What could be more exciting than choosing a wedding dress? In true anti-bride fashion, Katharine probably would have preferred to stick needles under her fingernails than encounter a room of fluffy white gowns, but somehow last January she ended up at the famed bridal salon Kleinfeld with an entourage of 13 in tow (including a professional photographer!).
From Emily: I’m going to go ahead and start this post, because I’m pretty sure Katharine actually blacked out from the moment we stepped into Kleinfeld until the minute we were safely back on the sidewalk. I kid, I kid. But there was a reason I sent out a tweet from the cab speeding towards West 20th Street asking for a paper bag for someone to breathe into. And it wasn’t me.
From Katharine: Wedding dress shopping is tough. Wedding dress shopping with thirteen (yes – count ‘em – 13!) is something else entirely.
What started out as a father-daughter trip to the Big Apple quickly evolved into something much bigger – and better! With Dad and little sister/MOH, Bissy, all set for the trip north, we decided we couldn’t make the all-important dress selection without input from the experts. Enter Lara + Emily.
Our quiet little threesome quickly had grown to five. Add in Dad’s girlfriend, NYC actress Marie Marshall, Emily’s Randy Fenoli-crazed younger sister, our Florida-based assistant, Sandi, and suddenly we were planning an eight-man excursion to the magical Kleinfeld’s. But what’s an SW outing without a professional photographer to document our travels? (After all, if it doesn’t appear on the blog, it never actually happened, right?) With Jeff Holt and his trusty camera, we were nine strong.
With help from Lara’s good friend, Randy Fenoli, our consultant Debbie, and the unbelievably nice owners, Ronnie Rothstein and Mara Urshel, our band of shoppers had grown from three to thirteen… and we were ready!
Or so we thought.
Emily: Right, so somehow all 13 of us get into the back. Seriously, they had to clear out four dressing rooms for us. Randy appeared in our midst, and the crowd parted as he made his way to Katharine. Y’all, he is fabulous. Side note: can we pause for a moment and take a look at my sister in the top right photo below? Kim just might be the world’s biggest “Say Yes to the Dress” fan, and I’m pretty sure she also blacked out for the entirety of our visit to Kleinfeld, but for an entirely different reason than Katharine.
Katharine had brought along some print outs of dresses she liked from the Kleinfeld website. She was a bit worried that with so many people her preferences might get drowned out, so I took notes beforehand on my iPhone for handy reference in case things got dicey (am I a good bridesmaid or what?!). You can see below that Randy took a look at both the pages and the iPhone, but it turns out he wasn’t too sure about our choices. Since he is the dress whisperer, we went along with his suggestion. A few minutes later he and Debbie, our official consultant, were back with the first armfull of dresses.
Katharine: Like so many brides out there, what I thought I would be wearing on my wedding day and the gown I’ll actually be traipsing down the aisle in couldn’t be more different. The list I sent to Emily, who, by the way, totally won the award for most helpful bridesmaid that day? Fitted mermaid gown, with a touch of glamour. No satin, no shiny fabric, no beading. Lace was okay. Poofy, princess-worthy gowns were not.
But Randy didn’t ask me what kind of dress I wanted to wear. Rather, he asked the one question that, in the end, lead him to pick the style – and exact dress – that would fit the bill: “How do you want to feel on your wedding day?” My response: Elegant and timeless. I wanted to look back on my wedding photos and not feel that my dress was dated or fussy. With that, and a few bare bone details of our black tie Harvard wedding, Randy was off.
The first dresses he came back with were beautiful and classic, but not quite right. Why, exactly, I couldn’t quite put my finger on, but I knew they were not what I was envisioning. For a brief moment, I prepared myself for the realization that I may not find a dress I truly loved like all the other brides I’ve worked with. Instead, I’d look for something beautiful and appropriate, and be happy – even if not thrilled – with my selection.
Then Randy returned with this Amsale beauty. With its defined, natural waist, and full, silk skirt, it was the exact princess-worthy gown I had crossed off my list months ago. But the moment that dress was done up, I knew a full-skirted gown with a defined waist was the right dress for me.
Emily: We had found plenty of dresses that looked stunning on Katharine. The Amsale Serena came close, but wasn’t quite “the one.” Randy thought a bit more, and then said, “You know, I never have brides try on dresses that I haven’t seen on someone before, but we just got this dress in and I think it might be perfect. Would you be willing to try it on?” I’m sure you can see where this is going.
Katharine: What Randy came back with was the Amsale Blakely. And it was the one! As it turns out, the entire 2010 Amsale line had my name all over it. Clean, simple lines with rich, sumptuous fabrics and modern embellishments, Amsale had it all – and then some.
How did I know I’d found my wedding dress? Did I have that wonderfully amazing, incredibly rewarding aha moment brides promise follows the selection of your dream dress?
Definitely not.
I just don’t think I’m that kind of girl. But considering it was the dress my co-workers, the expert consultants at Kleinfeld’s and my very different father and sister all agreed was the one, I knew there must be something to it. Trust me: it’s a magical – and rare – moment when Dad and Bissy both agree on something, and it just so happens they agreed on my wedding dress. Turns out they both were very, very right.
Emily: And see that photo at the end? Wha-bam! That’s the Dad-look we were going for all afternoon. I know I speak for all of us when I say we can’t thank Mr. Jeff Holt enough for these beautiful photos.
We’re saving the full reveal of Katharine in her dress until after the wedding, but I hope you enjoyed following along on our Kleinfeld adventure! Up next? Paper, paper, paper. I’ll just say this: traditional brides, you’re going to like her picks.
Weigh-in: Which was your favorite of the gorgeous dress rejects? (We have a few!) What dress will you be wearing or did you wear to your wedding?
Previously:
Intros + Inspiration Boards
The Bridesmaid Dress
The Photographer
The Wedding Website
Our wedding would not be complete without our littlest guests. To keep them entertained, we made felt cakes for their activity table. Just get 3 pieces of styrofoam from your local craft store. Cover each one in felt. Then glue them together so the smallest is on top, like a wedding cake. Now let the kids decorate their cakes with pre-cut felt decorations: hearts, stars, flowers. They’ll stick by themselves. The cakes were re-usable, not messy and super inexpensive to make!
If you are having a photo booth at your reception, I would highly recommend http://www.etsy.com/shop/MaroDesigns We ordered a set of props for our photo booth, and talk about amazing. Who wouldn’t want a monocle on a stick?! Seriously. I am so looking forward to these props, and really enjoy being able to support independent artists as often as possible. Good luck with the Fab Find search!
My favorite fab find is my Kiehls lip balm. I can’t live without the stuff. It’s not only good to put on your lips, but it helps soothe cuts and other minor ailments. It’s a must in my purse
My fiance Jeremy who I love with all my heart at times can be difficult when it comes to the what to wear part of the wedding. If he had it his way he would show up in his work clothes which consist of jeans covered in grease and a bright orange t-shirt also covered in grease (he’s a mechanic), his second option would be his camo hunting gear. Needless to say I am not having any of that. He also hates wearing a tuxedo and becasue we are having an outdoor wedding with a country vibe in an old outdoor barn he has agreed to wear khaki pants, a jacket and a tie with boots (now this I can live with). My newest fab find is a tie maker from http://www.etsy.com/shop/toybreaker . Custom ties in a ton of colors, custom prints and affordable prices. This is where Jeremy gets to express himself……and look good doing it. We might even buy a personal tie for each groomsman that reflects their own personal interest.
My bride must have is Paperless Post Invitations! Quick, Easy, Inexpensive & a way to go green! http://www.paperlesspost.com
My most recent fab find is my laura mercier tinted moisturizer. In 10 quick seconds I can go from sporking a morning-blah look to having natural but model-glow. And it has SPF 20 to boot. AMAZING!
I just found this site- Monogrammed Lane (monogrammedlane.com) and found a gift for my bridesmaids. Very cute for Southern brides who love their monograms. Personalized matching earrings for the girls would make for a very cute gift!
I ordered this super pretty ring pillow from http://www.etsy.com/shop/tinarie21 I can’t wait to see it in pictures!
Give aways Rock! Especially when the item being given away is something that can be truly appreciated and used. I’ll be entering the drawing for sure.
My fab find is dafont.com for free font downloads. Key for making things like programs, signs, etc. Thanks for the opportunity!
I just got engaged two weeks ago and I already know one thing – I want one of PaperWink’s stamps! I think they are the perfect addition to our thank you notes AND will make my life easier! Fabulous giveaway!
The one thing a today’s Southern bride needs is these edible icing decals found via dognbird blog – http://www.dognbird.com/diy-wedding/etsy-find-monogrammed-edible-icing-decals/comment-page-1#comment-2820
I will second the nod to Paperwink address stamps and add the following: 1) the hair pin sets from Handle & Spout — so perfect!2) hand-embroidered hankies from SheriAngellCreations on Etsy — I got personalized ones for all of my bridesmaids and my parents and my groom’s parents.
Recently found and now in love with is Beauty Society’s moisturizer "Anytime Anywhere" and their sunscreen. Every bride needs both and who doesn’t love a sunscreen that smells like coconut and goes on silky smooth!!!
I definitely recommend that ladies check out MadeByGirl.com. Jen Ramos makes these beautiful custom wedding prints that incorporate the bride and groom’s name! (http://www.madebygirl.com/product.php?sku=PR-48) So cute and wonderful, and perfect for displaying in your home for years to come!
I cannot stop thinking about these ADORABLE rubber stamps from Primele on etsy.com. Seriously, I need one right this minute. I even dedicated a whole blog post to them. The only problem is my husband and I will be moving soon with the Air Force so I can’t justify buying one jusssst yet. I will have to be patient until we get to Pensacola (our next stop! woohoo!). Anyone sending out thank you notes and save the dates, or invitations of any kind has got to get one of these gorgeous stamps. http://www.pintuckandpearls.com/2010/06/23/make-your-mail-pretty/http://www.etsy.com/shop/PrimeleCheck them out. You will want one. Immediately. :)
My favorite find is OKA b. shoes for your wedding day. They are the most comfortable and will come in handy before the events start and even when you’ve danced a little to long in your 3.5" heels. They have a line just for brides and some even come with ribbon you can interchange, and the bonus, you can wear them later too. http://www.shoesthatloveyou.com I hope I win… I’m having a Pop Art wedding!
I found these tea towel invitations the other day, http://www.weddingteatowels.co.uk/ and I think they are fabulous!! How cute and definitely different. I think they would make a great save the day and an awesome keepsake for friends and family. When it comes to invitations, anything out of the ordinary, please!
ban.do hair accessories are a must have bridal accessory! http://www.shopbando.com/
This item I felt like I had to have! The little humble home will match my theme of a country/rustic southern wedding! It was exactly what I was looking for but had no idea it actually existed! http://www.doorcountywoodworks.com/product_p/sbwch.htmOur wedding cardbox will be a little replica of our house :)
No bride should be without a custom-made wedding-dress hanger with her new name scripted in the metal wire! Who can resist seeing Mrs.___ scrolled in the bottom of her dress hanger the day of her wedding! Oh, and it makes for awesome dress pictures as well :) I’m counting down the days until mine arrives.I just ordered mine from lilafrances on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/listing/26651786/the-original-silver-lingerie-weddingPlease check it out, I’m sure you’ll need one as much as I do!
My absolute go to is Etsy.com. I couldn’t live without it. In order to make events truly your own, especially on a budget, it is the go to place for ANYTHING, I mean ANYTHING, you could want or need. I don’t know how I lived before finding that site!
My Fab Find for weddings and life in general is this AMAZING planner from Erin Condren. When life gets busy (as it does when you’re trying to plan a wedding) it is important to schedule everything out. The fact that it’s ADORABLE doesn’t hurt, either.http://www.erincondren.com/store/index.php?cPath=129_324
I really, really love the jewelry and hair pieces by Australian artist Carla of Lulu Splendor on Etsy!: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Lulusplendor She creates really beautiful vintage looking pieces. I wore this piece in my hair for my wedding: http://www.etsy.com/transaction/28081407Some other things I love:cuff bracelet: http://www.etsy.com/listing/50158141/swarovski-rhinestone-bridal-cuffgolden leaves headband: http://www.etsy.com/listing/49751557/halo-golden-leaves-headband-with
My Fab Find was Paloma’s Nest on Etsy. I got a gorgeous and simple ring bowl for my ring bearer. So pretty!
My nifty find was a lot of about 140 handkerchief on ebay. Our wedding is white, black and a hit of purple, I really wanted a neat way to to tie in a shappy chic aspect and give our guests something useful to use instead of another candle or cookie cutter. This lady was easy to deal with and I’m shocked they arrived so quickly. I know more and more brides are using handkerchiefs as invitations and save the dates so this would be a great way to buy and do it yourself at about a $1 a piece!http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160414581186
Fab Find: OPI Nail Envy. I literally couldn’t have been engaged with out it. I have the WORST nails and this stuff is a AH MAZ ING. I’m a fan for life.
The best fab find that I have come across is striped paper straws from Garnish. I absolutely love them set out on the bar in jars or cups for guests to take one for drinks!!! I ordered green and white for my wedding. They are so vintage , fun and cheap!!! Its an easy way to add that special touch, coasters are so last year! Check them out at http://www.thinkgarnish.com/store/Scripts/prodlist.asp?idCategory=48Choose me please!!!! Wedding in 51 short days! Can’t wait! xoxo
My tree themed wedding got sooo much freakin cuter when I discovered Littleweshop on etsy. I got this ring bearer ‘pillow’ and these super amazing Mr. and Mrs. signs for our chairs. Seriously, trees are THE BEST!http://www.etsy.com/listing/51063068/monogram-ring-pillow-with-rustic-custom?ref=v1_other_2http://www.etsy.com/listing/50839454/mr-and-mrs-tree-ring-signs
I’ve come across the idea of a "same day edit" video recently and I am dying to have a videographer do one of these for us! The idea is that the videographer follows you the morning of including all of your preparations, and both the bride and groom in their behind the scenes getting ready for the wedding ceremony. Sometimes the bride and the groom will say something to the camera but better yet when it’s all natural. You can see both parties really excited and what goes into the morning of. I especially love it when you can see bride and the groom seeing each other for the first time. The videographer then goes ahead and record the wedding ceremony. Later on at the reception before everyone is about to head home, the bride and the groom and the rest of the party gets to sit down and watch what just unfolded on that day. I think it is the perfect idea because knowing me, and many other brides out there, the day will fly by and it will be hard to have a moment to really think about the importance of what is going on. Just like the giveaway that you’re giving out (which I’d love to win btw), a same day edit video is a great way to save these moments forever. Here is an example of a same day edit video, I don’t know these individuals so I hope they don’t mind! :P http://vimeo.com/5062435
I ordered a personalized embosser from PSA Essentials for the back flap of my invitation envelopes. The raised logo looks beautiful and it doubled as a gift for my parents to keep since it had their return address on it.
My fave find thus far are these fab cottage signs via etsy. Can’t wait to make our portraits with them on our big day! I mean seriously…check out how cute these are! http://www.etsy.com/listing/51057231
J. Crew Monogrammed market totes – great for bridemaids gifts, destination wedding favors, etc. Great quality – a gift that everyone will truly love and use again!!
My fab find for brides would be this sunless tanner. http://www.amazon.com/Kiehls-Free-Self-Tanning-Formula/dp/B0028T4HWS Works great and no streaking or yucky tanning booth needed!
My new fab find are our favors. They are formed birdseed hearts. They can be bought on etsy.com, but I am trying to make my own! Its great because it can be used to feed the birds, and the guests of the wedding don’t feel like they have to save the wedding favor forever! And its eco-friendly and inexpensive!
My sister is getting married next summer and we have had fun looking for some fab finds. Clearance is the best when you are on a tight budget! We’ve been keeping our eyes on some outdoor lighting that is soon to go on sale at our local target. Her wedding will be outdoors so we are going to get lighting to hang from the trees. It will be so magical!Thanks for the chance to win!
My most fab wedding find is the custom monogrammed plates from the pink monogram. Perfect for an outdoor summer wedding! So cute!!
I love glass apothecary jars for candy in your wedding colors.
i’ve been married for 9 years, so I’m kinda outta the wedding circuit :) but my "fab find" suggestion would be ebay and craigslist. Just think of all those brides out there who use decorations ONCE for their weddings….go green, and reuse items to make your celebration fabulous, while still having enough money for a fabulous honeymoon :)
Divine Twine has the most gorgous colored twine. Use it for invitations!
This is one of the coolest things I’ve come across: http://weddingsongs.freakmusic.co.uk/Your guests can choose which songs are played at the wedding! It definitely helps make the party more fun, customized and helps the guests feel like they are part of the wedding, not just attending! :)
My fab find was my day of planner. I wanted to be able to enjoy the day and have all my friends and family enjoy the day, but didn’t want to spend the money for a full on planner and felt I could do a good job myself. Finding someone to do everything from setting up to dealing with tips for venders at the end of the night truly made our wedding that much more amazing. We met a few times to go over everything, then I passed off all of the info and wedding items to her the day before and she took care of everything. I was truly amazed at how affordable a day of planner can be.
My fab find is HeelTastic. "As seen on TV" – Seriously. I’ve never been as pleased with an impulse purchase like I have been with this. Of course you’ll have your twinkle toes glammed up for your big day. How can you keep your heels oh-so-soft -just like after a spa peddie? No one wants rough tough heels grabbing the honeymoon sheets, and what about after you return home to your own honeymoon suite? All it takes for smooth pink heels: every night before I slip my feet into bed, and every day before I put on my socks-and-gym-shoes, I glide some of this nicely fragranced non-greasy balm in the twist-up tube to the bottom of my feet and heels and dab some on my cuticles (fingers and toes). It works, it really does. One week there was a big difference and I became a believer. And in two weeks, I was singin’ the gospel. Treat your groom, too. (Playing footsies is so much better when you’re playing pieces are smooth to the touch.) Are your bridesmaids wearing sandals? Give them HeelTastic a few weeks before the big day. They’ll love you for it.
I got married WAY before Etsy (darn!) and just celebrated my 10 year anniversary a couple of weeks ago. But if I were getting married now, I’d definitely buy these cute flip flops for my bridesmaids!! http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.126348617.jpg from Bow Flip Flops http://www.etsy.com/shop/BowFlipFlops?ref=seller_info
I found my Fab Find in the Beach House Living Etsy shop… Mr and Mrs silverware! How unique!
A must have for brides is a good waterproof mascara! You never know when the tears are coming!
My favorite find is the thumb print tree guestbook which you can find in Sweet Carolina Design’s ETSY shop. It is a way to commemorate your special day and you will have something super cute to add to your walls!http://www.etsy.com/listing/49776920/custom-canvas-thumb-print-family-tree
My fab find is Weddingbee.com! The bloggers there are crazy about detail and including pictures of everything (recaps, DIY projects, dress searches, etc) and they also have a marketplace for brides to sell their stuff, message boards up the wazoo, and countless galleries full of ideas!
MUJI Products! In Particular, their pencil with the twist up eraser and their notebooks. This Japanese company is green, practical, and down-right amazing. I cannot go into their store without finding a new must-have. They have notebooks in every size and I found the perfect sized one for my purse. It was always on hand for last-minute ideas and vendor notes during the planning process.
My fab find is Fifty Flowers, where we ordered our bulk flowers from for our DIY arrangements. They were delivered right when promised, impressively packaged, and in great condition! After letting them sit in water, the next day they were absolutely Beautiful!! Ordering these flowers(dahlias and daisies), saved us a ton of money and allowed us some creative freedom arranging them in different ways. We were so happy with the products and customer service at Fifty Flowers!
Clearly rubber address stamps is a popular "find" with your readers! I love these stamps by Emilie Friday :)http://www.emiliefriday.com/rubber-stamps.html
I’m totally digging the GoSmile Whitening system. It works amazing magic. I’m going to have the pearliest whites out there.
I was looking for some bright, graphic fabric to make into lounge pillows and table cloths for my upcoming wedding. The linens the caterer is provide are great, but the space desperately needs a loving splash of color so I thought I’ll add color strategically with some awesome fabric. Thus, my hunt for the perfect fabric was underway. I came across this amazing online fabric & furniture store: http://www.staceage.com/ Everyone should check it out!