Life. Love. Lipstick.

While looking images for a post about my wedding that I wrote for my other blog, I came across these super cute shoes!  Designed by Lela Rose especially for Payless, the Unforgettable Moments collection is really cute and super-affordable!   There is a wide range of choices for color if you want to dye them, too!  My favorite ones are the Nathalie, only $45 (Edit: sold in an undyeable variation on payless.com for $24.99).

Which pair is your favorite?

If there’s anything I love more than a wedding, it’s a surprise wedding!  It’s something I really wish I could pull off, but I have to tell everyone everything.  100 Layer Cake features the wedding of Marisa and John, photographed by Studio 7.  Check out the blog post to read their story of how an engagement party turned into a wedding!

Union by Robert Fulghum

You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment.

At some point, you decided to marry.

From that moment of yes, to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making commitments in an informal way.

All of those conversations that were held in a car, or over a meal, or during long walks – all those conversations that began with, “When we’re married”, and continued with “I will” and “you will” and “we will” – all those late night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe” – and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart.

All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding. 

The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things that we’ve promised, and hoped, and dreamed – well, I meant it all, every word.”

Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another – acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, even teacher, for you have learned much from one another these past few years.

Shortly you shall say a few words that will take you across a threshold of life, and things between you will never quite be the same.

For after today you shall say to the world – 
This is my husband. This is my wife.

Photo by Poser

I love discovering a photographer I didn’t know about! It’s so exciting to add more styles and perspectives into my Google Reader! My latest discovery is Clane Gessel, based out of Seattle. Clane is a sweetheart and his photography is to die for! He recently sent over images of Cody and Jeanette’s wedding, another black and green masterpiece to put me head over heels!

Photo from With This Ring.  Gorgeous black, white, and green wedding, by the way.

One of my favorite wedding details is placing a basket of flip-flops by the dance floor for tired feet!  It’s also a cute idea to supply flip-flops beachside for a beach wedding.  This Saturday, the 23rd, for one day only, Old Navy has their [solid, non-metallic] flip-flops on sale for $1 a pair!  There is a limit of 5 pairs, but if you are the least bit organized, you can recruit friends, family, and bridesmaids to help you stock up!  I have also heard brides who took advantage of this last year say that the limit was lifted near the end of the day.  Can’t hurt to check it out!

To Keep Your Marriage Brimming by Ogden Nash

To keep your marriage brimming,
With love in the loving cup,
Whenever you’re wrong, admit it;
Whenever you’re right, shut up.

Photo by the geniuses at Our Labor of Love

This isn’t the first time I’ve posted about fun wedding foods.  I just really love the idea of something unconventional, yet still familiar, offered at a reception.  Wedding food doesn’t have to be stuffy.  I personally like to recognize the foods offered, but I don’t want to see finger sandwiches and after-dinner mints.

Just a few things I would really enjoy as a wedding guest…

French fries, served in shot glasses with dipping sauce, found at Bride’s Cafe.

Cookies, espresso, and milk, artfully arranged.  Photo courtesy of Evrim Icoz Photography.

One of my favorite foods, corn dogs!  Would be cute in a mini form as passed hors d’ouvres or even from a hired vendor!  Photo courtesy of a flickr search.

How cute is cotton candy in individual bowls?!  Much less messy than a full serving, but still fun.  View the full blog post from this wedding by Sergio Photographer.

Becoming increasingly popular for weddings, I love the idea of hiring an ice cream truck!  Photo by the Wiebners.

For years, I’ve pored over the beautiful wedding recaps in the Weddings We Loved thread of kvetch.  I love to see couples do things their own way.  Last week I was browsing the threads and found this beautiful wedding of  IB user tryingsohardtobelieve.  Stunning!  The bride and groom look like they are straight out of a magazine.  The invites and paper goods are to die for, and that cake?!  wow.

Definitely check out the full thread on IB.

Photography by Nick Murray.

In the next couple of weeks, we will be tying the knot, just the two of us, with an anniversary party to follow in a year.  I spent the last week searching online and in person for the dress that is “just right.”  I don’t even know how to describe what I was looking for, except tailored, chic, and flattering… not easy when you’re quite visibly pregnant.  I found it!  

While looking on Motherhood Maternity’s website, I found the dress… for only $35.  What a good deal!  Then I ended up looking on Walmart.com just before I was going to order, and what did I find?  Same dress for $18!  I ordered it immediately.

Without further ado, here is the perfect dress for me!

The plan for the whole look is to put either red or green shoes with it, and maybe, just maybe, make a little birdcage veil.  We’ll see how much time I have before our wedding day.

Today, while out shopping, I stopped into my local Maternity Works and tried on the size I ordered.  PERFECT!  I can’t wait to put the whole look together!

Today I ran across 3 very different and amazing weddings, all which had one thing in common: awesome fashion sense!

First up, captured by Ashley Brokop, is these dashing men in suspenders in khakis.  The entire wedding of Lizzy and Johnathan is so darling.  Do yourself a favor and check out the compilation done by Southern Weddings.

Once again, let’s give it up for stylish grooms.  Now, it is entirely possible that the bride was behind the idea to wear such an awesome jacket and pocket square.  Regardless of whose idea it was, I’m loving it!  You also will not want to miss the ceremony photos from the wedding of Breanna and Charlie, shot by my favorite beach wedding photographer, Paul Johnson.  It’s truly breathtaking!

I found a dreamy set of photos on Style Me Pretty, and while not my personal style, the dress worn by bride Elle is so romantic and beautiful.  The photography alone, by Twin Lens Photography, is enough reason to go check out this post on SMP.