When Your ‘Something Blue’ Is Your Bridesmaids’

Michelle Hoover
July 2, 2016
Categories: Casual, Real Weddings
Tags: Casual Elegance, Outdoor Ceremony, Real Wedding, Romantic Wedding

Looking to incorporate a few wedding traditions in a super stylish way? Why not take cue from Mary Corder and Josh’s Big Day have your Bridesmaids’ be your ‘something blue’? Complete with Alyssa Joy Photography behind the lens this is one celebration that you’re sure to love. See it all for yourself in The Vault!

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From Alyssa Joy Photography… There is so much to be learned from Mary Corder and Josh and the way they planned their big day. They thought through each and every detail and tradition to make the event most personal to them. The couple has one sibling each, so instead of a big bridal party, they knew they wanted only their siblings at the front, as the maid of honor and best man. To honor her girlfriends, Mary Corder invited her would-be bridesmaids to instead be her Something Blues. The “blues” got to wear any blue dress of their choice, spend time in the bridal loft on wedding day, and sit in reserved seating at the ceremony. This unique spin on the traditional wedding party is just one example of why this wedding was such a personalized day. Mary Corder and Josh were both so grateful for each of their wedding vendors and really chose people who not only were very talented but that they also really “clicked” with. From the very beginning of the wedding planning process, I felt so appreciated as their photographer but also felt like a friend! This connection really made the wedding day itself so wonderful, and I believe it really shows in their photographs.

From the Bride… We didn’t meet in a coffee shop or take a class together in college. We didn’t grow up together or meet through mutual friends. We met on the apparently not-so-silly dating app Tinder, and while I never thought that would be my story, I love to share it because it led me to Josh.

After a marathon of a first date – nearly 7 hours long, best friends and even a sibling (!) included – we promised each other we’d skip the games. We promised to be real and honest and not to wait 8 minutes to respond to text messages just for the sake of waiting.

Fast forward 13 months and Josh was on his knee in my parents’ home, shaking wildly and forgetting the majority of his proposal spiel. (Lucky for him, only one line really matters after all!)

It didn’t take us long to find the venue of our wildest dreams, and then I headed to New York with my mom and sister to find the dress. I had scheduled several appointments and only ended up going to one. I fell in love with Sarah Seven’s Lafayette gown in her flagship shop on Lafayette Street, and then Sarah herself showed up to my appointment. Needless to say, the dress felt totally meant to be.

Our wedding day was truly magical. Josh challenged me early on to really think through the checklist of wedding to do’s and traditions and opt only for the ones that felt personal to us. Our vision was for an intimate and incredibly personalized day, including handwritten vows, a guest list of under 100, a team of vendors who felt more like friends, and breaks in our wedding day timeline for us to just be together and soak it all in. (Perks of having your ceremony and reception in the same place, which we highly recommend when possible!)

I credit our florist, Rosemary and Finch, to making our day beautiful. Mary Love and I met for coffee when I was beginning the vendor hunt, and we immediately clicked. I just knew I had to work with her! I decided very early that I wanted our wedding florals to be wild, white and cream, with plenty of greenery. (What can I say – I just love neutrals!) Mary Love took my vision and ran with it in the most extraordinary way. One of my favorite moments of my wedding day was seeing my bouquet for the first time. I’ll never forget it.

My biggest piece of advice for couples would be to set time aside on the wedding day to be together, breathe, and take it all in. Our planner, Kasey, advised us to take a break from the hustle and bustle to eat together in the bridal loft alone after the ceremony while our guests enjoyed the cocktail hour. I’m so grateful for those first moments as husband and wife, and that I got to spend them with Josh and not buzzing around trying to greet guests or pose for photos.

Bottom line: your wedding should be about you and your spouse. Skip the traditions that don’t give you the feels, choose vendors you genuinely like having around, and take time to sit back and take it all in. Too often weddings are planned for the guests when really, it should be about you.