As I've previously mentioned, special occasions are cause for a new outfit, and being sister-of-the-groom is a pretty darn good excuse!

But that doesn't mean it's easy!

It took me for-ever to find the right dress.

Dresses on the market have too much white, are black, are too casual, or are too expensive to wear to a wedding. I also set some personal perimeters, such as no navy since I have an ample supply of navy in my closet, or making sure a red was different enough of a red from the bridesmaids dresses.

I wanted something fresh to add to my supply.

Daddy's little girl!

I can't tell you how many dresses and different stores I looked at for dresses, easily 50 dresses from a handful of stores. And my poor friends getting double-digit text messages with pictures asking opinions.

With a week left until the wedding, I found the winning dress with the final "yea" vote from my mom.

It's classic, it's simple, and still makes a statement.

I went big and paired the red dress with a bold red lip, one that was highly complimented from the officiant of the ceremony, aka my (brother's good) friend Nick. I believe the words he used was "your lipstick is on point." (see comment below for proof)

I am obsessed with the scalloped neckline. It's such a classic and feminine touch that's popping up more and more in current fashions. My sister told me it looked really good on me because of where it hit on my shoulders/collar bones. I have to say, I agree.

The dress is made of Polyester so it's a bit thicker and heavier than I expected, but still very comfortable to wear and breathable!

I love love LOVE the fit of the dress from the waist up. I like fit of the bottom half. Something about the way the bottom half flairs can make my hips look disproportionately larger? Meh, oh well.

It was juuuust bright enough to not be the same color of a bridesmaid dress *phew!* but at the same time it kind of worked because I said a few words during the ceremony.

Most importantly, the dress was excellent to dance in! Since it was heavier than cotton, I didn't worry (as much) about it any accidental wind blow or spin on the dance floor and my skirt flying up.

Since my shoes were previously unworn, they weren't the best option to dance all night in... I still have the red marks from where the blisters were. Wedges are the best shoes to wear when planning to dance. My feet only hurt once I stopped, which is usually what happens. Completely worth it, though.

Speaking of the dance floor, my niece absolutely tore. it. up. Seriously, she and I were the first ones on the dance floor (mostly to keep her occupied before we ate) and by the time others joined in, there was a dance circle surrounding her and "grown" men mimicking a 2-year-olds dance moves.


I was the lucky lady and caught the bouquet! So fingers crossed that means I'll find my husband in London? I did have a dream the other night I was married with a gorgeous 3karat ring while still in school, and, with the exception of my brother, my family has a quick history of dating-marrying..! ha! ;)

Funny story, my brother's friend (pictured with the beard) caught the garter. The photographer told my brother, "we can do the thing where he puts the garter on her." To which my brother replies immediately with, "NO. That is my little sister. NO." Ha! So we opted for this picture instead.

Of course, I have to mention the wedding dress!!!

It was absolutely gorgeous! Even more so in person, which allows you to see all of the embellishments on the dress. With Cynthia being so petite, she could very easily have been swallowed by a big puffy dress, but her dress was perfect for her.