A Three Shoe Bride?

Unlike a certain "celebrity" who chose to wear three different dresses on her wedding day, (only to file for divorce 72 days later), I will NOT be wearing more than one gown.  However, I will be wearing three different shoes.  Yes, good people of the hive, I am a three shoe bride.

Aside from the first step of admitting I may have a problem, this wasn't something I planned out.  You have already stuck with me through three posts on my ceremony shoes - One, Two, and Three, and a post or two on my sparkly Ugg boots.  So what in the world would entice me to look for a third pair?

Dancing.  That's right - gettin' down, shakin' your groove thang, show me what you're workin' with - dancing.  I love to dance and plan on bustin' a move with the best of them at my reception. 

As I was going through the timeline of our day last week, I realized we needed to pull together an amazing song list for our DJ that would keep the dance floor jumping all night.  That got me thinking that maybe the Uggs weren't the best choice for moving freely about the dance floor.  While they will keep my tootsies toasty warm commuting to and from locations and will look amazing in some outdoor pictures, I think they may hinder my running man skills on the dance floor.

Zappos is my go to place when I get the shoe shopping urge.  Their 365 day return policy just can't be beat.  I ordered the Astrella flats by Romantic Soles in pewter.

Image via Zappos.com

NYE Bling

While our wedding date just so happens to be New Year's Eve, we aren't necessarily going all out with a New Year's Eve theme.  We are simply adding elements that compliment the holiday while trying to avoid going too over the top.

So far, I have shown you our personalized clock and the boutonnieres.  Next up is some sparkly table decor!

Thanks to Pinterest, I found my next DIY project.

Image via Blowout Party / Photo by Kristen Steele Photography

I knew just where to find those big letters so I skipped my happy booty over to JoAnn's, used my 40% off coupons (they accept Michaels and Hobby Lobby coupons as well!) and scored a bunch of paper mache letters to spell out 'NYE,' 'MR,' and 'MRS.'

Recycled Wedding Goods

Mr. Ball Cap's brother was married in September of 2010.  We are very close to his brother and sister-in-law, and their daughter is our Jr. Bridesmaid.  With their wedding not far behind us, they still have many of their supplies on hand.  Future Sister-In-Law let me know early on that I was more than welcome to use anything they had left over.  It was a sweet offer, but one that I sort of forgot about once I got into the heavy planning stages.

Fast forward a month or so ago, and we needed to make a decision on the card box.  This wasn't something that was a high priority for me or anything I wanted to spend a lot of time or resources on.  I just wanted it to blend in with the overall look of the wedding and be practical and useful.

My first thought was to follow the movie "Up" inspired mailbox trend.  I find this idea beyond adorable and love the personalized touch.

Image via DisneyWeddingBlog.com / Photo by Wildflowers Photography

(Super cute "Up" inspired engagement shoot.)

NYE Boutonnieres

One of my very first posts was on New Year's Eve inspiration, and in that post, I shared this photo:

Image via Style Me Pretty / Photo by Scott Lawrence Photographs

I finally got my butt in gear and started the boutonnieres using this picture as a reference.  Now that the stores are already filling their shelves with Christmas items and Macy's on State in Chicago is cranking out the Christmas tunes, it is much easier to find holiday appropriate items.  MOB recently found a bag of blowouts in colors that would match the wedding.

Sharp Dressed Men

When envisioning the overall look of our wedding party, I assumed having black tuxes for the men folk would clash with the navy of the ladies.  I had a hard time picturing black and blue looking nice together.  I needed a visual to help me gain a clear picture of how the entire bridal party would look.

As a reminder, this is what our ladies will be wearing:

Ava Collection by Mori Lee #602 in Mid Night

No More Running of the Brides

It's a sad day for bargain hunting brides.  Filene's Basement, a subsidiary of discount retailer Syms Corp., has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and plans to liquidate operations.  This is the third time Filene's has gone through bankruptcy and it appears to be the final hurrah.  (Read a full article of the announcement at ChicagoTribune.com.)

It is no coincidence the bankruptcy was announced just in time for the upcoming holiday season.  There really seems like no better time to liquidate inventory.  The word is that liquidation will run through January, 2012 and store closings will occur when the merchandise is depleted.

What this ultimately means for brides, and future brides-to-be, is that the the famous "Running of the Brides" events are a thing of the past. 

Image via Boston.com

A New Year's Eve Wedding Invitation

The RSVP's are rolling in so I can finally share our finished invitations!

Bridesmaid K has designed and made invitations for several people over the last couple of years, so after my engagement, she showed me her designs in case I was interested in any of them.  She knew I wanted to make my own and as luck would have it, one of her designs was perfect!  She mocked up the main body of the invite in our colors and it helped confirm this was the route we wanted to go.

MOB ordered multiple paper samples from a company in Gary, IN.  I wanted a cream color, but nothing too yellow, as well as a midnight navy paper for the background.  We found exactly what we were hoping for and the navy even has a nice shimmer to it to give it a wintery feel.

Drum roll please . . . . . . .