Finally! The Big Dress Reveal (a.k.a. Don't read this if you're the groom...)

I already did the big apology post before in September, so I'll just come out with it this time: I'm bad at this. BUT with a renewed sense of purpose (and more wedding stuff to do now that we're LESS THAN 6 MONTHS AWAY), I'm going to try doing this again on a regular basis.

The first place I should start (so I don't leave any of you hanging)....the dress.

I went on the big hunt back in September when Momma and Daddy 3000 came out to Seattle for a week. Mom and I had three appointments booked in one Saturday, and honestly, I was expecting it to be painful. I'm not a super girly girl, and picking out a big white dress was WAY out of my comfort zone. I went in with some basic requirements: comfortable, lace, straps, classic. I ended up finding three different dresses--one from each store--that were hot contenders.

Meet the finalists:

From I Do Bridal in Seattle: Blu by Mori Lee collection
The lace is gorgeous, and look at those straps! Simple beading around the bust and neckline. This is everything I wanted, right?

From Amanda's Bridal Boutique in Redmond: Maggie Sottero "Dawn"
I felt like Barbie, in a good way! The dress has a retro feel with the faux belt. It's huge and I felt like the dress was propping me up, but it's so gorgeous!

From Bellevue Bridal Boutique in Bellevue: Alfred Angelo
No straps, but the stacked teacup effect was attractive Not really classic here, but lots of lace!

So which one will make it down the aisle this summer? It's time for the big reveal....










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Wait for it....







TA DA! It's the Mori Lee!

 This dress was everything I wanted, not to mention the lace is gorgeous and the simple beading gives just the right amount of sparkle. Beauty came in January and as soon as I put it on again, we were soulmates. The dress is still a little too long and the straps need to be shortened, so I'll need to get her altered. But before I can do that, I have to get my weddin' shoes. For a lady with severely flat feet, that's a whole 'nother issue.

Seeing Green

It's been a while since I've posted. Every time Groom or Momma3000 ask if I've added a new post, I always tell them "Noooo, there are no new developments to blog about!" However, it might also be because I'm stressed with schoolwork and sending out my first job applications. Or, I might be lazy. No matter the excuse, I apologize for the MIA.

One aspect of the wedding I have not discussed is the color theme. When I first started reading wedding magazines, I kept reading that one of the first steps of planning a wedding is selecting a theme, using words like "romantic," "whimsical," and "DIY." My problem: what the heck does any of that mean?

So, I forgot the fancy-pants words and opted to choose a color palette to work with. Despite all my indecisiveness, choosing the colors came quite naturally. It's a summer wedding, but I really love a chocolate brown (hello, who doesn't love chocolate?). Brown + pink or blue = WAY overdone. Instead, I thought of Groom3000's favorite color: green. The earthiness of a deep brown and brighter green, with a peachy-orange to highlight the palette, came to me while sitting in a 3-hour (yawns-ville) lecture. As soon as I jotted down the idea I knew we had a winner.

We're going with green for the five bridesmaids. I love brown, but c'mon, this is a summer party here!  I've been playing around on the David's Bridal website. I like the idea of going through David's for dresses because I can see the dresses in person in Seattle and my BMs can try-on and purchase their dresses at their local store. I also love the affordable prices and the fact that a large percentage of the dresses come in green, so each girl can choose the dress-style she loves best (and will hopefully be able to wear again in future).

But herein lies a question: which shade of green? David's has two contenders:

 "Clover"                                                                                             

"Kelly"

Keeping in mind the color palette, and that our wedding will be a summer evening, and that we hope to have a lot of greenery in our decor (ivy?), what's the opinion out there?