Weddingbee Blog

When we last left Swan Wedding Prep 2009, I’d made my way into my dress and shoes, but I was about to put on one of the trickiest parts of my wedding outfit: my veil. My lovely Kasia Fink birdcage veil was so light and delicate… I loved it! I loved it so much that in the weeks leading up to the wedding I had manhandled it trying to make sure that it fit they way that I wanted it to. In the process, I sort of almost FUBAR’ed it. By the time the wedding rolled around, my lovely delicate veil had a little bit of a… dent (hangs head in shame). It still looked lovely, but even I recognized that I didn’t handle it with the care that it deserved, so that morning we tried to revive it just a little. First Christine, my DOC, tried to cover up my mistake.

I even messed with it myself again…not that it worked. That’s Big Mitts in the background taking a look at my primping.

Even Mommy Swan tried to get into the act. I think we all kinda gave up in the end. I was only planning on wearing my veil for the ceremony anyway.

Some brides have two dresses or two pairs of shoes. I had two pairs of earrings. I picked a couple pairs of earrings from Powder Blue Bijoux of Etsy and really liked the price points and how quickly everything arrived (from Canada!). Mommy Swan helped me put on my earrings.

My bracelet was a gift from Mr. Swan given to me the day before. We were alone together before the rehearsal, and he gave me a bracelet (or two). I was so overwhelmed and sad. Why sad? I didn’t get anything for him! That’s right! I am admitting in the blogosphere that I didn’t get my husband a wedding present. To this day, I feel bad about it. Mr. Swan is the world’s hardest person to shop for. If he wants something, he just goes out and buys it leaving me to rack my brain for birthday and Christmas presents (by the way, those two events happen to be within days of each other… no pressure for me… HA!). Needless to say, I was very happy for a last minute addition to my wedding ensemble.

So, In case you’re keeping tabs on my overall look:

A birdcage veil

Simple drop earrings

My hair

Hmmm…I think I’m missing something here. Oh yeah… a bouquet!

I was happy to be finally ready, but I definitely was starting to get butterflies and nerves. It was almost time to see Mr. Swan, and I just really didn’t know how I was going to react. I’m a crier. I have dibs on the “ugly cry” and the “scary sob”. More on that later….

Before I left, I got a quick tutorial from Christine on how to hold my bouquet. Apparently, the best position is below your boobs and close to your body.

Well, I was finally done getting ready, and proceeded through the hotel lobby where people congratulated me and shot me huge smiles. Let me warn you: Everybody loves a bride.

Next up: Mr. Swan and I give each other the up and down look for the first time on our wedding day. Yes, it’s a first look post.

I had so much fun getting ready, which leads me to my next tip:

Swan Tip #4 - As if you have enough things to think about as you’re getting married, I’d like you to consider the environment that you want for getting ready prior to the wedding. For some of you, it will mean having a large wedding party with lots of family around you. For others, it will mean just a small select group of people that will be by your side. I encourage everyone to figure out what will be best for them because that preparation period really can be fun and special. I love the fact that Mommy Swan helped me get dressed. To me, it felt as if she was she physically preparing me for my new stage in life as a wife.

All Images by Mr. Dante Williams, photographer extraordinaire

What’s happened so far:

A Harborside Wedding: Early Peace?
A Harborside Wedding: The Makeup Fraidy Cat Has Her Day
A Harborside Wedding: Puttin’ It on at the Ritz, Dress & Shoes Edition