Bridesmaids Dresses

I'm leaning towards bridesmaids dresses in a variety of styles and shades of the same color. I originally thought they should be the same fabric, but I'm not sure how much that really matters. I even like the idea of one girl (perhaps the maid of honor) in a print to mix things up. 

Here are a few of my current favorites:

J. Crew Adrienne	J. Crew Mollie
J. Crew Cecelia	J. Crew Juliet
Jenny Yoo Nikki	Jenny Yoo Callie
Jenny Yoo Justine	Jenny Yoo Alexa
Watters 8514	Lela Rose 107
Lela Rose 127	Dessy 2785
David's Bridal 84265	BHLDN Couplet
BHLDN Floating Frock	BHLDN Savoy
BHLDN Sway and Swirl

Nautical Necklines: Boat Neck Wedding Dresses

I'll be honest: I can't wear strapless dresses. I fidget and pull and there's no way I can dance when I'm worried my dress is going to fall down. Style icon Audrey Hepburn had it right. Boat necked dresses are elegant and just a little modest, and  a sheer fabric such as chiffon or lace keeps them from being frumpy. And what neckline is more nautical than a boat neck?

The dress with a boat neck I found most recently is called "Ducado" by La Sposa. 

I like the combination of lace on the skirt with a plain sheer neckline.

Inspiration: A Sea of Blues

I can't decide if I'm narrowing or broadening my color palette. Why not focus on one color, but include a full spectrum of shades and tints? The ocean is every shade of blue, why mess with a good thing? Searching "blue wedding" brought me very little that I was happy with, but by searching for combinations of blue and something else, I was able to find bits and pieces that I liked. Thus, my blue inspiration boards were born. I might even go so far as to tell my bridesmaids to pick any shade of blue dress they like, in any style they like, with a guideline for fabric or length. Many of these images were found at my new favorite helper for finding colors: www.theperfectpalette.com. 

Inspiration: Tables with Burlap

All of a sudden, burlap is everywhere in the wedding world. It lends an earthy, vintage feel and is a great move for the bride on a budget. I'm also loving mismatched china and linens all in the same color scheme (I'm focusing on blue here). Dish towels as napkins are welcoming and the opposite of stiff. Mason jars are so amazing in wedding design I might just have to do a separate post about them! I have done some more google image searching and created a few inspiration boards with ideas I like for the table.