Put Her Best Foot Forward {flats for your bridesmaids}

My sister is my MOH and sole bridesmaid, and, while she is amazingly smart, gorgeous, and funny to boot, she is not a heels girl. Lucky for her, I am not a bridezilla (hate that word), and couldn't give two hoots about the shoes on her feet. That being said, her dress is short, so I'll take it upon myself as bride and the more shoe-obsessed sister to find her a lovely, wedding-friendly pair of flat sandals to wear with her dress. Her dress is similar to the below, from David's Bridal and J. Crew:

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Here are a couple of shoes I think would be fun and unique for a bridesmaid...who ever said all bridesmaids need to wear silver kitten heels from Chinese Laundry? Ugh.

And a few more sparkly options:

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As for me, I'll be in these... ; )

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Two is Better than One {Second dress or not?}

I am a ridiculous bride. Before we knew our wedding date, venue, caterer...basically anything...I had purchased a wedding dress. I absolutely love my dress. It's everything I've ever wanted---completely over-the-top, and me. Despite that, I have a lingering desire for a second dress for the reception---something short and sparkly, that will allow me to dance the night away in July. According to Say Yes to the Dress, nearly 20% of brides wear a second dress. Personally, I find it a little hard to justify needing not one, but two dresses. But, that's never stopped me from dreaming (aka pinning up a storm). Here are a few of my favorites.

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Are you wearing a second dress?

Black, White & Gold Brunch with Sarah Seven

Sarah Seven invited a group of the best bloggers in the industry to brunch to preview her ready-to-wear collection along with her newest bridal collection. With a 25 person guest list, we set out to create an intimate space with plenty of details, yummy food, great conversation and of course a whole bunch of girls swooning (and instragraming) each and every part of it!

Sarah's words to me were "I want to host a brunch. I want striped tablecloths" From there my mind went wild with the black, white and gold color palette and I created everything from the invites, to the menus. The amazing Floral Theory rocked the flowers with some brass goblets and gorgeous peonies. Milkglass Vintage Rentals brought the pretty with mix-matched chairs, an amazing linen lounge set and some fabulous details to decorate the space. And of course, Megan Clouse did an incredible job documenting all the gorgeous work and the great time had by all.

Thanks a million to Sarah Seven for bringing everyone together, I think I speak for us all by saying that your designs are incredible and inspire such a feminine, effortless look. Just want until you see all the gorgeous pieces from Sarah's Ready-To-Wear and Fall 2013 Bridal collections! You'll die!

Check out the feature on Style Me Pretty!

the meeting of the mom's

I'm a family person, I always have been & always will be; it means everything to me.  It's not the old days where the parents meet at the wedding & exchange pleasantries but nothing more.  I want more than that.  My dream is to one day be one of those couples who have both parents visit for the holidays.  I'm lucky that both of our families raised us this way & that hopefully this dream will come true.  But first, the families need to meet!  I decided mother's first.  And, I couldn't think of a better event for them to meet than to go wedding dress shopping with me!  It gives the perfect backdrop: excitement, smiles, laughs (ok, maybe also some happy tears), and of course champagne!

Source (from top left): Westside Wedding, Bijou Bride, Intimate Weddings, Wedding by Color, Intimate Weddings, Pronovias, What Anna Loves, themette

I had previously fallen in-love with this adorable vintage wedding dress stamp, so I decided to make invitations using it to send to my mom, future mother-in-law, and 3 of my local bridesmaids.

And this gave me the opportunity to try out this DIY faux calligraphy.

Source: Side by Side

 I've recently become obsessed with my embossing gun & this was the perfect time for me to add another project to the list!

Flights of Fancy {feathers as wedding inspiration}

My fiance, Mark, and I have a long-running joke about me walking down the aisle carrying a live white peacock instead of a bouquet. I'll take the flowers, please and thank you. The last thing I need is a frantic animal in my arms during our wedding. Needless to say, I have a strong and deep love of all things feathered, which I've inherited primarily from my mother, who is about as obsessed as they come. Feathers are popping up all over the place in wedding decor, bridal attire, accessories, even invitations. Here are a few of my favorite iterations:

Surely, I wouldn't look this glamorous carrying a bird.

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Feathers as decorative details...

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Feathers in your hair...

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How will you be incorporating your feathered friends?

P.S. If you've seen my Pinterest, you know I have much, much more feather inspiration, so just wait for shoes and dress posts!

Completing the Look {Finding the Perfect Accessory}

I am so excited to be blogging every week until our January wedding!  Since we are about 2.5 months away from the big day, the very big items like venue, dj, photographer and florist are all completed and now it is all about the details.  The details really can be overwhelming but we are trying to just have fun!

I am currently loving the idea of adding an extra special accessory to my "bridal look".  My fiancé, Eric, has been amazing through the planning process and I truly think he has great taste (He likes to remind me all the time that he is the one who picked out our wedding invitations).  We have made every decision together as a team except my dress which is why I am so excited for our first look.  Eric has no idea what my dress looks like or any details of my "look" for the day.

Some ideas I am currently obsessed with:

Cardigans

I love how you can tie in one of your wedding colors by just slipping on a cardigan!

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Seriously in love with this sequin cardigan/jacket look!

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Hair Bling

The headband and the bun...so chic!

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I love this look.  It reminds me of a more subtle take on Anne Hathaway's headpiece.

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Personalized Rings

Your engagement ring and wedding band will still be center stage with these delicate bands.  I love how you can stack them and they would be a great bridesmaid gift too! (Plus they are only $35!)

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Would you wear any of these accessories on your big day?

Wedding Week Details {t stones}

Well, my big day is just around the corner. The festivities will begin this Saturday, and on Sunday I will marry Vinnie- my love, my best friend, and my better half. Although there have been some hiccups along the way, all-in-all, this planning experience has been fun and educational. I mean, who knew I could plan such a big & beautiful event!? One of the things I've truly enjoyed is magically stumbling upon talented people to help me. It happened once with finding LizzyBLoves, who designed my gorgeous invites & programs, and it happened again with the gifts for my bridesmaids. I had a vision in mind for the jewelry I wanted my girls to wear. I searched high and low at stores and couldn't find the right thing. Then I happened to run into my friend Tiffany Adams who owns a jewelry line called "T Stones". She showed me her portfolio and before you know it... boom! I had stunning custom, hand-made jewelry for my bridesmaids that totally complement the dresses! It's amazing how eventually your vision just comes together in the end. I can't show you what Tiffany made my girls, because I don't want to ruin the surprise ;-) but here's a peek at some other pieces she's made. If you live in Los Angeles you can check out her work at Cami in Manhattan Beach or give her a call to have something made just for you... The holidays are just around the corner (hint, hint)! The necklaces and earrings are made with high-quality stones and are reasonably priced! Here are two of my favorites:

Photo Credit: T Stones Jewelry

My advice to other brides out there is to have faith that it will all be beautiful and wonderful like you imagined, DELEGATE, and stay organized. It has helped me tremendously that I have been doing little things for my wedding all year; I learned recently how important delegating is too. This week I have ironed out the following details:

• seating chart (not as bad as I thought it would be)
• welcome bags (fun & affordable)
• party favors (delegated to the moms- check!)
• put someone responsible in charge of gifts & cards
• DIY table numbers & directional signs

Other than that, I just have to pick up my dress tomorrow and show up on Saturday for the rehearsal! I feel relaxed & ecstatic at the same time! I know that this weekend will be one that I'll remember always!

On that note, I'll leave you with some breathtaking "first looks." I can't wait for mine! :)

Photo Credit: Bridal Guide

Photo Credit: Style Me Pretty

Photo Credit: Style Me Pretty

 It's hard to believe that I have contributed 46 posts to this fabulous blog over the past 11 months. This has been such a rewarding experience. THANK YOU Allison for this opportunity. I'll be back posting on E&I a couple more times to share with you my thoughts from "the other side" and of course share photos and video with you once they're ready.

Yours Truly,

Taya (soon-to-be DiCarlo)

Sarah Seven Fall 2013 Collection + Trunk Show

Sarah Seven's Fall 2013 collection is here! This collection features amazing textures, those gorgeous sweetheart necklines we all love, and a little bit of color! I'm totally in love with these pieces, and I know you will be too!

If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, you are pretty darn lucky! Sarah is hosting a trunk show featuring her Fall 2013 collection! Meet the designer (she's the sweetest person ever), try on her fabulous looks AND enjoy 10% off your purchase that weekend. It really doesn't get any better than that, now does it?

Bonus:  There will be a huge sample sale on party dresses during the trunk show as well, so if you have had your eye on one of her fabulous shorties, now is the time to make the purchase.

Spots are filling up fast. Hurry and book your appointment online.

The Four Somethings

My mom emailed me last week asking me if I had figured out what I was doing for my "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." Truthfully, I hadn't thought about this since my very initial stages of planning over a year ago when I bought a blue handkerchief while Kyle and I were in New Zealand. Out of curiosity I looked this up to see where it originated, and what it really means. And, thanks to Wikipedia, I learned a new thing or four!

"Something old" symbolizes continuity with the bride's family and the past.

"Something new" means optimism and hope for the bride's new life ahead.

"Something borrowed" reminds the bride that she can depend on her friends and family.

"Something blue" refers to a long tradition of blue at weddings, going all the way back to ancient Roman times when brides wore blue to symbolize love, modesty, and fidelity.

I have my "something new," which is pretty much everything I'm wearing. I have my "something blue," which is that little handkerchief which I'll keep for my happy tears. But here's some traditional ideas, and some new inspiration for all of the four somethings!

Something Old

  Bubbly Bride; Top Knots, photo by Carrie Patterson; BHLDN gloves

Something New

  Jenny Packham, Johanna Johnson, BHLDN

Something Borrowed

  One Wed, photo by Thousand Word Photography; Style Me Pretty, photo by Hannah Persson ;Style Me Pretty, photo by Tohnya Kae Photography

Something Blue

  Style Me Pretty, photo by Andi Hatch; BHLDN; Style Me Pretty, photo by Sequins and Candy

Did you do the four somethings at your wedding, or are you planning on doing them for your wedding day? I'd love to hear what you used, and what meaning those items held for you! I am searching for ideas and inspiration.

White by Vera Wang Winter 2013 Collection

Oh how I love the changing seasons. Along with boots and scarves comes a whole new collection of bridal goodies that we just can't seem to get enough of. It is no surprise that we love bridal designer Vera Wang, but how she manages to make such gorgeous gowns in such an affordable price point is something out of this world. We talked a little bit about the White by Vera Wang collection at David's Bridal, and we are here to show you the next collection.

Source: White by Vera Wang, White by Vera Wang, White by Vera Wang

The above are a few of our favorite pieces from her new collection. So many ruffles to make our hearts dance. Complete your look with a few different pieces from the White by Vera Wang accessories collection.

SOURCE: Dress, Band, Shoes

Which pieces are you loving from the White by Vera Wang collection? We'd love to hear you thoughts!