Mother of: David
Wedding locale: The Hillside Vineyard, Fort Collins, Colo.
Vibe: Rustic chic
Dress: Shoshanna from Neiman Marcus
Beth might have worried about what to wear to her son’s vineyard wedding in Fort Collins, Colorado, where he and his wife met during their junior year at Colorado State University, but the bride made it easy. “One of the things I LOVE about Taylor is she’s organized and knows what she wants,” Beth says. “From the outset she gave both sets of parents the same brief: the dads needed to wear black suits and the moms long black dresses. She felt it would anchor the photos well and stand out versus the wedding party. She was right! And wow, did it make narrowing down my options so much easier.”
But even with a defined goal, shopping felt like an ordeal. “I’m not exaggerating when I say that I ordered at least 30 dresses over the course of 9 months. Yes, that’s a lot of boxes delivered to our home,” says Beth, who knows a thing or two about shopping—she runs a retail consultancy and works with brands on strategy and market research. “Let’s face it, home is the new fitting room. Most stores don’t carry a big selection of evening dresses and those that do are pretty picked over. As I ordered more and more dresses, I started to get a much better sense of what would work well for me.”
The process felt frustrating at times, she admits. “Most of these dresses look fantastic on 5’11’’ models.” Beth is petite, and has curves. Eventually, she found the one, online from Neiman Marcus: a one-sleeve, black crepe long dress by Shoshanna, a brand that understands most women aren't built like models. The dress hugged in all the right places, but moved with her on the dance floor. “I was so comfortable,” Beth says. With tailoring, the dress looked like it was made for her. (Note the ankle-skimming hemline, a flattering alternative to floor length, which can appear overwhelming on a shorter person.)
“I wanted to feel modern, updated, and importantly, like myself,” Beth says. “Too many of the dresses I see feel like you’re playing dress up or wearing a costume for a role. I knew it suited me well and that is important. You really want to feel great that day, and I did!”
She carried a vintage black patent evening bag that belonged to her mother. “I lost her very young, so really wanted her with me at the ceremony.”
As for the weekend itself, which brought both families and friends to Colorado, where the bride and groom are building their life together, Beth says, “I”m now a destination wedding convert. There is something about everyone coming together for a whole weekend of events that is just so stinking fun. In-town weddings are lovely, too, but you can easily be doing a Target run at 3 then at the wedding by 5. I loved that we were focused on David and Taylor all weekend long. They planned several fun events, so it was just a wonderful time.”
| Photography by PHOCO