Wednesday 28 November 2018

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?"








29 comments:

  1. This looks like such a fun time and your family looks so pretty! How fun to get dressed up with your girls. I had to laugh because we have a wedding coming up next weekend and I am already prepared for probably needing a day of a rest after it lol. I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Sierra~Beautifully Candid

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    1. thanks so much Sierra. I do love having girls who every once in a while want to play a little dress-up with me. Enjoy the wedding and maybe I'll read all about it on your blog. Thanks for stopping by.

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  2. Your little ones are just adorable. I can see where they get their style sense from and love you all had similar hairstyles!

    http://www.mylittlenest.org

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    1. Thanks. It's nice to have them enjoy the dress-up process with me, though it happens rarely now that they are older. :) You know, their own style and all.

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  3. You look a really happy family. A wedding is great occasion to do something together isn't it.

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    1. Thanke Anna. We do enjoy spending time together and it was nice for the girls and I to enjoy this girly moment together.

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  4. Wow, such a gorgeous family! You all look stunning, and like you're having so much fun. And I totally agree with everything you mentioned. You are SO spot on!!

    Shauna

    www.lipglossandlace.net

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    1. Thank you so much. It's funny how we just gradually change and don't notice it necessarily until we sit down to do something like this, write a blog or in a journal, etc.

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  5. That's so cool that you and your girls had the side ponytail hairstyle! I love the curls in yours though I am a fan of braids. I got married in my 30s so I can agree with what you said about it except for the kiddos. We had our wedding an adults only event but I have been to weddings were the kids are allowed and you get it. Love all these fun photos, it makes me want to go to a wedding! Happy Thursday!

    Maureen | www.littlemisscasual.com

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    1. We had no kiddos at our wedding either, but mostly because we got married at 21 so no one had kids yet, Hahaha. In some ways it's nice to just have adult only nights, but we did have a great time with our girls. It gets easier the older they get. Hope you are having a great week. I can't wait to read about your blogging conference.

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  6. It looks like such a fun wedding and it's so cute seing you all with the side ponytail! Your dress was a great steal and looks lovely on you :)

    Hope that you are having a great week so far! It's been hot and dusty here, so very summery! Thankfully the crazy winds have died down :)

    Away From The Blue Blog | Handbag Gift Guide

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    1. Thank you. I sure did have fun dresing up with the girls.

      Winds are the worst. we get crazy winds here too and I hate it. In the summer it blows the dust around and in the winter it makes it frigid beyond belief. Anyway, hope you have a great weekend too.

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  7. I am loving your sparkly dress, it is a perfect piece for a holiday wedding!


    I hope you are having a great week so far!

    Amber

    https://www.avecamber.com
    https://www.bloglovin.com/avecamber

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    1. Thanks Amber. We all need just a little sparkle in our life here and there.

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  8. Bo, what a fun wedding recap! You are so right about the difference between attending weddings in our 20’s compared to later in life! That gave me a good chuckle. And your dress is spectacular! I can see why you fell in love with it at first sight. Your girls look so beautiful, too! Thanks for sharing your family fun with us.

    Shelbee
    www.shelbeeontheedge.com

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    1. Shelbee, I totally was chuckling when I was writing it. It's funny how ideas and our perception of a "perfect" night out changes with time. The one thing that's always been constant is having good firends and family around. I am finally getting a little downtime to hop over to the other blogs. Can't wait to see what you came up with!

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  9. What a fun wedding! I love the dress you're wearing and your littles are just so cute!

    http://www.mylittlenest.org

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    1. Thanks Ruth. As the girls have gotten older I have little/no control over the clothes they choose, so it's nice to have them play along once in a while.

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  10. You and your girls all look beautiful! I love your hair like that! It looks like a beautiful wedding!

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    1. Thanks Laura. We had a wonderful time as a family and what better way to spend an evening out then celebrating friends in love.

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  11. You look stunning in this dress and for 50% off that is a real deal :). I am sorry to hear about your girl surgery and I hope she is doing better now. I love your dress and your girl dresses. Looking fabulous.
    www.chez-rama.com

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    1. Thank you so much. We are finally getting back to normal and she has slept through the night and gone without pain medication for 2 nights!!! Let the holiday season fun finally begin.

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  12. What a gorgeous dress!!
    XOXO
    Jodie
    www.jtouchofstyle.com

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  13. Such a cool wedding outfit. Wedding outfits present a unique conundrum for women today. Such a special occasion calls for a particularly special outfit, often taking months to plan and perfect.

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    1. So true Helene. You also can spend so much on an outfit that you will likely never wear again. I do love feeling dazzled up once in a while though so I take the opportunity when it presents itself. Thanks for stopping by.

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  14. I am so glad you have joined some of my fun holiday collaborations this year, in particular this one. Cause I love weddings and getting to see what people wear to weddings. You and your girls looked gorgeous in your dresses and side ponytails. Your look was actually one of my favorites, too. And your young one is rocking the poses in that cute red dress. Sounds like it was a great wedding!

    P.S. Hope your daughter is better after the tonsils surgery. I had mine removed a week before I turned 3. My niece had hers removed last week and she is 6.


    Welcome by Thursdays to join my linkup, babe. Hope to do more collabs with you soon too! Thank you for being a part of this one!! =))

    Happy Holidays! Ada. =)

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  15. Looks like a fun wedding! You look gorgeous and I love your hair! Your girls are beautiful!

    Jill - Doused in Pink

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  16. dressing up in costumes is a great tradition and boils down to having a whole lot of fun!

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  17. A fancy dress is always the delight of every person who always wants to appear neat all the time

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