Are we the black sheep of weddings??

I've just spent the better part of my morning blog time reading all 'bout a.mountain.bride... First off, it was this, spectacular image, that got my heart a pitter-patter-racin... (from here) ... amazing right?? Can you say sunset ceremony in the mountains?? Anyways, it was a.mountain.girl's first post that got me all a wonderin this beautiful spring morning...

She hit the nail on the head when she pondered the idea of 'theme' with a mountain wedding. Of course, everyone assumes it will be rustic, and I won't deny that I am embracing the term 'rustic', and using it to my advantage (for example... the thought of spending hundreds of dollars on a gorgeous tight wrapped bridal bouquet makes me faint, so I roll with the 'rustic' flower gathering so I can attempt to save muchos dollars!), but that doesn't mean I want people showing up to our wedding in hiking boots!! (photo from here)

If I decide to bring the outdoors in with our aisle decoration, does that mean I will be walking down the aisle with my hair undone? (sorry, can't find the original posting for the 1st pic, but the second one is from here).

If I swoon over wheat-infused reception decorations, does that mean I borrowed my dress from my grandmother?? (PS, I bought my dress on ebay, and if you love your gram's wedding dress, all the power to you!!) (1st photo from here... the amazing Tine Hoffman!!; 2nd photo from... shoot, I can't find it! Sorry guys, this has been in my inspiration folder for a long time, but can seem to track down where I found it)

The bottom line is, most of us who choose weddings in the mountains do so because they are majestic and endearing, and mean a lot to us... not because we are style challenged! You probably won't hear us using the words sophisticated or classic to describe our wedding style, but we are still stylish and chic, and if rustic is used when we try to describe some of our decoration inspiration, please don't assume that we want our guests arriving in Tevas and chinos... a wedding in the mountains is just that, a wedding set in the beautiful surroundings of peaks and valleys, lakes and meadows, harsh and romantic. No theme catch-phrases needed, the beauty and meaning of it all will speak for themselves!!

To all you mountain brides out there, let's try our best not to defend our style choices, or try to make sense of being chic and stylish in a mountain setting... do what feels right for you, and it will all make sense in the end. If you are asked "will my black stilettos be too fancy for your rustic wedding" respond not with frustration but with a coy smile... "black stilettos are NEVER inappropriate!". Or when questioned if you are "wearing a formal wedding dress, even though you are getting married in such an informal setting", respond with a confident "I am wearing the perfect dress in which I will marry the love of my life!". Style need not be defined, just as love need not be explained.