Cute & Cheap "Bridesmaid" Dresses!

These may not be your "typical" bridesmaid dress, but who doesn't love some originality? and these dresses are all under $100 ---- even better!

Photo courtesy of: Polyvore

Photo courtesy of: Ruche

Photo courtesy of: Ruche

Photo courtesy of: Forever 21

Photo courtesy of: Forever 21

Photo courtesy of: Forever 21

Photo courtesy of: Forever 21

Photo courtesy of: ModCloth

Photo courtesy of: ModCloth

Photo courtesy of: ModCloth

Purchases, purchases, purchases {for sale}

Internet shopping has a SEVERE hold on my life...just run up and talk to my complexes office...I get packages almost every single day and, yes, I said package(S) - today, I received: Andrew's tie for the wedding (so cute), another sheet (to cover the hay bales), and my gold mini dress (which is too short....ugh)- and yesterday Andrew's suit came, which by the way was much darker in person and his big manly chest wouldn't fit into the vest ---- yes this post is getting somewhere....I have consumed SO much junk (very, very pretty junk) and would like to pass some of it off to who ever would need it....


First up: Amrita Singh 18K gold plated floral bib necklace...Originally $150 & no longer in stock on the website....bought this gorgeous baby for my expensive "fancy" wedding and now since have changed my plans---and my jewelery

 

 2nd: Vintage 60's gold lace mini M-L-XL---will have matching vintage jelly shoes to go with if you are interested (pictured below)---just received the dress today, but it is too short :(

Shoot me an email @ laeweddings@gmail.com or leave a comment if you'd be interested in any of these things....Andrew's vintage suit might show up on here soon too...and tonight I'm hoping to give you guys some inspiration for bridesmaid's dresses tonight, so check back!

Vintage goods in a CUTE vintage trailer? Sign me up!

Now, some of you might be thinking that this post has nothing to do with "weddings", but why not go shopping for a cute little vintage number and wear it in your engagement pictures? Or to the rehearsal dinner? In my opinion, you can wear a good vintage outfit/accessory anywhere at anytime! Erica & Jessica are here to tell us just how you can find all things vintage in their new trailer! Here is a little story about how they got started:

LAE Wedding blogreaders - Hello and welcome to Hill Vintage! Hugs. Hugs. Today Jessica and I are going to take you on a journey of the creation and growth of our business.

Readers she is young. Hill Vintage was started last September and has grown out of a love that, as co-owners Jessica and Erica share for vintage EVERYTHING. We love fashion and the ability that vintage provides for us to be creative in all aspects of our lives. When we first started Hill Vintage, we were vendors at the East Village Bazaar and each week became better organized, more efficient, and discovered how much fun we were having. When the bazaar ended at the end of October we knew we couldn’t stop and started looking into our next adventure which led us to the on-line marketplace, Etsy. Throughout the winter we sold Hill Vintage wares on-line. In mid-February we were approached by Ephemera a local stationary store to hold weekly trunk sales in their back room. And believe it or the sales were a hit!
  
Once the clouds parted and the snow cleared we were ready to hit the ground running but we had no idea where we were headed. The two of us had been mulling over the idea of a storefront but were not convinced that it was the right time for a permanent location. And just like that onto the radar strolled the idea of a vintage trailer for pop-up sales. After scouring newspapers, ebay, and craigslist we found her…HEIDI, the newest addition to our Hill Vintage family. We could not have wished for anything more amazing in all our dreams. After the addition of a dressing room and some elbow grease she was ready to meet our friends and local shoppers of the 515. To find out where and when you can meet her and us like Hill Vintage on Facebook.
 

Even with the addition of Heidi we are still active on Etsy as well as indoor fairs and markets. For the remainder of the summer we will be popping up around town, at Market Day and come fall you can see us at the East Village Bazaar.
 

Truly the credit of our success goes way beyond the two of us. It is because of the generosity and support that we have received from local business owners, shoppers, family, and our friends that we were able to take that next step and purchase Heidi. We are eager to see what the future holds for Hill Vintage and the Des Moines area!

xoxo, erica and jessica

Photos courtesy of: Hill Vintage

 ----Can't wait to check out this trailer!

Woodland Creatures Wedding

This wedding has a special place in my heart, because I call Andrew --- Squirrel or Squirrely --- have for 3 years now and have religiously bought him a squirrel of some sort for each occasion that involves a gift...even bought the squirrels shown in these pictures for my own wedding & the boutonnieres will be you guessed it squirrel pins...hope you guys love all the small little details that really made this wedding special and unique!

Please click here for full wedding

I totally want to get our rings engraved now!

isn't this amazing? it's made out of pop bottles

bought 15 of the squirrels to the left :)

All photos courtesy of: Green Wedding Shoes

Etsy vendor feature! {Hand stamped Jewelry}

I love Etsy....everyone should love Etsy....the sellers are only able to sell vintage or handmade items and it's awesome! So, being an Iowan, I decided to contact a few Iowa Etsy sellers and allow them to showcase their work - Carla from Cobweb Corner is our very first feature! Here is a little about her business:

When did you get started: I started designing jewelry in 2003 when I was getting ready to leave my full-time job and start my own business. Since 2003 I have worked full-time out of my home running Cobweb Corner.

What makes you different: I work hard to make wearable and affordable jewelry. While this may sound obvious, it isn't always. I could get a lot more creative with my designs, which leads to more time in design. This would mean I would have to charge substantially more for many pieces. I strive to have the majority of my items priced under $40 with a few more unique designs higher. In addition I often go for simplicity. I want people to reach for Cobweb Corner jewelry day after day after day - not just once or twice for special occasions. At the same time my pieces are often conversation starters. I've had a number of customers tell me that strangers have asked them about my jewelry when they wear it. This makes me VERY happy.

What do you love creating most: Honestly what I get the most enjoyment out of is making pieces for myself at the last minute. There have been many times over the years where I've had a party or event to go to. I may not decide what I'm going to wear until that day and I'm often down at my beading table right before the party designing a necklace, earrings and possibly a bracelet that will match my outfit perfectly. I often put more thought into these pieces as I know the occasion they are for and know what colors I need. Some of my most creative and unique designs have happened very quickly and at the last minute. This is a lot of fun. Then I can go to the party and if someone comments on my jewelry I can say "I just made this a few hours ago" Priceless!

Favorite places to shop: For my business I shop mostly online. The vast majority of my jewelry supplies are purchased from Vintaj. I also enjoy shopping the supply stores at Etsy. I'm constantly on the lookout for unique pieces and beads.

Photos courtesy of: Cobweb Corner

----Hand stamped jewelry is huge right now in weddings and this is so affordable! Run over to her shop and check it out!

DIY {food} projects for your wedding

DIY = Do-It-Yourself, so lets get inspired!

Cocoa mix favors ---click here for full tutorial--- this gives me the "just went to Grandma's house warm and cozy feeling" and it's something your guests will actually use!

Photo courtesy of: DIY Network

Pie in a jar---click here for full tutorial---first of all YUM, this project reminds me of fall and you could use it as the dessert or a take home favor

Photos courtesy of: Green Wedding Shoes

Chocolate & Caramel covered apples...ok maybe I'm hungry?---click here for full tutorial---I picture different colored apples fully dipped (or even half dipped) in a variety of chocolates and toppings all lined up on a big wooden table....how cute would that be? Maybe even use them for the seating, you could attach a leaf tag (pictured below on lemonade) with the name & table #

Photo courtesy of: Style Me Pretty

Mint Lemonade---click here for full tutorial---the most important part are the cute bottles (sauce bottles) and striped straws, but the lemonade is probably delicious too!

Photo courtesy of: Martha Stewart Weddings

Drunken watermelon---click here for full tutorial---so, I hate watermelon, but this makes me want to start liking it! Not sure about using it at my wedding but a picnic or rehearsal dinner BBQ would be cute!

Photos courtesy of: Evite

Hope you enjoyed this and didn't get too hungry!

BHLDN

BHLDN is newer favorite of mine - their online store is loaded with gowns, dresses, shoes, jewelry, lingerie, and accessories in a wide range of prices from affordable to very expensive, here are a few gowns/dresses to spark your interest......

Fondant Tea Dress

Blushing Crinoline Sheath

Burnished Organza Gown

Tulle Era Dress



Limoncello Lace Dress

Gin Fizz Shift

Spun Sugar Shift



Origami Pleated Dress

For Esmé Dress

All photos courtesy of: BHLDN

Some of these shorter dresses would be really cute for a backyard wedding or a reception dress!

Georgia Farm Wedding - Emily + Ryan

Who doesn't love a good ole' farm wedding? There are sooo many options out there to completely "deck" out a farm (will make a separate post for details later this week)...if you are thinking ew it probably smells like a pig's behind (this makes me chuckle) you're wrong....farms are usually full of animals, but not always the smelly ones and acreages, usually, don't even have animals at all just tons of gorgeous land and old farm buildings...take where I am getting married for example - My aunt and uncle's farm has nothing but cows....who doesn't love a good black and white spotted back drop for their wedding photos? sign a girl up!....but on a serious note you're never going to find in town what you can in the country - even if you just drive out and take a few photos in the fields or down a lane lined with trees...you won't be disappointed!

---- Found this wedding and not only is it on a farm, but it's so well put together and the bride is beautiful!

love the simplicity of the tree and chairs

 Photos courtesy of: Simply Bloom Photography, LLC