This week we have a little something different share with you. A few months ago we came across Emily and Jake’s fun and romantic garden-party-esque wedding, and absolutely FELL. IN. LOVE. Not only with the springy florals from Seaberry Farm and this charming setting (that also happens to be Jake’s family home), but with that dress! We must admit, we’ve been crushing pretty hard on quite a few of Jenny Packham’s gowns in the last year, but when this little number arrived in our inbox from Melissa Grimes-Guy Photography, it was love at first sight. We’ll stop gushing and let Emily tell the rest:
Where did you find your dress?
I bought my dress at Marina Morrison Bridal Salon in San Francisco. I decided to start my search there because it is the only salon in San Francisco that sells Jenny Packham, and I knew that I wanted the opportunity to try on some of her dresses, as I had always loved them since long before Jake and I were engaged!
Was it what you were initially looking for?
No! I was enamored of Jenny Packham’s “Aspen”, which has a similar silhouette but more lace and less beading. Marina Morrison was the first and only bridal salon that I went to, so I was eager to try on everything that my amazing consultant, Savinie, put me in. She knew that I was excited about the Aspen, but when I put it on, it did nothing for me. It just hung there. I was a little bit disappointed, but I trusted my consultant’s judgment and eagerly tried everything she brought in for me. I tried on heavily embellished dresses, simple dresses, modern dresses, classic dresses, and more! And then I tried on the Willow.
How did you know it was “the one”?
I knew that I felt phenomenal in the Willow, but I couldn’t commit without seriously considering everything that I had tried on. In the end, it came down to the Willow, and a fitted, modern Carolina Herrera. I felt so beautiful, comfortable, and *myself* in the Jenny Packham, which is how I ultimately made the decision. It was the only dress that gave me “the feeling”. It completely fit my vision for our wedding, and I knew that I would be able to look back on pictures from our wedding day and not regret my dress decision. I think it is a very classic dress and I hope that I can pass the dress on to a future generation of bride!
What did you love about it?
First, I love the back. I love that it is sexy without being vulgar. I love the detail throughout the dress. The beading is so beautiful. I love how the dress fit me, and how it accentuated my waist and hips but was still a perfectly classic dress. I love how comfortable I was in the dress. I never once had to adjust it or do any yanking or tugging. I danced very hard for four hours that night and I never once worried about my dress. It was perfect!
Did it inspire your wedding decor or vice versa?
I think that they inspired each other. When we got engaged, we knew pretty quickly that we wanted to get married at Jake’s parents’ house. During our four years living in Washington, DC, we would escape to Easton on a monthly bases, and having our wedding there was perfectly “us”. Given that it would be an outdoor wedding (weather permitting!), we knew that we could not do anything too formal, nor would we have wanted to. We wanted it to feel like an upscale garden party, and I think that the dress fit perfectly into that vision. Everything came together once I found my dress.
How did you choose jewelry to go with?
My parents gave me the wonderful gift of the jewelry that I wore on our wedding day. My mom and I went to a few jewelry stores in downtown San Francisco on a mission to find a necklace and earrings, and we ended up buying the pieces from the same store (Lang Antiques) where Jake got my engagement ring! Once I had found the dress, I knew that the perfect pieces that would go with it would be classic pieces with a little flair. Both the necklace and the earrings are diamonds set in platinum, which match my engagement and wedding rings perfectly. I know that I will be able to wear both pieces long into the future, and that I will give them as a gift to children or grandchildren in the future!
What did Jake think of it?
To quote Jake, “Beautiful. Diaphanous. Gorgeous.” I did not say anything to him about the dress after I bought it. That meant over eight months of secret keeping! I did show him pictures of the dresses that I tried on but I *didn’t* buy, but I didn’t give him any hints about what the dress actually looked like. When he saw me during our first look, he started to cry, which is exactly the reaction I was hoping for!
I hope that your readers love my dress as much as I do! I just got it back from being cleaned and preserved, and I know that I will treasure it forever. I want to thank my parents for their help in planning the wedding, and for the generous gift of the jewelry that I wore with the dress, as well as the contributions they made to the dress. Thanks, also, to our photographer, Melissa, for capturing my dress and our day so beautifully. Jake and I will look back on our wedding day fondly, and we have you to thank for keeping those memories alive for us!
VENDORS
Photographer: Melissa Grimes-Guy Photography
Floral Design: Seaberry Farm
Catering: Gourmet by the Bay
Ceremony Music: Shore Strings
Cake: Julie Bakes
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