Wedding Week on The Everygirl!

I cannot believe it's our third annual Wedding Week on The Everygirl! We started the dedicated week our first year back in 2012 since the topic of weddings was one of the few lifestyle subjects we didn't cover. We thought we'd put it all–fashion, career, decor, finance, relationships and mental health–that touched on the topic of weddings into one jam-packed week.

Well today is the kick-off and we've got an Elopement to Paris fashion feature (my dream!), the Ultimate 12-Month Planning Timeline (with printable checklist!), and a fantastic giveaway from one of our favorite luxury kitchen brands! Stay tuned later this week for stories like "5 Things to Discuss Before Getting Engaged," a career profile on a popular bridesmaid rental boutique owner, and more fashion, food, and decor!

Elopement Wedding in Paris

The 12-Month Wedding Planning Timeline

And later today, a $600 Le Creuset Giveaway from their new matte collection. Delicious.

we call it #weddingweek

And it's happening again!

We've got you covered from affordable decor tips like this backyard wedding styled by Amber Whitehouse, to taking you inside the offices of one of our beloved wedding brands (Wednesday), and have a kickass fashion feature (Thursday) curated by top editors in the fashion and wedding fields. And more...!

Also follow along on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #weddingweek!

photo by Jen Dederich

my candy-colored everest.

2 photographers. 10 models. 2 hair stylists. 1 make-up artist. 4 assistants. 13 gowns. 14 pairs of shoes. mountains of jewelry. pages of hair and make-up inspiration.  and less than 1 one of month of planning. 


choosing models. choosing dresses. trying to pair the models with the dresses. trying to pairs brides with bridesmaids. realizing a dress doesn't come in someone's size and having to find someone else who will work in that dress. choosing bridesmaid dresses that won't clash in a group photo but offer five different style (garden, beach, princess pink, crystal white, and floor-length black tie attire). finding shoes for all ten looks. again in the models' size. all under certain price points of course - bridal gowns had to be under $1000. bridesmaids under $300. shoes under $250. tricky. tricky.


but so worth it. 


more details and behind-the-scenes photos to come. but be sure to check out today's budget-friendly bridal fashion on the everygirl. part one of two! there are about 50 more photos where that one came from.


styled by me
photography by stoffer photography
location: buckingham id
flowers: hello darling

Wedding Week on The Everygirl: Backyard Bridal Shower

styling by Sarah Tucker Events and photography by Naomi Chokr
for The Everygirl

If you read this blog then I know ya'll know it's Wedding Week on The Everygirl! Today's feature offers detailed advice on throwing a budget-friendly, backyard wedding shower! Boy do I wish I had this as a reference when I was planning my sister's wedding gatherings a few years ago... fortunately, I had my mom to help. Now all of you have The Everygirl!

And remember there is an accompanying Backyard Bridal Shower Handbook with recipes, planning checklists, and styling tips for the wedding shower!

Wardrobe Change

Stop the presses!

This just in!

Looks like I'll have the honor of wearing a BHLDN dress to Tuesday's Everygirl + BHLDN (+ Sprinkles + Smilebooth + Femme du Coup + Celestial Kitchens + Hello Darling) soiree! Here are a few I'm excited to try on...

hot air balloons | flowers | emerald lace | ladylike blue

Thoughts?

Spread the Word: Wedding Week Starts Monday!

You know the rare occasion when you actually have something to look forward to on a Monday versus the usual dreading of the start of the work week? Well that's happening NEXT week. Why? Because Monday, May 7 marks the beginning of Wedding Week on The Everygirl!

Wedding Week on The Everygirl will bring you:

• the how-to on hosting a budget-friendly backyard bridal shower by Ms. Sarah Tucker and friends (remember our No-Fuss Dinner Party guide? same gals. in other words, awesomesauce.)
• wedding tabletop decor three ways by talented stylists Anne Book, Cassandra LaValle, and Camille Styles (check out their respective inspiration boards here, here, and here)
• career profile on Style Me Pretty founder Abby Larson. She only began what has grown to be one of the world’s largest wedding blog. No big deal. [averts eyes and pulls out iPhone prepped for diligent note-taking]
• career profile on Chicago-based boutique pastry caterer Celeste Dolan (whose sugary confections you’ll see repeatedly throughout the week)
• career profiles on two uber wedding planners extraordinaire: Lisa Vorce (the bigger the better for this talented lady) and Mindy Weiss (celebrity wedding guru—Gwen Stefani, Katy Perry, and Ellen DeGeneres are just three of her A-list clients)
• a sparkling soiree to kick it all off at the BHLDN boutique here in Chicago
• and one ginormous wedding fashion shoot with very budget-friendly caps on price-points (we wouldn’t have it any other way)

Danielle and I, as well as these talented ladies around the country (plus stylists, photographers, florists, etc.), have been working our patooties off to bring you top-notch features and now that photos have started coming in... well, let me just say, holy hell. They are even better than we could have imagined!

We'd be positively giddy if you'd help spread the word. We made these darling little buttons (styled by yours truly, photography by the talented husband-wide duo that is Stoffer Photography, shot at the white-washed showroom of interior designer Julia Edelmann) that you can grab and put up on your site or blog if you’d feel so inclined. Or share on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #weddingweek (our version of shark week, but prettier and with less death). Or better yet—pop them onto Pinterest. We know everyone and their uncle has a Pinterest account. And be sure to check out The Everygirl on Monday! (Well, ideally every day, but Monday works too.)

160 x 600 px

200 x 200 px

300 x 250 px

BHLDN Comes to Chicago

Today Anthropologie's sophisticated, wedding-savvy sister BHLDN (pronounced Beholden) opens the doors of its second storefront here in Chicago. My Everygirl partner-in-crime, Danielle, and I attended the opening party last night. We floated around the rooms, sipping champagne, pointing out the beautiful items, and chit-chatting with friends. Just like the Anthropologie stores, no detail was overlooked in designing the space. The architecture, the furniture, the paint colors - everything flawlessly fit into the whimsical yet elegant look for which BHLDN is known.

The highlight of the evening was getting to meet one of my idols, Darcy Miller, editor of Martha Stewart Weddings. Talk about inspiring talent. After explaining to her about the launch of The Everygirl, she relayed the story of how she started her own business in college but her parents made her get a "real job" for a year before once again starting off on her own. Fast-forward however many years later, and now she's Martha's #2.

All in all, it was a great night and I cannot wait to get back to the store to try on the various baubles, dresses, and shoes I fell in love with. Although, fashion aside, the number one items on my BHLDN wishlist are the pink and jadeite cake stands. The colors and shape are just too perfect. How could any stylist not want them in their life on a more permanent basis?

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

The Prettiest Country Wedding on the Prettiest of Days

I had to share some snapshots from the country wedding I attended last Friday. My cousin and his wife could not have chosen a more beautiful spot for their charming October nuptials. St. James Farm in Warrenville, Illinois is about an hour outside the city and boasts rolling hills, tree-lined gravel paths, white fences and yellow barns. The ceremony itself took place under a canopy of trees in the late afternoon. Thanks to the perfect weather and setting sun, the land and sky around us seemed to glow, making the moment even more romantic and beautiful than it otherwise would have been. I am excited to say the bride DID in fact wear cowboy boots, as I had hoped she would! And I was obsessed with my cousins' bridesmaids dresses; they were burgundy satin cinched with black ribbons and embroidered brooches along the waist. And the yellow bouquets they carried added the perfect contrast.

And before any of you ask, it was not just my immediate family wearing all black, it was in fact our entire side of the ceremony. Not sure why, but I found it funny.

Wedding in the Country

  

That's where I'll be this evening! My cousin and his fiancé are getting married on a farm about an hour outside the city. It couldn't be a more beautiful day, and I am so happy for the both of them. I secretly hope she's wearing cowboy boots... that is just too cute.

Happy Weekend!

Picture Perfect Wedding by the Sea

Every detail of this Connecticut wedding has left me in awe. As I'm sure you can tell from the lack of wedding posts on this blog that I'm not usually one to excite over weddings, seeing as I am a firm believer that they. are. all. the. same. Just with different accent colors.

But everything from the massive white tent to the seaside location, the St. Germain cocktails to the late-night sliders, even the croquet and the pianoman have me convinced this is as close to perfect as it gets. What a fabulous, unforgettable night this must have been for all in attendance.
Photography by Justin and Mary, source