#335: spicing it up.

via jcrew

i shared wedding dress pics i've saved up over the past year with my itty bitty cousins who are 18 and 19 years old. when they saw a dress like the one pictured above, their (rather strong) reaction was what i'd describe as a mix of disgust and horror.

"nooooooo! it's wayyyy too casual! you could make your bridesmaids wear something like this in a different color! but not you! you need something GLAMOROUS! don't do it! pleeeease!..." etc.

oh reeeeally. what do YOU know about wedding dresses, you itty bitties?!

but i could see their point. personally, i don't NEED an over-the-top wedding dress (besides, if the venue we want works out, it'll be an outdoor event and warrant a somewhat casual vibe)...but i definitely WANT to bowl over the future hubs in whatever i walk down the aisle in. (side note: not to say he won't be bowled over by the mere fact that i'm walking down the aisle to become his wife for forever and ever and everrrr...ahhhhh!) and i think the itty bitties were trying to say the same thing...in a tactless way (gotta give it to family and youth for keeping it real - and i heart them for it).

and it got me thinking.

what could i do to successfully walk that fine line between casual and STUNNING?

and here's what i came up with. so if i were to use the jcrew dress as a template...

1) PHATTY brooch at the middle/bottom part of the V neckline
2) french veil
3) have a seamstress add a small train to the back
4) tennis bracelet

what would you add, if anything?

update: came across an appropriate post on weddingbee.com which featured this dreamy accessory.