I couldn’t be happier with how handsome the men looked with their colorful hand-sewn bowties and suspenders. I was a teensy bit nervous that the look of suspenders and bowties wouldn’t pull together in the end, but it fit our colorful and quirky wedding perfectly.

And my lovely ladies looked lovelier than ever in their custom-made dresses! Whew, those dresses were a nightmare and a half, but they’re still rockin’ them.

Wondering who’s who of the ladies? From left to right we have Bridesmaid T (whom I originally met in high school through our boyfriend’s- she married him, too, aww), MOH Bunting (whom has been my bestie since grade school), myself, Bridesmaid Dr. M (who is now my sister-in-law!), and Bridesmaid L (whom I quickly befriended in freshman year of college and who also married one of our highschool friends).

From left to right, these dapper young men are Groomsmen A (a long-time highschool friend who is now married to Bridesmaid L), Bestman Bunting (Mr. Bunting’s brother), a very handsome Mr. Bunting, Groomsmen N (long-time highschool friend, brother to Groomsmen A, and married to Bridesmaid T), Groomsmen J (twin brother of Groomsmen N and brother of Groomsmen A), and Brother Bunting (my brother and now husband of Bridesmaid Dr. M).

If you couldn’t follow any of that, essentially our entire wedding party is either related or married to one another (but not both at the same time, haha).

We’re just one big happy Bunting Bunch!

At the last minute we decided to swap and get a photo of Mr. Bunting with the bridesmaids and me with the groomsmen. I’m so glad we did, because I love how relaxed everyone looks in these two photos. His friends are my friends and my friends are his friends (three of my ladies are married to three of the groomsmen) so it felt natural to have these.

Once the wedding party photos were done, we headed back to the pavilion building to prepare for the family portraits. Being the ever-perfectionist I am, I had to pause for a moment and adjust Daddy Bunting’s boutonniere.

And then we were off again for more photos!

*All photos, unless stated otherwise, copyright Bryan and Mae Photography.

Follow the adventure:

• We had a fluffing party and rehearsed.
• I woke up and got ready with my girls.
• I step into the prettiest white dress I’ll ever wear.
• Mr. Bunting recounts getting ready at the Man Cave.
• Wishin’ and prayin’ and hopin’  and thinkin’ for perfect weather.
• I received the most important Post-It Note. Ever.
• We race toward one another for our first look.
• Mushy-lovey photos ensued shortly after.

Okay, we may not be getting into photos of the full ensemble quite yet, but only because I don’t want to gloss over The Dress. Here, let me give you a glimpse of the back-story since I haven’t shared any dress shopping experiences…

I fell in love with my dress as soon as I tried it on off the rack at some little boutique in some little Polish region of the not-so-little city of Chicago. I can’t even tell you who the designer is, not because I’m trying to be secretive again, but because I honestly don’t know. The bridal boutique I bought it from told me it was designed exclusively for their collection but she couldn’t even look up who that happened to be. That always seemed fishy to me (what salon doesn’t keep record of the designer of each dress?) but I could care less because I love it so much. I only regret not being able to share the designer with you because the quality is SUPERB. Seriously, this dress could have been priced much higher than it was because the quality and workmanship of the lace and beading is fabulous. Bravo, mysterious designer and manufacturer, bravo.

The only thing I didn’t like about the dress was the straight neckline. The boutique owner thought I might be able to find someone to alter it back in Michigan since I wasn’t going to be travelling back to Chicago for any other alterations. When I got it home safely (on the train!), I asked around but was told ‘no’ and ‘no’. No one wanted to mess with the intricate lace and beading overlay.

the original straight neckline was too high and a bit unflattering / personal photo

But I knew there had to be someone who was both willing and knowledgeable. I know nothing about sewing and dress altering, but my gut told me that it could be done. Sure enough, we found a freelance seamstress through word of mouth who had years of experience in a professional bridal salon. She told me it would be easy to transform the straight neckline into a sweetheart neckline, and guessed that I had been told otherwise because I hadn’t bought the dress from those particular salons. Hallelujah! After she worked her magic, there was absolutely nothing I didn’t love about my dress.

Because I had bought it off the rack, I had it stowed away safely for months leading up to the big day. I found myself feeling sorry for brides who ordered their dresses, because here I could sneak away and catch a glimpse or even try it on whereas other brides had to wait…. and wait… and wait until their dress came in. It’s not surprising that some women don’t even recognize their dress by that time since they’ve had so long to imagine and re-imagine what it looked like. Memories can become warped over time, but I never once had doubts or built up too-great-of-an-expectation for my dress because all I had to do was take a peek and fall in love all over again.

I’m totally smitten with my wedding dress. Honestly, I want to marry Mr. Bunting again because I want to wear it again. But I digress. Back to the wedding day, shall we?

Pulling that gown on was like magic all over again. Except this time it wasn’t just to gawk and giggle at myself in a mirror while the seamstress measured the hem, or to test out a few necklaces to see which looked best. This time was real. This time, I would be able to show it to everyone and anyone, and this time, I would finally be able to share it with Mr. Bunting. I absolutely could not wait to show Mr. Bunting my wedding dress. I knew he would love it and would agree that it suited my personality perfectly, but I still couldn’t wait to see his reaction.

MOH Bunting helped secure me in. Don’t you just love how the accent walls of the room coordinate with our color scheme? I swear it was pure coincidence.

I’m really excited at this point, but somehow manage to keep myself somewhat contained and still. Inside, though, I am dancing all over the place.

…I step into my lovely, lovely shoes…

…and I am a BRIDE! Mother Bunting looks on in full approval.

We’re just about ready to go meet up with our second photographer, Bryan, and Mr. Bunting for our first look portraits. A quick re-application of lipstick, and this bride is on her way to go meet her groom.

*All photos, unless stated otherwise, copyright Bryan and Mae Photography.

Follow the adventure:

1. We had a fluffing party and rehearsed.

2. I woke up and got ready with my girls.

So we strolled on in, and this is what followed:

Clerk: Hello! May I help you with something?

Mr. Bunting: Yes, I got a call today that my ring was in.

Me: Wait. What?

Mr. Bunting simply nods.

Me: Wait. Really? Like for serious? They called you? (I think he’s lying just to get the clerk to check, which is a very odd way to have them check)

Mr. Star Wars: Yep.

Me: You didn’t tell me that!

Mr. Bunting: Surprise!

The clerk is handing over the ring at this point.

Me: Yaaaaaaay!

Aww, he wanted to surprise me! No wonder why he was keen on going to the mall  (Mr. Bunting and shopping are not really friends).

personal photo

Peeking into the box…

personal photo

Oooo…. shiny! Now how about a close-up.

personal photo

I would say that I’m still more excited about his ring than he is, but that would be a complete lie. He’s already tried telling me he’s going to start wearing it. Haha. No. And then he changed his method and tried pleading with me to wear it. I told him he can’t wear an unblessed un-wedded wedding ring. (Yeah, he tried to bless it himself after that.) I may have to hide it from him.

We both love the way it looks on his hand, and are so very pleased with the purchase. Even better – it fits perfectly! Of course it should, but Mr. Bunting’s ring finger is in between sizes and we weren’t quite sure which one to go with. The ring is SK cobalt, which cannot be re-sized, so a .75 or .25 instead of .5 size wasn’t possible. It looks like we made the right size choice, though!

personal photo

It’s masculine, simple, and very very hawt. And in case you’re wondering about the title of this post, the cobalt line is called “Armor Cobalt”, which is also engraved on the inside. Unfortunately the cobalt material is too hard for engraving without a high pricetag, so that’s all that it will say. Still kinda neat, though. His wedding band will be his “armor”. Hee, we’re such geeks.

What sort of ring did your partner get?

image via Male Pattern Boldness

Ha, there’s no way a good sewing machine is the only thing you need for success. You can hand me the best sewing machine there is and I wouldn’t know what to do with it. This seamstress, on the other hand….

She had worked in a prestigious bridal gallery for a number of years but then left when she got tired of them mistreating (and ripping off) their customers. Word of mouth travels well, however, and many of her satisfied bridal clients passed on her name. Long story short, she stays busy with freelance wedding work right out of her home. Mother Bunting and I initially visited her to see if she could alter my dress (the details of which are for another post) and soon discovered that she was not only altering wedding gowns, but making bridesmaid dresses.

That got my little thinking gears churning. I wasn’t fond of the stiff taffeta look of many bridesmaid lines, and most of the dresses are so expensive that I’d feel guilty for making my bridesmaids buy them. Kinda silly, I know, but true. But here was this woman with years of professional experience, making high-quality bridesmaid dresses for next to nothing. I thought surely there must be a catch – the prices were too good to be true. There wasn’t a catch. She works full-time as an accountant so the money isn’t important. Her sewing is her creative outlet and she loves doing it, so to her this is a relaxing hobby.

I admit I had some initial hesitation about having a seamstress make the bridesmaid dresses, but after having Grandmother Buntings inspect and approve the pieces she was working on (they’re so much more knowledgeable when it comes to seam quality and things than I am), we decided that this was a great opportunity to get bridesmaid dresses that are custom-tailored, made of the fabric and color of my choosing, and in the style of our choosing – all on a budget. It opened up a lot of freedom, let me tell you. I’d show her photos of nearly anything, and she would say, “Yeah, we can do that!” I like this yes woman.

our colors for the four bridesmaids

Our first step was to start looking for fabric in the right colors. Hooooooo boy. I must have picked the world’s rarest colors, because this was NOT an easy-peasy task. We’d find some fabric in the perfect shade of peach, but it was too stiff and heavy. We’d find some flowy chiffon in blue, but it was too “baby blue” and not enough “aqua”. I was unwilling to budge, because I’m stubborn like that when it comes to color.

After months of waiting for the fabric suppliers to come out with their spring colors, we finally found some in the PERFECT shades of aqua, peach, and yellow. Annnnnnnnd I still don’t know if I’m happy with it. But before you judge, let me explain! The fabric is a light-midweight satin. Not heavy, but also not as flowing as silk or chiffon. I’m afraid that it might still be too stiff for what we have planned.  You see, I asked my girls to pick out their own dress style of the flowy variety, and here’s what they chose (just imagine them in our colors):

image via Val Stefani / style 9118

image via Val Stefani / style 8881

image via Watters / style 7341

image via Watter Wtoo / style 7341

Pretty, right? Pretty flowy, right? Yeah, that’s because these are all made with chiffon. I’m afraid that if we try to make a flowy dress with a lot of ruching using the satin we found, we’ll end up with a hot poofy mess. I discussed these concerns with my seamstress, and she believes that the satin fabric we have is light enough to avoid any bulging poofs, but it definitely wouldn’t be as flowing and light as chiffon. Well then. What do I decide? To continue the search for chiffon in the perfect colors! With a month and a week before our wedding, I’m crazy, right? Because while measurements have been taken and patterns have been selected, the fabric has not even been cut at this point. I’m glad I wasn’t here at the ‘Bee yet so anyone could tell me how crazy I was not too long ago, because then I would have realized how close we’re cutting it and a freak-out would ensue.

Since then, I had a meeting with my seamstress scheduled to look at the new chiffon samples she ordered. I was rather bummed to receive an e-mail from her later that day saying the colors of the chiffon were way off. Game over for chiffon, I guess.  Super sad, I know, but we just don’t have the time anymore. Well, we’ll just have to deal and make slightly less flowy dresses.

Are you having your bridesmaids dresses made or are you ordering them? Have you had as much of a difficult time finding the right fabric in the right color as I have?

In the beginning, I had told Mr. Bunting that he could choose what he and the groomsmen wanted to wear aside from a tux (unless he reaaaally wanted them). If they wanted to wear suit jackets, they could wear suit jackets. If they didn’t want to (and I was secretly hoping they wouldn’t), then they wouldn’t have to. Of course they didn’t want to wear jackets for an outdoor June wedding, so it was a win-win situation!

I stayed true to my decision of putting Mr. Bunting in charge for the groomsmen. I let him mull it over. He mulled it over a lot (or perhaps too little). I casually reminded him that we needed to start making decisions for their attire. He mulled it over some more. I began to wonder if he really was thinking about it, or if he even cared, so I started probing him more for ideas and answers. I thought maybe if I showed him some ideas, he’d find something he liked. So I started focusing my google and blog searches on groomsmen attire.

Haha, that’s when it all changed.

I found images that I fell in love with. I showed them to Mr. Bunting.

Let me pause for just a moment to give a warning. Ladies, don’t ever go out of your way to show your partner images of styles you don’t like or styles that just won’t work. There is a very high chance that your partner will take one look, point at that very image, and say, “I like that one!” And that’s exactly what Mr. Bunting did.

I didn’t show him any images that I didn’t like, but I did make the mistake of showing him an image that, while so very cool and awesome, simply did not mesh with the rest of our wedding. It was this one:

image via Ruffled / photo by Magic Memory Works Photography

And Mr. Bunting loved it. Le sigh. MOH Bunting and I had to explain to him that it just wouldn’t work with our color scheme or the rest of the wedding’s tone, so I tried to distract him with these:

image via Inspired By This / photo by Aaron Shintaku

image via Pretty Chicky / photo by Dana Grant

image via The Bride With A Blog / photo by Bloom Photography

image via Forage Bow Ties

So much for my vow to let Mr. Bunting pick the style! I was in love, and it was with bow ties and suspenders (and Mr. Bunting of course). Now before you judge, Mr. Bunting still had some opinions that I was more than happy to oblige, like no tan or khaki colors.

We had the guys purchase heather grey pants from Jos. A. Banks, and I found coordinating fabrics in colorful seersuckers and cottons for my seamstress to fashion the bow ties out of.  I love the mismatched bow tie look, so each groomsmen will have a different fabric.

We left it up to the guys to buy or find a white shirt and black dress shoes, and Mr. Bunting and I scoured the mall for the suspenders. Kohls had the best selection, and after an hour or so of Mother Bunting, the cashier, and I trying to figure out the best method to get the best deal with all our coupons, we left with 12 suspenders. Okay, okay, I couldn’t decide which style I liked best in the store, so we bought enough of two different types. After seeing them with the pants and a white shirt, this is the one we decided to keep:

Mother Bunting is amazing with coupons, so after the current Buy 1 Get 1 50% off deal and her coupon skills, we got these Dockers suspenders for about $11 each.

I’m not sure if Mr. Bunting loved the idea of suspenders and bow ties initially, but after actually seeing some of the things come together in person he’s completely on board. I know he wouldn’t agree to them if he didn’t like them at all, so again, it’s a win-win! Besides, Mr. Bunting’s outfit is different than the groomsmen and one he really loves, but that’s for another post.

What are you dressing the boys in? Did your partner have a strong opinion or preference, or did he go with the flow like Mr. Bunting ended up doing?

What bandwagon will I be riding these evening? Hair flowers and fascinators, of course!

image via Long Wedding Hair Online

image via Etsy

I think they add a perfect touch of romance and femininity to any bride, and they’d be just beautiful for outdoor ceremonies. There are so many colors and variations out there that it’s easy to find one that fits your personality and style like a glove (without looking like everyone else’s). Okay, maybe it’s not easy but only for the fact that there are SO MANY TO CHOOSE FROM. I can’t help but feel like Eric Foreman from That 70′s Show, only substitute the panties for hair flowers.

image via Free to Hide / clip from That 70′s Show

FLOWERS!

GLORIOUS

FLOWERS!

I was unable to pick just one, so I selected my favorite flower-making Etsy seller to ask if she wouldn’t mind making a custom bloom to combine all my favorite elements. Starting with one of her standard double-bloom pieces as a base, I worked with Tania (who is such a lovely lady) from Percyhandmade until we came up with a flower that incorporated everything I could ever dream of having in a hair flower. While it’s still over in Australia, the photos Tania sent have me drooling in anticipation.

photo courtesy of Percy Handmade

photo courtesy of Percy Handmade

It’s blossoming (oh no she didn’t) with visual textures, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. The petals are made from very soft satin and lace in pink champagne and ivory, and the little ivory blossom even has some pink pearls in the center. Isn’t it just lovely? I think it will compliment the style of my dress just perfectly. Now bring on those hair trials so I can see it in action! Oh, wait, I need to wait for it to get here first, don’t I?

Are you jumping on the bandwagon for a trend you simply just love? Could it be for the silky hair fascinator, too?

image via endless.com

They are cute. They are comfy (as comfy as I’ll ever be in heels). They fit. They are light seafoam green-aqua (and a bit more colorful in person). They are perfect. There’s just one problem.

What?! How can there be a problem if they’re perfect, you ask? Well, you see, I was not looking for a heel that high. I was focusing on flats or teeny tiny kitten heels, because….. Mr. Bunting is the same height as me. And with heels, I’ll be taller than him. This personally doesn’t bother me, but Mr. Bunting doesn’t really want to look shorter than me on our wedding day. I can understand this, and I reeeeally tried to find flats that would work, but these are just. so. perfect!

Still, I was a little reserved with emotionally committing to them because my mind kept going back to poor Mr. Bunting…. until I tried them on with my dress. And they were perfect all over again.

I keep telling everyone that Mr. Bunting is just going to have to wear platform shoes. He only thinks I’m kidding, harhar. Okay, maybe I am kidding a bit, but we’ll probably end up getting him shoes that have a bit of a bootheel so the difference won’t be too drastic.

Is anyone else facing this problem of tall bride vs. short groom on the wedding day? Or maybe vice-versa? What is your solution?

You see, I’m one of those girls with weird feet. Not like six toes weird or anything, but I do have:

• a.) larger feet (it comes with being tall)
• b.) wide feet
• c.) a true half size
• d.) unusually knobby bone bits

Combine these things and you’re very limited to what shoes you can wear. I am a 10.5 size, and unfortunately a lot of brands stop the half-sizes at 9.5. That means that 10s are usually a bit too small, and 11s are usually a bit too big. If I do find a shoe that fits length-wise, my next obstacle is the width. My feet are a bit wider, and it only makes matters worse that the bones on the main joint below my big toe are very knobby. They aren’t bunions, but they may as well be mild ones with they way they stick out.  So all those cute flats that are EVERYWHERE? Take note of where the opening fall across your foot. Yep. Right over that knobby joint of the inner foot. There’s also a nerve that goes across that region, so if the fit is tight against a wider or knobbier foot, it compresses against that nerve and your big toe will actually start to go numb. So not good.

As you can imagine, shoe shopping is very hard for me. Most shoes are too big or too small, if they even come in a larger size to begin with, and then are too narrow or tight across that nerve. I never have much luck at our stores.

BUT! I have found hope! You may or may not know of it already, but on the off chance that you don’t, there is a new obsession of mine:

Endless.com

Hundreds of shoes. Of all shapes, styles, and colors. Including larger half sizes. But the best part? Free shipping, free return shipping, and returns are accepted up to 365 days since the purchase (as long as they’re still in the same condition as when received). Ladies. This is amazing. This is the mecca of shoe havens. I am so hooked.

image via endless.com

I have already gone through several orders on my quest to find comfortable shoes I like, and this Bunting is definitely liking.

image via endless.com

image via endless.com

image via endless.com

image via endless.com

All of these shoes rock, but they just weren’t meant to be for my wedding so the search is on.

Does anyone else have a favorite secret or not-so-secret source for their shoe fix? Is anyone else dealing with problem feet?