wedding belles...

This past summer, I was very honored when one of my nearest and dearest friends in the whole wide world asked me to not only be a bridesmaid in her upcoming wedding but also make jewelry for the bridesmaids.  Emily is the sort of friend everybody should have...she's the coolest girl you'll ever meet, quite possibly the smartest, and without a doubt the most fun.  She is the best kind of friend...one of those rare people with whom you can always be yourself and pick up right where you left off the last time you saw each other.  I am so flattered that she has kept me as a friend despite the distance between Birmingham, Alabama and New York City. (And I have learned over the past eleven years that sometimes that distance is enough to make even a great friendship fade.)

As I mentioned before, Emily is just a cool chica, so it is inevitable that she would plan a cool wedding shindig.  Case in point: she wanted each bridesmaid to feel as comfortable as possible on the big day.  None of that typical fussy wedding stuff for this bride...we got to choose our dresses; wear the shoes of our choice; and even pick our own hair-do's.  No wedding nazi with a side of bridezilla here.  Just fun and friends and love.  Like I said: one cool chica. 

Since the bride had decided to let each of us customize our bridesmaid dresses, I decided to customize the bridesmaid jewelry as well.  Seven pairs of custom earrings were made for the bridesmaids, plus one more pair for the bride. 

The earrings, all related but each one a unique design, were made from rose quartz, freshwater pearls, agate and crystals, making the perfect complement to the second half of the gift, a stack of pearl bracelets.   

A mix of freshwater pearls with pink and peach agate created the perfect complement to the barely there pinks and mix of whites in the bridesmaids' bouquets.  Sterling silver and gold vermeil accents in the jewelry mirrored the metallic touches found throughout the wedding reception, and flax colored linen made rustic yet sophisticated pouches for gifting the jewelry.  Left over linen was torn into strips and the bracelets were bundled with a simple bow for safe keeping until we walked down the aisle.    

Linen pouches
Freshwater pearl bracelet sets
22kt gold plated earrings

And one cool wedding shindig it was.  Everyone ate, drank, danced and laughed the night away.  I think it is safe to speak on every guest's behalf and say it was the best time.  I mean, how can you not have fun with seven different flavors of wedding cake?!  (Not kidding.)  But more importantly, we all knew we were in the presence of the real deal.  It was in every way a happily ever after in the making.
Congratulations to one of the best girls I could ever know!  I couldn't be happier for you guys.  Thanks so much for including me in your big beautiful day.  I love you so much!!!

xo...
ki