Wedding Week: Our Look

As a little girl I used to dream of shopping for my wedding gown, trying on racks upon racks of beautiful dresses with my mom and an entourage of bridesmaids. An aspiring fashion designer, I even sketched a few drawings of my dream dress -a scoop neck mermaid gown with spaghetti straps and about fifteen pounds of beading.

Fast forward 23 years and here’s how it really happened.

While taking a quick coffee break between seeing patients at my clinical internship last summer, one of my girlfriends text messaged me about a flash bridal sale online. Walking back to the dietitians office with a latte in one hand and my phone in another, I quickly scrolled through a few pages of heavily discounted gowns when one caught my eye. It was perfect.

There was no scouring of dress rack after dress rack in a bridal boutique, no enourage of bridesmaids or even my mother to give me her nod of approval. The gown was 64% off, final sale and a size smaller than I’d typically feel comfortable ordering but I took the chance and purchased the gown on my iPhone right then and there. This Badgley Mishka dress had the romantic, vintage feel I envisioned for Italy and much to my surprise it fit like a glove.

I immediately called my mom and, with tears in my eyes, told her I had found my wedding dress. I then asked her to make a special trip to North Carolina to help me pick out a veil. That was the first time she saw me in my wedding dress. I’ll never forget though, the first time we both saw me as a bride.

I got ready at my parents villa with a few of my best girlfriends. We sipped champagne and got prettied up. Most important about my look was that I actually look like myself. I tackled my own makeup while my best friend and Maid of Honor, Katie, teased and pinned my hair into a low chignon. I took a few photos with my grandmother’s cameo and slipped on my small, teardrop earrings.

The moment I was ready, the skies opened up. Apparently wedding day rain is a sign of fortune in Italy. Italians also rarely start anything on time so I took this moment of fortune to slip in one last prosecco toast with my parents and Maid of Honor.

Having to wait out the storm only made me even more excited to see my groom at the altar in his black suit.

Lucky for us the skies cleared just in time for us to walk out of the church.

Photography by Rochelle Cheever | Bride Details: Dress and shoes by Badgley Mischka; Veil by Toni Federici; Earrings by Kate Spade New York, Makeup by Tarte and Chanel

Next up: Wedding Week – The Ceremony