Until about three weeks ago, I really loved birdcage veils.  I explained the reasons why in a previous post, but I’ll distill them down to just two for our purposes today:  First, and most importantly, they look “vintage; Second, I thought a traditional, romantic veil might seem too sweet and sentimental on the likes of me (two adjectives very few people would use to describe yours truly).  I was so enamored with the idea of wearing a sassy little cage veil that I even toyed with the thought of making my attendants wear tiny black ones with their feather fascinators!  My Honored Attendant and sister Victoria supported the idea of my wearing a birdcage veil, and even my mother, from whom I expected some sort of protest, seemed rather resigned to this latest whim of mine.  I made a couple of phone calls to local bridal salons asking if they carried Sara Gabriel cage veils and then, upon receiving assurance that they had what I was looking for, booked an appointment at Mariella Creations in Rocky Hill for May 31st, coincidentally the Friday before Memorial Day weekend.  Simple enough, right?  Well, actually, there were ominous signs all over the place that the day was cursed, and that this whole cage veil idea was careening face-first into catastrophe!

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 I haven’t yet written specifically about veils, though I did mention them briefly in my accessories post.  At that time, I rather had my heart set on a floor-length mantilla by Sara Gabriel or Christina Garcia.  After giving it a bit more thought, however, I’ve decided that a long, romantic veil just isn’t me.  I’m over thirty, I have a law degree, I’m relatively unsentimental … in other words, I would feel ridiculous wearing a traditional veil.  I don’t have the requisite sense of modesty or drama to pull off the look without feeling silly.  I think floor-length veils can be quite beautiful, and I no doubt would have chosen to wear one if I had gotten married ten years ago; however, I was also really into extremely full, strapless ball gowns ten years ago (think Angie Harmon’s lovely but massive Vera Wang wedding gown, but on someone about seven inches shorter than she is …), so it’s probably a good thing that I’ve in the meantime acquired a more sophisticated sense of style.  In any case, I noticed the more recent trend toward sassy birdcage veils early on in my wedding planning, but I dismissed the idea of wearing one because I thought it would be a little too untraditional, and because I thought my sister and Honor Attendant Victoria would dislike it.  As it turns out, I love the look of birdcage veils, my sister likes them, and the idea fits beautifully with my vision for a “vintage” wedding!  continue reading »

 So, if you remember the last time I checked in, Rich had left me in charge of dealing with the caterering while he went off to Detroit for work.  It took approximately a week and a half for me to have an emotional breakdown and decide that we needed to start from scratch and look for another caterer.  The moral of that story is that Rich should deal with all of the practical, stressful details, whereas I, impatient and prone to panic attacks, should focus on the small, fun, superficial and largely cosmetic details, like candles and ostrich feathers.  In that spirit, I shall gleefully submit a progress report on the last several months of thought I’ve lavished on the crucial subject of accessories!  Here is how I intend to adorn myself on The Day …

I’m most excited about my jewelry.  I ran across Regina B.’s website, www.reginab.com,  a few months ago rather accidentally and fell instantly in love with her beautiful combs and baubles.  Regina B. is a talented jewelry designer with a showroom in New York City who specializes in bridal accessories.  All of her hand-crafted pieces are made to order and can be customized to give you a one-of-a-kind piece (because who doesn’t feel a minor pang of rage when she sees another bride wearing her dress or another element of her trousseau?).  She uses Swarovski crystals, fresh water pearls and various metals for her designs.  Here are some sparkly examples of her work:

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