Sexy bridesmaid dresses for under $100?

Haute Cocoa, my bargain-loving alter ego is baaaack.  And look what she found!  This stunning BCBG dress has a flattering empire waist and a gorgeous beaded tulle skirt, and comes in a charming blush color called "corozo."  It's a little sweet, a little saucy, very stylish, and at under $100, very affordable.

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Unfortunately, this dress doesn't quite fit with our color scheme.  Sigh.  But hopefully this will work for other brides still looking for a fun dress for their bridesmaids.  Right now on Ebay, there are fourteen of these dresses, new with tags, in sizes 6, 8, 10, and 12.   Scoop them up now!  But let's not start a bidding war and drive these sweet bargains up over $100.  ;-)

For those of you with ladies sized 10, 12, and 14, here's another elegant dress, on sale for $87 at Nordstrom:

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Love it!  But I need a few other sizes.  So no go on this one either.  Or this one for $98:

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By the way, there are a ton of other off-the-rack bridesmaid dress options available online on the Nordstrom sale.  Definitely worth checking out!

My search for stylish and affordable dresses for the six beautiful ladies in my bridal party continues.  Three Ebay stores I'll be keeping my eye on are JT & Company, Teresa Hilton, and Wisteria Han. They seem to carry a lot NWT BCBG and ABS dresses in a variety of sizes. Fingers crossed that a chic bargain will pop up!

Will your bridesmaids be wearing off-the-rack dresses?

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A "Change" for FSIL Hot Cocoa!

August 28, 2008 was an awesome day.  It was a propitious date on the Chinese calendar (the word "eight" in Chinese is a homophone for prosperity and "two" is a homophone for easy, so 8/28/08 = prosperity, easy prosperity, more prosperity). It was the day of Barack Obama's historic acceptance speech.  And it also happened to be a very special day in the Hot Cocoa family.  That night, after a viewing of the Obama speech in downtown Philly, future sister-in-law Hot Cocoa's wonderful boyfriend proposed!  She said yes, and there was much rejoicing around the country (fireworks in Denver!).

Check out FSIL Hot Cocoa's unique and beautiful e-ring.  She designed it with the help of New York jewelry designer Sarah Perlis, who handmade the ring from 22k gold and adorned it with a pink sapphire center stone and ethically sourced diamond sidestones.  Since some of you out there might be looking for alternatives to the traditional diamond e-ring, I thought I'd deliver some eco-friendly bling for your viewing enjoyment.

[Triple Diamond Ring]

FSIL Hot Cocoa is the most compassionate, empathetic person I know. She feels about trees how I feel about discounted Louboutins (whew -- is it getting hot in here? I'm getting flushed . . . ). This is a woman who used to save insects from drowning in the family jacuzzi, who fostered chimpanzees in Africa, and who now is pursuing her Ph.D. in psychology so that she can understand and treat social anxiety disorder . . . in humans and animals.  For realz.  What I'm trying to say is that she's an awesome human being.  (Am I marrying the wrong sibling here?!  LOL.)  

[Three Bezel Ring]

So when it came to her ring, she really wanted to find something that would reflect her values and personality. After searching various sites for eco-conscious jewelry, including the useful Greenkarat and Brilliant Earth (from which Mr. HC and I got my e-ring), she happened on Perlis's designs, which are fashioned from eco-friendly materials. According to Perlis's site, her collection "incorporates 22k recycled gold and alluvial responsibly mined diamonds, which are panned, not mined."  The company that sources the rough uncut stones reinvests part of its profits back into the community and uses unionized workforces that pay a living wage.

[Leaf Earrings]

Perlis's pieces are subtle, organic, unique, and affordable.  Oh, she also offers other kinds of jewelry, including the hammered initial necklace below, perfect as a gift for your bridal party (or, who am I kidding, myself).

[Initial Necklace]

What do you think of these non-traditional e-rings?  Did you have a difficult time finding a ring that matched your personality or values?  Do those leaf earrings make you want to go out and hug a tree?

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The Unexpected Sparks

No Hollywood set designer could have assembled a more perfect scene: A ceremony on a hill overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge.  The sun as bright and cheery as the eponymous flowers decorating the chuppah. A breeze gently rustling the bride's heirloom veil as she walks down the aisle toward a beaming groom.

My stunning and stunningly accomplished college roommate K married her adorable husband R this weekend.  The wedding was fun, joyful, full of love, and -- as can only be expected of a couple as together as K and R -- meticulously organized.  The highlight of the wedding, however, was the one moment that was unplanned and unexpected.  Their deejay completely flubbed the music for their first dance, cycling in panic through one song after another on his ipod, only to get it wrong each time.  After about the fourth try, one of the bridesmaids led the crowd in the only song she thought we'd all know, "Stand by Me."  The couple retook the floor, and with laughter and grace, danced to the familiar and happy voices of those who love them most.

"Our brightest blazes are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks," wrote Samuel Johnson. This is certainly true of this couple, who met in a hurricane and danced their first dance to an impromptu and slightly off-key chorus comprised of those who love them.  K and R, may your marriage continue to be full of unexpected sparks!

Thanks for reminding us that the success of a wedding (and a marriage) is not gauged by what goes according to plan, but how we handle that which is unplanned.

Did anything unexpected and memorable happen at your wedding (or a wedding you recently attended)?  How did the bride and groom handle the situation?

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