Weddingbee bios

I have my heart set on navy blue BM dresses, short and preferably strapless or with wide straps/cap sleeves. The JCrew dresses are all gorgeous but a little more than I want the girls to have to pay for. But hoping that we would run into a sale, I ordered a couple of the dresses to try on. Thankfully, all my girls are about the same size (petite and slender!) so I knew the dresses would look similarly on them as they did on me.

The two dresses I ordered were the bow monde dress and the Lorelei, both in caspian blue silk taffeta. Ultimately, I was disappointe. The bow on the first dress isn't as "bow-looking" in person - it's just a folded piece of fabric with not enough gathering to make it look like a bow. The Lorelei, while really cute, was just a touch on the big size for me, even in a size 0 Petite. A couple of the girls are possibly smaller than I am so I knew the dress would be too big for them. Also, the silk taffeta may not be the best choice since it's very wrinkly. Both dresses had pockets though, which I LOVE!

Anyone have other suggestions for similar dresses in navy blue? I think next I'll try some of the Ann Taylor dresses. The search continues!

My fiance designed my engagement ring. Okay, so he had some help from the jeweler but overall he took elements of different pictures I had sent him (mostly Tacori and Scott Kay) and created the perfect ring for me! It's bigger than I had wanted (I have very small hands) but it doesn't overwhelm me. It's incredibly sparkly and has great details that make it truly unique. It's hard to see in these pictures but there's some filigree detail on the sides, and a tiny diamond on either side of the middle.

For anyone who lives in the DC area, you have got to check out Ascot Diamonds in Ballston! They don't have an actual store, just an office space on the first floor of an apartment building, and appointments are required. The jewelers work with you to design anything you'd like and create pictures of the design via AutoCAD, which gives you a sneak peek at what the finished product will look like. My fiance found their loose diamond prices to be comparable to the ones he was looking at online.

 

From the wonderful Dani Leigh Photography

It didn't take as long as I thought it would to find our venue. We were really restrained by budget so there weren't many choices. We toured Stone Mansion in Alexandria and Old Town Hall in Fairfax, but both were a little too "rustic" for this city girl! On a tip from a Wedding Bee Board, we took a look at the City View Room on the 7th floor of the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs. There was no doubt in our minds that this was the ideal venue with its modern decor, spectacular views of downtown DC and the memorials, and especially the price!

We plan on having the ceremony on the terrace followed by cocktail hour and dinner inside. The terrace will be open all night for our guests to wander in and out as they please. Now the only problem I have is how to decorate... as with most venues, this one doesn't allow anything to be affixed to the ceilings or walls, but I really have my heart set on strings of cranes!