Adventure To Affordable Bridesmaid Dresses | Wedding Tips | For the Bride

When I got married I was coming right out of college with little money and a piece of paper proving I survived the last four years. When I started hunting for bridesmaids dresses I knew what I wanted but I just had to find it for an affordable price,knowing that my lovely ladies where just as poor as me. I knew I didn't want my bridesmaids to pay for a dress I wouldn't spend my money on, so I looked for sites to help stay within my budget and theirs.

These are some of the sites I would suggest to take a look at that are budget friendly for everyone but not giving up on looking amazing!
6pm.com
The first time I was ever a bridesmaid was for my friend's Michigan wedding. She found cute Jessica Simpson teal dress for under $ 40 dollars for each dress. They have all kinds of dresses to choose from , from all different high end designers. I have used it several times for shoes as well ( I purchased my wedding shoes from Betsy Johnson's something blue collection). Pros: budget friendly, great customer service, variety, designer Cons: limited number, constantly changing products.
Etsy.com
With etsy you can find some truly beautiful pieces that can make details on your bridesmaids dress that you won't find in retail stores. This gives a more homemade feel where you can ask for exactly how you pictures it without giving up in small ways.
Pros: custom made, variety, unique details Cons: false advertising (check the reviews before purchasing)
Renttherunway.com
One of the issues with bridesmaids dresses is asking yourself when will i every wear this again;with your dress being a renting option, you dont have to worry about making extra closet space! The site rents beautiful designer dresses affordable to the public and the dresses have a red carpet feel. When looking at the reviews you can see photo reviews that allows you to see how the dress fits real people, not just the model in the photo. One of the more glamorous of the few , the renttherunway.com also gives you a free extra size just in case. This site will also have you looking for your dress for your engagement photos! 
Pros: high-end dresses, Renting, free shipping for return, stylist option Cons: Price little higher for just renting.

These sights are worth checking out to help out your bridesmaids save while still looking fabulous on the wedding day!

Birthday Adventure | Day Trip to St. Cloud | Personal

24 years old never looked so good on me. We both got the day off from our full time jobs and we decided to have a day adventure. There is this little restaurant down the street that never seems to be open at convenient times called T&T Galla. Although an odd name for such a little dinner , even more unexpected was the nautical theme throughout the tiny space and menu. Over all being our first time I would give it a 8 out of 10. Food was good, service was fast and the servers were friendly. 

After breakfast we packed our lunch boxes, made a free coffee run at the new quick trip downon concord , and we were on our way to a day of exploration and adventure. And as you knowa birthday adventure is one of the best kind of adventures.

Something that my father ingrained into me growing up was the art of window shopping. My family would take advantage of having the Mall of America close by and go store to store admiring and feeling but rarely would we ever purchase.  Now when shopping with Marcus we go through the same routine as mychildhood.  Many of the trips we have made together even when dating we will always stop at antique shops. I love looking and dreaming with all the random old stuff we find in these shops . This trip we found a two story antique shop, upon entering we were greeted by a large poodle who gave us a sniff of approval and moved on waddling through the store. Looking through everything between 50s style wedding dresses to old mickey mouse penny bank to Nascar toys in would call it a good time! I secretly hope to one day find something unique and purchase it then find out later it is actually worth millions , but until that day we will keep exploring.

After we had antiqued out we roamed the streets of downtown st. Cloud and continued to explore other shops, some smelled amazing from their holiday candles and others we were half expecting to go mysteriously missing in the back of the store. I told Marcus to have the search parties at the ready.

When they day was all shopped out we made our way to a steak spot for my birthday meal! We both got a delicious steak and reminisced over the days adventure. The drive home it was down pouring the entire time, but Marcus handled it like a pro.

I loved having a whole day just me and him exploring a random city in Minnesota.

Overall the beginning of year 24 has started off on a good foot.

Como Conservatory Portrait Photography | Shattuck

Saturday could not have been a more perfect day; Como Conservatory hummed with activity do to the beautiful sunshine and the celebration of its 100 year anniversary.  Even though it was a little busy, the Shattuck clan did a great job of enjoying the time we were able to shoot in Como's gardens. Having four girl to photograph is easy when they have smiles that literally light up the room. They were such a joy to shoot and looking back while editing still makes me smile with all the giggles that where shared between loved ones.