The cat barfed on my dress

Dear ESB,

A few weeks ago I discovered that on of my cats totally puked on my wedding dress. While other's responses were, "Omigodhow?" "What the fuck?" and "Where did you bury the cat?" I wasn't thrilled, but I pretty much said, "Well, bummer," and moved on.

We pre-soaked the dress. It mostly got better, but there was still a little stain. And I wasn't sad that my dress might not be good enough for the day of, I was sad that I might have to go dress shopping again.

After it got home from the cleaners and it was back to perfect I wasn't relieved. I'm not displeased. I just don't really give a shit.

Is this normal? Is my brain broken? Is this a total waste of a concern?

I've asked some friends... I think they are afraid to give me the wrong answer so they just don't give me any answer.

*****

This is not a problem.

YOU DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM.

Photo by Christophe Kutner

Dress reality check?

Hello ESB,

I'm considering buying this dress for my fall wedding at this location.  

What do you think - awesome or awful?

Much, much thanks,

Needs A Dress

*****

I don't hate the dress, but I don't like that it was "remade" from a size 12 to a 0. The fabric doesn't drape the way it should.

What should a pair of Texans do in Louisville, Nashville, Gatlinburg, Asheville + Lexington??

(Hatch Show Print)

Dear ESB,

My husband and I are taking our first post-honeymoon vacation together next month. We're getting the hell out of the cold, gray, bleak Midwestern town where we currently live and heading south for a road trip through Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee (specifically Louisville, Nashville, Gatlinburg, Asheville, and Lexington).

We don't exactly know what to do while we're there, we're just looking for warmer weather, good food, and southern hospitality (we're from Texas, so we miss it). I know this is a long shot, but do you (or perhaps some of your southern readers/twitter followers) have any advice on where we should go/eat/shop? 

We're hoping to find some of the gems that only the locals know about, especially if they won't cost a ton (husband's finishing his PhD, I'm a teacher, so um...not exactly rolling in it).

*****

I've corralled a couple of experts on Nashville and Asheville -- no pun intended -- and I figure I'll let our readers fill in the rest.

Here's Naurnie on Nashville:

When ESB put out the APB on Twitter last week about folks needing Nashville vacation advice, I jumped at the chance. Nashville. My city. I moved away almost two years ago and still I miss it every day. I've put together some things to do in town that are not only local friendly, but also a little touristy just for good measure. Because when you get down to brass tacks, doing some of the touristy junk in Nashville is actually pretty damn fun.

Downtown:

When most people head to Nashville on a vacation, they're normally coming to the downtown area. While, lower Broadway is teeming with rednecks in their cutoffs and Elvis tattoos, the area still offers plenty in the way of cool shit to do (and the people watching can't be beat.) If you are on lower Broadway in the broad daylight, you should hit up the legendary Hatch Show Print. They have been making screen print posters with their distinctive designs since 1879. They've done posters for everyone from the White Stripes to Patsy Cline and everyone in between. They even sell stock posters out of the store front so you can take one home to frame in your kitchen.

(Robert's Western World via Viator)

Just around the corner is the historic Ryman Auditorium, the Mother Church of Country Music and my own personal favorite venue to ever see a show EVER. It was where they broadcast the Grand Ole Opry, among other things, and they offer daily tours. You shouldn't miss it. Johnny Cash kicked the stage lights out in 1965. Those walls hold a lot of stories. Check the schedule, too. You might be able to score some tickets to a pretty bad ass show. You can also walk to the Country Music Hall of Fame. You might not be a fan of country music, but there is a lot of really interesting stuff in there including a car belonging to Elvis (it's tacky in a good way) and Gram Parsons' famous Nudie suit.

IF you are downtown and it is DARK OUTSIDE, you are in luck. You may now visit my most favorite establishment known to man, Robert's Western World. It is the only honky tonk on lower Broadway worth visiting, if you ask me. Boots for sale on the walls, chili cheese fries, and on Friday and Saturday nights they've got the western swing band, Brazil Billy. NOT TO BE MISSED.

East Nashville:

On the other side of the river from downtown is really where most of the cool folks in Nashville spend their free time. It's a neighborhood called East Nashville, and if you ask me it's where the best restaurants are. Have a nice glass of wine in the back yard of Rumour's East, a very lovely wine bar in an old bungalow with a gorgeous back patio. After you've enjoyed your wine, walk on down to Margot Cafe for a very tasty dinner. It's award winning, delicious, and I highly recommend reservations. Across the street from Margot is 3 Crow Bar, a local watering hole. Grab a bushwhacker and hang out for awhile.

Also on the East Side is Marche. It's a GREAT place for brunch and is owned by the same lady who owns Margot Cafe. Again, a reservation on a weekend is highly recommended. Both restaurants have a large focus on local foods. There is also The Pharmacy, an old-school burger parlor & beer garden where you can get specialty burgers and sit outside. Enjoy the spring weather.

(House-made wurst from The Pharmacy by Eric England via Nashville Scene)

Germantown:

Another one of my favorite Nashville haunts is City House. DO NOT MISS THIS. Just don't. It's so good.

Nights in Nashville can be quite fun. I'd say at any given night, hit up the Patterson House for some delicious cocktails. Don't be alarmed; there is no sign on the outside of this old house that serves as a speak easy. They make all of their own bitters and juices, and if you can, get a Sazerac. You will not be disappointed. The Station Inn is also a great place for a night time adventure. It's typically a bluegrass venue, but you can head in there on any given night and see any number of amazing musicians.

12 South:

Imogene + Willie is located in the 12 South area. It's a fabulous little joint that smells so good and has the best stuff. Matt + Carrie, the owners, have designed their own line of denim that they make and sell out of their renovated gas station front. They also have various vintage goods and friendly help. Down the street from Imogene + Willie is Burger Up, a fantastic restaurant with gourmet burgers in a very relaxed atmosphere. Walk another couple of blocks and grab a home made Mexican popsicle from Las Paletas. You can enjoy your tasty treat in the park across the street.

(Imogene + Willie via the K.I.D. Collective)

If you're like me and you can't get enough of digging through bins for vinyl, check out Grimey's for new and pre-loved music. Also, Nashville is home to Jack White's Third Man Records. Visit their brick and mortar location to grab some great vinyl and look at some taxidermy.

My general advice: Enjoy yourself. Ask people around you questions. Nashvillians are so very nice, and they love to talk about their city. They can give you advice about what to do if you find yourself in an unfamiliar location and are always willing to show you where to go. And? Avoid lines at the Pancake Pantry. It looks tempting, I know. But it's disgusting and you don't want to wait in line that long for disappointing pancakes.

****

And here's cevd on Asheville:

ok, so here is the list of MUSTS, followed by the list of if you have times:

1.  cúrate - if you do one thing in AVL, please, PLEASE let it be eating here.  in fact I'd go as far as to say that if you weren't planning a trip to AVL you should change your plans only so you can eat here.  seriously deeeeeeeeelish.

(Cúrate)

2. grab lunch from laurey's and head up into the blue ridge mountains. it's going to be beautiful there until november so it doesn't really matter when you go. but do it, spend some time outside, re-live the hunger games if you must, just go. my favorite spots include graveyard fields and mount mitchell, but here's a list for you, just in case.

2A. 12 bones. you guys i nearly forgot this one, and it is IMPORTANT that you go. maybe just slightly more important that laurey's? you can get 12 bones to go as well, but then you miss out on the never ending bbq sauce and very good beer selection.

3. hit up the j.crew outlet, it's just off the blue ridge parkway, it'll be easy! i know I'm going to be blasted into the ether for even saying j.crew in this post, but whatever. it's one of those honest to goodness outlets where you can buy clothes that say SAMPLE on them. also, they always have madewell denim for like $20 and last time I went I scored the cutest alexa chung for madewell dress.  totally worth it. oh and if you happen to be there on a weekend when they are doing the all out warehouse sale, go. i've found designer dresses with barneys' tags on them. seriously, this is the real deal. [Editor's Note: that's cool. you all know I left this one in because of the madewell thing. right??]

4. grab a beer and walk around downtown, maybe in the reverse order? blue spiral 1, mast general store, and others. just stroll, you'll love it.

5. tupelo honey. the S. AVL outpost is a bit less crowded than downtown, but maybe no longer open for breakfast on the weekdays? if you're downtown, they'll serve you breakfast, but you'll wait. however I will say that the ginger cornbread, warm biscuits, sweet potato pancakes, eggs betty, and grilled cheese are all worth it. also, the S. AVL one is kind of lame in that new big restaurant way. it is by no means a chain, but still, the downtown version is cute and quaint and lively, you might not want to skip it.

(The Orange Peel via Skyscraper City)

6. FRENCH BROAD CHOCOLATE LOUNGE. skip dessert at cúrate, oooh it hurts to say that, and head over to the chocolate lounge. get the highland mocha stout cake and the indian kulfi sipping chocolate. go to bed happy.

7. check the schedule at the orange peel. it's one of the best venues i've ever been to.

now if you find yourself with more time to kill :

DINNER : if you're around for another dinner here is my list in order ... the admiral, doc chey's, limones, posana, and table

SHOPPING : head to biltmore village. there is this great jewelry store there, blue, amazing, they make just about everything in house and i've scored some really wonderful pieces there. the rest of the village is pretty suburban, j.crew. williams sonoma. brooks brothers. lilly pulitzer. but it's cute and cobblestoned and the obama's had dinner at the corner kitchen, so there's that.

STUFF :  i guess you could go to the biltmore estate. people love it. it's huge, and the grounds are well kept. also, do you like to zip line? if so, i'd say go with navitat

NOW I WANNA TO GO ON A ROAD TRIP.

I don't want to be selfish but....

Dear ESB,

I want to "elope" (everyone will know, they just aren't invited) to NYC and get married this September. We are about to move, the fiance is getting a new job, and while our parents have offered to pay for everything, we fear their inevitable psychosis once we actually get down to planning... For example, my mother was a little upset I didn't include my gynecologist on the preliminary guest list. 

More Hitches:

1) My fiance's parents might be (will be) a little perturbed should we elope, and while I don't particularly care, I feel like he will? I know he will do it for me but I feel bad asking. I honestly don't get people's hangups about actually seeing couples get married. Watching people BE married is so much more fun and dramatic. 

2) Will I regret it? There is a 50% chance this will be the only time I get married/have a wedding and I would just hate to have any regrets. Then again, if I had lots of cash I would just let someone else plan it, show up, and probably have the time of my life. So maybe I'm just being lazy. 

Basically, I'm not super excited about planning my wedding. I thought I might be, but I'm not. I think I was more excited about BEING married and got a little confused. I don't want to be selfish but I also don't want to compromise my needs. 

I hope you tell me that the day is all about me and to do what I want. 

P.S. I am meeting with my dressmaker soon for something simple, short, and on the inexpensive side. So at least I'll be stylish while I piss everyone off. 

- (Cant)elope

*****

IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU.

What about your fiance?

Does he want a wedding?

Being too lazy to plan the damn thing is not a compelling reason to elope.

Suzie Bird by Armin Morbach for Tush #27 via Fashion Copius

will someone pls get married in THIS?

Christmas Special Edition Dress by Lulu Liu

MUUSE is my new favorite shopping site I'll never buy anything from. Check out all the crazy/beautiful dresses, people.

I don't like strapless

But this I like.

Shop Changa Park on MUUSE

via Myan Duong via NLMA via Ma Frangine

shooooooooooooooooooooooooooooes

Andromeda Laser Cut Flats + Tangerine Wallis Sling Backs by Sigerson Morrison Belle

Red Scalloped Sandal by Jil Sander

Bridesmaids Are Bitches

Dear ESB,

I'm a bridesmaid again, this is my 7th tour of duty in chiffon. Normally I'm used to some drama and madness but this time it's unusual to me because the root of the problem isn't the bride, it's a fellow bridesmaid.

The center of the problem is how to go about planning a bachelorette party. There are seven bridesmaids all together. The MOH (the bride's teenage daughter) and another maid are underage. Leaving five ladies who are of legal drinking age.

The first bridesmaid took the lead and began organizing a pub-crawl. It is an organized event, all of the logistics are taken care of and for one flat fee each person attending can drink all they want for the evening. Seemed like an easy solution, but then it got messy. I am unemployed and strapped for cash, I actually asked to not be a bridesmaid for this reason...but the bride insisted and promised me that this would not be a costly wedding. Which it hasn't been, thank God! The additional cost of a pub crawl is just too much for me and I really do not want to go on a drinking binge when I have to squeeze into a dress in a few weeks.

I didn't realize that the other girls felt the same way. None of us want to buy pub crawl tickets, but we are willing to tag along and run around the city with the bride, maybe having a few drinks here and there. On a personal note, I'm in a serious relationship and I don't want to bar-hop anymore. So are the other remaining ladies. Two are engaged, one is married. One of the other bridesmaids spoke up to the bride about their objections to the pub crawl and now the super-sweet gentle bride feels bad about imposing upon so many people. She wants to cancel the crawl, and all she really wanted was for her friends to be together.

A change in plans would not be so difficult to do, but the original planner bridesmaid just Will. Not. Let. It. Go. She has been contacting each of us individually and insisting we buy our tickets as soon as possible. She sent out a text message to everyone involved ordering us to stop talking to the bride about the party. Which made everyone involved really mad.

The best part is that the organizer bridesmaid will not be attending! She injured her foot recently and can't keep up with us. She's staying home. So she's insisting that we all go on a pub crawl she won't be attending herself. I took the time to contact the other ladies and discovered that independently, we had all suggested a Girls Night In at a house so that we could all be together and it was shot down each time....because (according to her) a house party with 6 ladies would be boring compared to a bar full of people.

I feel bad for the bride. Not only is her bachelorette filled with tension and drama, we all have to be in a room together this weekend for her bridal shower. I would like to take the lead and plan the house party that was mentioned as Plan B. I know the food and drinks can be fabulous and even though it's not a rowdy bar, drunk chicks on a sofa can still be memorable. Can you suggest a way to smooth this over with everyone so we can be drunk together without a catfight breaking out?

Diplomatic Bridesmaid

*****

You know what would SUPER BUM ME OUT if I were the bride? Going on a pub crawl bachelorette party while my bridesmaids "tag along" and "maybe have a few drinks here and there."

Fucking man up and tell Ms. Bossypants: "None of us want to go on a pub crawl. I'm throwing a party at my house instead."

SHE WON'T CLAW YOUR EYES OUT. I PROMISE. She might even gain a little respect for you.

Why do grown women have so much trouble standing up for themselves??

Vintage YSL via Amanda Halbrook via Mrs. Lilien

rainbow dream wedding

Check out Rin + Joe's Handmade Wedding post that just went up on etsy.

They're so fucking adorable you want to HATE THEM but you can't hate them because they're so fucking adorable.

Also: SNO CONES

Eric Ronald took the gorg photos, and there are tons more up on his blog here and here.

paper flowers, EFF YEAH

Francis & Francis, I like your style.

via Jennifer Hagler via Kate @ Wit + Delight

To romp or not to romp?

Yoyoyo ESB!
 

I have an unhealthy obsession with your blog. I just love it and all its greatness.
 


I'm getting married on Sept. 1st and I've already got this dress (the photo is shit, sorry).

BUT I just found this beaut (surprisingly @ UO).

Can I wear the dress to the ceremony and then party in the romper?? Or is a half time switch weird/tacky? What is the protocol here?

I would appreciate your straight-shootin advice if you've got the time.

Thank you!!

*****

That is a jumpsuit, not a romper.

And it is FUGLY.

So. Problem solved!!

more oxfords pour vous

Dieppa Restrepo Cali in Dark Grey + Laura in Rose Gold (which I like just as much as the Luca) 

Totokaelo and La Garconne have by far the best oxford collections. I have done you the favor of not posting any $700+ pairs, but BROWSE AWAY.

Wedding Fashion brought to you by Pinterest

Hi,

Can you help?

Proposed to in December...head in the sand til now...getting married 23rd June!

So far my plan is to wear Margaret Howell painter jeans, a shirt from Paul Smith either the Palm Tree print or the Broderie Anglaise shirt or this Heart Pocket Stripe shirt from Chinti & Parker.

Anyway, the problem I'm having is finding a pair of shoes that I've spotted on Pinterest.

Can you find them?

Much wishing from Leeds, UK

*****

Um. You rule.

And the shoes are Dieppa Restrepos from Totokaelo.

Here's hoping you're a 9 1/2.

Blog of the Week(ish): The Jealous Curator

A lady with very good manners once told me it's not good manners to say you're jealous of somebody.

But.

I am digging this blog, especially since I don't get to art galleries as often as I'd like.

Paintings by Michael Carson, selected by The Jealous Curator

via Joy Cho / Oh Joy! via Autumn Reeser

family woes

Dear ESB,

Where do I begin....I've been with my guy for 6 years now. Love him. We are a great team. His family on the other hand is getting more and more drama filled. I am an only child, so when it came time to pick people to stand up for my at our wedding I decided on 3 girls accordingly…him on the other hand has a step-sibling, half-sibling and full sibling. We took a month to think about our "wedding day" and who we envisioned standing up there with us before we asked everyone. He wanted his 3 friends...no brothers. He isn't close with his brothers, he is much closer with the guys he asked to stand up for him. I am down for that, whatever makes him happy is cool with me. 

Here is the kicker...we are 3 months away to the big day and his brothers are pissed. I don't understand why: a) they didn't say something way sooner and b) they assuming that because they all share the same last name they are entitled to be in the wedding? My man received a text from one of his brothers saying that I am controlling, and that he has zero say in the wedding (which could not be farther from the truth...I am pretty laid back with this whole wedding thing.) 

Instead of blowing up and ripping his brother a new one for that snide remark, I went for a run. I figured the brothers can work it out. It's hard enough on me that his step-mom isn't my biggest fan (for reasons unknown to me?!) She spreads all these nasty rumors about me, and then acts so dumb when I find out (hello...people talk...a lot...I will find out.) 

It's going to be awkward enough at our wedding because we have the mother of the groom, the father of the groom and the step mother of the groom (who from what we hear stole the father of the groom from the mother of the groom 22 years ago...it's messy as fuck.) Then we have my side of the family that is like My Big Fat Greek Wedding..but we are German. I hate the fact that I am going to look across the room and see two brothers who will be pissed at me, and potentially a step-mother-in law who doesn't like me either. 

Here is my question, was it wrong for us to not ask the brothers to be part of the wedding? Or are they acting entitled because of their last name? I mean, it's not like we have a golden ticket to the promise land and they can't come. 

Cheers,
Only-Child Bride 

*****

Fuck that shit.*

Don't negotiate with guilt-trippers.

Wouldn't you rather see two pissed/pissy brothers across the room than STANDING UP THERE, NEXT TO YOUR HUSBAND?

Love,
Only-Child Blogger

Anouck Lepere by Steven Pan for Interview Russia March 2012 via Fashion Gone Rogue
______________________________

*I could set up an auto-reply for every single Dear ESB that just read: "Fuck that shit." But it wouldn't be as much fun, would it?

Marc by Marc Jacobs IMPROVED BY CATS

Not sure exactly when I started turning into this crazy cat lady but whatevs.

You probably need to see the complete 12 Spring Ad Campaigns Improved by Cats

via fieldguided

faux feather leather wedding earrings?

Just an idea.

Shop: Love Sexton

speaking of spring....

We visited these Ancient Greek Sandals at Mohawk General yesterday.

They may, in fact, be perfect.

happy spring.

this morning i got up at 4:50am to take my best girl to the airport.

h and i were home by 6:20am, and we did NOT go back to bed. 

instead, i had a second cup of coffee and spent a whole hour with my script. not the new one i've been tearing my hair out outlining, but the old one i haven't touched in 6 months. i've got a rewrite due on april 11, and i've been avoiding it like the plague.

i actually accomplished something. as in: wrote a few lines of dialogue. thought up a few new scenes. 

AMAZEBALLS.

maybe i'm turning over a new leaf.

maybe i really can hold down a full-time job (for the next 9 weeks) and keep up the ol blog and turn in this damn rewrite on time and figure out how to promote my first LA screening.

HAPPY SPRING!

here's to new leaves.

Photo by Michael Graydon via Forty-Sixth at Grace

more of the usual

Dear East Side Bride,

I finally got up the balls and listened to you (and the other commenters) here. [Editor's Note: Pls command+click or ctrl+click or right click or middle click, or, you know, whatever works for you, TO OPEN LINK IN A NEW TAB]

Thanks to everyone. I think I was just insecure about feeling like I was being a bad guy. But I bad-guy-ed up and kicked her to the curb. (as nicely as I could, of course).

But now I have another problem: How the hell does one choose a wedding day of / month of planner??

We live about 4 hours from where we're having our wedding so it isn't feasible to meet ALL of them. 

Do we choose by who has the nicest website? Who is the fastest email responder? Who has the best price?

None of these factors ensure a good planner. 

Does it not REALLY matter how good they are because they're only "day-of" and as long as they're doing SOMETHING it's good enough? 

What are the sort of questions you ask to narrow down the field of planners other than "are you available?" and "what's your price?" ?

Thanks again,
The Lone Planner (now looking for a sidekick)

P.S. Can I just mention that I'm one of those crazy borderline OCD planning people that makes half a million ranked & prioritized To-Do lists complete with labelled diagrams of tablescapes so I MAY just end up going crazy on the day of and insisting I do most of the work anyways?

*****

please please please: hire whoever makes you feel the most calm.

just reading your email sort of makes me start to hyperventilate.

Image via Katie Rodgers via Jen Gotch via Hakanai (Does anyone know the original source?)

And now for something completely different

Hi there,

I'm a fairly new reader to your blog (few months) and I really enjoy it. I follow your pins on Pinterest. You've got great taste and opinions and I'm sure you've read this many times...to my point!

I'm a web developer and also a reader of many blogs, and it's in good practice to open new links in a new tab or window. Many other blogs and websites do this because technically, you don't want to take your audience away from your site. This also gives the reader the option to go check out that link later after they finish reading whatever it is that they are reading or, take a quick sidestep, go to it immediately then close it out if they are done, or leave it open to invest more time later.

I bring this up because I have closed out your blog tab MANY times, because I'm in the habit of links opening up in a new tab - most blogs I read do this. Lucky thing is, it's a very simple option for you to change in your settings. I'm more familiar with Wordpress, but I can research for the Blogger platform where that simple little option is at, if you need help. That is, if you want to. Please don't do it if you have a valid reason, or if you think I'm being a pushy/nosey person who reads your blog. I stopped myself from writing this email a few times cause I felt it was intrusive. I just really love it and want to improve the experience!

Hope you're not annoyed. I'll still read it even if the links take me away from your terrific content!

Best,
A Nosey Web Developer

*****

Dear Nosey Web Developer,

I'm not a fan of blogs/sites that open links in a new tab.

I much prefer to use command+click (that's Ctrl+click for you pc people) to manually open links that I WANT to open in a new tab. Otherwise I end up with five hundred thousand open tabs and I'm completely lost and pissed and I can't remember where I started anyway.

When you open a link in a new window, you're breaking the back button because the new tab will have no history. I love me my back button. (As do unskilled web users who know almost nothing about navigating the internet. Everybody knows how to use the back button.)

Just a little feedback for YOU from someone who spends her entire day on the blogs. And just so happens to be married to a web designer.

xoxo,
ESB

Kristina Salinovic by Tim Barber for Muse Spring 2012 via Fashion Gone Rogue

Dorothy Parker by Fernando Vicente Retratos

Marriage Intervention?!

Dear ESB,

My sister is engaged. While this should be a really happy time for her, it isn’t. All of her closest friends and some of our family have vocally declared that they do not approve of her fiancé. Actually, “do not approve” doesn’t do it justice – they think he’s a world-class asshole and that she has temporarily lost her mind for even considering marrying him.

However, our family has never witnessed anything from him that set off any red flags for me – he seems to love her enough to put up with mountains of bullshit, and she seems happier and more relaxed than I have ever seen her. Yet, her friends have labeled him “rude,” “abrasive” and “controlling,” but they can’t give any solid examples of things he’s done. It has gotten so bad that her life-long best friends have held an intervention to try to convince her not to marry this guy.

I am really confused, because he seems like a nice guy to me. He can be annoyingly obnoxious, but I haven’t sensed any real meanness. But the fact that her friends hate him so much has made the family start to second guess him too – we don’t know him well and hardly ever get to see the two of them together (they live abroad, so actually NONE of the people involved in this whole thing really know him at all, including her friends). But, then again, these girls have been her very best friends for almost 30 years!  If they are all raising hell about how terrible this guy is, it has to be for good reason, right?

So what are we (the family) to do? My gut reaction is that she is a grown woman, and she is going to marry who she wants. I think it is CRAZY for family or friends to try to interject themselves into this or to try to change her mind. And I honestly trust her judgment more than I trust her friends’ perception of her relationship. She has never been one to put up with crap before, so I just can’t imagine that she’d still be marrying this guy if he was as bad as her friends say he is.

Am I right?  Should we just support her in whatever choice she makes, or does the fact that her very best friends vehemently hate this man and think he is bad for her mean that there has to be a problem?

*****

Call up one of your sister's friends and ask her point-blank: "Is there something you know that I don't know?"

Unless this guy is abusing her, it's your job to be all YAY! and WEDDING! and IF YOU'RE HAPPY I'M HAPPY!

She's gonna marry who she wants to marry. If you express unwarranted disapproval now there's no way she'll confide in you if anything does go wrong.

Photo by Steven Klein for Interview

I HAVE YOUR GAY WEDDING ENSEMBLE

White Sandwashed Tuxedo Shirt + Ivory Band Shorts from Emerson Fry

Five MOTB dresses that don't suck

I pored over all your suggestions, and I decided to include nothing with a price tag over $800 (I MEAN). Also, nothing in champagne or blush.

Here are my faves...

(Badgley Mischka Portrait-Collar Peplum Dress, $440)

(Podolls Collins Dress, $440)

(DFW Maja Two Dress, $445)

At a comfier price point:

(Our old favorite J. Peterman French Film Star Travel Dress, $198)

And then there's this one:

(Badgley Mischka Asymmetric Drape Gown, $650)

Whose mom would not look good in this?

FLOWERS ARE MANLY, DAMMIT

Darling dearest ESB.

My man (a once-flower farmer, which is kinda hot, right?) wants a floral wedding band. This comes with two primary problems: 1. He is embarrassed to tell a salesperson that he wants a "girly" ring, and 2. His options are, well, girly. We've tried to think of synonyms for floral (think "filigree" and "viney"), but to no avail.

Interweb searches have generated some promising results, but the dude is picky (obvs--he chose me) and wants to (understandably) hold the ring in his hands/try it on before he buys. He's not really into the whole roughly hewn organic thing, and wants a more traditional-looking ring...with flowers. Oh, and we're ideally looking for something < $300...of course.

Does anything cheap/classy/manly/floral come to mind? Or can you at least think of better buzz words for a salesperson?

Thanks!
Flower Power

*****

He's shy AND picky AND cheap AND he refuses to use the internetz???

THAT'S WHAT THE INTERNETZ ARE FOR.




p.s. I found that shit on etsy. You're welcome.