The bridesmaids dresses

UPDATE: So after having my last two bridesmaids try on dresses over the weekend, I decided on the beautiful two-toned dress (pictured below) for them. My sister will be the only one in a different dress since she is the MOH. Here is a sneak peek at how beautiful the girls look in the dress, and this is without it even being the right colors or sizes. Yay for playing dress up with them. So much fun...

UPDATE: So after having two of my bridesmaids try on dresses last night, the options have been narrowed down to...

The second is actually a new selection. But after seeing the fabrics in person and how they look on the girls, these are both my favorite. My sister plans on trying on dresses in Wyoming within the next couple days and I am getting together with two more of my girls in a couple weeks before I make the final decision...

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So after scouring page after page on the Internet yesterday, the bridesmaids dresses have been narrowed down to the final fab fiven from Alfred Angelo. My personal favorite is definitely the last. There is no wiggle room on the colors since it is a part of our overall color scheme. As seen, the dress is espresso with citadel green trim; an absolutely gorgeous color combination.

But I am allowing the girls to cast their votes and narrow it down to their favorite three. From there they will be able to pick whichever dress best fits their liking. Point being? So they have a dress they will actually wear again in the future. They are also incredibly reasonably priced at $100-150. Very exciting to see which three they choose. I like them all for incredibly different reasons. Love is in the air indeed. ;)

The color scheme

Deciding on a color scheme for Aaron and my wedding is probably one of the easiest things I had to decide on. It helps that we have similar tastes, that's for sure. So rather than have to take two completely different perspectives into account, it really just meshed into one.

Green is both of our favorite colors so that was one color down and then, being we wanted something serene, whimsical and natural, like us, brown seemed like the perfect earth-tone fit. So there I was, with green and brown thinking I had it sealed up in a nice neat little bow. Until people started asking me what shade of green and what shade of brown. I must say, before the wedding planning began I never realized how many different shades of each there are. But after much internet research (almost obsessively) I decided on apple green and chocolate brown.

Because we are going to get married in the spring, I originally thought I should probably throw in a lighter color ... like yellow. Especially because based on my bridesmaids skin tones and body types I decided on chocolate brown for the dress. I know green should be the natural choice but I want a dress the girls feel they will be able to wear more than once. But after doing my research, I found there are beautiful ways to incorporate the lighter greens with richer chocolates. Yay for the power of the internet, Knot.com and other blogs out there. Here is a look at my color palette of inspiration for the wedding...

The Venue - Gilroy Gardens

This is Claudia's Garden at Gilroy Gardens, where the wedding ceremony will be held. Aaron and I will be exchanging our vows right above this beautiful waterfall as long as the weather cooperates with us that day. (view from the top)

Claudia's Garden at Gilroy Gardens (as it will be viewed by attending guests).

Creekside Terrace at Gilroy Gardens, where the reception will be held. We will all be eating and partying here after the ceremony as long as the weather cooperates with us that day.

Creekside Terrace at Gilroy Gardens (close-up of a section).

Events Plaza at Gilroy Gardens, where the ceremony and reception will be moved if *heaven forbid* the weather doesn't cooperate. If that is the case, they line the inside with topiary and other plants the entire way so there is only one exit and entrance and it doesn't look so mechanical. There are also thousands of beautiful Christmas lights hanging diagonally above.

My wonderful bridesmaids

Hello Ladies!

After sending an e-mail yesterday informing you all that Aaron and I have set the date for our wedding, I decided to create a blog which would allow me to share some things I have come across and absolutely fallen in love with for the special day. As you all know at this point it will be Sunday, May 22, 2011 with a ceremony at 3 p.m. and reception to follow around 5 p.m. at Gilroy Gardens.

Now that the date has been picked and the venue booked, there are fun fun times ahead! I will be looking for my wedding dress with my mom in Sacramento in a couple of weeks. From there I will start looking for bridesmaid dresses. What I can tell you at this point is that the dress color is going to be chocolate brown and I will have apple green accents, whether it be flowers in your hair, etc. Those details will be worked out eventually.

This is just one more way we can all stay contacted and share our thoughts about the big day. You better believe I will be calling on your help for things like making centerpieces, wedding favors, just getting your opinion on something, etc. and I will post most of my thoughts on here as well. I promise to try and maintain it as regularly as possible.

You have all been chosen to be a part of my bridal party because I trust you immensely and love you all dearly. Thanks for coming together to be a part of my special day. I definitely wouldn't be able to do it without you ladies.

Much love,

Shannon Barry (future Carr)