Since November is the month for trying extra hard to be thankful, I thought I’d serve you up a little round of thank you cards to put things into perspective (the sweet card at left is by Chewing the Cud for Wedding Paper Divas).

Bright, modern and playful, this bunch does not include your momma’s thank you card. They’re a little bit quirky, a little bit untraditional and a whole lot of adorable. Just the sort of thing a modern lady can rely on to show gratitude in her own special way.

Check them out and—for just a minute or two—stop to think about all of the amazing people who are about to come together to celebrate your love.

Some have mopped up your tears (some may have even caused a few), some have made you laugh until soda squirted out of your nose, others have stood by your side during the best and worst of times.

All of them will be thrilled to watch you take this next big step—no matter how closely your flowers match the groomsmen’s ties.

So take a step back and be thankful for all of the wonderful people you have in your life. You can obsess over the weight of the paper tomorrow!

1 bumble ink for Minted :: 2 LOVEkacie for Minted :: 3 Kinohi Designs for Wedding Paper Divas :: 4 My July
5 Three Kisses Studio for Minted :: 6 Oh Joy for Wedding Paper Divas :: 7 Good on Paper for Wedding Paper Divas
8 bumble ink for Minted

Jennifer Garry is a writer (with a sparkly new blog!) who lives in Westchester, NY with her husband and two daughters. When she's not up to her ears in kiddie crafts and spit up, she's plotting her next move (children's book? event planning? jewelry empire?). Her obsessions include tea, chocolate, sarcasm and her daughter's giggle—any of which can be used to coax her from whatever project she's currently engrossed in.

Have you seen Project Accessory? I’m a tad bit obsessed. I am a huge fan of Project Runway, and I think that if they had Tim and Heidi, Project Accessory might (I said ‘might’!) be a better show... but I digress.

Happy Shoesday, everyone!

The whole reason I brought up my television obsession is because on the most recent episode, they had to make... wait for it... SHOES. And they went to Swarovski first.

Oh. My. Goodness. Talk about beautiful. And then I knew what I had to write about this week: crystal wedding shoes. They’re gorgeous, and the perfect glam touch to your wedding ensemble.

I am completely in love.

How to Wear Crystal Wedding Shoes

Crystal shoes are so easy to wear, especially to your wedding. They’re elegant, and add a splash of dazzle to any gown.

From top left: Cruz Swarovski Pumps, Badgley Mischka Lissa Pumps,
Giuseppe Zanotti Sandal, Casadei 1527 Pump

Don’t you just love them? They’re fantastic, aren’t they? I love the sparkles, and you can really pick and choose the look you want. More crystals, less crystals, it’s up to you.

From top left: Yasmin Crystal Pump, Badgley Mischka Dylan Pump,
Badgley Mischka Decedence Pump, Salma D’Orsay Pump

I love shoes, obviously, but it’s not very often that a pair of shoes catch me like this week’s selection.

I need more weddings to go to. And if you don’t like white or ivory, you can find crystal shoes in some gorgeous colors. I ran across red, blue, green, black, silver, gold, pink... you name it, you can find it.

From top left: Giuseppe Zanotti Crystal T-Strap Pump, Badgley Mischka Dani Pump,
Giuseppe Zanotti Crystal Pump, Bourne Vivienne Pump

So. They're fabulous. For once in my life, I'm going to let the shoes speak for themselves. They say it so much better than I ever could. 

Thoughts? Will you wear crystal shoes to your wedding?

Brea Gunn is a blogger and writer living in Houston, TX with her husband and son. When she's not hyperventilating as a result of chasing her son, Smalls, you will find her immersed in any one of her writing projects. Her current obsessions include shoes of any kind, healthy eating, fashion, and sewing. According to her husband, she is very opinionated. Brea doesn't always agree with him.

This year, I’ve been seeing an old wedding tradition come back alive in modern style as a new trend: the mid-wedding costume change.

Maybe it stems from some long-held traditions? In Asian cultures, seeing the bride’s dress choice at the reception (often different, and red!) from what she wore to the ceremony is a highlight of the wedding day for guests. And back in the day, American brides often changed into a white traveling suit for the grand exit from the reception at the end of the day.

Today, with our melting pot American culture, lots of brides are fusing old tradition with new by wearing a traditional white wedding dress to the ceremony but then opting for a look for the party that expresses their ancestry.

What I’ve seen this year is something even a little more modern and fashionista-like…

Seiko’s dress was handmade by her mother’s friend back in Japan. It featured a cathedral-length, detachable train with waterfall gathering details that fastened with a matching cumberbund. After the ceremony and formal portraits, Seiko hid away for the cocktail hour while her costume was changed and her hair was loosened into a half-up/half-down arrangement (courtesy of her talented sister-in-law).

With the train removed, the dress revealed a smooth, A-line skirt that was perfect for dancing. Seiko accented it with a sash that matched her husband’s dress blues. Both looks played up the fun asymmetrically-pin-tucked bustier bodice, and were perfectly suited to the part of each particular part of her wedding day. Plus, Seiko got to wear two gorgeous looks for her wedding!

It was great fun to see how Katie, who similarly wore her gorgeous Amsale wedding dress in two different ways, completed her transformation in the opposite order I’d seen of Seiko. Katie wore her hair down in loose, sexy waves for the ceremony, accented with a traditional veil.

During the cocktail hour, while Katie’s train was bustled, the veil was removed and Katie’s hair was pinned up by the professional, waiting on hand, and secured with a lovely rhinestone clip.

Perhaps because she works at a dress shop, Katy seized the moment of her wedding by wearing two dresses. She chose a pink-peach silky dress with empire waist for her ceremony.

During the cocktail hour, Katy slipped back into her dressing room and changed into a similarly cut navy blue dress, leaving her hair and makeup untouched and donning a little white chiffon jacket for both looks.

The How

In all of these scenarios, the bride either chose to do formal pictures ahead of her ceremony so she could allot the time traditionally reserved to photographers for her costume change; or she arranged for a prolonged cocktail hour and a simplified picture list.

In every instance I’ve seen, the second look was a complete surprise to her husband and guests, increasing the excitement and wow-factor of the day.

Do It Subtle

If you don’t have a lot of time in your day to devote to a second getting-ready period or don’t want to miss your cocktail hour, you could do a streamlined version of the costume change up.

Remove the veil to reveal a cute hairpiece. Put on or take off a special overlay, jacket or wrap. Let down an updo, or simply change your shoes! Heels are often hard to wear after a while, so you could choose designer flats or something else pretty (and comfy) for the party! And tell your seamstress about it when she’s fitting you for the bustle. She might be able to hike the bustle up a tad higher to reveal the special touch.

No matter what, a wedding should be fun. And a bride should have the most fun with her wedding day look!

Hillary Harvey is a freelance photographer specializing in wedding photojournalism. Though born in Brooklyn to a long line of Brooklynites, she is a tried-and-true valley girl, having lived most of her life in the Hudson Valley. She also lives online, so catch up with her there!

Happy Shoesday, everyone! I’m sure that if you’re into wedding planning (isn’t that why you’re here?), you’ve heard all about Bridal Week by now. I love seeing all the new designs, and one thing really caught my eye this time: lace boleros. They’re GORGEOUS, and they got me thinking... why not lace shoes?

How to Wear Lace Shoes

While lace shoes are a tad bit sexier than a bolero jacket, they still have the same understated, Audrey Hepburn air. They’re cool, fashionable, and (I think) a must-have item for fall and winter weddings this year.

Yup, I said that. I know that you’re thinking that these types of shoes are better reserved for warmer weather, but really, they remind me so much of snow and all the pretty shapes you see once the leaves have left the trees, that I cannot think of a more perfect time to use them.

From top left: Chinese Laundry Hotline Pump, ZiGiny Stunning Pump,
Butter Caden Pump, Martinez Valero Ursula Pump

I love the drama that lace creates. You can go with a tone-on-tone shoe that will blend a little, or you can go with a contrasting shoe... one that highlights the lace a little more. Something like these...

From top left:Madden Girl Mellony Pump, Carlos by Carlos Santana Prestige Pump,
Poetic Licence Sweet Ending Pump, Casadei5525 Pump

Are you in love yet? I just can’t get enough of the romance and color.

Romantic Lace

Lace always reminds me of princesses and castles, which in turn remind me of romance. And romance is perfect for weddings, isn’t it? I cannot imagine a more perfect time to wear lace shoes. Especially shoes that accent your taste, and highlight your wedding theme.

I know... you’re thinking, "But I don’t have any lace at all in my wedding! It’s so old fashioned." But really, it isn’t. It’s classic, and I love the classics.

From top left: Ivanka Trump Pinki2 Pump, Stuart Weitzman Bowright Pump,
Butter Cleo Pump, BCBGMAXAZRIADevorah Pump

So what do you think?

Brea Gunn is a blogger and writer living in Houston, TX with her husband and son. When she's not hyperventilating as a result of chasing her son, Smalls, you will find her immersed in any one of her writing projects. Her current obsessions include shoes of any kind, healthy eating, fashion, and sewing. According to her husband, she is very opinionated. Brea doesn't always agree with him.