Swiss dot wedding fashion

Anyone who has read this blog for a few months should know that I am always on the hunt for swiss dot. I love the stuff, particularly in wedding gowns. It seems others are catching on to my addiction, so I thought I'd post a few of my favorites here.

We have Lily, the original dotted bride, wearing gorgeous Carolina Herrara. Photo by Thayer Allison Gowdy.



Currently, two bridal lines account for most of the swiss dot options, and each of those lines has a more famous design. The first is Melissa Sweet's "Dora," photographed here by Jasmine Star.



This lovely bride, photography by Sloan Photographers, is also wearing the "Dora." See more from this wedding here!



Another Dora, this time photographed by Raya Photography. See more here.



I love that this shot of the Dora shows off the pretty detailing along the bust. So gorgeous! Photo by Orchard Cove. See more here! Melissa Sweet has one other design that features swiss dot, the "Gigi."



The other swiss dot line is Christos. My favorite of the bunch is the "Maribel". Here's a bride that chose Miss Maribel, photographed by Jen Curtis:





Christos also carries the "Lydia", the "Zinnia", and the "Desiree", all of which are dotted numbers.

For those interested in a short dress, I have to recommend the "Elope" dress by Sarah Seven. At $755, it's not cheap, but it's also considerably less than some other options out there.



If you're interested in accenting your look with a dotted accessory, I've got inspiration for you, too! I love this shot from Jonathan Canlas:



I could be mistaken, but I think she's wearing the "Dotted Voile Veil" from BHLDN.



I also love this adorable yet stylish bow comb from BHLDN:



For vintage lovers, I recommend this cap or this cap from Twigs & Honey (gorgeous photo below by Elizabeth Messina).



Lastly, a few current preowned dress listings for those of you who, like me, adore the Dora and Maribel but can't afford to buy new:

Melissa Sweet "Dora":
Size 2, $3,000
Size 4, $2,500
Size 8, $2,800
Size 16, $1,900

Christos "Maribel":
Size 10, $2,000

Happy hunting! Now, make me jealous: did you wear either of these dresses (or anything swiss dotted, for that matter) at your wedding?

Nautical bags

I am quite possibly the last person in the world who needs a new bag or tote, but these ones are calling my name anyway. Happily, two of them are surprisingly reasonable -- the top one is $62.50 at DWR (it's purse sized), and the bottom one is $62.76 at ASOS (it's more of a weekend bag size). The adorable striped bow bag in the middle is from Ann Taylor. Sadly, it's $178, but I think a similar look could be achieved by tying a scarf or wide ribbon in a bow around one handle. What do you think -- any bags calling your name right now?

En plein air piano

I love this. I'm sure it was a massive pain in the butt to drag that piano out onto the lawn, but just think of how magical that must have been at the ceremony or cocktail hour, and how beautiful the music must have sounded. There are lots of other pretty details tucked into this wedding, so check out the whole thing here.

Image by Jose Villa

Maine Squeeze: They make their vows

The guests had arrived, the portraits had been taken, and we could hear the gentle strains of the handbell choir float toward us from where we were waiting by our cottage. It was time!

Handmade programs (featuring the same love knot as their save the dates!) were strung between two trees next to the ceremony site.





As guests arrived, the bell choir played a selection of lovely songs, including "Sleeper's Wake" and "Grace and Thanksgiving." Having a bell choir play was super important to Kate and Cormac, and although at times I secretly thought it might be more trouble than it was worth, it turned out to be SO awesome in the end.



The grandmothers walked in first, accompanied by groomsmen.



The mothers and the father of the groom followed. All family members walked in to "Let All Things Now Living."



When "Evensong" began, it was time for the bridal party. First Cormac's sister, then Kim, then me.



And then Kate and Dad.





Cormac was waiting at the front, beside the driftwood arch.







Kate handed off her bouquet, and it was time to begin!







After the welcome, invocation, an address to the family and friends, and questions to the family of the bride and groom, we had the first reading. My cousin Hannah did the reading, which was "How Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog" by Taylor Mali.



The guests were watching intently :)



The second reading was from "Captain Corelli's Mandolin," read by our other cousin, Molly.



Next there was a reading from Romans by the groom's godmother.



Then, the main event: the exchange of vows and rings. As you saw in the previous post, Kate and Cormac wrote their vows together. Funny story: when Cormac was saying his vows, my Mom started to get upset because he wasn't looking at Kate! Then he finally did -- and immediately choked up. Aww!



Then the kiss!





And the recessional, to "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee," one of my favorites!



All photos by the super talented and lovely Jenna Cole and Meredith of & Unlimited.

Previously:
We arrive
We prepare
We raise the tent
We rehearse and play wiffle ball
We jump off the wharf
We eat lobster
We wake up very early, and the gents get dressed
The girls get ready

Boden spring/summer collection

How's this for a case of effective mail marketing? Boden's spring/summer catalog dropped into my mailbox this afternoon, and I immediately smiled when I saw their bright, happy colors and fun styling. Here's my favorite look:


Terrazzo Tunic, $88, + Jersey Cardigan, $68

Wouldn't my new Keds look perfect with that combo? Sadly, the prices are a bit out of my budget, but here's to dreaming! A few more picks from the new collection:


Spotty Jersey Top, $48


Whisper Silk Top, $88


Twist Jersey Top, $48


Retro Shift, $208


Broderie Dress, $168


Printed Cotton Top, $58

Do you know about Boden?

Keds

Yesterday I bought the first pair of Keds I've owned in, oh, fourteen or so years. These ones:



I love their simple and classic design, as well as the fact that the basic idea hasn't changed since 1916, when the Champion was introduced. This spring and summer I'm looking forward to pairing mine with sundresses, skinny capris, and shorts, and am liking the Mischa Barton ad campaign from a few years back for inspiration.













I'll be sure to update you once they rotate in to my wardrobe! Do you own a pair?