Weddings.....

Just spent the weekend at the best kind of wedding - someone else's daughter! Got to be part of the wedding "in crowd" by virtue of Dale playing for the service AND daughter (Laura) being in the wedding.

Without going into TOO much back-story, the bride (Rachel) was in college with Laura, was in Laura's wedding and we've gotten to know her well over the past 8 years. Rachel is a professional church worker (read: not rich) AND on the board of the Haiti Mission Project, has spent time in Haiti including since the hurricane and in fact was marrying a Haitian man (read: not the type to spend $20,000+ on wedding stuff).

She picked a lovely, simple asymmetrical dress from a well-known bridal chain and Laura asked if I couldn't please make her something to wear with it. Her colors were navy blue (which the bridesmaids wore) and sparkle, so we planned to loan her several rhinestone bracelets to wear to bling up her dress. The one-shouldered top was perfect for an asymmetrical statement necklace, using ivory, rhinestones and pearls.

The result (shown below) used 3 strands of vintage faux pearls, a partial rhinestone necklace (plus some additional lengths of rhinestone strands) and a stand of clear beads. Other items included were:
silver metal filigree with crystal rivoli (from an angel brooch)
a pearl and rhinestone earring
a gold flower earring
a gold-tone earring with white metal flowers with rhinestone centers

 a rhinestone rivoli pendant

a blue glass setting and a couple blue faceted dangles
a link from a broken silver bracelet
several blue pearls, faceted crystals and lots of ivory pearls, with brass balled headpins and s few bead caps adding touches of gold.

It was great fun to create and the bride loved it. She looked stunning. And everything in the necklace was repurposed/reused.