Being a guest is tougher than it appears.

This weekend my boyfriend and I are headed back down to southern Oregon. Lots of time will be dedicated to playing at the Rogue River, but we are also attending a wedding of one of his friends.

I love weddings. I think that cheesy wedding dancing is the most fun I can have. People of all ages flock to the dance floor to move around to predetermined wedding songs. I love weddings so much that I use to go to the golf course when weddings were scheduled. It definitely helped that I knew the catering director and he let me dance the night away (he also had no problem letting me use the open bar). One time I had so much fun that the bridesmaids and I were singing karaoke by the end of the night. But, those were wilder, more courageous times. Actually, now I just don't know the catering director. :)

Anyways, I think weddings are extremely hard to dress for. Can I get away with wearing black? I have a predominately white dress I love, is that appropriate? This isn't a club, so maybe I shouldn't wear THAT short of dress. Etc. Etc. As for me, I don't think the rules exist. I have no problem wearing black to a wedding. In fact, I was going to do it until I saw the weather report called for 90+ degree weather and before I got my heart set on getting something new. There is something about dressing up I don't take lightly. Especially since I don't really know these people. I want to make a good impression. Oh, and I have worn white to a wedding. Who cares.

I planned to go shopping last weekend for a new dress. It is always tough for me to find what I am looking for when I am looking for it. Isn't that always the case? I find dresses I want throughout the year when I have no occasion to wear them too, but when I really need one, there is zero. I came home from my Portland shopping expedition with ZERO. The next day I unexpectedly got off work early and headed back to the stores. This time I was getting desperate. I found a cheapy purple dress that would work as long as I forced myself to the gym everyday. Okay, it wasn't really that tight. But, it still wasn't perfect and I didn't want the stress of feeling uncomfortable in it after two long days enjoying myself at the river (I am implying that I want to drink beer). So, third time was a charm. I found this Free People dress at Nordstrom. It was a dress that I had overlooked twice before, but decided to give it a try when the end was near. Now, I love its funky play with metallics and patterns. I am pairing it with a simple pair of peek-toes. What do you think?

How could I forget, I will also be wearing these two pieces from Olivia Clare Designs. The dark gold layered chain perfectly coordinates and the blue gives a little pop. Isn't my cousin a genius?