How 8 Months of Wedding Planning Changed My Style

Two major life events happened in the past year for me: I got engaged in June and married a few weeks ago. Between the planning, work, the holidays, and just everyday life, the past eight months have been a whirlwind. One unexpected result that came out of the massive undertaking that is wedding planning is the affect it's had on my style. I'll count the ways below, but I'll be the first to admit that some of it may sound a bit cliché. But cliché as it may be, it's all true. I really did start wearing more white (and pink, and lavender, and light blue). And I really did start wearing less jewelry, since basically the only jewelry I cared about was my shiny new engagement ring.

So why am I sharing this with you? I've always found it interesting to see how one's style can change when major life events occur, whether it's a new job, a new relationship, a move to a new city, a life-changing trip, or, yes, becoming engaged and planning a wedding. The most surprising outcome is that not only did my style change in some ways while I was wedding planning, but I think that some of those changes are going to stick around for a while. (Adds another white blouse to cart.)

Below, find out what changed about my style while I was engaged and shop a few pieces that won me over in the process.

For reference, this is me and my (former) fiancé the night before our wedding. 

So.Many.Dresses.

Starting with the obvious here, I've never bought so many dresses in such a short span of time in my life. Aside from the wedding dress, there were so many other occasions to find a dress for (including the rehearsal dinner, which took nearly eight months of searching). Even after the wedding, I still want to buy and wear dresses so much more than I ever did before.

Jewelry Detox

I was never one to pile on jewelry by any means, but I did feel like wearing any jewelry or watches near my hands when I started wearing my engagement ring was too much. I'm not sure this will last as I love mixing and matching delicate rings and I wear watches, but for now, I'm a jewelry minimalist.

Goodbye, My Fear of White Clothing 

Another statement that's as obvious as they come is that brides wear a lot of white, but I actually barely wore white clothing before becoming engaged. I always assumed it would get dirty or be too sheer, etc. But after months of shopping for the perfect white pieces for my wedding events, I'm proud to say that I've conquered my fear of wearing white for good.

Hello, New Brands

While many of the brands that I discovered while shopping for my wedding weren't exactly new, they were new to my closet, and as a result, I have a few new favorite brands to love.

Bought Fewer, Better Things

Since my clothing budget pretty much became my wedding budget, the things I did buy were only pieces that I found to be the most worthy of my tightly managed funds, and that I knew I'd wear long after the wedding ended.

Adopted Outfit Simplification 

Pre-wedding planning, I had a tendency to sometimes take a while to choose an outfit, but since my time was so limited in the eight months leading up to it, I was forced to make quicker outfit decisions, and therefore built up an arsenal of simple, chic outfits (like the one below).

Sorry, the Rest of My Wardrobe

After my wedding, as the dust began to settle, I realized that it was mid-March and I'd bought nothing for spring (which is unusual for me). I didn't even have so much as a wish list going. I'm making up for that, little by little, starting with the below warm weather–friendly pieces.

All in all, I think these changes have changed my style for the better (except I'll be taking a hiatus from buying white dresses for a while).