I Have Wedding Dress Envy.

It irks me that J. Crew started offering wedding gowns after my own wedding had already taken place. I got married in 1999 and at the time there were few options for a bride that did not want ruffles, lace and general poofiness. If I wanted a very basic satin or silk gown with no embellishment, I would have had to have something custom made. And that was out of my budget. Way out.

So I ended up with some poof. A ballerina style dress that was very pretty and flattering, but not really what I wanted. Which was something like this:

Or this:

Both at J. Crew. Both under $400.

I'm so tempted to buy that halter dress and have myself a little vow renewal ceremony next year. Just so I can have a dress that I love.

If you gals are planning a wedding, don't buy a dress before you check out J. Crew's selection of elegant bride and party dresses. I'll try to keep my dress envy to myself!

Etsy Monday For The Bride To Be

Oh my gosh, I've completely fallen down on my Etsy Monday committment . It's 10:45 am (pacific) and I just realized it's Monday, so therefore I should have an Etsy post ready. I do not.

But I have an idea...

I recently Kirtsy'd an amazing wedding dress that I found on Etsy. I'll share it here. Who knew you could shop for wedding dresses on Etsy? I now know, and here is the dress, feast your eyes:

Beyond amazing wedding dress at Joan Shum Brides.

Not only can you find a dress, there is all kinds of wedding related hand-crafted stuff on Etsy. Here are some faves:

Quirky and modern invites at Eva Paul.

Calligraphy for the envelopes to your quirky and modern invites at Pen and Ink Calligraphy.

Monogram decals for wine glasses. What a cute detail this would be for a reception! At decalmonograms.

Custom table numbers and place cards at Dear Emma Stationary.

How cute are these? Petal tags instructing guests to shower the bride and groom with rose petals. Where were these when I was getting married? At LH Calligraphy.

Love these favors! The seller calls them Cootie Catchers, they're like the little fortune tellers we used to make out of notebook paper in junior high. Awesome! At Kats Krafts.

For Your Second Wedding (Or Third or Fourth)

Is it just me, or wouldn't this ABS gown make a beautful "second wedding" dress? I can totally imagine an elegant bride in her mid-thirties, maybe early forties wearing this ivory pleated creation for an intimate wedding ceremony. It's not white-white, it's not foofy; it is restrained and beautiful. Veils need not apply.

Available at Nordy's for $378.

Getting Married? You Need This Cake Topper...

Toppers With Glitz produces the most gorgeous, amazing, monogram cake toppers embellished with Swarovski crystals. They are to die for. The colors they put together are gorgeous. One of these toppers on a wedding or birthday cake would be a show stopper. A full 3 letter monogram can be a bit pricey, but when you think about the work that must go into these, plus the cost of the crystals, the price doesn't seem so bad. These make me want to renew my wedding vows just so I can have a cake with a glitzy monogram topper.