DIY wardrobe styling: shopping in my closet

This week, my wedding-related task has been to reach out to our photographers to pick an engagement shoot date. This is yet another huge reality-check moment since it must finally be Springtime 2010: nearly just 5 months til go-time! 


I'm in excited disbelief that it's our turn to pretty ourselves up and take some romantic sunset photos. Any weight I hoped to lose before pictures? Still lingering. I haven't had my hair highlighted or colored professionally in a year to save money. And outfits? I don't even know where to begin! I can style my bridesmaids, or a cast of 11 actors on a 2-hour journey through the 60's on a $300 budget {yeah, that happened}, but I'm starting to fear that I'm incapable of styling myself. Or I should confess: I just don't have to funds for the beautiful clothes that I covet and imagine myself wearing in these dreamy photographs. I think this is really a perfect damn you beautiful, inspiring wedding blogs!!! moment, if I may. 


What really gets me about this tightening of the money-belt is that I only go on shopping sprees for special occasions. I give myself a free pass. Usually the shopping is vacation-related, but I am dying to shopspree my heart out for this photo shoot. Therefore, I am trying to stay grounded by trusting past instincts and happy memories, and shopping my closet first. I present a few of my favorite pieces from my wardrobe:

Allow me to introduce these lovelies and how I came to know them, clockwise:


Anthropologie Strawberry Dress: On sale the week before the 2008 San Francisco proposal vacation. I wore this lil number through Sonoma on a vineyard tour of "Our daughter just got engaged! Let's try the really good wine!" (A tasting freebie of course. Gotta love the perks of young love).


Tweed Bow Engagement Party Dress: My mom helped me purchase this dress on day 2 of the same vacation- the day after the proposal- in a boutique near Haight Ashbury. I pulled it off the rack and I just knew it was the one. It may just be my favorite dress in the world…


Sunburst Tunic: from Forever 21, purchased for a law school spring break 2008 trip to Disney World. Just Marc and I.


Eyelet Blouse: We met in the same Anthropologie back-room sale as the strawberry dress. Again for the SF vacay. We have some traditionally posed engagement photos in this top, courtesy of my father and a fireplace for a background at our Sonoma hotel… ie: no dice:

{Obligatory "look at my ring on my man's shoulder," meet Prom Pose.}

I think I've proven my point that I can go nuts for one occasion- 3 items out of the 4 are related to the same trip. It's a miiiighty good plan to go green this time around and work with what I've got.


Next up in my gearing up for E-pics (epic?) series: How I'll reconcile my affinity for feminine ruffles, patterns and soft colors with my photographers' well informed recommendation to keep it basic (read: solid colors) and comfortable.


Did you fight the urge to buy a whole new wardrobe for your engagement pictures?

Please forgive the wrinkles, I didn't give my models much time to prepare.