Bri & Ben's chill-but-gorgeous LA wedding

Because you know I love a good follow-up............... How could I not feature Bri & Ben's wedding, featuring THAT MARA HOFFMAN DRESS in the wild?

Also, this is just the kind of wedding that makes me love weddings. (Though it brings back those old why-did-I-grow-out-my-bangs-for-my-wedding?! regrets.)

Anyhoo.

Here are a few words from Bri:

When Ben and I planned our wedding we really wanted to be kind of chill and laid back about it. That's easy for him, but not as easy for me since I struggle with a need to always be in control. But we focused really hard on remembering that it was just like our small house parties, only huge. 

We consulted each other on our wedding attire (no secrecy here -- he's my most influential fashion adviser), and relaxed on nitpicking the wedding party attire. I asked the bridesmaids to wear bright colors as if they were flowers in the spring garden and they totally nailed it. The groomsmen wore springy suits and colorful plaid ties to fit with the theme.

Writing vows was so much harder than I expected! It's not that I have trouble expressing my feelings for Ben, but that it was a public declaration. It was really hard deciding what all those friends and family should hear or would want to hear. In the end we coordinated our vows by agreeing on a general length and rhythm and they turned out lovely. Even now friends and family continue to bring up how much they were moved by our very personal vows, and it feels like the best compliment you can get on your wedding.

Ben sings in The Silver Lake Chorus and plays fiddle and mandolin, and has also played music in his hometown of Charleston, SC. We both have a lot of musically talented friends, and several of them provided the sweet sounds - a personalized processional song was performed for us by the songwriter, an a capella female trio (friends we met through the chorus) sang "The Book of Love" mid-ceremony, and two of Ben's friends and former bandmates from Charleston performed a first dance version of "The Luckiest." My sister Genevieve and another friend co-DJ'd the after-dinner dance party.

The projects I decided to labor over were ones that I truly enjoyed putting together. My tin can succulent centerpieces were my pride and joy (and took forever), and designing my own invitations was really fun (and cheap!). 

The scariest moment of the day happened to Genevieve who was my maid of honor. I asked her to hold onto my vows until the moment I would read them. During the ceremony, she realized she didn't have them with her. Panicked, she quietly left the ceremony to frantically search the bridal suite. She didn't find them, and came back certain that everything was about to implode with her failure. When it came time to read them... I pulled them out from the inside of my palm, and she was of course completely relieved. (Before the ceremony began, I was feeling overwhelmed and wanted to reflect for 5 minutes. She didn't realize that I had taken the vows back to look them over alone in my bridal suite. Then when it was time to go, I tucked them into the bouquet and carried them out with me.) Little did I know what a scare I gave to her -- Ha! We laugh about it now, but I still have pangs of guilt for putting her through that.

The best part of the day was taking a moment alone with Ben after the ceremony where we breathed a sigh of relief and drank some champagne before heading out for photos and reception. We just looked at each other like "We just did it! We just got married!" We took some terrible selfies and posted them to instagram. Finally I got to stop worrying about everything.

The wedding was just a party, and yet so much more. I never wanted to be a "bride" in the pinterest sense, but looking back, I was and it was fucking fun.

♥

Photos by the lovelies of Rad & In Love (as always, there are lots more over on their blog)

Bona Drag Does Weddings (Again!)

Bona Drag just launched the long-awaited (were you awaiting? I was awaiting) second installment of their ceremonial collection.

I smell a new it dress. I'm just not sure which one it is.

Pictured above: Mara Hoffman Coiled Snake Gown ($1400), Lindsey Thornburg Courtney Love Gown (made in NYC, $1400), With Hearts In My Eyes Lace Bias Cut Gown (handmade in Milwaukee! $450) + The Sway Byron Cropped Leather Jacket ($460)

Check out the whole collection, then shop here.

Mara Hoffman does WEDDINGS !

Lady's got an official bridal collection up on her site.

Almost as good as the "ceremonial" dresses she did for Bona Drag last year...  But maybe not quite. (The Artemis corded bustier + skirt combo pictured above is my fave)




p.s. I CANNOT get these photos to not look crappy. But I also cannot not post them. Hey Mara Hoffman PR: Want to send me some better quality images??

Update: I found more images. I fear they are a touch culturally insensitive.  Also: The "devotional" collection?? COME ON.

What do I wear to a wedding in TOFINO?

dear esb,

I'm heading out to Tofino, British Columbia for a wedding this September. I'm super excited about the location (right on the beach), but all the guests were told to expect anything when it comes to the weather. 

I'm left feeling completely unsure and hopeless about what to wear for a beach wedding where we could be hot, cold, or soaked from rain, or perhaps some combo of all three. Can you or your lovely readers offer some help? I was thinking something long and in a natural fabric, but can't get much further than that (I did mention I'm hopeless, right?). 

Also - thanks to you and the lovely ladies at Bona Drag I scored my dream wedding dress in the Mara Hoffman all seeing bridal gown for our cottage wedding next year. But, until I can rock that hot number, I need some help with my current dress dilemma. 

many thanks....

p.s. I probably should have said I've got a budget of about 300 to work with...

*****

TEVAS!!

just kidding.



How bout you do this Mara Hoffman snake braided maxi* + jean jacket + booties. (Though you really could rock Tevas, and you'd blend right in with the natives....)


*If you happen to wear a size large, it's on sale over here.

Balenciaga: yay or nay?

I'm kind of digging it for the right somebody....

In related news:

Do we like Lake Bell's custom Marchesa?

Look who's wearing Mara Hoffman!

Pls don't buy your wedding dress at Nasty Gal.


(Thank yoooooooou Rachel + Alison)

A tale of two dresses....

Dear ESB,

I have a tale of two dresses for you, followed by an opportunity for other ESB readers.

I fell in love with this orange ombre beauty [pictured above] via the wonderful (and extremely unhelpful) world of tumblr.  ... somehow I managed to track down the dress, and the artist who created it. I emailed her in hopes of being able to borrow it for my big day (we are on a budget and I was drastically trying to save some dough)... Months passed and I never heard back, so for fear of not having anything to wear, I went looking for something else... Enter Mara Hoffman: all seeing bridal gown...

This dress is stunning, it's to die for, and I'm tall and have small boobs so it actually worked on my body, problem solved, dress checked off the list. (1,200.00$ later).

A few weeks after I purchased the Mara beauty, I get an email from the lovely Martha Webb, expressing how much she'd love to loan me the gown, free of charge, for my big day... She sent it a few weeks later (from LONDON) and now I have the dress of my dreams, and I actually feel like this wedding is real.

This wedding is definitely real, as are all of the insane costs that are building up. So I would like to pass on the Mara Hoffman gown to another tall small boobed bride. It's a size 4 and has never been worn other than when I've tried it on a few times. Not sure if you've had anyone looking for this dress but I'm definitely ready to sell it, the sooner the better.

I will for sure be sending you lots of photos from the big day, which is 20 fucking days away.... (breeeeeath, keep breathing).

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

*****

It seems you weren't the first one to obsess over that ombre dress.... But I have a feeling you'll rock it harder than this no-boobed model.

WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE PHOTOS.



**Update: the Mara Hoffman is gone. Long gone.**

Pls help me find a Route 66 dress....

Hi there,

I'm a big fan and a "no frills" type of girl. I never thought I'd care about weddings and dresses, but here I am caring. Whatever.

Here's the issue. My fiance and I are photographers and are going to be taking our own engagement photos along Route 66 this summer. I'm excited and have planned out various outfits for when we get to certain stops, but one of the dresses I'd like to use is this nice number from Mara Hoffman.

Well, it's sold out everywhere. I've called and begged.

Any ideas of a dress similar?  

Thanks for any suggestions,
Suddenly Giving a Shit

*****

Dear SGAS,

Please don't wear a white dress in your engagement photos.

I mean. How do you plan to top that at your wedding? With a fucking BALL GOWN??

I thought you were a "no frills" girl.






xoxo,
ESB


(Finds photo of woman in blush dress walking down highway. Thinks, fuck, that looks pretty great.)



Hilary Rhoda by Lachlan Bailey for Harper’s Bazaar via Searching for Style

Pls help dress me for the (German) Emmys!

Hello ESB!

In the midst of my wedding planning (which you have helped me through immensely so far!), I have come upon another dress dilemma: I have been invited to go to a red carpet event. Basically, it's the German version of the Emmys. So naturally I had a look at what guests have worn in past years and it's a major evening dress from major designers in every seat. They are very serious about their black tie dress code. So I guess the little black Maison Martin Margiela number I had picked out just won't do.

So what's a girl to do? I do not have a suitable gown in my closet. I am willing to splurge, but so far what I have found is past splurging. This 4.000 euro Elie Saab [pictured above] in hot pink looked pretty great on me - but it is just way out of even my splurging price range.

I have scoured the internet for options already, but maybe your lovely readers have an idea I have missed? I'm actually accompanying a nominee, so hiding in the back is not an option. I'm not afraid of color, but just a little timid with sequins and beading, I have a tiny waist and wider hips, so I often can't pull narrow dresses over them so anything too mermaid-y looks terrible if I even get it on. But at this point, I'll try anything on! So desperate... 

Thank you!,
Underdressed

*****

okay so what's your budget?

*****

Ah yes, good question. I'm going to say 1.000 euros, which is somewhere around $1300, but that's really the maximum.

*****

Do you also have tiny boobs?

How bout this beaded Mara Hoffman?

($924 at Free People, international shipping available)

Quentin Tarantino's date wore our old fave Mara Hoffman dress to the Golden Globes, and she looked SMASHING.

I really want to like this Mara Hoffman....

It's $312. It's 100% cotton.

And yet.... Is that weird upper-stomach region really a place that anyone wants to show off?

look who's carrying THE DRESS

the dress the dress the dress.

now avail at free people.

While you all are shopping....

Dear ESB, 

Okay, so I never thought I'd be writing into a wedding advice column, but then I discovered you and got engaged and am slowly losing my mind. I guess that's just the way it is---once the ring hits the finger, your mind sorta implodes with girl fairy tales and calligraphy.  

Anyhooo.... So, I saw this dress on your site and I fell in love. But, it's sold out in my size! I'm a 6/8 and the largest they have is a 2! My friends, who think it's very me, say I should buy it and try and get it taken out. But, I'm nervous that would ruin the dress. 

Do you think I should try that? Or do you have any other dress suggestions that might be sorta similar? 

Thanks! 

*****

Sadly, you can't let out a size 2 to a size 6. At BEST you'd get a couple of inches, but then the beading would be effed.

Has anyone seen anything similar? Or similarly fantastic?



It really is a fantastic dress.

(Check out Bona Drag's entire ceremonial collection over here.)

Bona Drag Does Weddings

I've been recommending them for eons, but it is now OFFICIAL.

Check out the whole ceremonial collection, and shop here.