Hawkily Ever After: The Bridal Details

I already shared how I spent the morning of the wedding primping with the ladies and becoming a bride, but I wanted to take a moment to focus on the little details of my bridal ensemble. Since I never shared a sneak peak of my bridal gown prior to the wedding, I just couldn't resist showing it off.

My gown: Wtoo's Ariane

 

I love the classic simplicity of my dress's cut and style, but what really sold me was the intricate lace detail.

Other pieces of my bridal look included somthing old, my grandmothers engagement ring...

 

...something new, my sparkly flats....

 ...and something borrowed and blue, Momma Hawk's blue topaz necklace.

Something else borrowed also made an appearance...

...the bee charms!

My bouquet included garden roses, peonies, and hydrangea all in a mix of whites and creams for a timeless, classic bridal bouquet.

When it comes to your bridal look, is it all about the dress or are you equally as focused on the accessories?

All photos by Valerie Demo Photography

Miss a Hawk recap? Don't fret! Catch up here:

We review our planning journey
We rehearse and welcome our guests
The girls get pretty
Mrs. Hawk becomes a bride

Dressing My Tootsies: REVEAL!

Remember way back when? Over the summer I had purchased these shoes for my trip down the aisle:



Soothe by Butter in nude via Shopstyle

 But I couldn't stop myself from lusting after these:


Manolo Blahnik Hangisi flat via Hotfrog

 After deciding I was dissatisfied with my initial pick, I let some time pass and focused on other details before regrouping. When I began again, I searched tirelessly. I left no stone unturned: Zappo's, Bluefly, DSW, Nordstrom, Sak's, Macy's, eBay... They were all closely monitored. And then I found myself back in Carytown where I had purchased my original pair. Just steps away from Pink, I visited Roan and found THE SHOE. I picked up a total of three pairs to try at Roan, but after only a moment on my feet, I told the saleswoman to wrap them up. Are you ready to see the shoes that finally convinced me to stop looking?

These flats are the perfect combination of cinderella and sass. They are exactly what I didn't know I was looking for!

Did anyone else focus a lot of energy on finding the perfect shoes? Have you ever surprised yourself with a decision?

Pinterest: A Love/Hate Relationship

Since my last post about wedding shoes (what feels like forever ago), I let shoes slip right out of my mind. But lately the 'bee has literally been abuzz with gorgeous shoe posts, bringing my lack of shoes back to the forefront of my mind. I couldn't hide from it any longer. Like many others out there, I decided to turn to Pinterest to get my creative juices flowing. I pinned some great inspiration, like these adorable flats:

SUPERCUTE! Flats via J. Crew

(BUT if you're paying attention, these J. Crew flats are actually Crewcuts... as in children's shoes...Sigh.)

What felt like a few moments later I looked at the clock. To my surprise over an hour had passed. I quickly realized a couple of things:

1. I had just wasted an entire hour (at work). Oops!
2. I was no closer to making a decision on shoes. (In fact I might have been even farther from a decision than when I started.)

Now, I am loving Pinterest and wouldn't want to speak an ill word, but My Lord it is a distraction! And although I feel like I'm making progress by using it, the overabundance of pretty options actually causes me more confusion. I think I'm going to have to limit myself from now on. (Maybe a timer would work?)

Anyone else suffer a love/hate relationship with Pinterest?

Dressing My Tootsies

After finding my dress, my next mission was shoes. (I would love to show pictures, but the Mister assured me he wouldn’t be able to avoid the temptation! So you'll have to get by with my rather elusive description.) My dress is a very classic modified A-line style gown with a bit of a vintage look. (I'm sure that doesn't help at all!) I wanted a shoe that reflected a similar style. I also knew that I loved color, but I wasn’t necessarily set on it. I wanted something somewhat delicate and definitely feminine. The downfall was that it had to be a flat/kitten heel. 


I’m not a super-tall girl, but at 5’7”, I am above average. The dress I ordered fit me perfectly at the length it was, but the catch was that I would only be able to wear a minimal heel. I did have the option to add additional length, but at a couple hundred bucks for a few inches plus extra alterations fees, it just didn’t seem practical. (Plus, I’m a total flats girl anyways. I love you, Tory Burch!) With Momma and Sis Hawk in tow, we hit up every major department store in Richmond, plus made a trip to the Williamsburg outlets. I was extremely disheartened, finding really only two viable options:

(Please excuse my horribly swollen feet after a full day of shopping)

Personal Photo

 (Left: Vera Wang Lavender Label "Luna" flat, Right Kate Spade "Marlena," which comes in Ivory)

The next day we visited Carytown, a quaint area in Richmond's uptown neighborhood featuring strictly boutique shopping. In the first store we visited, I found these:

Soothe by Butter in Nude via Shopstyle

I was in love AND they were on sale! I excitedly snatched them up and made a special trip to Bella Rosa, where I purchased my gown, to try them on. They were comfy, girly, and at the perfect height. I was sold. Unfortunately as time has passed, I've become a little disenchanted with in my decision. I think part of the problem was that I came across these babies online:

Manolo Blahnik Hangisi flat via Hotfrog

Since finding them, I now can't picture myself wearing anything else. The problem? Well, these come with a Manolo price tag. And even more of an issue? The blue color was a 2010 design and so far impossible to find. I've seen a lot of knock-offs online but none of the real thing. I set up an ebay alert just in case they happen to be listed online in my size, but I really can't think of any other way to find them. (Sigh.)

I'm not 100% sure what I'm going to do about my tootsies at this point, but I have plenty of time to decide. I'm going to keep my options open and perhaps by some miracle, my dream shoes will cross my path.

Was there ever a time when finding your perfect "something" was right out of your reach?