details are coming together beautifully thanks to my amazing planner, Elyse Jennings. I wish I could share more of the design details with you, but since I don’t want to ruin the surprise, I thought I would share my wedding gown shopping tips with you instead. I had my final wedding dress fitting today so I can’t think of a more “fitting” time to share my dress shopping experience at Town & Country Bridal with you along with my top 3 tips for picking out the perfect wedding gown.
- Don’t go in blind! To ensure a better shopping experience, have somewhat of a plan. Scroll through all of your favorite wedding Instagram accounts and Pinterest to put together photos of styles and designers you can see yourself wearing. BUT, don’t be afraid to try on styles you think you won’t like in addition to your mood board. I think you might be surprised at how different wedding dresses look once you put them on your own body. I was shocked at what I ended up liking on myself, but I’m glad that I didn’t go in blind either. I gave the ladies at Town & Country Bridal a list of styles I was interested in along with some photos for reference and of course my budget. Knowing they were experts when it comes to gowns, I asked them to also pull me a couple of dresses they thought would look good on my body type. They did a fantastic job and I ended up choosing one style that I specifically had in mind for Cabo and then one that they suggested for me.
2. Be physically prepared! This might go without saying, but look nice for your appointment. Wear a little bit of extra makeup and maybe even curl your hair. It’s hard to imagine yourself in a wedding dress on your wedding day without any makeup on. Also, bring heels and the appropriate undergarments like seamless underwear, sticky boobs or a strapless bra. Lastly, it doesn’t hurt to hit the gym a few times before your appointment to help guarantee a little extra confidence! Don’t be nervous though! The ladies at Town & Country Bridal were full of genuinely uplifting compliments.
Bonus Tip: I know this may sound a little over the top, but if you know you’re getting engaged soon, I don’t think it hurts to start looking at dresses early. Just maybe don’t tell your future fiancé about it to avoid them freaking out. LOL This way you’ll be prepared in knowing what you like and how much your dress will cost. This is especially important if you want a short engagement because as I mentioned before, most dresses take up to six months so you don’t have much time play around if you have a short engagement.
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Charleston Wedding Week Recap
Happy Monday everyone, I hope you all had a nice weekend. As promised, today I’m sharing my Charleston Wedding Week recap with you. Let me start by saying that Charleston was among my top five places to travel to in 2017 so I immediately jumped at the opportunity to visit when I learned about Charleston Wedding Week especially since I’m currently engaged. I was lucky enough to attend some of the fabulous events as Diamonds Direct’s guest.
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Outfit: Velvet Skirt (also available here) — wearing sz S | Built-in choker tank — wearing sz XS | Ankle Strap Heels (similar here & here) | Chloe Small Nile Bracelet Bag
Upon arriving, we checked into the beautiful Belmond hotel right in the center of historic district, which is right where you want to be when it comes to dining and shopping!
We kicked off the week with an adorable dog wedding at Diamonds Direct in honor of the Charleston Animal Society benefiting some sweet dogs for adoption. After the event, I couldn’t stop myself from trying on all of the diamond wedding bands and even some stunning engagement rings just for fun. Don’t worry! I still love my engagement ring, but there is no shame in playing a little dress up with luxurious diamonds especially since Diamonds Direct offers such a wide variety of options.
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Outfit: Velvet Wrap Dress — wearing sz S | Ankle Strap Heels (similar here & here) | Chloe Small Nile Bracelet Bag | Rose Gold Bracelet Stack & Misty Hinge Cuff c/o Kendra Scott
On day 2 of Charleston Wedding Week, we got to experience a real live bridal show at Cannon Green featuring all of Charleston’s top bridal boutiques like Lovely,Verità and just to name a few. I must admit, I wish I had done something like this before buying my own wedding dresses. It really helps to give you an idea of how the gown looks in action. If you’re currently engaged or know you’re getting engaged soon, I highly recommend attending a bridal show. If you know you have the time, definitely look into tickets for Charleston Wedding Week next year! Take a look at 2018 schedule here to check out all of the events you’d be interested in attending.
I’m obsessed with the off-the-shoulder detail and dramatic slit.
This gown is perfect the daring bride planning an edgy destination wedding.
The plunging neckline and completely open back left everyone drooling after seeing this gown including me!
My favorite event from Charleston Wedding Week was listening to the Publishing Tips From The Pros panel. We got to hear decision-making editorial experts like the executive director for “Brides” and the editor-at-large from Martha Stewart Weddings share their advice for crafting the submissions perfect for their publications. They even allowed us to ask individual questions to the speakers. I recommend getting tickets to this event if you’re a blogger, event planner, florist, photographer or designer. I learned so much from the amazing panel of speakers and plan to use the tips for getting my own wedding featured.
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Outfit: Grlfrnd Jeans — wearing sz 27 (I normally wear a sz 26, but had to size up in these) | Similar Camel Cardigan here & here | Black Strappy tank — wearing sz S | Gucci Dionysus Bag
Charleston Recommendations:
Start your morning at:
If you’re staying at the Belmond Hotel on a club level, just hop on up to the 8th floor for complementary coffee and breakfast. We dined there every morning during our stay and enjoyed fresh fruit, pastries, hot breakfast and coffee of course.
Caviar & Bananas George Street
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Outfit: Grlfrnd Jeans — wearing sz 27 (I normally wear a sz 26, but had to size up in these) | Tie Front Shirt | Leopard Print heels (also available here) | Chloe Small Nile Bracelet Bag
Where to dine in Charleston:
Poogan’s Porch | Be sure to order the pimento cheese fritters as an appetizer and a side of the mac & cheese! It’s heavenly! Almost as heavenly as their fried chicken sandwich and fried chicken and waffles.
Husk Bar | If you’re on the hunt for the best burger in town, look no further than Husk! They serve the burger at their main restaurant during lunch, but if you’re looking for a late night bite, make sure to head over to their bar next door.
Xiao Bao Biscuit | I’ve one word you…SPICY! If you love spicy asian fusion with southern food, this is your go-to joint!
Paw Paw Restaurant | Their CAST IRON POTATO GNOCCHI is delightful especially with a side of truffle fries!
| Shop This Look |
Outfit: BP Stretch Jeans | Crew Neck Sweater | Faux Shearling Jacket | Jenni Saddle Bag (Designed by Haute Off The Rack in collaboration with Gigi New York)
Raw 167 | Do yourself a favor and order the Crispy oysters! Trust me, you won’t regret it!
The Watch Rooftop Kitchen at The Restoration Hotel | This restaurant definitely sits right around the top of my food list because their BLT, shrimp rolls and house-made chips were absolutely delicious! In fact, I haven’t stopped thinking about my meal there because it was that good! Plus you get the best rooftop view while you eat!
Don’t forget to check out my full Charleston Travel Review here!
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Outfit: Exact Leopard Print Coat— sold out (similar here & here) | Velvet Lace Trim Tank (similar here) | Black Jeans | YSL Handbag (similar here)
| Shop This Look |
Outfit: BP Stretch Jeans | Strappy tank — wearing sz S | Cardigan | Jenni Saddle Bag (Designed by Haute Off The Rack in collaboration with Gigi New York)
This post is in partnership with Charleston Wedding Week & Diamonds Direct, a brand I love. All opinions and selections here are my own. Thank you for supporting the affiliate posts who make this blog possible.
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Wedding Wednesday: Affordable Bridal Accessories
Hey everyone and Happy Wedding Wednesday! Today I’m talking about why I went to David’s Bridal for affordable bridal accessories. First of all, we all know that weddings can cost a fortune especially when you’re planning two. Just to give you a little backstory, I’m planning one small intimate ceremony in New Orleans this February and then a big wedding and reception in Cabo on March 17, 2018. I’ve always wanted to get married in Cabo. That was always our dream, but when my dad was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis this past year and his disease progressed, I realized that I needed to plan something special for him at home to make him feel included and apart of my wedding. After all, he is the one who should be walking me down the aisle. Fortunately, with the help of so many amazing people, I was able to plan the most beautiful ceremony in New Orleans next month.
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Now that you know a little more about my story, let’s get back to my David’s Bridal experience. Since I had already invested so much into my two celebrations, I decided to make an appointment at David’s Bridal to hopefully find some budget friendly accessories for my special day(s). When I arrived, the sweetest ladies greeted me and began pulling accessory options for me and each sales associate that passed by was super friendly and offered to help too. I ended up finding the perfect tulle cathedral veil, a gorgeous rose gold belt that can also be worn as head piece and some nude inserts for the bust of my dress all under $200, which basically like $5 when it comes to wedding money!
If you’re currently planning a wedding too, I highly recommend popping into David’s Bridal for your wedding accessories like veils, shoes belts, head pieces or even fun gifts for your bridal party.
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This post is in partnership with David’s Bridal, a brand I love. All opinions and selections here are my own. Thank you for supporting the affiliate posts who make this blog possible.
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Wedding Wednesday: Custom Save The Date Cards
Hi everyone and Happy Wedding Wednesday! Today I’m sharing the details on our custom save the date cards that I created on Minted and I can’t think of a more perfect time to share them with you since today makes exactly two months until our wedding date in Cabo on March 17, 2018. On top of that, to cerebrate your engagement, Minted is offering 25% OFF save the dates until Friday 1/19 with code: ENGAGED
Oh and you just might be getting an exclusive first look at my wedding bands, which we just picked up from Lee Michaels this week. I of course had to try them on to double check the fit and show you!
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When it comes to save the dates, it is best to give your guests six to eight months notice before the wedding especially if it’s a destination wedding like mine. We didn’t send our save the date cards out during that six to eight month period, but we made sure to communicate all of the travel information and wedding details to each of our guests via email as well as over the phone. However, we still wanted to send out save the dates to formally notify our guests. Plus if it’s not on the refrigerator, is it even really happening? LOL
What information do save the dates need to include?
- the couple’s names
- wedding date (If multiple days are involved due to a destination ceremony, you can choose to include those dates on the card or direct them to your wedding website for details.)
- location (doesn’t need to include the name of the venue— a city will do)
- Notice for a formal invitation to follow or the wedding website, which I highly suggest if you’re doing a destination wedding. It’s the best and most efficient way to keep your guests updated and informed. Plus Minted offers a complimentary site with your Save the Date purchase! You can check out mine here—> www.hauteoffthemarket.minted.us
Minted offers so many beautiful save the date options that it took me forever to decide which design to go with. I ended up choosing a simple gold foil-pressed design so that our photo could take up the full space of the front of the card. I also chose gold foil detail on the inside of the envelope to really make the foil-pressed design pop upon opening. As for the back of my save the date cards, I included more photos along with sweet moments of our relationship and our wedding website information. If you’re interested in creating custom save the date cards with Minted, you’ll be happy to know that they are offering 25% OFF save the dates until Friday 1/19 with code: ENGAGED
Lastly, I cannot stress to you enough how helpful wedding websites are when it comes to destination weddings. It has been a life saver for us because we have so many events planned for the weekend. You can even create a custom URL like I did with our wedding hashtag #hauteoffthemarket!
Check out the full post from Save the Date shoot in New York here—> Chic & Cozy His & Hers Outfits
Here’s a peek at the photos we took during our recent wedding planning trip at The Cape Hotel in Cabo.
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This post is in partnership with Minted, a brand I love. All opinions and selections here are my own. Thank you for supporting the affiliate posts who make this blog possible.
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