Koru Kate Finds: 6th Edition

I was on a Shopping Mission yesterday to find a new, fun outfit for RZ's birthday.  Sadly, I was unsuccessful & recycled an outfit for the happy occasion.  On the bright side, I found pretty, well-priced dresses for my dear readers in Wedding mode.  These sweet dresses are perfect for Bridesmaids for Wedding, Guests for Wedding or Bride for Rehearsal Dinner.   

First, I offer you the soft berry Faux Wrap Sleeveless Dress for only $60:

Next, I give you the warm iron Carla Flutter Sleeve Sheath Dress for only $65:

Last, I present my personal favorite, the fresh olive Ruffle Front Sleeveless Dress for only $65:

Images via Ann Taylor Loft

Add a cool statement necklace, fun little belt &/or fabulous shoes & you're good to go!

As much as I enjoyed my experience at Bella Bridesmaid & I loved my Bridesmaid dress, I wish I had gone the off-the-rack ready route for my Bridesmaids.  The process of finding, ordering & altering those traditional Bridesmaid dresses was my least favorite experience of my wedding planning.  Hindsight! 

If you're willing to hunt & compromise on color, you can find a perfect dress for a good deal!

Adventures of My Maid of Honor

The stylish Bella Bridesmaid window in Madison, NJ

A rainbow rack of 300+ pretty dresses!

My favorite, Cynthia Rowley Style 8011

My Maid of Honor models the winner!

Bridesmaid dress shopping was a success! I went to my Bella Bridesmaid appointment with three, important things: my Maid of Honor Mary, the Cynthia Rowley dress style number 8011 & the color preference of Smashing purple. I was over my whining & crying about bridesmaid dress shopping & I was ready to have fun!

Mary & I met with the lovely Amanda, one of the co-owners of the Madison, NJ & New York City locations. I told her about the Cynthia Rowley dress I liked & she pulled several similar dresses from designers like Thread, Priscilla of Boston & Lela Rose. We sent Mary into the dressing room with about 10 dresses that she kindly modeled for me while I lounged on the couch. The Cynthia Rowley dress was the first one she tried on & I loved it just as much as I did when I first spotted it at Lovely Bridal Shop. However, I was surprised to like about three other dresses. Me, the one who feared I wouldn't be able to find anything stylish & affordable!!

I was going to send Mary back into the dressing room with the four top contenders when I realized I truly liked the Cynthia Rowley dress the best. It's simple, clean & pretty. Officially, the dress is described as cocktail-length, strapless dress with pleated bodice & matching sash. I still loved the unique "Smashing" purple color I had picked out ahead of time too. There didn't seem to be any point in hemming or hawing over the decision. I had her try it on again for confirmation & sure enough, I loved it. Bridesmaid dress: check!

Phew, I'm so glad the bridesmaid dress hunt is over! I want to thank Amanda for her help & advice. Of course, I have to thank my Maid of Honor for her patience & excellent modeling skills.

I went to Bella Bridesmaid open to anything & everything (well, almost everything: more on that in another post). In the end, I went with my first instinct. My Bridesmaids are going to look fabulous on our wedding day!

Plan B

Tomorrow is the big day: my Maid of Honor & I are going bridesmaid dress shopping at Bella Bridesmaid! As much as I have whined & cried about the process, I'm looking forward to it. It will be fun to spend a day with my big sister to talk wedding & shop for bridesmaid dresses.

If any of you are worried that we may not find a bridesmaid dress tomorrow, have no fear. I've got a Plan B! First, we have this sassy, purple number:


Or we have this cute, ivory option:


Hmmm . . . tough choice! Wish us luck tomorrow!!

(all above dresses are available at Macy's)

Bella Bridesmaid

Gabrielle by Thread

Elijah by Thread

Sarah by Thread
Thread dresses available at Bella Bridesmaid in Madison

While I'm busy whining & complaining about shopping for bridesmaid dresses, my poor Bridesmaids are probably wondering if I'm planning to send them down the aisle naked. My Maid of Honor took one for the team & reached out to ask me if we could start shopping. Sigh.

I decided to start with the one bridesmaid dress I like that doesn't cost a small fortune: a Cynthia Rowley dress available at Lovely Bridal Shop. I saw it when I bought my gown & I loved its clean, simple lines. Plus the dress came in a beautiful shade of purple! However, Lovely Bridal Shop is mostly for Brides; they simply carry two bridesmaid lines. Not exactly the best place to go if we're interested in seeing & comparing different dresses.

If any of my Brides ask me where to shop for bridesmaid dresses, I tell them Bella Bridesmaid who have convenient locations in Madison, New Jersey & New York City for my local maids & a La Jolla, California location for my Cali maids. I know the owners, I adore the sweet shops & I love the selection of stylish dresses. Bonus: they carry the Cynthia Rowley line. It seemed quite obvious that Bella Bridesmaid was the place for me to look for a bridesmaid dress. If anyplace could make the dreaded experience of bridesmaid dress shopping more pleasant, it's Bella Bridesmaid.

The appointment is made. I will keep you posted as we hunt for the perfect bridesmaid dress at Bella Bridesmaid. Let the bridesmaid dress games begin!

Dress Nightmares

Kayla dress by Thread
At $480, there's no way.

Edie Dress by Thread
Again, $480. If my Bridemaids won the lottery.

Is there one item on your wedding to-do list that you dread? For me, it's choosing a bridesmaid dress. I have absolutely no patience for this task. It could be that for a brief time in my wedding career, I sold bridesmaid dresses &, well, let's just say it wasn't my favorite thing. I would rather scrub a dirty bathroom from top to bottom. From the day I got engaged, I wearily eyed the "Choose & Order Bridesmaid Dresses" task on our wedding timeline with a heavy feeling in my heart.

I. Don't. Want. To.

Time hasn't done much to change my mind. I have looked at bridesmaid dresses online & I've found several that I love . . . for $400 or more. Seriously. I've found a few I kinda like for $200. Even at that price, I want to love the dress if I'm asking my bridesmaids to shell out the money. Now the thought of going to a bridesmaid dress store, even my favorite Bella Bridesmaid, just doesn't sound fun. So I keep searching online with the same results. It's an endless circle & I grow more & more frustrated.

I have coordinated & attended several lovely weddings where the Bride had each bridesmaid wear a black dress of their own choosing. Everyone looks great & comfortable. Less fuss, less stress. The thing is I don't like black that much. I wear & decorate with little to no black. Black is not me. When I suggest to my family & friends that I may let the bridesmaids choose a black dress, they look at me with horror, knowing my strained relationship to black. Honestly, I'm at the point where I just don't care.

So what are my ideal requirements for a bridesmaid dress? Classic. Long. Affordable. Chocolate brown, champagne or dark purple. Any suggestions??!!