Fancy Dresses, Side Ponytails & Weddings In Your 30's & Link-Up

Hi everyone.  I am joining the sweet Ada from Elegance and Mommyhood again this week for a winter wedding look.  I was actually hoping to re-shoot this little dress but it just didn't happen with work being crazy, winter days being super cold and then my little one had tonsil surgery, so it just wasn't going to happen.  So instead I am re-posting this post form a wedding we attended while it was still winter here in good old Saskatchewan, and spring everywhere else.  Scroll down to see all the other great looks!

 

Last April we were honored to celebrate the union of my husbands longtime friend Chris and his beautiful wife Jill.  Chris and my husband Logan grew up together and he was the last of the three amigos to tie the knot.  We have enjoyed getting to know the lovely Jill over the past couple of years. She is intelligent, kind, hard working, independent, beautiful on the inside and out, and most importantly she makes Chris happy.  My hubby was extremely honored to stand by Chris' side on his special day. 

 

Being girls we took the opportunity to get gorgeous together.  We didn't plan on in but we all ended up rocking a version of the side ponytail and matching pretty well.  The girls were able to re-use their dresses from the holidays and I spoiled myself with a new addition which I fell in love with upon first glance.  I saw the dress at a local department store two months prior to the wedding, and then waited to see if it would go on sale, and scored it at 50% off !  Sometimes the wait is just worth it.  My oldest snapped a few pictures for me and then we selfied it and kind of had a blast doing it.  It was a really nice occasion to share with just the girls and we all felt pretty in our attire. 

The best man got me thinking about the differences of going to a wedding in your early 20's to  celebrating in your mid-30's.  This is what I came up with. 

 

1.  Weddings tend to be much fancier.  When Logan and I tied the knot at 21, we paid fully for our big day and we were minimalists, plus we only had 5 months to plan the big event.  NO I WAS NOT KNOCKED UP. 

2.  Kids!!!!  Seriously they are everywhere!  Hahaha.  You eat last because you serve the kids first.  You go to the bathroom twice as much because of kids.  Your conversation is interrupted constintly because someone is talking, crying, whinning, or has spilled food on you or themselves.  If you have little kids you are at the mercy of their schedule.  We are thankful in the stage of our lives where are kids not longer have strick shedules, bedtimes, eating routines.  We are also over being the "perfect" parents, so they basically just run wild and we take the title of "irresponsible" parents willingly.  But in all honesty,  it warms my heart to see all my friends, their little ones and our little ones creaking  their own bonds and friendships with one another.  A new generation of friends. 

3.  Dancing all night is a full on aerobic exercise routine.  Yep,  in your 30s dancing all night equals a checkmark for working out  because lets face it you have to squeeze it in somewhere and it won't be tomorrow.  Tomorrow is a rest day, trust me.   Remember dancing all night at the bar and then working out the next day? 

   (FYI, I love dancing and I shut the party down still wearing my heels) 

4.  Paying for it!  This brings me to my next point, you no longer can function the next day if you went hard the night before.  Depending how hard you went, you may be a lost cause for a couple of days, resorting to the only parenting techinique left, allowing your children to be babysat by the Disney channel or some  other form of crappy entertainment and snack food for beakfast, lunch & supper.  The good news, your kids will think they hit the JACKPOT and they will love you more than ever.

5.  You buy real gifts.  Now that you have a real job, you need to man up and actually buy a proper gift, or in our case give $$$.  People getting married in their 30's  likely have enough crap and would like to upgrade their crap or help pay for the wedding/honeymoon. 

All in all we had an absolute blast at the wedding surrounded by friends we've had for years.  In the craziness of life, I am so thankful to still have these people always in my corner.    Not much in life can be better than that. 

Check out all the other ladies and link-up below!

BOJANA Bo's Bodacious Blog "Join me over at Bos Bodacious Blog for a lighthearted look at what weddings in your later 30's and with kids in toe  look like.  "

AMBER Avec Amber "The holidays are a magical time of the year, bringing families and friends together to celebrate the season. Holiday weddings also hold their own magic, and are a perfect time to wear richer colors like burgundy, emerald, and navy as well as richer fabrics like velvet or brocade!"

SHELBEE Shelbee on the Edge "For my Holiday Wedding outfit, I chose a simple black and white tweed dress but added tall burgundy velvet boots for a holiday feel.  Some pearls, a flower headband, bow gloves, and a furry clutch complete this wintery wedding look. I am comfortable and on trend all at once!"

ADA Elegance and Mommyhood "I actually went to a wedding this November and wore an adorable lace emerald dress but then when I saw Jennie's and Monica's Outfits I decided to show another dressy, fancy outfit that would be perfect for a Holiday Wedding. I mixed an A-Line Leather Midi Skirt with a Pretty Red Top with a touch of black lace. Added some sparkle via my glittery shoes and gold sequined mini clutch and voila!"

JENNIE A Pocketful of Polka Dots ""I selected an evergreen velvet swing dress styled with a burnout velvet kimono to wear to a Holiday wedding. The addition of a tassel necklace and criss-cross tights add festive touches, while velvet block heel shoes insure I will be able to dance the night away in comfort."

LAURA I Do deClaire "The holidays are a magical time of year that friends and family come together to celebrate so I can see the allure of getting married during this time. It can be a a fun opportunity to add some festive touches to your outfit, too! I played up the burgundy in my skirt with the lace top and accessories as a nod to traditional holiday colors!"

MONICA Jersey Girl, Texan Heart "I've been wearing a lot of black lately, especially to weddings.  I would have worn black to all of the weddings I went to this year, but the one that I was in required a certain type of dress and color.  I don't know why but I feel like black is just so classy, and it can be gloomy to some people, but if you dress it up right you're good to go!  I mean, at least I have fun colored shoes on right?"

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