A couple of weekends ago, Mac and I headed to south Florida for a wedding. Yes, we both actually do more than work, drive carpools and train. In fact, we both really enjoy fashion and having fun with what we wear. The wedding was in Hollywood, FL at the Westin Diplomat Resort. The goal was an outdoor ceremony on a terrace overlooking the beach. The weather had other plans.
When I asked the bride about attire, she said it wasn’t black tie, but that everyone would be “dressed to the nines”. I took that to mean something between Miami club attire and a formal gown.
With Mac’s help, I narrowed my choices to two dresses and brought them both along. One was black with gold sequins, cut on the bias with one long sleeve and one short. The other was strapless and zebra print. I figured whichever one I didn’t wear to the wedding; I could wear in South Beach the next night. I brought along my favorite shoes in the world, my YSL Tribute Too pumps, knowing they would work with both dresses. A note about these shoes – when Mac and I were in LA a few years ago, we went to the YSL store in Beverly Hills to check out the new YSL shoes that everyone in Beverly Hills was wearing. He talked me into trying the Tribute Too on, while I was adamant that I couldn’t spend that much on a pair of shoes. Needless to say, I put them on, felt like a million bucks and changed my mind instantly. They are truly the most amazing shoes I have ever owned. Anytime I put them on, I instantly feel like a new person. If you’re on the fence about a good pair of shoes – just go for it. Consider it an investment. (By the way, my brother in law, who is a foot surgeon, also considers them an investment, in his future children’s college funds – he swears I shouldn’t wear the shoes I do…)
So, we arrived in Florida to pouring rain and high humidity – that = instantly frizzy hair for me. The rain and clouds broke long enough for me to relax by the pool for a bit, then the rain came back and I gave up.
In the end, I went with the zebra print dress – it just seemed like a better fit for the environment, and in the end I was right. The wedding ceremony itself was very short and sweet. The officiant remembered Kristi and James’ names and seemed sincere in his speaking (you never know at destination weddings!) After the ceremony we moved into the cocktail hour; my first drink, a skinny margarita, was a TALL glass of tequila with a teeny, tiny splash of lime juice. Think of the biggest shot of tequila, on the rocks, ever! This set the tone for the rest of the evening. The cocktail hour gave me time to people watch – I love seeing what others have chosen to wear – to any event, but weddings in particular provide great opportunity.
Fashion tip of the day: Something Mac taught me a long time ago (yes, my husband is SO GOOD with fashion…) is that ‘shoes can make or break an outfit’. The older I get, the more I realize how true this is. There were several people at the wedding (and this is not to hurt anyone’s feelings) who looked amazing in their dresses, but completely ruined the look with their shoes. Note, I’m not saying that shoes have to be expensive, but they should work with the outfit and they should be clean and in good condition. If you have a pair of shoes that are scuffed and falling apart, you should get rid of them.
From the cocktail hour we moved into a great dinner followed by a night of dancing. Two DJs came from Chicago for the wedding – DJ Squeeze and DJ Rock City – and together they made the night one big dance party. So.much.fun! In fact, I might have had a little too much fun…and slept in a little the next morning.
With that, here are a few shots of my outfit for the wedding…
The dress:
The shoes:
The necklace, ring and watch:
Next up…our night in South Beach.
