Wedding season is officially here! And that means different dress codes and different outfits for each wedding.
That can be daunting-sometimes the dress code being more casual to others being black tie! It can also get pretty pricey as you shell out cash for each different wedding. So don’t worry girlfriend-I have compiled a list of my favorite wedding guest styles and they’re all under $50 so you can look bougie on a budget!
There ya go! I hope you enjoyed this guide to inexpensive wedding guest dress ideas! I am all about finding great styles for a deal. Let me know if you liked it by commenting below!
You hear the familiar whistle of your iPhone muffled by the pillow you’re laying on.
Bleary-eyed, you reach for the Apple TV remote to pause your usual binge of The Office-but right now, you’re only watching the Christmas episodes-so festive right?! Your super comfy half-sleeping/half-awake position is disturbed by this incessant iPhone tweeting. Finally, you decide to see who has dared to disturb your slumber.
And there’s his name: Daniel.
Eeeep! Your crush has finally, out of the blue randomly texted you. Your heart begins to beat a little faster as your imagination begins to run rampant. WHAT DOES DANIEL HAVE TO SAY?! You unlock your phone, click on the green Messages icon, his text reads the following, “Hey there! Hope you’ve had a great week so far! I was wondering-if you’re free this weekend-would you want to get hot chocolate and then look at lights? Maybe grab dinner after?”
You involuntarily let out a little scream of excitement.
You blast Cardi B while you do some crazy booty dancing as your disapproving pup looks at you with eyes shrouded in distain. But you’re so excited! Homeboy finally wised up and realized you were the woman of his dreams right?
RIGHT.
You got dis girl! Slowly-reality starts to hit. Isn’t there like 8 inches of snow outside with incessant winds beating down? And he wants to look at lights…but it is the most romantic thing. Imagine, strolling along the streets, maybe he’ll offer you his jacket, maybe your hands will brush, maybe…your inner monologue is clearly running amuck with plausible scenarios. Ok-here’s the deal-ya girl needs to look cute. That’s 100% a non negotiable. But also-its blisteringly frigid outside. So you’re going to need to dress very, very warm.
Ugh!
Winter time is literally the toughest time to dress warm and cute. Spring has light, airy sundresses, summer has crop tops and shorts, and fall has sweater weather. But what’s a girl to do when it’s literally freezing outside and the bae of all baes has finally asked her out?
Don’t worry girl. I’ve teamed up with Francesca’s to give you the best, most perfect guide on how to dress for a winter’s date! And don’t even worry, you will be super cute and warm!
1. The Coat
This Sherpa Coat is the real deal. They literally took the best fabric and made it into a coat. Thus making this coat the best creation since sliced bread. Not only is it crazy soft, it will keep you so warm!
2. The Sweater
This cowl necked, popcorn sweater is my new favorite go-to. It’s incredibly soft and perfect for layering with a scarf. I paired it with these high-waisted jeans that are my absolute favorite. Francesca’s jeans are my jam. I always wear them over and over because my are so comfy and flattering!
3. The Accessories
This little earband is my absolute favorite. I liked this one because you can wear it out while you look at lights and them pop it off at dinner and it won’t mess up your hair or make a crease! Double win. Plus-my very secret sources have informed me that guys think these things are v cute. But more importantly, I think they are v cute and hopefully you do too!
This scarf is the real MVP. It’s incredibly affordable for the warmth and quality of fabric it brings to the table. The blended fabric gives it a very soft, supple color that blends so well with the popcorn sweater and sherpa coat. Plus these little flip-top gloves are the cutest to pair with a winter date!
I am absolutely in love with this clutch! I really appreciate how there’s a little extra room in there so I can actually fit my wallet, keys, and phone in it! Plus-these over-the-knee boots were such an epic find! I love that they have a very slight heel. If your girl is gonna be trekking all over the place looking at Christmas lights-she’s gotta be comfortable and fashionable! They have a really cute metallic detail around the top too that I love!
Ok girl-now that you’ve got your guide on how to dress for a winter’s date-I have one more thing to remind you of! The best thing you can bring to this date is you.
Be yourself.
Be quirky if you’re quirky.
Be goofy. Be silly.
Laugh hard and love big.
Literally the best thing you can bring to the table is you.
Because-there’s only one you.
Only your nose crinkles exactly like it does when you laugh. Only you have that wicked quick sense of humor. So remember, that whoever gets to take you out on a date this winter is one very very lucky man!
Tis’ the season for holiday parties! Holiday parties are my fave-especially being a plus one! If you’re anything like me-you have a myriad of holiday parties approaching. Some ranging from black tie to tacky Christmas sweater to more conservative work parties. If you’e also like me-you love dressing super classy but-ya girl has a budget. I have gathered all my favorite finds this December to compile this list of all my favorite holiday party looks for every single get together you have this season! And-the greatest news of all-they’re all affordable-the most affordable being $19.90 (wait-what?!) to the most pricey being $118. Hope you enjoy this guide and have a wonderful time at your plethora of holiday parties this season!
Jumpsuit: Forever 21 $19.90 Bag: Tory Burch Shoes: Top Shop
I hope that each of you have a wonderful time at all your holiday parties-whether it’s a black tie event or a group of girls in tacky sweaters drinking champagne and playing How Do you Meme or a cozy family get together with your precious nieces and nephews watching Elf and drinking hot cocoa! It’s my prayer that each of you take time this crazy holiday season to rest in Jesus. To take time away from all the parties-to sit and think about how wonderful it is that our Savior humbled himself to live in this world so that we can have a sympathetic God who understands what it is to be human! I also pray that your Christmas season is filled with special memories that you will always cherish. Take time to play silly games with your little cousins and family. Laugh hard, don’t take yourself too seriously-alright?! Instead of getting wrapped up in staging Insta-worthy photos, put your phone down and make real memories! I love you all and hope you have a wonderful holiday season!
Tis’ the season for pie. And more pie. And more pie! One of my all time favorite holidays is Thanksgiving. I love how it brings families together to celebrate all that we have to be thankful for! I also am a big huge fan of food. So when I set out to choose the perfect Thanksgiving attire, I want something with two very important components. First and foremost, it must be comfy! I want to eat alllll the turkey and dressing I want and not feel constricted in any way shape or form! Secondly, I want my outfit to be cute. I don’t know about you guys, but my family loves to take copious amounts of photos around the holidays so I wanna be lookin’ fly! Without that second component, I would probably be wearing Outdoor Voices joggers and a t-shirt tbh. Right here in this blog I’ve rounded up all my favorite Thanksgiving looks for you to chose from! Let me know what you think!
Sweater and Skirt: Forever 21 Shoes: Steve Madden Bag: Louis Vuitton
Shoes: Nordstrom BP Jeans: Loft Bag: Marc Jacobs Jacket: BCBG
That rounds up all of my thanksgiving day ideas! I think I am going to rock the pink chenille sweater from Shop Priceless! More important than any outfit you could wear this Thursday, I hope that you and your family have such a wonderful time counting all your blessings. And you all would take that quality time to put your phones down-make food together, watch and make fun of the Lifetime Christmas movies, laugh with your cousins, play games with your nieces and nephews, and make new memories that you will cherish forever! Most importantly, I hope each of you take time to reflect on just how fortunate we all are to have a Savior, Jesus Christ, who died and defeated death for us. We are blessed beyond compare! Happy Thanksgiving Turkeys!
You start feeling a little antsy and fidgety. You start dreaming of faraway places and of interesting people with stories you have never experienced. You start scrolling on the Instagram explore page and all the photos of exotic places, ancient buildings, statuesque mountains, breathtaking canyons, or little romantic cobble stone streets are the photos that catch your eye.
You start inadvertently packing.
But you don’t even have a trip planned.
My friend-if you have any of the symptoms listed above-you have wanderlust. Wanderlust is a serious affliction upon those who have a deep desire to see the world, to experience it through another person’s eyes, to be apart of something greater than themselves, to feel small. To feel wonder as you gaze upon creation unable to even comprehend the beauty, the majesty before you. You want to stand before something and have the shocking realization that your eyes cannot drink the whole scene in because the beauty is so startlingly obvious. You want to sit in other person’s home on the other side of the world, share a meal together, laugh about your new experiences, listen to what has shaped their life and realize that although cultures may be worlds apart, we are all tied together by the common human experience. My friend, if you have one or all of these symptoms, continue reading, and if not, continue reading and they will come. There are so many wonderful places I could write about, so many incredible people whose faces are forever seared into the canvas of my mind; I will write about them all soon. But for now, I want to talk with you about why you should take a four-day weekend to the most beautiful place I have ever been: Banff.
1. Lake Louise
As you stand before Lake Louise, something happens in your soul. You see the glacier nestled amidst the two towering mountains. You see the rocks scattering the shore, lovers canoeing and taking insta-worthy photographs that they will remember for the rest of their lives. Finally, you gaze upon the waters, the azure waters are like nothing you’ve ever seen before. As your hand touches the water, you feel the chill. The minerals have made this water bluer than any water you’ve laid eyes upon. It’s a different kind of blue-not like a tropical destination-as you look closer you see little blueish white flecks throughout all the water. As you look around you, you encounter all types of people. A family from India is on their fall holiday, a set of lovers from Boston is taking a selfie trying to capture the scenery behind them, and an entire family reunion of 28 bedecked with “Johnson Family Reunion 2018” traipses around the park with a selfie stick. The scene is so interesting-nature bringing together people from all different walks of life to gaze in awe of creation.
2. Lake Moraine
Your next stop is Lake Moraine. You drive down a windey road, you have Mumford and Sons playing (because you’re in the mountains-obviously), and your feet are up on the dash. You are wearing two pairs of pants, a thermal, jacket, raincoat, and beanie. Yesterday at Lake Louise was 75 degrees and you were wearing your Outdoor Voices shorts and a crop top, but now its 35 degrees. You had to be prepared for anything on this four-day trek into the mountains. You pull up into the parking lot. Are greeted by a friendly Canadian guiding the cars. As you begin the walk to Lake Moraine, you begin to glimpse the same azure waters you saw at Lake Louise- but it’s different. It’s a darker hue of blue, more vibrant. You start hiking up to the best vantage point. You make it up there. Beauty surrounds you. Six sister mountains jut up behind the waters. It’s morning, so a fog still clings to the waters, obscuring the feet of the mountains. As you take in the scene, you hear voices: six British voices laughing. You look over and see three British couples around 55 years old laughing and trying to take photos with their ipads. You walk over and take their photos, exchange some friendly banter and decide these people freaking rock. They’re hilarious and so friendly. You spend an hour taking in this view, and then decide to hike. You don’t want a pansy hike-you want an intense hike.
3. Larch Valley
From Lake Moraine you’ve began your first hike of the day to Larch Valley. It’s all uphill the first half so it’s a little slow going. You began to see little mounds of snow as you begin your trek. You wave and say hello to fellow hikers who have already completed the expedition. As you travel higher and higher, you see more and more snow. After what feels like two hours, you are now surrounded by snow, you can see down and see all the trees that were once a vibrant green, dotted with white. You start to see some little animals. Little mountain squirrels pop their heads up out of their snow holes to see who has come to visit. Finally, you reach the valley. Snow is everywhere. It’s like a scene from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. You hear running water. You follow the sound to investigate: you find a gorgeous waterfall energetically gushing through the snow. You have to stop the take some pictures to take with you. As you look at Larch Valley you are in awe. 1. Because yesterday was 75 degrees and today you’re covered in snow 2. The absolute beauty of it is breathtaking.
So if you feel wanderlust creeping up on you. If you feel that urge to go, see beautiful places, meet incredible people from all over the world, and ultimately feel small-go to Banff and be amazed and completely in awe of how beautiful creation is. As I looked at Lake Louise, I thought of Revelation 4:6 where God’s throne is described as being surrounded by a sea of glass. I couldn’t help but consider how God’s throne is going to absolutely blow away the beauty that I saw at Lake Louise. I got a tiny glimpse into God’s beauty, creativity, and love as I explored Banff.
Peace n Blessings
Rachel
P.s. The three places I described are the tiniest peak into what this Canadian National Park has to offer. The people are incredibly kind, welcoming, and gracious. This town is adorable and has tons of cute shops and places to visit. If you’re looking for accommodations, I stayed at The Hidden Ridge Resort. Our favorite place I ate at was Touloulus. I highly recommend both these places! If you have some trails I need to go back and try-please put them in the comments!
