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It takes a village to get a bride ready to walk down the aisle — enter the bridesmaids.

Choosing to spend the day getting ready at Rollins Mansion with my bridesmaids, mom, stepmom, sisters, niece and Chase’s mom will always be one of my favorite decisions we made because it set the tone for the entire day.

From the start of the wedding planning process, I knew I wanted to have hair and makeup done on-site to keep the day free of stress, which to me meant not having to travel from one location to the next. So, the day began in the carriage house at Rollins Mansion with Penelopie Beauty Bar traveling to us for hair and makeup. Read more about my romantic bridal look here.

THE TEARJERKERS  

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To kick things off, my sweet bridesmaids gave me notes to celebrate my wedding day. Yes, there were lots of tears.

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Chase’s mom even had a keepsake box made for me that plays Chase’s and my song, “My Best Friend” by Tim McGraw, when it’s open.

THE ROBES 

For bridesmaids gifts, I knew I wanted to get my girls something they would be able to use again — nothing too specific to my wedding — plus I wanted to have pretty robes to wear while we were getting ready. I ended up ordering a set of 10 matching robes (nine pink and one white) on Amazon for the bridesmaids, my mom, my stepmom, Chase’s mom and me. It was the perfect solution.

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{Shop our matching robes here.}

THE PREP 

From being the maid of honor in Britni’s, my matron of honor’s, wedding, we learned it’s best for the bride to put her garter and shoes on before her dress if her shoes have complicated closures or ribbons to tie.

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Of course, my bridesmaid Kate (who blinged out my bridal ballet flats for the big day), helped me tie the ribbons around my ankles.

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Here’s a riddle for you: How many people does it take to get a bride into her wedding dress? Turns out, a lot. It took the work of Kate, Britni, and my mom to get my dress zipped.

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My sister Heather was in charge of fastening the crystal buttons that went down the back of my dress.

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My bridesmaid Abbie stepped in to tie my ribbon belt into a bow.

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Being surrounded by my closest family members and my best girlfriends to get ready is one of my favorite memories from the wedding.

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Meanwhile, my handsome groom stayed busy auditioning for the next Bond movie…

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THE DETAILS 

Tomorrow I will be sharing all the details from our intimate outdoor ceremony at Rollins Mansion. Until then, learn more about the products and vendors in this post below.

Photography: Elizabeth Carrie Photography | Floral Design: Boesen the Florist | Wedding Dress: Essense of Australia | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Bill Levkoff | Bridal Boutique: Weddings by Design & Tux Shop | Hair & Makeup: Penelopie Beauty Bar | DJ: BCP Live | Venue: Rollins Mansion | Catering: Gateway Market