Inspired Goodness

Have A Bridesmaid Dress You're Not Using?

We all have a few unworn clothes in our closet, but if you're among one of the 23 million bridesmaids (or groomsmen) you might have an old bridesmaid dress collecting dust in your closet.

And what are all us ex-'maids to do with all these leftover frocks?

How about donating it a deserving high school student who can revamp it for her prom. If you're anything like me, you've been meaning get to that New Year's Resolution - this is a perfect way to not only give back but to help out someone who will be more than overjoyed to get an opportunity to strut her stuff on the biggest event of a high-school ladies life.

Founded in 2002, The Cinderella Affair's dedicated voulenteers work as personal shoppers, helping deserving girls find that perfect dress and seamstresses, doing on-the-spot alterations, making sure the dresses are a perfect fit!

To donate locally, check this list of donation sites or get in touch with Hannah at The Hub to donate your dress(es) today! Make sure to get in touch soon, the donations need to be received by Feb. 22nd!

A Feathered Frenzy: Brooke's Bridal Shower

This weekend we partied in our fabulous frocks, had an absolute blast and drank ourselves silly with wonderful Brooke-a-politians at my SIL's "Shower with a Twist"!

I have some special posts about the shower planned for next week, during Inspired Goodness' guest blog on Elizabeth Anne Designs but didn't want to deny some of the fun to our readers.

Hope you enjoy these photos taken by the wonderful Maggie -- thank you for your awesomeness and being our resident event photographer!

And P.S., yes, Miss Cupcake is holding a Mashpotini in case you were wondering!!

 

A Wet n’ Wild Weekend: Bridal Shower AND Bachelorette Party

If you’re a fan of WeddingBee, I hope you’ve been following my SIL’s big day plans. As the perfectly suited Miss Cupcake, we’ve all gotten a chance to know Brooke a little better and see how incredibly talented she is! Although I did just get her stunning wedding invitations in the mail last night and am dying to share them with you, there is the matter of posting about the Bridal Shower that took place a few weeks ago, not to mention some peeks at our fun and celebratory Girls Night Out/Bachelorette Party.

The shower was held by a dear friend of my MIL’s, Linda, a true hostess with a panache for throwing spectacular showers — (remind me to share with you the one she posted for me one of these days).  In attendance were about 35 women, mostly family and close family friends, celebrating our special girl! I was in charge of creating the bow bouquet – it was a ton of fun to make and the other ‘maids all helped out with the gift opening!

The Bachelorette Party was super fun and after dinner and drinks at El Vez in Philly, we headed to some local waterholes for some cocktails and girl talk. It was a ton of fun to get to know my SIL’s fabulous friends a little more and to spend time celebrating such an important person in all our lives. We ended the night with some dancing and photo takin’ madness at Fado. For the full details, make sure to read Brooke’s fabulous post with all the great photos from both events!

Help me choose the right shoes!

Ladies, I'm enlisting your expert opinions in helping me select the perfect shoes to wear for my SIL/Miss Cupcake's wedding. I've narrowed it down to two choices, but need help making the final selection.

Please post a comment to which shoe you like better - (the dress I'm wearing is at left):

will it be: (A) the silver satin braided peep-toes or (B) the silver snake-skin slip-ons

Thanks for your help!

UPDATE: So I was in the suburbs this weekend and happened to stop at DSW. The happened to have the snake skin shoes and um...(me didn't likey) so, I snooped around a bit and found a fabulous pair - I'll make sure to snap a photo along with the adorable earrings my SIL had made for us ladies to wear for the big day.

A Splash of Color: The Bridal Party

I’ve been collecting ‘every color of the rainbow’ wedding pix for a little and wanted to share some of these original ideas for adding a fun mix to any big day. The idea of having all your ‘maids in a simple neutral dress all with different colored flowers is so fun. Or perhaps, allowing each girl to pick a dress of their choice in a range of hues. Also loving this beautiful woven chuppah canopy – a very simple DIY project for any crafty bride to tackle.

Photos: Chuppah and neutral ‘maids by Krislyn Design, green ladies via Brides by Luca Trovato, and Jodi Levine and her ‘maids from Martha Stewart Weddings.

Creative Wedding Touches: Bedazzled Bridesmaid Sashes

We had a great reader question I thought best to answer on the blog so all our readers can benefit from the answer. Michelle writes:

...One of the things I loved [from your wedding] was the decorated ribbon sashes [the bridesmaid's wore] adorned with beading. I'm looking to make something similar for my wedding dress which is a plain sheath with a slight A-line, and I was wondering how you made it...I'm not crafty and have no idea of where to start.

Well, its a rather simple answer, Michelle. My maids wore sleek chocolate brown Vera Wang dresses that originally came with a simple black velvet ribbon. I loved the idea of adding a detail to the girls dresses that would tie-in to my outfit for the day and decided on making each girl a sash for their waist that was of the same beaded ribbon I used to wrap my bridal bouquet.

First stop was MJ Trim for 2.25" wide ivory satin ribbon. I bought 1 yard for each girl, and found a lovely beaded ribbon (2 yards) there for accenting the part of the sash in the back, so it was seen as they walked down the aisle. To dress up the sashes and customize them for each maid, I purchased three different large crystal brooches - one for each girl. To assemble, I ligh tly glued the beaded ribbon to the satin ribbon (measuring each girl across the back to ensure the correct size). The entire project took about an hour, most of the work was assembling the supplies and finding the perfect brooches.

On the morning of the wedding, I gave each bridesmaid her gifts, a necklace and matching earrings I had made them, along with a jewelry roll to keep their gems with them during their travels. The sashes were enclosed in the boxes with the other items. I trimmed the ends the morning of the wedding to finish everything off!

photos: Brian Dorsey Studios

Purple Bridal Shower: Centerpiece Suggestions

The other day, a friend stopped by and asked me for some ideas for bridal shower decor and centerpiece projects for her a shower her sister was planning.

After asking a few key questions, I suggested using simple key elements on the tables to give the room a festive look, while keeping everything affordable and accessible.

For instance, you could lay ribbon in varying widths woven along the tables, place pale lavender buckets filled with purple-colored candy, lollipops and lavender along the center. Shaped purple confetti around the buckets and flowers submerged in containers of water complete the overall look.

Will you be my bridesmaid?

Fred Flare is always an indispensable go-to site for great little fun gifts, but while reading O, At Home Magazine, I stumbled upon an ingenious product that I just had to share with our readers.

This fabulous porcelain mug comes with some bling on it and the packaging is so smart. What a perfect way to ask you favorite coffee loving pal to be in your bridal party. Add an adorable note inside the box along with some of her favorite coffee beans and viola - instant gift!

($17 each, available in gold or silver)