This is my first edition of our wedding ring selection saga.

In a former post I talked about some surface things as they pertain to wedding rings. Now Lilac Dude and I are looking more seriously at our rings and our budget.

From the BridalBuds Gallery

So first we started with where we wanted to purchase them, not the store, but did we want to get them locally or on our next vacation in October? We haven’t yet decided that but we will check out stores close to us first.

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I spent less than $17 (before tax) on my wedding jewelry.  I knew I didn’t want to spend a ton and set out on an afternoon at the mall with a friend.  After a fabulous lunch at California Pizza Kitchen we purchased a pair of earrings and a necklace at two stores.

Photo taken by Amy Sandoval Photography

My earrings were purchased at Ny & Co for around $3.50.  They were buy one get one 50% off at the time.  I also purchased a fabulous black neclace I had been eyeing and so was able to get the earrings for a steal.

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I was killing some time before meeting a friend for coffee so I decided to walk the mall. It was rather close to the end of prom season (I think there were only 2 local schools that hadn’t held prom yet).

I noticed tons of tiaras, decorative combs, headbands, a other hair accessories on sale at several stores.

This headband is from Etsy seller Allofyou, but is similar to what I saw

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Looking for “something blue” to complete your wedding day look?  Need a gift for your beautiful bridesmaids?  Have I got some treasures for you!

Roundabout Earrings by Bontia Jewelery

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Sometimes I feel like I bit off more than I can chew when I decided to be a DIY bride. Other times I get extremely excited to make so many things myself and put myself into the wedding.

From 100layercake.com

Here’s my tentative list of DIY wedding projects:

1. My veil – this is for sure because it’s 60% finished

2. Bridesmaid jewelry- I was very close to scrapping this and then I was inspired by Moon Bud’s DIY pearl stringing post here

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Since planning my beach wedding, I’ve become infatuated with pearls! I always thought pearls were way out of my budget, but after some heavy research I’ve found a way to satisfy my “caviar” taste on my “tuna” budget. I put myself on a mission to get at least one set of nice pearls without breaking the bank. My findings have since afforded me with four sets, and I LOVE them!

My Pearls!

A great way to get anything cheap is to go directly to the source, right? So, after some research, I found a reliable e-bay seller that sells pearls directly from overseas at a very reasonable price tag.  For $10-$30 you can buy better quality pearls than those strung on necklaces retailing over $100, very nice discounts. Not only cheaper, but actually better quality, too! The “catch” is that they typically sell them “unstrung”, so today’s post is a DIY for how to string your own pearls. It may seem overwhelming or intimidating at first, but it really isn’t as bad as it sounds. There are only a few things you need before you start:

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So continues my procrastination… I have moved on to the final accessory for my wedding day.  So far, I have the six inch white flower hair pin, small pearl drop earrings and some killer turquoise Manolo Blahniks that I found for 75% off (I won’t tell you how much they ended up being, but let’s just say I got away with highway robbery at the Barney’s outlet)! I have opted out of wearing a necklace as there will already be so much going on up top with the flower and such.  For some reason, I am just drawn to a statement piece of jewelry (I originally wanted to go with a chunky turquoise necklace, as that is one of our colors).

My Shoes! (sorry for the terrible photography)

I have decided that maybe the best way to go about that is through a cuff or bracelet.  I have come up with some ideas, and would love your thoughts on which direction I should take.

Below are some of my favorites.

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I brought a daughter into our relationship and my fiance has 100% stepped up the plate to become her father.  Her own father is about 99% absent from her life, so it has been a blessing to both my daughter and I.  My fiance and I wanted to present her with a piece of jewelry at our wedding to symbolize our new family.  I searched for weeks before I finally decided on this beauty from Lisa Leonard Designs - The Heartstrings Necklace.  I ordered it with each of our three names, our daughter’s name in the middle – and requested our wedding date be placed on the back.  It takes 2-3 weeks to create and ship and I am dying to see it in person.  I am afraid I will want one just like it for myself.

This is the beauty we ordered...pic taken from the website - Lisa Leonard Designs

This will be difficult without seeing my dress…but, unfortunately, I can’t post it. My fiancé follows all of my blogs. Yea, it is sweet of him but not when I want to show you the dress!

Anyway, think: Retro Glam. Marilyn Monroe, Rat Pack, etc. There is some jeweled detail on the dress… I am looking for a large cuff bracelet or several bangle bracelets in a jeweled pattern of squares, rectangles, triangles, ovals, you name it.  For my earrings, same jewels but a drop earring, nothing round or hoop-ish.

This is my jewelry inspiration from Haute Bride:

What fabulous jewelry ideas have you found?