Sock it to Me

Ya'll know how I feel about custom items. If I cant find it in the stores, and I cant make it myself, I have no problem turning to someone else to make it for me.


These little socks are no exception. Aren't they adorable?

When I picked out the flower girl dresses, I knew I wanted them to wear ruffly socks. In a perfect world, they'd have a teal ruffle. Well, I never found any teal ruffly socks. And I wasnt about to spend a whole lot of money on these little socks that they might wear only once (famous last words, right?). So I popped over to Etsy and found BRKids. When I contacted her, I told her I had some teal ribbon I wanted to use (because the color needed to be spot on), and would be willing to mail it to her. She told me that she would do the 3 pairs of socks I needed for $6. Yup, $6 for all three pairs. Add a few dollars (literally) to the pot, and I was able to get 3 pairs of custom little girl socks for less than $10.

I was a little hesitant about the quality when she gave me the price, but turns out that worrying was completely unnecessary. The socks are a nice high quality cotton, the ruffle is sewed on very professionally, and she finished the edges off so the ribbon wont ravel. Long story short, if the girls are interested, they will have these socks for many years to come.

Have I ever told you about my love for dainty little girl clothing? No? Hm, maybe on the next blog. Just know, these little socks are making me swoon.

♥

I Got Shoes!

Remember how I was telling you yesterday about my secret fret list? Well, I am happy to report on another item that has recently seceded from said list: my shoes.

Yes, I know. I love shoes. And I used to talk about shoes ALOT. Then I decided that I was going to wear shoes I already own - fabulous teal peep toes. But then I came to my senses and realized that despite our ceremony being only 30 minutes long, that would mean 30 minutes of me standing still in heels. Not a good look. Not going to happen.

So I solicited the assistance of my fabulous honor maids to help me find shoes that were flat, allowed me to have my toes out (can we say cute pre-wedding pedi), but still gave off a "bridal" vibe. In my mind that should have been easy to find, but I was having a really hard time finding a viable option. MnOH Krissi really came thru for me, and found these little darlings on Piperlime.

{found them here}

Before I found shoes, I was really dreading having to buy them. See, the best part about wearing shoes you already own is that you've already paid for them (duh!). However, I cant get too worked up about these little things - they only cost me about $30. Cute and budget friendly is definitely my kind of shoe.

I have to start my dress fittings within the next couple of weeks as I'm told they could take up to 4 weeks to complete, and now I'm ready. My shoes were the last thing I needed to get. Now when I go for my fitting, the seamstress and I will be able to adequately decide if Elle needs to be hemmed, and how to arrange her bustle.

65 days to go! Yay shoes!

♥

Tickled Pink

Look what arrived in the mail today:


My brooches!

I ended up ordering them in the japonica pink felt with the off white netting. Absolutely looove them. Anna Alicia really outdid herself. Can't wait to wear them to my shower in...11 days!

♥

Bows for the Bride

Happy Monday! Today I'm flying out to Seattle for my job and will be here all week. The PHI has family up that way (actually along a good chunk of the west coast), but I've never been to the state of Washington so I'm pretty excited. But anyway, I'm stopping by today to talk shower attire. Specifically, accessories.


I've pretty much decided that I'm wearing this white dress to my Florida shower. I got it ages ago, and am excited to finally wear it. But I need something to jazz it up a bit.

I have my eyes on this one:


I think its the bows. And that netting. Can we all take a minute to swoon? Remember on Friday, I told you I was really feeling the brooches I got for MdOH Dani and MnOH Krissi. Well, I think I'm going to order one for me. Ana Alicia is still running her buy 1 get 1 half off promotion, so getting 2 is uber tempting. But I'll be good and resist. And just order one. Just not sure about the color.

{click to enlarge; source}
The felt Ana Alicia uses comes in about a gazillion colors. Like too many colors. If you're curious, the brooches are in willow and white. I'm not terribly wild about the beige in the picture, but I do like that netting on top. Either way, I'm in the custom order realm.

Back to colors. I need some help. My "short" list is:

• verona
• midnight
• carribbean
• willow
• japonica pink
• melon pink
• geranium
• sunflower
• peat

Which is obviously unmanageable - lol. So can you help a sista out? Real quick, let me know which color you'd choose. If you could text me, tweet me, or just leave it in the comments, I'd really really appreciate it, k.

♥

p.s. In case you're worried I left you hanging while I pretend to be bicoastal, don't fret. I've lined up a lil sumthin sumthin to tide you over while I'm away.

Brooches for my Besties

Look what came in the mail:


The brooches for MdOH Dani and MnOH Krissi!


I started not to open them, but I caved. Had to inspect them to make sure I got the right product, right? Yeah, I know. I didn't have to take them out of the box. But I wanted to touch them too. They feel amaaazing. Softest.felt.ever.


As a reminder, here's the dress that all the maids are wearing. These brooches are going to look fab pinned to their dresses.

The downside of having them in my possession is that I really want a piece of my own now. I wonder if I could justify getting something like this, or even this for my Florida shower later on this month. Hmmm...

♥

You don't always know what you want...

...but you (almost) always find exactly what you need.

{source}
In today case, it all started with this little felt boutonniere I found on Etsy.

Wait, no. That's not quite right. It all started back in March (during my wedding planning spring break) at Granma's birthday party when I was chatting about the wedding with Cousin Cheryl and she asked a question that would stump me for several months to come. The chat went a little something like this:

Cousin Cheryl: Hows the wedding planning going?

Miss Patti: Its going well, but I'm tired. MamaP and I have been full time wedding planning this week. Every day there's a different appointment. But we've gotten alot accomplished.

CC: What did you decide to do about the bridesmaids dresses?

MP: Oh, they're all going to wear the same dress.

CC: Oh yeah? So how are you going to distinguish your Maid and Matron of Honor from your other bridesmaids?

MP: um....

As you can see, I had nothing. It hadn't even crossed my mind! Eventually I found some words and we proceeded to brainstorm some ideas. Bouquets? Naw, I want to keep the flowers simple and budget friendly. Scarves? SoFla in October? Yeah, right. Next! Brooches? Hmm, maybe. In hindsight, I must have really latched on to the idea of brooches, because when I came across that boutonniere two weeks ago in AAlicia's Wedding Store, I immediately could see a brooch application. And then I found this:

{source}
While not my personal style, I felt I was getting closer to what I was looking for. So after sitting on it for a couple days, I convo-ed Anna Alicia to ask about having a couple of brooches made for two of my favorite girls. She got right back to me, and suggested something more like this instead:

{source}
I loved it.

It was exactly what I didn't realize I was looking for (lol). I love that its different, but in a classic way. And that it can be worn pinned on their dresses, or it can be placed in their hair. And that it's an accessory that doesn't scream wedding, increasing the possibility of a post wedding application. Maybe pinned on a terra cotta or hot pink cardigan, or even little black dress.

Turns out she's running a "buy one, get one half off" promotion to celebrate the opening of her wedding accessories shop. I knew it was a sign and quickly let her know I was interested in a green and white remix of the brooch pictured above. She set up whats called a custom listing for me (think: putting an item on hold in a store at the mall), and I was allowed to pay for the items when I got ready. I always pay right away so I don't forget to go back and do it later.

Anna Alicia promised they'd be here soon, and I cannot wait. Once they arrive you'll be one of the first to know. In the meantime, you should pop over to visit both of her shops. Her pieces are really quite swoon-worthy.

♥

DIY Week Drive-By: Hair Flower

Whereas most of my DIY Week posts are long and explanation laden, there are at least a couple projects that I can show you without all that. A little text a few pictures will suit them just fine. Enter the drive-by post.

Think of these posts as the equivalent of you coming over to my house to hang out, and I pop up suddenly from the sofa to say "ooh, lemme show you something real quick."*

So, lemme show you the flower I made to wear in my hair for the wedding.

{meet my model, my favorite bear Lorenzo}
This was yet another project that I was not willing to pay very much for. Essentially, I purchased a silk flower (I believe it may have been a gardenia) from Michaels, and took it apart. I wanted it to have a little bit of visual interest, so I added some pieces of tulle between some of the layers.

{its amazing to me what a little tulle can do}
After I decided about petal and tulle placement, I hot glued everything to each other, and then added some pearls to the front. I then used the hot glue to add a piece of felt and a pin back to the back of the flower. This way I have the option of wearing it on my clothes or (with the help of some bobby pins) in my hair.

{thanks Zo!}
And there you have it, easy peasy hair accessory!

♥

*yes, this example is based on my real-life behavior - lol.

Heart Bling + Target = All Good

Remember that bracelet I told you about? Well, I bit the bullet and ordered it! As soon as it got here, I immediately opened the box and tried it on - I had to see it on my wrist. It is so sparkly and those are definitely blinged out heart shapes. Here are some pics I took just for you (because I love you just that much):

{the topside}
{and the underside where you can really see the hearts}
Please excuse how dark the photos are (and that trash that needs to go out). It is SO sparkly (I know, I keep saying that), I had to turn the flash off to get a decent pic. I am so glad that ya'll encouraged me to order it. I absolutely love it. Waay more than anyone should ever love a bracelet. Even one with blinged out hearts - lol.

However, seeing the heart bling in person has made me seriously reconsider the remainder of my accessories. I still wanted to wear earrings with some type of sparkle, but maybe not on the level of the essence of pretzel earrings we all loved. Then I remembered that I had some earrings that I got from Target ages ago. Here's a (halfway decent) pic of them in my ear:


The earrings are pearls, clear crystals and rhinestones. Simple, elegant and a lovely accompaniment to my blinged out bracelet. At the time, I liked their elegant simplicity (and $8.99 price tag), but over time I had stopped liking them quite so much. Yesterday, while tidying up the apartment (before the cable/internet came back on) I ran across them and saw them in a new light. Whereas before, they were a little too understated, now they were just what I needed. Dangly, with some sparkle.

That $8.99 price tag ain't half bad either.

Normally, I'd end the post with brilliant piece of take-home advice. Ya know, something to inspire your own wedding or accessory shopping, or something to encourage you to look for bridal accessories in unexpected places. I'm going to break up the pattern and leave you with three (fairly obvious) words: I love Target.

♥

My Ears Need ♥ Too

The other day I showed you my swoon-worthy bracelet. I haven't ordered it yet, but thanks to your feedback, I probably will.

So I'm back for more. I've been shopping for earrings. As a refresher, here's what I wanted from my wedding day jewelry:

As far as my personal accessories, I'm only planning to wear my e-ring (of course), earrings and a bracelet. Dangly earrings (maybe chandelier) and a cuff bracelet to be exact. I want them both to be sparkly. If the right non-cuff bracelet came along, I'd be willing to give it a shot. Oh, and the accessories will get extra credit if they manage to have hearts.

In addition to the aforementioned criteria, I also want the earrings to be on the long side - between 1.5 and say 2.75 inches long (yeah I know I could have just said 3 inches...but doesn't that seem long? 2.75 seems more manageable.). So here's what I've come up with listed in order of obviousness:

Option #1

Yup, these are almost like the earrings that showed up in my wedding day look board. I've been looking for them ever since (becuase of course I didnt save the link), and I found these that are actually a little better! I love that they are simply sparkly hearts dangling from my ear. And that they scream Patti in an obnoxious tone. But are they too obvious?

Option #2

I like these earrings, mostly because they are still hearts, but they aren't just hearts. Like someone tried to design a look around hearts. But they also look cheap to me. And I happen to know that of the three, they are the cheapest, which is normally great. Unfortunately, in this case, I'm pretty sure "cheap-looking" outweighs any of their other more redeeming qualities.

Option #3

I just like these earrings. I can't really explain why. They have what I'd call essence of heart - like if you flipped them upside down. Okay, maybe they're more like essence of pretzel. More importantly, I know the fact that they don't scream "I'm heart earrings!" appeals to me. Alot. Plus, don't they seem sophisticated?

As you have probably gleaned, Options 1 and 3 are my faves. My head knows that #1 would fit the bill, but I'm drawn to #3.

Perhaps a better question is, which pair (if any) go best with the bracelet? Should I choose Door 1, 2 or 3? Or even if there is one you think I should definitely opt out of. Whatcha think?

♥

I'm in love with a bracelet

Found it here.

Is it in the budget? Probably not.
Is it worth it? I'm thinking so.

As far as my personal accessories, I'm only planning to wear my e-ring (of course), earrings and a bracelet. Dangly earrings (maybe chandelier) and a cuff bracelet to be exact. I want them both to be sparkly. If the right non-cuff bracelet came along, I'd be willing to give it a shot. Oh, and the accessories will get extra credit if they manage to have hearts.

Geez, the more I look at it, the more I like it. And those hearts are making me swoon.

Whatcha think? Worth it for a (kind of expensive but) fab bracelet? Think I can sell it after the wedding?

♥

Cole, you're killing me

I already have shoes.
Fabulous teal shoes (that I realized I haven't shown you yet)
Shoes that I wish I had more places to wear.
Shoes that my bestie loves to see me in because I love to wear them.
I have a new attitude in those shoes.
Imagine me...more fab than I normally am.
Yup, thats me in those shoes.
And I get to get married in them!

I promise I was not even shopping for shoes.
But when Miss Hot Cocoa blogged about these, I had to go check you out.
I know that NikeAir sole.
I know how it makes heels feel like flats.
I know that when I see stuff like this:

click here to get to the promised land
...I seriously consider wanting new shoes.

Cole, you're killing me.
Hear those screams? That's my closet saying we.need.those.shoes!

Didya know they're all dyable?
Yeah, now its killing you too.
Welcome to my world folks.

♥

Veil Talk: Talking the Talk

A couple of weeks ago we started learning about veils. Consider that a primer on veil utility - or stuff you'd need to know to walk the walk while wearing a veil. Today were going to deal in aesthetics. Keep in mind, the choices brides make at this point are simply based on what they like, and the options are almost limitless.

Before we get started, please direct another tab in your browser to this site. The visuals will come in handy as we move through today's material.

The very first thing to consider is how many layers or tiers you want to wear. Most veils you'll see are two-layers: usually a long one and short one. Your knowledge about veil lengths apply here. The longest layer could easily be chapel or fingertip and the shortest (on top) is usually the blusher. Blusher = part that goes over your face. Two-layer veils are designed so that you can flip that top layer to serve as the blusher (or not). Since blushers are still wildly popular, I'll save my diatribe for another post.

Some veils even have three layers. Must be an aquired taste because that middle layer just looks silly. All others can be broadly categorized as single layers. This includes traditional tulle veils, mantilla veils and birdcage veils (albeit loosely). Single layer veils are just that. One layer of material - tulle, organza, chiffon. You name it. People makes veils out of all kinds of stuff. Tulle is the most common, the most translucent, the cheapest, and the easiest to work with. Unless you can make a serious case for using some other fabric, just go with tulle.

The most common veil is a wide piece of tulle, gathered, and stitched to a comb. Yup. That's it. And that's precisely why increasing numbers of brides are opting to make their own. Krissi has volunteered to make mine, as long as I don't want something too elaborate - lol. I just want a single layer chapel length veil.

We know birdcages a little so lets talk about something new. I didn't know about mantilla veils until I really started wedding planning. Mantillas are a special kind of veil that is made out of one piece of material, edged in lace and is usually worn at the back of the head. They don't usually have a blusher, but some brides pull their mantilla to the front to have a blusher. A similar veil, without the lace is called a drop veil. Imagine a bride just draping a piece of tulle over her head - no gathering, no comb. That's kind of what a drop veil looks like. Very sheer and barely there (cause you cannot hide under tulle - lol). A drop veil is probably the only way you'd get me in a blusher. Period.

Talking about drop veils and mantillas brings me to another thing you'll hear about - securing the veil. Veils are usually attached to a plastic or metal comb. And many stylists often secure the comb with a few bobby pins - to be safe. Technically, you dont have to attach your veil to a comb (and you can buy them that way). Just know its harder to secure it without a comb. A shaky veil isn't a good look. Personally, I feel like people are going to be pulling on mine all day - both on purpose and not.

Lets stop here for today. I have at least one more teaching moment in me because as of yet we have not talked about How Veils Accessorize. Ya'll come back now, ya hear?

♥

Veil Talk: Walking the Walk

Hello my darling readers, these one is for you.

I know most of you just don't read the wedding blogs/sites/magazines the way I do. And therefore, the distinction between a chapel length mantilla veil and a birdcage veil may be lost on you. Its okay. That's what I'm here for. We're going to briefly pause the veil talk to have a teaching moment. I'm going to share what I've learned (and deemed relevant), and you're going to read along and act like I've managed to teach you something. Okay? Okay.

Lets start here:
(my apologies, I don't know where I snagged this pic from)
This is perhaps my most favorite diagram explaining veil length - which is frequently where people start when discussing veils usability. As you can see, this diagram distinguishes between the different lengths available, and gives you approximate measurements. Of course, if you're a little taller or shorter, your veil may be shorter or longer on you, but these are the approximate lengths.

The biggest impact that veil length will have on your wedding day is by far the most obvious (and the inspiration for my title) - ease of moving around! The longer your veil, the more cumbersome it is. Granted, most brides only care about the the visual impact of the veil, but I think you really do need to take a moment to consider how it will be moving around with an extra yard (or few) trailing behind you. Some brides choose to go short for that very reason. Some forego a veil all together. It has nothing to do with the blusher (the part that hangs in your face). I take small issue with blushers, but I'll save that for another post. :)

When considering veil length, it's also important to keep your dress in mind (duh, right?). Specifically, the length of its train (if it has one) and how embellished it is. The idea here is that your veil and your dress should work together - even if you're planning to take it off for the reception. So if your dress is heavily embellished, you may want to simplify the veil, scale back the lace and the beading. If your dress has a train, the veil should end either way above it (i.e. elbow or fingertip) or beyond it (e.g. chapel or cathedral length). Again, taking into a consideration the decorative aspects. You. do. not. want. to. over. do. it.

Allegedly, one more thing to keep in mind is your physical size. This is probably the length aspect I've seen addressed the least in the literature (lol). Possibly because its hard to make a case for a piece of tulle making a difference for how wide/large you look. I've read that larger girls should go above to the waist (or above) or to the floor and to stay out of that middle section. Not sure I buy this one folks, but that's what some people saying.

On that note, we're going to wrap up today's veil discussion. I'll be back soon share what I know about "Talking the Talk" and "How Veils Accessorize." You have to come back to see what I mean :)

♥

Veil Talk: How do we feel about these?

Yes, my friends, that is a birdcage veil. And here are some more:




(I got all the pics from here, here and here).
All of a sudden I am very interested in them. Birdcage veils are pretty vintage and are quite the rage right now, even going into the 2009 bridal season. I wouldnt really use "vintage" to describe any aspect of my personal style...I consider myself to be more of a classic kind of girl.

Are birdcage veils too "vintage" to be "classic?"

Idunno. I wish I knew someone who owned one so I could get a feel for what it would look like with my dress*. Don't get it twisted - it would NOT replace the cathedral length, classic veil that I plan to wear down the aisle (still undecided if I'm doing a blusher). This birdcage would be more of a fun thing to wear to the reception and/or afterparty. Wouldn't that be fun? Afterparty head gear? Hmm...

I digress. I just wanted to run this by ya'll to get some feedback.

Whatcha think? Let me know...leeet me kno-ow (in my best Aaliyah impersonation)
♥

*or what I'm claiming as my dress, since I have yet to purchase one. I promise I'll buy something by February.

Hair Twins/Criteria

I have no idea where I got this pic from..sorry.
[By some stroke of divine intervention, Bride-to-be Patti just happens to be within talking-distance of Angela Bassett, while holding the picture displayed above.]

Patti: (trying to play it totally cool) Hello Mrs. Bassett, my name is Patti, and I love your work. Having a good day?
Angela Bassett: Hi Patti, you can call me Angela...and yeah, I'm having a pretty good day.
Patti: Thats awesome. Mrs. Bassett, I mean, Angela, could I ask you a kind of random question?
AB: Sure.
Patti: (while pulling out a printout with her pic on it) Can I be your hair twin?

Scene.

Okay, so I wont actually be walking up to Angela and asking if I can have hair like hers, but I will say this is definitely the front-runner on the wedding hair list. I love how its pulled back, yet still full, touchable, and romantic. It also looks like she could pull out the bobby/hair pins and have a head fully of sexy wavy curls.

I have this thing about not being able to comb my hair. If you see me in my everyday life, I generally am wearing some version of my wrap. I need to be able to control what it looks like. I don't like gel or hair spray becuase you lose that control - when you take that hair down, what do you have? Usually a gelly-sticky mess. No deal. As such, its really important to me to have some semblance of a 'do after the wedding. If that means I'm taking it down for the afterparty, then cool. Even if it only means I can take out the pins and wrap it before bed (wraps can be sexy ya'll), I'll be happy. All that to say...for Criteria #1: workability, it could work.

And then there's the issue of the weather. SoFla in October is still...well, its still pretty humid. And with a press, I know I need to have my hair pulled back. Actually, if were being totally honest, I probably need to have it off my face too - but humor me as I pretend as if my hair hanging on my neck and back are my only potential hair issues. For now, this style satisfies criteria #2: weather.

Criteria #3 is a no brainer: fabulousity. You know her hair is fab.

Last, but not least, what ever I go with has to satisfy criteria #4: accesorizability (yes, just made that up) - specifically, it has to allow for both a veil and a flower "adornment." I love how in this particular picture, she's not only wearing dangly earrings (my current plan), but I can visualize a flower being pinned on the side (like I plan to do). Only thing she doesn't have is a veil. (But why would she have one of those on, right? LOL.) Still not sure which veil I'm going to sport down the aisle. I'm kind of tabling that until I have a gown. Kristin graciously offered to make me one (especially a not too complicated one that I'm considering) so once I have a dress and work out the veil vibes its giving off (yes, just made that up too), she and I can chit chat about design.

I'll probably be thinking about hair more and more as March approaches - I'm planning on being back in SoFla and hopefully working on a hair trial. In the meantime, we'll roll with the idea that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I like your hair Angela. I like it alot.

♥

Shoes...again.

You've probably had it up to here with shoes. Hell, I have too. But JCrew keeps taunting me by sending me emails about sales on their website. So what am I swooning over today? These in a shockingly perfect shade of green or ivory:


*SIGH*

Yes, they are on sale and still beyond my budget. It's possible that they are really ugly in person and would hurt my feet, right? Since I cant buy them, you should (and let me try them on). You can find them here.

♥

The struggle continues

Purses are so not on my list of priorities for my wedding day look. Think about it: its almost silly to think that you'll be concerned about toting around a purse on your wedding day. That's what MJ is for - she'll tote the things I'd need to put in a purse and make sure my actual bag appears along with my other post-wedding things...post wedding.

But then I see crap* like this:

(found it here)
..and I feel my "practical-budget-conscious" veneer start to crack in the name of another absolutely fabulous matching accessory. I've seen this clutch around the way before. Its always been out of the (non-existent) clutch budget. Technically its on sale right now. Sad when the "sale" price is still lightyears beyond what I am allowed to spend.

I am strugglin ya'll. Its not easy being on a budget. ♥

*Please note, there isn't actually a crappy bone in its silky body. If you couldn't tell, I am swooning - just trying to maintain my street cred...and failing miserably.

Look What I Made

Row 1: Hydrangea bouquet from theknot, lime-ish green crinoline from Google, dangly heart chandelier earrings from eBay. Row 2: my wedding band from Kay Jewelers, Bridal updo (dont remember where I got this from), lovely yet mysterious gown - side view. Row 3: Hair accessory from Etsy, cathedral length veil, ivory pumps from JCrew

This is the working draft of my wedding day look. And yes, that-is-what-you-think-it-is is at the end of that second row...a sneak peek of my gown(!). PHI, if you are reading this post, lo siento - next time I'll put a warning at the beginning. Fab readers, some of this stuff you already know about, but I'm sure you've peeped some stuff I hadn't told you about yet. See, we still have so much more to discuss. Happy Monday! ♥

A Girl Can Dream, Cant She?

If I were rich, these shoes would be strong contenders. Actually, I'd probably just buy them and move on to the next decision. Oh, how they make me swoon.




They can be found here. ♥

You Cant Have Enough Shoes

Despite me gushing about those Nine West Shoes the other day, I'm still on the search for wedding-day shoes. Or at least, shoes-I'll-try-to-wear-as-long-as-possible on my wedding day.

So today, I present another "pair for thought."

both shoes, so you can get the full idea

a bit of detail

I found these here on Zappos, and after looking at their Zappos bio and considering them in the context of my wedding day look, there are at least a few concrete reasons why I like these shoes:

1. Aesthetic appeal. These shoes are pretty cute. And sassy. Enough said.
2. Color. These shoes appear to be in a lovely buttery ivory color that I think would complement my dress nicely.
3. Bling. Unofficially I seem to be into bling...or at least bling continuity (since the dress has it, the hair will have some, etc). This would be just enough to have a little foot bling without channeling my inner bridal Dorothy.
4. Price. These could be mine for a manageable $65. Not bad. Plus, because its Zappos, there's free shipping both ways - score!
5. Style. I've tried on shoes like this before, and I like how they look underneath wedding dresses.

However, there are a couple things that give me pause:

1. Heel height. Those are some pretty tall shoes! 3.75 inches to be exact. I'm sure I've worn almost 4 inch heels before, but those are the kind of shoes you'd need to beef up your leg exercises for.
2. Location. As awesome as Zappos is, I wont know if these are a disaster (which they very well could be) unless I buy one or two pairs and try them on in the comfort of my own home. Not a terrible development, but not the most convenient.
3. Coordination. Closely related to number 2, I dont know if the shoes will actually match unless I order them and essentially hold them up next to the dress. I dont need them to match exactly, but they need to coordinate. In essence, they need to not not match.
4. Re-wearability. I'm not sure I'd be able to wear them again. Perhaps I could dye them, but I'm not sure the ivory are dye-able. My perfect wedding shoes would have a re-wearable quality.

So, in the grand scheme of things, I like these shoes, but I have some issues with them. I think I can firmly say that I'll keep these saved in my GoogleNotebook and check on them periodically to see if they go on sale. I have lots of time to pick out shoes, right?

How did you decide what shoes to wear on your wedding day? Did you make a pro and con list or did you just go with your gut?

♥