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I’ll never grow tired of blush bridesmaid dresses, and according to the number of weddings we see with bridesmaids wearing them, neither will many of you! I personally think it’s the perfect shade for brides who are going for a sweet, romantic aesthetic, and it looks beautiful with every skin tone and hair color. We were so excited to learn about the new Wonder by Jenny Packham collection from David’s Bridal, because not only do they offer a gorgeous new assortment of styles for blush-loving gals, they also fit the high quality at an affordable price point standard that David’s Bridal is known and loved for. We asked a few sweet Florida readers to model some of our favorite styles for us, and our Blue Ribbon Vendor Elaine Palladino captured them to perfection so we could show you how lovely they are in today’s post!

There are really no “cons” to a mismatched bridal party look–every girl gets a dress she loves and that works with her body type, and it creates an interesting, layered look in your bridal party photos. There are a few ways to pull it off seamlessly:

1. Same color, fabrics, and length, different styles
2. Same color and fabrics, different lengths and styles
3. Same color, different fabrics, lengths, and styles
4. Same color and length, different fabrics and styles

As you can see in these photos, we went with option four, choosing all long dresses from the Wonder by Jenny Packham collection in “Petal.” The dresses come in 10 different colors, and are made of a variety of fabrics, including Chantilly lace and chiffon, so you can mix and match as much or as little as you’d like!

The Wonder by Jenny Packham collection is brand new–it just launched this season, and is available exclusively at David’s Bridal stores and on DavidsBridal.com. Along with six bridesmaid styles (that we pulled from for this shoot), the collection also includes nine bridal gowns, four mother of the bride dresses, two flower girl dresses, and accessories.

One of the best things about choosing David’s Bridal bridesmaid dresses is that with over 300 stores nationwide, it’s practically a guarantee that each and every one of your best gals will be able to visit a location and try on her dress in person to make sure it’ll be a perfect fit, no matter where she lives. Can’t figure out where to start your search? Use David’s Bridal’s Bridesmaid Dress Style Finder Tool to pull up all of the options that will be the best fit for your venue, color palette, and preferences, and then email the winning looks to your bridesmaids to weigh in on!

We’d love to know, which of these dresses is your favorite? I’m torn between those delicate lace sleeves and jeweled neckline!

Photographer: Elaine Palladino Photography | Venue: Social House | Flowers: Julia Rohde Designs | Dresses: David’s Bridal | Hair and Makeup: Courtney Martin for Jennifer Cruz Beauty Group and GS Makeup Artistry and Hair Styling | Styling Assistance: Desiree Dawn Events

This post is brought to you by David’s Bridal-–thanks for your support of the brands that make Southern Weddings possible!

lisa Written with love by Lisa
2 Comments
  1. avatar Bridesmaid Dress Editorial For Southern Weddings | Elaine Palladino Photography | South Florida Portrait And Wedding Photographer reply

    […] the intensity of an actual wedding day. Be sure to check out the article on Southern Weddings HERE. A special thanks to Marissa and Southern Weddings for the opportunity and for being so fun to […]

  2. avatar Christine reply

    I had such a blast working with you guys! Everybody was so sweet! xoxo
    -Christine

    http://ccaseyphotography.com/blog

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Choosing dresses for your bridesmaids seems to fall on one of two ends of the spectrum: super easy or super hard! Even in our office, we fall on opposite ends–I checked it off without any hassle, while Emily and Marissa both remember it as one of the more challenging wedding planning decisions. And I don’t blame them! Selecting a dress for someone else to spend money on and then wear (fingers crossed more than once) is a big decision, but want to know one way to make your process a little bit easier? Start your search with a company that specializes in modern, fashion-forward options, like one of our favorites, Joanna August!

Along with plenty of classic styles (this wrap dress is one of my all-time favorites), Joanna’s newest collection has a bit of a bohemian feel that is so much fun. I honestly think the styles look more like chic maxi dresses than “bridesmaid dresses,” which is probably something your best gals will appreciate! With simple silhouettes and interesting details (love this this twist neck dress!), it’ll be easy for your bridesmaids to rewear their dresses. Can’t you picture these styles dressed down for a weekend brunch or casual cocktail party thanks to a pair of flats or sandals, a cute jacket, and maybe a statement necklace or earrings? Sign me up!

All Joanna August dresses come in a variety of gorgeous colors, and since they use a few signature fabrics, it couldn’t be easier to achieve a mix and match look, if that’s something you’re hoping for. No matter what you choose, your girls are guaranteed to look gorgeous!

This post is brought to you by Joanna August–thanks for your support of the brands that make Southern Weddings possible!

lisa Written with love by Lisa
7 Comments
  1. avatar Jamie reply

    These are gorgeous! Especially love the blue one in the first photo.

  2. avatar Melissa reply

    I loveeee these dresses – you can totally wear these again!!

  3. avatar Rachel reply

    So pretty!

  4. avatar Nicole Schwalge reply

    Oooh I want to check these out for our bridal shop! These are super adorable!!

  5. avatar Hilary reply

    love how simple these are – definitely rewearable!

  6. avatar Megan reply

    I would wear these every day! Perfect summer maxi dress

  7. avatar Ally reply

    These styles are so timeless!

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My two favorite wedding details are almost always the bride’s dress and her bouquet. In my experience, finding my dress and seeing my bouquet were the two moments when “being a bride” really hit me, and that only made these two details even more special to me in every wedding I see! From those details alone, I’m sure it’s easy to see why we fell head over heels in love with Emily and Jim’s black-tie farm wedding–her Oscar de la Renta gown is so striking, and that bouquet by Victoria Clausen Floral Events is one for the books! That’s not all that captured our hearts about their celebration though–we also loved seeing their joyful ceremony moments, the creative ways they showed hospitality to their guests, and the two incredibly meaningful places where they hosted their loved ones for their big day.

Thank you so much to Kate Headley for sharing this stunning day with us for V8!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. What was your favorite thing about it? I am obsessed with my wedding dress. I tried on many dresses, but could not stop thinking about this dress. I loved the texture of the flowers embroidered on the Chantilly lace, and the seed pearls helped to give it a sweetness and elegance that I had never seen before. The veil was gorgeous – it was embroidered with the same flowers and seed pearls. I did not want to take it off!
Describe your bridesmaids’ dresses. How did you choose them? When it came to the bridesmaids’ dresses, I was looking for something different…something that did not look like the typical bridesmaid dress. I spotted this Lela Rose dress and immediately knew it would be perfect. The embroidered flowers on the bodice echoed the embroidery on my dress, and complemented the garden feel of the wedding. We chose navy to contrast with the bright flowers, but also at the request of my maid of honor, my sister.

Tell us all the basics of your wedding! Why did you choose these things? Did any of these details hold special meaning for you as a couple? We were inspired by springtime on my farm – it is incredibly lush and verdant, with flowers blooming everywhere. I wanted our wedding to capture that “English garden” atmosphere. The service was at our church, St. John’s, at 4:30 p.m., and the reception followed at the farm. Due to the size of the church, we had a small ceremony, and then a much larger reception. St. John’s was where I was raised, and also where Jim proposed, so it was really special to share it with our closest family and friends. The farm could not have been more beautiful that day. Having the reception at my family home helped to make the black-tie party that much more warm and joyful. We essentially got the best of both worlds, as we had both an intimate ceremony and a huge party!

Jim and I loved that, due to the small size of the church, we could see every single face when we looked out over the audience. Even though it was a bit of a blur, you could feel the love and joy emanating from every corner of the church. I barely held it together when walking down the aisle, whereas Jim was calm and beaming. Our officiant could sense my nerves, so during the opening exhortation when Jim and I each took turns responding, “I will,” to her questions, she paused during the question. I jumped the gun and eagerly said, “I will!” before she had even finished asking the question, and Jim and the entire audience erupted into laughter. The gaff helped break the ice and my nerves disappeared. After the ceremony, she admitted that she planned the pause to help me relax, and it definitely worked!

What was the design inspiration for your wedding? Why was this design special to you as a couple? We were inspired by the natural beauty of my parents’ farm, which has rolling hills and beautiful flowers. I love flowers, so the idea was to create an “English garden” atmosphere that was teeming with blooms and greenery. We used brightly colored flowers and lush greenery, with textured linens and lanterns everywhere. Everything was glowing, from the illuminated trees to the incandescent clear tent. We were also always aware that we were inviting people to my family’s home, so every detail was designed to make the reception welcoming and intimate.

The reception was a glowing, joyful, and elegant party. It was black-tie, but warm and exuberant, as it was at my family home. The cocktail hour was in the front of the house, and then we invited everyone into the house to pass into the backyard for the reception. To continue the intimate feeling, guests were greeted at their seats by thank you notes from Jim and me. Even though it was a big wedding, it was very important to us that our guests knew that they were the most special part of our celebration.

The flowers were key to the entire event. I wanted them to be lush, abundant and bright. Each part of the wedding had the most incredible flowers, from the beautiful floral arch at the church, to the flower-covered arbor and escort card display, to the stunning azaleas, roses, hydrangeas and more planted throughout the grounds. Both the wedding flowers and the landscaping came together to create a verdant landscape that looked like something from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

Tell us about your wedding cake or sweets. The wedding cake and groom’s cake were absolutely delicious – I’m still dreaming of them. The wedding cake was made of layers of coconut and strawberry cake, and was covered in little flowers that matched my wedding dress. The groom’s cake was red velvet and was an architectural feat. In honor of UVA, the cake was designed to look like the famous Rotunda, complete with columns, porticos and a domed roof.

Our first dance was to “You Send Me” by Sam Cooke. It was one of the first songs Jim had played for me when we first began dating. In the months leading up to the wedding, Jim and I took dance lessons (but I think we canceled more than we attended). Needless to say, we improvised our first dance, rather than sticking to the fancy routine our instructor had attempted to teach us!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Jim and I met as students at the University of Virginia School of Law. Jim, a third-year at the time, was (and still is) very close to several of my good friends from Princeton. We were introduced during the first week of my first year and began dating shortly thereafter. During our first date, we discovered that my parents and Jim’s father were all members of the class of 1982 at the Law School. They had not kept in touch, but remembered each other very well. The following May was their 30th Reunion – needless to say, their classmates loved the idea that the children of members of the Class of ’82 were now dating.
Describe the proposal: During the fall of my third year, Jim’s family joined my family for Thanksgiving at my parents’ farm. I knew that Jim had asked my father for my hand, but I had no idea when he would propose. On Thanksgiving Day, after attending the traditional blessing of the hounds, Jim asked if I would go for a drive with him. We drove to my small, country church, where I had always dreamed of getting married. The church is a beautiful 19th century stone church, located right in the middle of horse country. We walked around the gardens until we arrived to the front of the church, where Jim got down on one knee. After I said “yes,” we sat for fifteen minutes in the gardens, taking in what had just happened. We then drove back to my parents’ house (and almost ran out of gas on our way!), and were met by our families and a champagne toast. It could not have been more perfect.
How did you prepare for marriage while planning your wedding? We met with our officiant, the Reverend Tracy A. Bruce, for marriage counseling sessions during the months preceding the wedding. Tracy is the Rector of St. John’s, our church, and she is absolutely wonderful. Although we were a little apprehensive before beginning, the sessions turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the wedding planning process.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Elegant, radiant, and intimate
How many guests attended your wedding? We had about 120 at the ceremony and 325 at the reception.
Groom’s favorite detail of the wedding: Everyone involved with planning and putting on the wedding was incredible, which makes it hard to pick out one detail. If I have to choose, whenever I look back at the photographs from the weekend, my eyes stay a little longer on how incredible the church looked and how happy Emily looked during the ceremony.
What songs did you use for your ceremony? My mother led the charge on the music selection, and her suggestions were thoughtful and created the perfect atmosphere. We had an amazing trumpeter and organist, as well as a soloist who performed throughout the ceremony. The processional was Clarke’s “Trumpet Voluntary in D Major.” We sang one of my favorite hymns, “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee,” and then the soloist sang “The Wedding Song” by Peeters. After the blessing of the marriage, the soloist sang “A Nuptial Blessing” by Joncas as the benediction. We walked out to “Hornpipe” from Handel’s Water Music, followed by his “The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba.”
Tell us about your grand exit. For the last song of the night, the band invited us on stage to dance and sing “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” They then parted the crowd and sent us off into the night, where Jim and I stood and watched our friends dance during the last few bars of the song. We did not do a sparkler sendoff, instead opting to hold an after-party by our pool. We had blankets and Adirondack chairs, fire pits with s’mores ingredients and delicious snacks – mini pizzas, pigs-in-a-blanket, and grilled short rib and cheese sandwiches. It was the perfect way to end the night, and amazingly, no one ended up in the pool!
What advice would you give to someone currently planning his or her wedding? Find the best, most reliable vendors possible and RELAX. It will be amazing, no matter what happens.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We’re settling into married life in Washington, D.C. and look forward to relaxing after the wedding. We are most excited for the puppy that will be joining us this spring!

Photographer: Kate Headley | Planner: Pineapple Productions | Designer and Florals: Victoria Clausen Floral Events | Ceremony Venue: St. John’s Church, Western Run Parish | Reception Venue: Private Residence | Caterer: Linwoods | Cake Baker: Sugarbakers | Bride’s Gown and Veil: Oscar de la Renta | Bridal Salon: Saks Fifth Avenue | Bride’s Shoes: Manolo Blahnik | Bridesmaid Dresses: Lela Rose | Hair Stylist: Judy Messina and Dana Smith of Public Image | Makeup Artist: Leah Margosis | Groomsmen Fashion: The Tuxedo House | Save the Dates: Mr. Boddington | Paper Goods: Pleasure of Your Company | Linens: Table Toppers | Tents: Loane Bros., Inc. | Transportation: American Limo | Lighting/Fireworks: Digital Lightning | Calligraphy: Arney Walker Calligraphy

lisa Written with love by Lisa
3 Comments
  1. avatar Occasions In Print reply

    Love how the cake matched her dress!!

  2. avatar Brook Paris reply

    That glass tent and gold iron chairs- WOW.

  3. avatar Jay reply

    Such intricate embroidery! The bride’s choice is truly classy.

Southern Weddings reserves the right to delete comments which contain profanity or personal attacks or seek to promote a business unrelated to the post.  And remember: a good attitude is like kudzu – it spreads.  We love hearing your kind thoughts!

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