Our much anticipated month of weddings concluded this past weekend. Not one, not two, but three happy occasions plus our own wedding anniversary had our social calendar hopping this past September.
Two of the weddings had been in the planning for over a year and the third was a more spur-of-the-moment affair in comparison. The couples for all three had been together for over 10 years so none were rushing into marriage blindly. In my Dress Codes: Dos And Donโts Of What To Wear post from this past July, I offered some considerations a prospective wedding guest should make when figuring out what to wear.
The first of the weddings was more informal, in the couple’s backyard and the invitation specified “Summer White” as the dress code. The specified dress codes for the other two weddings were similar to each other and in the Semi-Formal/Cocktail range. For those events I would be looking for something new to wear and I anticipated wearing the same dress to both weddings. Fortunately, I already had a suitable ensemble in my closet for the Summer White wedding.
I bought this dress (Target) in early 2023 because who wouldn’t need a white dress from time to time. Truth be told, this was only the second time I wore it. My kimono (Johnny Was) was purchased about a year ago and first appeared on the blog in The Summer Of My Discontent. Nearly all of the guests wore white or shades of off-white and the look was quite fabulous. In the photos below, you see my husband signing the Ketubah as a witness. He and the groom (also sitting) have been friends for over 50 years. Standing with the bride and groom in the last photo are the bride’s son-in-law, daughter, and granddaughter.
Below are a few of the dresses I considered for the other two weddings during my shopping adventures. On my wish list was shine, or sparkle, or pattern and I had wanted to avoid the formality of a MOB look. The dress on the left gave me the shine I wanted but the style/cut didn’t suit me. The dress in the center was one my husband had pointed out to me during the one shopping trip I made with him in tow. I really, really liked it (as did my husband) but the size I tried on was too small and there wasn’t a larger one on the rack. I could have ordered it but I wasn’t confident that even the larger size would fit. It was such a pretty dress and I debated a long time on whether I should order it. In the end, I decided against doing so.
The dress on the right was my top contender until I found the one you see in the photos below. The background color of both dresses is dark blue and my new silver sandals looked good with both. The two dresses are also quite similar in style, fit, and price so it all came down to pattern. Ultimately, polka dots won out over floral as evident in the following photos.
For one of the weddings, I opted for chunky rhinestone earrings and no necklace. For the other, I wore a pearl necklace and pearl earrings as you see in the photo at the top of this post. Even my guy got a new ‘fit for the wedding. The last time he bought a suit was close to 20 years ago. He’s lost a considerable amount of weight in the past two years and the old suit was a few sizes too big, so it was time for an update.
Wedding #2 took place in Carpinteria, California which has special meaning for the bride and her family. The venue was on the grounds of a working avocado farm that books only a limited number of events during the summer. The ceremony and festivities took place on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
The picturesque courtyard of the Santa Barbara Courthouse was the setting for wedding #3. The bride is the first of our siblings’ children and ours to get married. She and her groom have known each other since they were 12. One of their long-time friends officiated the beautiful ceremony which was followed by dinner at a nearby restaurant.
So if three weddings on consecutive weekends wasn’t enough, this last wedding was actually celebrated over two weekends. Our niece and her betrothed sought to be economical by inviting only close family/friends to the ceremony and then hosted an “after party” for a larger guest list a week later.
The dress code for the after-party was Dressy Casual so I opted to wear a denim dress I purchased this past Spring. So smitten was I when I first spied it in an online fashion article I immediately went to the brand website (Zara) and bought it with hardly a second thought. The dress is a smidge too long unless I wear it with heels (my silver sandals again), so shortening it is now on my to-do list.
As a sweet tribute my sister, our niece wore a modified version of her mother’s wedding dress to the after-party. The original version of the dress had long sleeves which had been fitting for her February wedding but not so much for an outdoor September affair in Southern California. My sister had offered her dress to be used without any restrictions and she had no idea of the surprise waiting for her at the party. Needless to say, she was overjoyed.
While we were lucky that none of the weddings overlapped, every weekend last month was busy with all that merriment. It was quite a spectacular way to end the summer but now I’m ready to move forward into Fall.
Stay well and letโs keep in touch! Subscribe, follow, friend, pin โฆ all options are available. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
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Photo credits: MMPerez for those taken of me. Photos from wedding #1, me; photo of wedding #2 bride and groom, unknown; photo of wedding #3 bride and groom, MMPerez; photo of niece and sister, Josephine Perez.
Note: This is an unsponsored post; however, some or all of the links to clothing items are associated with an affiliate program where I earned a few cents for each click.
Now, onto the Fine-Whatever link-up. Contributed by Shelbee from over at Shelbee On The Edge, featured from the last link-up is her post Adventures in Thrifting Part 16: Bohemian Maxi Skirt with Suede Ankle Boots. I admire her eye for mixing patterns and creating one-of-a-kind looks that suit her so well.
19 Comments
As always, love the outfits and pictures! Thanks for joining in our festivities!!
๐ thank you Melissa
Wow what a fabulous month of celebrations! Your dresses are so pretty and those brides/wedding photos look great.
How lovely to go to these special events. My favorite outfit is the white dress with kimono. Wonderful!
You look amazing in all of these wedding guest looks! That kimono is my fave. So gorgeous!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
What a fun month of wedding celebrations! I loved the idea of Summer White, it looked so nice in the photos of everyone! All of your dresses were lovely. Stopping over from Talking About it Tuesday. I’m #61.
What a lovely month of celebrations! I join the ladies above and vote the white and gorgeous Johnny Was kimono the star of the show!
Pamela
http://www.style-yourself-confident.com
What a wonderful month of celebrations! All of your dresses are lovely but my favorite is with the colorful kimono layered over it!
Jill – Doused in Pink
What a lovely and memorable September you had! So many happy, festive occasions. Love both of your outfits, thank you for sharing these lovely events and breathtaking scenery with us. Hope you have a wonderful rest of the week!
I especially like your take on the Summer White dress code. Your colourful kimono adds a beautiful touch.
Thanks for sharing the lovely brides and your stunning dresses. I love weddings, my own was quite simple but my sons’ were special days for me as well as them and their brides.
What a month of celebrations! You look lovely in all of your dresses and I sure enjoyed seeing the wedding party too!
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
I love weddings, but we are in that part of life where everyone old enough to get married has done so. I think it will be a few years before we have any more weddings. You definitely had a busy September! I think both ensembles were lovely, but I have to admit the polka dot one was my favorite. It’s so unexpected with the layers. Happy belated anniversary! And, thank you for the link up!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
Looking very nice. Thanks for hosting and I hope that you have a wonderful week.
Now that is a very festive time! And what a gorgeous dresses you wore! But I have to say…..your hair is always the winner for me!
I love how thoughtfully you considered your outfits for each occasion, especially with the specific dress codes. Your white dress and kimono combo sounds perfect for the Summer White wedding, and it must have been lovely to see everyone in shades of white.
I can totally relate to the hunt for the perfect dress. Itโs great that you found one that fits your style and has that playful polka dot pattern! Thank you for sharing your experiences and the dress journey with us!
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Wow! You have been very busy with weddings! I love all of the different outfits you chose for the weddings. That kimono is stunning over the white dress!
What a lovely way to see out the summer! Your dresses are fabulous!
Emma xxx
http://www.style-splash.com
Those weddings look lovely and you chose some really cute and amazing outfits. Loved seeing them all.
This post is one of my picks for this weeks Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot.
Lisa – http://www.lisahoweler.com