There are three things you need to know before reading this post. 1. My mother is one of the most important people in my life, let alone my wedding. Her role on that day stretches far beyond “MOB.” 2. 98% of the time, my mom has impeccable taste in fashion (in fact, we’ve shared clothes for as long as I can remember). 3. She is fully aware that this post is inspired by, dedicated to and all about her and the quest for her dress for our wedding.

Tyler and I surprised my family for Christmas this year with a trip to Arizona to spend the holidays with them — which of course included multiple shopping trips. Because that is what the Molumby women do (really, really well I might add). As my mom and I were perusing the winter sales rack at our favorite department store, I told her how excited I was to go shopping for her Mother of the Bride dress when she comes to Atlanta in February. I had been thinking about this for a while and was seriously so excited to get to do this with her.

So, imagine my shock and disappointment when she ever-so-casually responds with, “Oh, I already got that. In fact, I got two dresses because I’m not too sure which one I want to wear.” When she looked up at me and saw the blank stare covering my face, she brushed it off by saying, “Don’t be silly, Mol. You’re going to love them.”

Really, Mom??

In her defense, she did not know I was really looking forward to shopping for this together. So I thought to myself, “She is ridiculously cute and I do usually always love what she picks out, so I will just have to wait and see.”

And see I did.

Luckily, I had the “back-up” of two of my best friends, Jules and Brit, when the dresses were unveiled. Being the good friends they are, they did not say anything, just looked at me to see/hear my response. Which was, “Mom, this is a joke right? I’m being punk’d?”

Dress #1:

Just because it says Simply Vera by Vera Wang, does NOT mean Vera Wang meant it for a wedding.

Her take on this dress, “Mollie, I can totally dress this up with colored heels.” Uh, no, Mom. This little cotton number is better used as a cover-up on the beach, with a mojito in hand. (Side note: perhaps I could borrow it for the honeymoon?)

Dress #2:

In all honesty, this dress is pretty stinkin’ cute. It’s see-thru, but she has a black cami sleip-dress to wear under it. With a belt and some cute heels, it can definitely work for a wedding. BUT, she is the Mother of the Bride. It is a big deal and I want her to stand out above everyone. I mean, she is not just my mother, but the reason I am who I am today. (Another side note: Mom — I would definitely like to take this on the honeymoon.)

My girlfriends and I explained how important this day is for her too and we convinced her to go back to the store (with me in tow, of course).

My mom’s taste is funky, cute and a little bit hippie. I tried googling “mother of the bride dresses” and the search results were not at all her style.

Ehhhh — these aren’t really the style she/we are going for. Not even close. How do you make your mom feel like this is her special day too?

And the next question: where did you find your Mother of the Bride dress? What did you have your mother wear?

Excited to hear what y’all think.

And thank you, my sweet mother, for letting me blog about you. Just another reason I love you so.

Truth be told, Tyler and I only looked at one venue for our wedding. The house was recommended to us by a friend and the price was perfect for our budget. When we went to check it out, I really believed that this would be just the first of many trips we take venue hunting because there was no way we would find THE PLACE the first time. Right?

I could not have been more wrong. I absolutely fell in love with it. The view was breathtaking and it was everything I had pictured in my head for our day. The house sits on 8 acres of lush green land and has tons of open space for all of our wedding events.

Once we signed the contract, I was overloaded with ideas and so incredibly excited to get the planning started. However, my perfect plan came to a screeching halt when reality hit me that we are having an outdoor wedding. In the summer. In the south.

I’m not sure if any of you have ever been to the south during the summer months, but there are a few things you need to know. 1. Don’t bother curling your hair — it will be flat within two minutes of walking outside. 2. If you have naturally curly hair, be prepared to experience a Monica Geller-esq fro. 3. Always (and I mean always) have bug repellent in your purse.

In my typical irrational, freak-out fashion, I immediately tell Tyler we have to change our venue (the date was a non-negotiable because it has significant meaning — more to come on that later). I rattled off a list of all the things that could go wrong — I mean, come on, what bride wants mosquitoes crashing her wedding? Definitely not this one.

Since there was no way of us getting our $2,500 deposit back, we brainstormed through ideas of what to do and the idea of a tent came back up. We had talked about that early in the wedding planning process because it is always a good idea to have as a back-up plan in case of weather issues during the wedding. I mean, yeah, the practical thing to do would be get a tent. But, being “practical” has never really been my style. And not that I have anything against tents. Some of the most beautiful weddings I have been to have had tents. It just didn’t go with my vision. Plus, those things can get pricy.

So, here we are, six months away and still have yet to decide if we are going to tent-it-up. We did find out that the temps are a bit cooler at the lake (the owner of the venue said it should be in the 70′s that weekend — thank goodness) and they are going to mosquito-bomb the place (there is something I never thought I would write) before the wedding. We’ve found other solutions to combat the humidity and pesky creatures, but we’re still not sold on a tent.

I found some pictures of tents I really liked, but does the openness of them defeat the purpose of even having it? What are your thoughts on tents? I am in desperate need of guidance. In exchange for any tips you can give, I’ll be happy to send you a travel-size OFF from my stockpile. :)

What are your thoughts on tents? I am in desperate need of guidance. In exchange for any tips you can give, I’ll be happy to send you a travel-size OFF from my stockpile. :)

Photo Credits: 1, 2, 3, 4

Weddings are the perfect place for picture opportunities — and not just for the bride and groom. Some of the most fun weddings I’ve been to have had a photo booth. Maybe it’s the props, maybe it’s the nostalgia of being around good friends and loving family or maybe it’s the open bar, but whatever the case, photo booths are a blast.

In addition to taking our wedding photos, our photographer, Erin Ashford, will be setting up a smile booth for our guests during the reception. It is up to Tyler and I on how we want it to look. We’re definitely wanting to do a “setting” of some sorts, but it will be another thing to add on the D-I-Y list!

Here are some fun photos I found on my inspiration search for our smile booth set.

Have any of you done/been to a wedding with a photo/smile booth? What did you think?

PS: My bottle crafting has taken a little bit longer than expected so I will post part 2 when I am done!

Have a lovely weekend!

M

Photo Credit: 1, 2, 3,