Offbeat bridal gowns

A part of me really wanted (and still sorta wants) a very unique and unusual wedding gown. I wanted to break tradition and go with a dress color other than white, a fabric other than satin, and a totally different look. I found a lot of dresses on various websites, but this one is definitely one of my favorites!!

Wai-Ching Clothing
http://www.wai-ching.com


I love Chrissy Wai-Ching's clothing line and style. It's a "wild but wearable line of clothing!" The dress has a very earthy feeling to it. To me, it resembles roots of a tree or plant climbing up the landscape of the body. Love, Love, LOVE it! Her style is to create dresses that flatter the figure. I just wish I had the right figure to wear this dress!! :-)

What dresses are your favorites????

Daily Inspirational Wedding Blog!

http://greenweddingshoes.blogspot.com/

Photo courtesy of Jen, author of the Green Wedding Shoes blog.

This new find is a "must-share!" I love the inspirational photos of real weddings! I could go through the blog archives for hours at a time! In fact, I did so this afternoon and neglected the work on my desk! :-)

Hope you enjoy Green Wedding Shoes as much as I do!

Green wedding article

Sorry for the blog hiatus, but we've had company in town and as always, work has been crazy. I've done a TON of online browsing for bridesmaid's dresses. After trying on some dresses I had originally liked, I started back at square one. It's much harder than I thought to try and find a financially-friendly, yet appealing dress style for 4 totally different women. But I think I've found a style that I like and the ladies can choose from strapless, halter or straps. I'm going to check it out on Saturday with my mom. Hopefully the colors work well with what I have in mind. I will post photos soon.

Here's a quick article about a real green wedding in Maryland.
Residents use websites to green weddings
I love reading the different ways each couple finds to make their special day "greener"! Also, check out Wedding Wire. It is featured in the article above, and seems to be getting great reviews!

STA World Travel Intership 2009

I need to give a shout-out to two amazing women! Renee and Shanae are applying for the STA World Traveler Internship for 2009. STA Travel will send 2 interns "to traverse the globe experiencing a number of travel adventures and showcasing their experiences daily via a journal/blog, video and podcasts. They will be responsible for describing everything they do and experience with the ultimate goal of inspiring other students and young people to become World Travelers!"

Click Here to see their video!

I think Renee and Shanae were very creative and clever with their submission! I love, love, LOVE the Mac vs. PC approach! Watch it. Rate it. Comment! Help them win! They are seriously the best team for this internship!!!!

Another wonderful DIY!

DO-IT-YOURSELF BRIDAL SHOES!
I found this creative DIY at Offbeatbride and have fallen in love with the idea! Click the link to read the full article:
http://offbeatbride.com/2009/03/diy-wedding-shoes


I hadn't given the topic of footwear much thought, except for the bridesmaids, but now I'm totally painting my own shoes! I don't have much luck finding COMFORTABLE shoes, let alone heels, so I'm giving a pair of my own shoes a bridal makeover!!! I am envisioning some body parts making an appearance somewhere! :-) That said, I have to link to this awesome pair of shoes that were featured on the Street Anatomy Blog


A pair of anatomical Keds available at www.zazzle.co.uk

I may have more DIY projects than I can complete before September! But I'd still like to hear more ideas from all of you!!!!

3 great websites I had to share!

1. Offbeat Bride http://offbeatbride.com/


Created by author Ariel, this blog is an ongoing celebration of couples who dare to walk off the beaten aisle. Posts feature non-traditional wedding styles, DIY projects and advice! I definitely got inspired to go "off the beaten path" with more of my wedding ideas!


2. Earth Friendly Wedding http://earthfriendlywedding.blogspot.com/


The official blog of EarthlyAffair. Includes great photos of eco-friendly weddings, favors, hair styles and more! Great resource for environmentally friendly ideas! Amazing list of green websites and blogs to help with ideas!


3. The Green Bride Guide http://earthfriendlywedding.blogspot.com/


Great stories of real green weddings, guides to planning your own green wedding and even green calculators! Figure out what your wedding's carbon footprint will be and offset it with carbon offsets from Brighter Planet!

Canning Jar centerpieces

Photo courtesy of Sweet Pea Gardens.

My mother and grandmother have always done a lot of canning and our basement is full of canning jars! I think they would be beautiful to use as vases for floral centerpieces at the reception! It's definitely reusing old jars that are now just sitting and collecting dust! Plus, it adds some personal history to the scene. And I'm not the first to think of this. I've found lots of photos using canning jars, mostly at outdoor weddings. It's simple, elegant and you don't have to buy a bunch of matching vases that you may never use again.

I'm also excited to have my mother in charge of the flowers. She is an amazing gardener with quite the eye for color! This way I know the flowers will be grown organically and locally. Nothing will have to be shipped anywhere. Once we get our wedding colors picked out, I will post some photos of the types of flowers that Mom will try to grow for us. Hopefully the weather cooperates!!