Wedding Week Guest Post: Holly

Siiiiiiiiiiiigh! Today I'm back at work, but at least I'm back as a Mrs!

I'll catch y'all up on my wedding and the mini-moon next week, don't worry.

Today though, I have the lovely Mrs. Holly guest posting. 

Holly is seriously one of the sweetest girls out there and I love her post today about her wedding. And of course I love her shoes ;)!

Thanks so much for posting HOLLY!

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Hey there, it's Holly from Eight Six Eleven.  First off, a huge congratulatory shout out to the lovely Pinky and C as they tie the knot!  I'm so excited for them and I cannot wait to hear all the deets.  I hope you have the best day ever!

I've really enjoyed reading Pinky's pre-wedding posts about flowers, cake and hair styles.  Speaking of hair styles, putting together the perfect bridal look can be one of the most stressful yet exciting tasks of being a bride.  This is especially true when you're on a budget.  And let's face it, this day and age, most of us are when it comes to planning the perfect wedding look.

When I married my honey two years ago, we had to decide if we wanted a house or a large wedding.  We choose the house and headed to the beach for an intimate ceremony and reception dinner with our closest family and friends.  We were able to have a low key, budget friendly wedding which made for a day I will never forget.

Now small destination weddings aren't for everybody so regardless of where and how big your wedding is, I want to share some money saving tips on how you can achieve the perfect bridal look for less!

Like every bride, I had a vision.  I wanted elegant yet fun.  For my dress I went to David's Bridal.  I've read some not so nice reviews about the quality and service at David's but I for one was super impressed.  The consultants were incredibly helpful and not pushy at all.  And as far as the quality, who is going to know if it's not 100% silk?  As long as you feel confident and beautiful, that's all that matters.  I tried on several dresses at my David's Bridal appointment, all under $500.  But the dress I finally committed to was this dress, an online only dress.  I took my chances, knowing I could return the dress if I didn't like it.  It turns out, it was perfect.  I truly felt like a princess in that dress.  And the price tag?  $179.00, shipped for free to my doorstep.  David's offers numerous dresses in every style imaginable online and in stores for a price tag that won't give your groom cold feet. 

For my shoes, I knew I wanted to break tradition.  I would be wearing flats as my husband is short and well, I'm kind of a giant [5'8" on a short day].  I decided they had to be hot pink because seriously, white shoes are rather boring.  I looked high and low, in store and online for the perfect fit.  Finally, I found the Lilium flat by Me Too on Zappos.  I paid $70.00, again shipped free to my house.  Zappos no longer carries the flats, but 6pm.com has the exact same pair for $22, and many others to choose from.  The best part is, I've worn these flats on numerous occasions since tying the knot.  That's getting your money's worth!

Bridal accessories are not cheap.  It's sad, especially considering you only wear them for one day but it is a special day.  When it came to my hair, I wanted to break tradition again and skip the veil.  Instead I choose a floral hair clip from David's  Bridal.  I cannot remember exactly how much I paid for it but I know it was far less than the price of a veil.  I know it was under $50.   It did the trick by adding some rhinestone prettiness to my look.  Etsy also offers many alternatives to veils.  Not only are they affordable but they are handmade and one of a kind.

Another money saving tip for your wedding day look is to borrow or utilize jewelry that you already have.  David's sells bridal jewelry but it's expensive and really, how often will you wear it after the wedding?  I choose to wear a set of pearl bracelets that I had previously purchased from a Cookie Lee catalog.  Unfortunately I cannot recall the price as I owned them long before wedding day.  For the wedding, I added a special touch to the set by tying the bracelets together with ivory ribbon and adding a starfish charm to match our theme.  Like my wedding day shoes, I've worn the bracelet many times post-wedding because it is not over the top.  

For my earrings I borrowed these Sabika earrings from my sister.  Not only were they completely free to wear but it took care of the "Something Borrowed" for my wedding look.  Plus it just felt really special to borrow them from my sister a.k.a. my best friend!

For you former brides out there, what are some ways that helped you stay in budget when putting together your idea of the perfect look on your special day?  Brides-to-be, what are some ways that you plan on getting the look for less?

-Holly