Lovely Tonight: The Beach Party

Now that our mid-morning wedding rehearsal was complete, we had plenty of time to spare before our rehearsal dinner that evening!

Since we had the wonderful beach house at our disposal, my family planned a beach party for the afternoon! And my, oh my, was it a beautiful day!

We invited the bridal party, family, and any out of town friends that wanted to spend some time in the sun. My brother and his girlfriend, along with my Aunt S, Aunt J, and Grandma, had arrived at the house when our rehearsal was taking place, and they set up a wonderful spread for lunch! We had assorted sandwiches, chips, and other munchies...as well as a bunch of leftovers from the previous night's sunset wedding shower.

Our guests quickly filled their plates with food and grabbed a cold drink...

After we had our fill, it was time to frolic in the sand and surf!

Even the pups got in on the action: Stewart showed off his swimming skills with Cousin J and sorority sister J...

Meanwhile, my beloved Theodore chased his frisbee. He also decided to explore the rest of the beach when our heads were turned...oops!

After some fun in the sun, we retreated to the house to relax (for what seemed like 2.5 seconds) before moving my bags to the hotel, since I was staying there that evening. My mom read a book to our flower girl, and GM J decided to take a nap...right in the middle of the house. I kid you not - he slept on those cushions for about an hour or so, even with about 10 or more people chatting around him! I wish I could learn that trick...

All in all, the beach party was a great success! When we first realized that our rehearsal would have to take place early in the day, I was a bit skeptical of how the day would work out. However, our time schedule couldn't have been more enjoyable! Both my family and Justin's family were able to get together in a casual environment, and I was able to spend time with both my family and my friends who had flown in from out of town to be with us! Plus, a little extra sun kissed glow before the wedding never hurt anybody...

Next up - our rehearsal dinner!

Did you have/are you planning to have some down time with friends and family on the day of your rehearsal?

Need to catch up?

• The bachelorette party commenced
  
• We had a night out on the town
  
• Relaxation, excitement, and slight panic
  
• Something went awry with our rehearsal dinner
  
• We had a sunset wedding shower
  
• The wedding party rehearsed
  

Inspiration Board #1: Bridal Party Attire

***Disclaimer: This was my very first attempt at an inspiration board...so be kind!***

Last night, I got to thinking about our wedding on a large scale. From the beginning, I haven't had a theme, per se, but I believe that one has emerged through the choices I've made so far. Think "whimsical, modern, lighthearted, late spring/early summer, on the water...etc." Anyway, there are so many little details that I've been pondering with the planning process, but I have never actually thought about how they all coordinate with one another! So, in an attempt to make sure that I have cohesion for my event, I'm creating some inspiration boards!

This one in particular is my inspiration for myself and my bridal party (note: the dress pictured is NOT my wedding dress...still trying to keep that somewhat of a secret!).

Bridesmaid dress (JCrew), flower girl dress, hair flower, wedding dress, shoe (Nordstrom), necklace, garters, bouquet

So, what do you think of the inspiration? I'd love to hear your input!

A Dress for my Flower Girl

I’ve been scouring the Internet for an inspiring flower girl dress. There are so many cute ones out there…I don’t know how I’ll choose a style!

The bustle just kills me! How cute is that???

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I love how sweet this one is...almost like a little ballerina dress!

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This one is just spectacular...but don't look at the price tag like I did...it will depress you! Ah, how I wish that money was not a concern...

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I was so amazed at the array of flower girl dresses on the market, and how different they can all look! Who would have thought? But, which one is going to work for our day? I stumbled upon this beauty from 5eizen’s Etsy shop…and it feels like that question was instantly answered...

Be still…my heart…

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I am in love with the fact that the dress is silk chiffon, the same material that my bridesmaids’ dresses are made out of. I think that this style looks young and sweet, rather than trying to dress up my 3 year old flower girl in something that makes her look like an oversized doll!

The flower detail at the neckline is just precious…and the bubble hem? So sweet…

I am wondering if it would be possible to get it in a different color (blue to match my bridesmaids perhaps?)…

So, what do you think?