Must-See Photos: The Wedding Dress That's Traveled the World

If Jennifer Salvage’s wedding dress could talk, it would have some pretty wild travel stories to tell. It’s gone dog sledding in Iceland, paragliding in New Zealand, and even taken an under-the-sea dip in Maui. The gown’s been worn 148 times in 19 locations across six continents and has traveled a total of 147,500 miles. Salvage, 42, a Medford, NJ native, brings it along to every vacation in a backpack.

The "One Dress, One Woman, One World" project , as it was dubbed, began five-and-a-half years ago, when Jennifer married her husband Jeff on Easter Island in Chile — one of the most remote places in the world. Both are avid hikers, and Jeff, a 46-year-old professional photographer, decided they should wed in Chile after visiting the country on a trip when he first started dating Jennifer. He wanted to get some spectacular wedding photos (naturally!), so he shot his beautiful new wife in multiple locations under different lighting conditions. The dress held up well, so they decided to take it with them to their summer travels to the Alps and China.

"When we broke the dress out, people first thought they’d stumbled upon a wedding and were excited. Then, when they found out it was something different, they were even more excited. On the way home, we realized we had the idea of something special and went with it," Jeff tells us.

"We love the idea of using up the dress, reliving our wedding over and over again," he says.

The Salvages relived their wedding everywhere, from iconic monuments (The Eiffel Tower, The Vatican, Egyptian Pyramids) to scenic natural backdrops (mountains, beaches, canyons, craters) to sports stadiums.

Take a look at their amazing photos below!

Statement Accessories We Love

Lavish texture can give your big-day look a couture feel! To complement detailed big-statement accessories, go for minimalist makeup and hair. A clean top-knot and neutral makeup will give this look an off-the-runway feel. Which big statement accessories are you planning for your wedding? 

accessories with lavish texture

Credits left to right: 1. Gold Iris platform sandals with t-bar ankle strap and rubber soles from Alexander McQueen. 2. Milou embellished gold-tone headband by Eugenia Kim. 3. Metallic Lace Sandal by Charlotte Olympia. 4.Belinda cutout leather sandals by Charlotte Olympia. 5. Hayley Paige tulle ballgown with lace embellished tulle shawl. 6. Clear Crystal Earrings by Noir Jewelry. 7. Mix No. 6 Honor pump from DSW.com. 8. Oscar de la Renta Embroidered tulle gown. 9. Oscar de la Renta Glass pearl and crystal-embellished floral necklace.

—Naima DiFranco

Nature-Inspired Ideas for Fall Weddings

fall wedding
Photo Credit: Rebekah J. Murray Photography

Whether you're getting married indoors or out, there are plenty of ways to incorporate the beautiful natural elements of the season in your wedding. Here, our favorite ideas.

Ceremony Décor

fall wedding ceremony decor
Photo Credit: John Labbe/Designed by Preston Bailey

fall wedding ceremony decorq
Photo Credit: Dasha Wright Photography

fall wedding ceremony decor
Photo Credit: Stewart Tabori & Chang

Trend We Love: Sparkly Wedding-Day Accessories

A little sparkle goes a long way in weddings! When picking the perfect sparkle for your wedding day, look for classic shapes (envelope clutch, stud earrings, peep-toe pump, A-line dress) and then take it to the next level with all-over sparkle.

sparkly wedding accessories

Credits left to right: 1. Gianvito Rossi Rhinestone Peep Toe Sandal. 2. Kate Spade New York Cueva Rosa Stud Earrings. 3. Sydney Evan Yellow Gold Diamond Love Stud Earrings. 4. Beaded crystal clutch by Marchesa. 5. Gold and silver sequined nude tulle gown by Rachel Gilbert for BHLDN. 6. Crystal-heel silk-satin sandals by Miu Miu. 7. Taupe and gold double platform heel by Brian Atwood. 8. The Candy glitter-print acrylic clutch by Jimmy Choo. 9. Lola glitter-finished pumps by Sophia Webster.

—Naima DiFranco

Canceled Wedding Turns Into a Heartwarming Event for the Homeless

When Carol and Willie Fowler learned that their daughter Tamara's wedding had been called off just 40 days before the big day, they were shocked. They also had an important decision to make — what to do about the deposit that had already been paid to the venue, Villa Christina, for the 200-guest reception. Instead of letting the money go to waste, Willie suggested they turn the wedding into an event for the homeless. The next day, Carol reached out to a local charity, Hosea Feed the Hungry, and asked if they could donate the dinner.

"At first, I thought it was a prank call because it was such an amazing offering," Elisabeth Omilami, CEO of Hosea Feed the Hungry, said in a radio interview. "And then she said she wanted to focus on women and families… 70 percent of the homeless in Atlanta are children."

Wedding Weight-Loss Dos and Don'ts

Don’t deprive yourself during holiday celebrations.

For Yom Kippur last week, Rene and I fasted all day on Saturday. We broke the fast at my mother’s house with our families. There was so much food, it was crazy! I had one bagel — half of it with cream cheese and lox and the other half with egg salad. I also had a piece of bread and a slice of cheesecake. We decided we were not going to stick to a diet for this meal, and it was well worth it! We were so full that we stayed in and relaxed on Saturday night. 

Do arm yourself with quick healthy meals and snacks.

The easiest way to avoid temptations around you is to always have "safe" foods on hand. Because I'm so rushed in the morning and don't always have time to make breakfast, I decided to try Atkins protein drinks in the Mocha Latte flavor as a meal supplement. I wish I could make my own at home, but I leave too early and it just doesn’t work, so I figured I’d try these, as they only have 3 net grams of carbs. I also bought Atkins meal replacement bars to eat for lunch.

atkins mocha latte shake

Monday morning, I woke up sore (as usual after my workouts with Bonne Marcus!). I drank a shake for breakfast, then had a few celery sticks dipped in hummus as a mid-morning snack. I was surprised I enjoyed it as much as I did.

September 22nd

Photo credit: Tonya Peterson Photography on Papertalk Press via Lover.ly

Tip of the Day: It’s the first day of autumn, and fall weddings are known for their heartier menu items, like lobster or corn bisques at the soup bar – and soup is now being served as a first course to the dinner meal, rather than salad! Your cocktail party stations might offer mini pot pies or small cups of tasty beef stew, or braised short ribs — and dinner menus in fall might include popular entrée options like rack of lamb or Cornish hen. Talk to your caterer about how your fall menu can be tailored to the season, and how fall seasonal menu items can give you a break to your budget as well.

Plus, How to Choose Your Wedding Menu. Visit sharonnaylor.net for more tips and advice.

September 21st

Photo credit: Lindsey Cahill Photography on August Press via Lover.ly

Tip of the Day: As a fun alternative to your guest book that also works as an ice-breaker for guests seated at the same table, set a fill-in game card and theme-colored pencils or pens at each guests’s place setting. The card will ask them to fill in their choices of words Mad Libs-style to describe the wedding, the two of you and your relationship and other fun ideas. Just ask them to do a handful of fill-ins so that it doesn’t seem like work, and then they can either deposit their cards into a card box at the entrance to your reception, or just leave them on the table. You then get their fabulous and funny write-ins and messages to enjoy later and keep forever, which is so much better than just having their signatures in a traditional guest book.

Plus, more Unique Wedding Guest Books. Visit sharonnaylor.net for more tips and advice.

Pages

Subscribe to BridalGuide RSS