Wedding week for my bestie in Chicago

I had a wonderful long weekend, complete with good food, friends, and a visit to the zoo to see the baby zebra. I will post pictures soon!

I'm so excited for this week!!! On Thursday, my cousin Katy's family starts flying in for her wedding. We have a pizza dinner planned at Giordano's for deep dish! The rehearsal dinner will be at Shaw's and the wedding is on Saturday.

I've picked up my gorgeous eggplant Amsale bridesmaid dress, which was tailored perfectly for me!!

Source: amsale.com via Emily on Pinterest

I cannot wait to get my hair and makeup done on Saturday too. Here are a few hairstyles that I'm interested in:Source: weddingchicks.com via Emily on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Emily on Pinterest

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Mr. F says go simple, or even have my hair down, but I love these updos.

I'm also super psyched for wedding party pictures around Chicago.

Source: stylemepretty.com via Emily on Pinterest

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Source: Uploaded by user via Elisa on Pinterest

Yay!

My cousin, Katy's bridal shower

We drove from Chicago, to Wilmette, on a sunny Saturday afternoon to celebrate Katy's bridal shower.To add to this perfect fall day.......the leaves were changing and the mums were in full bloom! The Mother of the Groom's friends, the Mauies were the hostesses of this lovely party. They greeted us with cute cupcakes with Ks and Rs and St. Louis bacon.  (This is sugar glazed bacon, which is amazing!)

 The mother of the bride, the bride to be and the mother of groom had a few minutes for pictures before the rest of the guests arrived. Katy's nephew, baby Henry was a cute addition too.

 We had a delicious lunch of cheese souffle, fruit, sausages, cinnamon rolls and great company. After lunch, we had a fun question and answer video with the groom that I filmed and edited! (Please excuse some of the background noise. This was my first iMovie!)

Baby Henry tried to help with unwrapping the presents. I gave Katy fine china tea cups and saucers from her Bloomingdale's gift registry. Liz, Katy's family friend, made her a gorgeous fall table runner. Katy got a onion soup family recipe from her soon-to-be mother-in-law and a pot to cook the recipe in!

The groom arrived when the last of the presents were being unwrapped.  Baby Henry loves his Uncle Rob!

 I love making rehearsal bouquets out of the ribbons and wrapping paper, just look how this one turned out!

On our drive home from Wilmette, we stopped at Plaza del Lago to look at a few china patterns, picked up fresh pasta, and took pictures in front of the Bahai Temple!

[I had to look it up "Bahá'í literature directs that a House of Worship should be built in each city and town, and emphasizes that its doors must be open to all regardless of religion, or any other distinction. The Bahá'í laws emphasize that the spirit of the House of Worship must be a gathering place where people of all religions may worship God without denominational restrictions."]

Wedding Pinterest Obsession

I'm having a wedding planning/pinning spree! My sister-in-law, Mr. F's cousin, my cousin, Katy and now my Canadian cousin are all getting this married this year. I love wedding planning so much that I've made a board for each of them.

My sister-in-law is getting married in Austin, Texas, in October,

Source: ruffledblog.com via Emily on Pinterest

 and is considering a red and white theme for the Danish flag. (The groom is Danish.)

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 Blue is also one of her favorite colors and Prickly Pear cacti will also be incorporated.

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She loves short wedding dresses!

Source: Uploaded by user via Emily on Pinterest

Mr. F's cousin, Colleen, is getting married in July, outside of Boulder, Colorado. Colleen has a board inspired by wide open spaces, mountains, and rocky outcrops.

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 She tells me her colors are white and blue after the Colorado flag.

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 She also has two dogs that will some how participate in the wedding!

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 Yes, Colleen has a dog that is nearly this big, but perhaps not as shaggy.

My cousin, Katy, is getting married in November, in Chicago

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 and I'm a bridesmaid too!

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 She's thinking about purples, orange, a little grey and a little green and maybe a little lace. She also likes these watercolor invitations.

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I just started a board for my Candian cousin, who recently got engaged. She's thinking of getting married this Fall in Ottawa! I'm thinking she'll be a classic bride with an eye for fashion, Source: stylemepretty.com via Emily on Pinterest
like a graceful ballgown with spunky kate spade heels,

Source: katespade.com via Emily on Pinterest

  or statement necklace.

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 I remember Sarah braiding my hair as a kid, so maybe she'd like an intricate updo!

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Source: theprettyblog.com via Emily on Pinterest

Exciting bridesmaid dress options

A few weeks ago, my cousins and I went to Bella Bridesmaid to try on bridesmaid dresses. We tried on Amsale, Ivy & Aster, Dessy and twobirds dresses.When the maid of honor and I tried on twobirds dresses,we thought would be wonderful beach wedding dresses, but they're a little too casual if the groomsmen are wearing tuxes. My cousin also decided that she wants us to wear silk chiffon in a fall friendly purple tone! After trying on a few dresses, I realized, for the first time, that one shoulder dresses are really amazing. This Dessy Collection dress was a standout!

Source: weddingtonway.com via Emily on Pinterest

I was so excited to be trying them on that I didn't get any pictures of the lovely Amsale bridesmaid dresses!  I did try on this first Amsale dress and I think it's my favorite dress, so far! The maid of honor tried on the long versions of the other dresses and we agreed that they are stunning.

AMSALE BRIDESMAIDS CHIFFON G654C SHOWN IN VIOLET

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AMSALE BRIDESMAIDS CHIFFON G533C SHOWN IN SPICE

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AMSALE BRIDESMAIDS CHIFFON G429C SHOWN IN OCEAN

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AMSALE BRIDESMAIDS CHIFFON G456C SHOWN IN CERISE

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The following day, we tried on several favorite bridesmaid dresses at J.Crew, including the Macie,

Source: jcrew.com via Katy on Pinterest

the Lucienne,

Source: jcrew.com via Katy on Pinterest

the Sinclair, and

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the Mirabelle.

Source: jcrew.com via Emily on Pinterest

I would be happy wearing any of these dresses, especially since I could dance freely in any of them. I am thrilled that I am getting to try on dresses that I see all over Pinterest and wedding blogs. I was surprised how short the Ivy & Aster dresses were, how much fancier the J. Crew bridesmaid line can be and super psyched that the Amsale dresses are among the bride's top favorites!