Weddings Archives - So About What I Said

Friday, May 18, 2018

👰🏻Style Guide: Royal Wedding Razzle Dazzle💍

Say it with me now: THE ROYAL WEDDING!!!!!! Yes, friends, the royal wedding is TOMORROW!!!! Can you tell that I’m beyond excited?!?!? And not just because I finally get to use “razzle dazzle” in a blog post title!

Truly, I’m legit obsessed — just ask my mom and Janelle. I’ve been talking about Harry and Meghan for months, just like I did with William and Kate (doesn’t it seem like those two crazy kids just got married yesterday??), and you can bet that I shout with joy at each new headline I read about the lovely couple.

Wait, what’s that? You’re NOT the least bit ecstatic about the upcoming nuptials?? Are you kidding me? Well, perhaps this Style Guide will change your mind. Now, I’m the farthest thing from royal-like (heck, I’m not even royal-adjacent), but I’m pretty sure the fashions for the big day with consist of lots of classy pieces — maybe throw in a pearl necklace and a fascinator or two and we’ve got the perfect outfit! Here are 9 style picks to help us celebrate in, well, style…

This, my dears, is a love story for the ages. A love story, in fact, that I’ll be writing an entire blog post about soon — FYI, as an example of my royal obsession, I’ve had a draft saved since Harry and Meghan announced their engagement. Because, all the fluffy, fun fashion aside, the union of Harry and Meghan is monumental and…well, I’ll just save it for that future blog post.

Aren’t you pumped now, friends?? Seriously, this is going to be so great!!! Will you be watching all the lovey-dovey festivities tomorrow?? I’m going to get my DVR set pronto!!! Cheers… xoxo

Monday, November 20, 2017

My Essay on Glamour: “My Disability Made Me Dread Going to Weddings Alone”

If you’re a longtime reader of So About What I Said, then you probably remember seeing Jessi featured in several posts. She and I go way back (we initially bonded over our mutual love of writing and blogging!!), so I was honored when she invited me to her wedding a couple years ago. I was excited, of course, but there was a nagging thought in the back of my mind: I’m not used to going to weddings alone. This will certainly be a first.

And what a first experience it turned out to be — in the BEST way possible! I’m so glad I ended up writing about my wedding experience in my latest essay for Glamour! The essay “My Disability Made Me Dread Going to Weddings Alone. It Shouldn’t Have” explored what this new experience was like, even though most people my age had flown solo at weddings long before my maiden voyage. My editor was incredibly kind and wonderful to work with; she really got me to dig deeper and explore my feelings about my disability and not just recount the details of the wedding.

Here’s an excerpt of the essay, which I’m happy to say got Jessi’s stamp of approval (I’m *so* glad she liked it!)…

As I got older, it didn’t help that my physical disability made me feel as though I was on display; I felt incredibly self-conscious of my surgical scars, wheelchair, and deformities, and was about ready to say goodbye to any sense of hope. I was born with Freeman-Sheldon syndrome, a rare genetic bone and muscular disorder. And in my wheelchair, well, I tend to make an entrance wherever I go. I’ve realized that it’s impossible for me to go under the radar, no matter how much I might want to. People notice me. That’s just how it is.

So when I found myself sitting in a small banquet hall one rainy October evening in 2015, attending my first wedding as a solo guest, I felt especially seen—and not in a good way. Everything should have been perfect—I’d been friends with the bride for six years, and her now husband almost as long, and I couldn’t have been happier for them. Plus, at 34, I knew most people my age had probably been attending weddings alone for nearly a decade, and it’s really not that unusual. But here I was, drinking my Coca-Cola in a dimly lit ballroom and feeling anxious. It would be one thing if I could just easily blend in with the crowd—I craved that kind of anonymity—but instead, I carried that self-consciousness with me that night. Insecurity was my plus-one.

You can read the full essay here and I’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to email me anytime at mellow1422@aol.com and let’s chat! And of course, feel free to share my essay on Facebook, Twitter or even your local refrigerator. If you share on Twitter, be sure to tag me @melissablake so we can connect! I can’t wait to hear from you! Love you all… xoxo

Monday, April 17, 2017

Obsessed: Topshop Bride Wedding Dresses

Who’s feeling like a fashionably unique wedding this season? Well, you’re in luck! In a new line of wedding dresses, Topshop pulls out all the stops and the result are these Topshop Bride wedding dresses worthy of all the dreamy adjectives you can think of! Cool? Yes! Romantic? You bet! Ethereal? Of course!

The collection, which went on sale last week, consists of five limited-edition dresses — including wedding dresses and dresses for bridesmaids!

Aren’t you loving the Romeo-and-Juliet vibe of the dresses, friends? It sort of reminds me of castles and Elizabethan-era dramas, don’t you think? And the soft colors (hello, pale pink!) are right up my alley lately! You can shop the entire collection here. Do you have a favorite look? And, would you (or did you?) ever go for the boho chic look for your wedding?? xoxo

[Photos via Fashion Gone Rogue]

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

How to Pick the Perfect Wedding Date

We’re less than one month away from the first day of spring and you know what that means, don’t you, friends? Wedding season is coming!! Can’t you smell it in the air already? To help us get in the mood and figure out how to pick the perfect wedding date, I give you the experts at Orla James, the London-based company specializing in wedding jewelry. Read on for their top four tips, like why getting married during wedding season might not be such a good idea… xoxo

So you’ve finally popped the question? But have you thought about when the big day will be? Are you looking to tie the knot as quickly as possible, or do you want to give yourself time to prepare? The fact is that, emotions aside, there are practical reasons for picking the right wedding date. Don’t jump into making the decision quickly or you could end up regretting it.

Having a wedding is not a spur-of-the-moment thing. It requires time and effort. Most of the time, the bride has the scenario of the perfect wedding in mind — the venue, the dress, the cake, etc. All of these things take time to arrange. Plus, all of these things might not be available when you need them.

“There’s so much planning that goes into a wedding and none of this can really get started until a date is set, but finding a suitable date can be a battle in itself!” says Katie of Orla James.

Availability Of Friends And Family

Your wedding is your special day. But it wouldn’t really be all that special if all of those people you consider special to you were not there. While picking a date for your wedding, you need to consider the availability of your close friends and family. This doesn’t mean just anyone, but your nearest and dearest friends, people without whom you would feel your wedding is incomplete.

Talk to these people and find out if there are any major events happening around them. Ask them if there are dates when they are busy. Give them your preferred dates, a month or a weekend that you like and have them give you their feedback. See what they come back with. Use this information to decide a few different date choices — choices that don’t include the ones when these people are not available.

Do this once and once only, and like we’ve said, only with your nearest and dearest. The more people you involves, the more complicated it gets. If you know of someone else who may be planning a wedding, it would be advisable to ensure that there are no date conflicts with them either.

Picking The Venue

Another important factor while setting your wedding date involves the venue. Most people do not think of checking out their desired venue before setting a date, but this is essential. If you start looking for a venue after picking your wedding date, you are basically decreasing your options right away. With a number of potential dates in hand, you can look at and decide on a number of different suitable venues. Once you’ve found the perfect venue, you can decide which date works for you.

The Importance Of An Important Date

There are some people who get married on specific days because of religious or cultural reasons. If you are one of those, then picking your wedding date could be out of your hands. But if you aren’t one of those, you should consider marrying on a date with special significance.

See if the date of your first meeting or first kiss works for you. Maybe the date on which you proposed. You might want to honor your dead parents by having a wedding on the date of their anniversary. Picking an important date will add that extra bit of significance to your wedding, making it even more memorable. Just make sure that this date is feasible.

Consider Your Budget

Most people don’t know this, but there is a wedding season during the summers leading into October. During this time, everything is expensive since a lot of weddings are taking place. Things may cost up to 2 to 3 times higher than what they do during off-season. This is due to supply and demand, and not something you can help.

Only get married during the wedding season if you really have to. Also consider not getting married on weekends. For the same reason as above, everything is more expensive during the weekends. You can really have your pick of venues and catering if you do this.

Days To Avoid At All Costs

Then there are days that you just can’t get married on. There are specific days when it would be impossible for you to get off from work. Days like the end of the year when the accounts are closed. You don’t want to get married with the burden of work hanging over you. Plus, your honeymoon could be adversely affected. Public holidays like Christmas and Easter are out as well.

(This post is sponsored by Orla James. Thanks so much for continuing to support So About What I Said’s wonderful sponsors!)

[Photos via We Heart It]

Thursday, December 8, 2016

This Target-Themed Anniversary Shoot Is Life

Seven words: This Target-themed anniversary shoot is life…

Despite the bitter cold and impending snow heading to the Midwest this weekend, I’m psyched to be taking one of my classic Target trips tomorrow — Christmas shopping, HELLO! But…would you ever consider staging an anniversary photo shoot in everyone’s favorite shopping locale? Lauren and Corey Rexroad, an adorable couple from West Virginia who got married last year, did just that, and, well, I’m in love!

Lauren and Corey had spent a lot of time walking up and down the aisles of Target while decorating their first home together and wanted to capture the special spot the store has in their relationship.

“I wanted something that reflected our first year,” said Lauren. “I thought that Target would be the prime location! Callie [the photographer] and I brainstormed the idea and she ran with it. This shoot would have been nothing without her and her creativity.”

How cute is that? Target staff even made sure the aisles were clear so the couple’s full vision could come to life! I don’t know about you, but I think this is such a romantic and creative idea; it’s a fun way to capture not just your wedding but also your first year of marriage because, honestly, who doesn’t spend half their life in Target?

Would you ever consider doing something like this, friends? Did you have a wedding shoot when you got married? I once asked my mom about her wedding shoot and she looked at me like I was from another planet — “people in my day [the ’70s] didn’t do that sort of thing,” she’s always telling me. Hmmm, is that true?? For those who got married back then, did you have a wedding shoot? Or, is my mom right and that sort of thing just hadn’t become in vogue yet? xoxo

[Photography by Callie Lindsey; via Huffington Post]