…trend setting…

Ok, maybe this makes me a total snob. I don't know. But I'm frustrated. Here's the thing. I don't really like to be a follower. Granted, I care about things like what's in fashion and keeping up with the times. Whatever. But I generally try to steer away from trends and aim for something more classic. Timeless. Usually with my own spin. I like to be creative. Do something different. Even if it's only subtly different. I don't like status quo or cookie cutter. If nothing else, I think we've made that clear.

So here's my problem. Apparently, in my attempt to be creative, I am really just two steps ahead of the crowd. I'm not trying to brag here. I find this to be terribly annoying.

It started with the lock and key thing. (I wrote all about why this idea inspired me here.) To me, this idea was not just a trend or some pretty motif. We chose it because it carried some symbolism for us. I can't really claim that the idea was completely my own. Vintage keys had already come in fashion thanks to Tiffany and Co...though now all the jewelry stores have manufactured their own version.  But still. Do a Google search for antique keys and weddings, or any incarnation thereof, and you will find a veritable smorgasbord of wedding images using this theme. Do I regret that we've chosen this theme? No. Am I slightly irritated that it has not proven to be as unique as I'd hoped? YES.

Next was our color scheme. I fell in love with this sangria color at David's Bridal back in July when I first spotted my dress. Loved it. Changed our entire approach to color because of it. Not quite purple, not quite pink, not quite red. Rich and bold and not one of your typical wedding colors. The girls would look like perfection dressed in this vibrant shade, and I was sold. Little did I know that every department store God ever made would be carrying umpteen-million dresses in the same color. Ultimately I guess this worked in our favor, as each of our ladies got a fantastic dress in a version of this color for a fantastic price. (An idea I completely and totally stole from the wedding blogosphere. I'll admit it.)

This was the thing to take the cake, though. Of all the things I wanted to be all my own….something no one else would really want to recreate…it was my ring. DG knew I didn't care about a sparkly, too-expensive diamond. They're lovely. They really are. And to all of you ladies who have a giant, glowing diamond on your left hand, congrats! I mean it. I'm really happy for you. I'm sure your ring is exactly what you always dreamed of. You've got the highest symbol of his affections for you sitting right there on your finger. It's great. I just wanted mine to stand out. Not for being the clearest or the biggest or the heaviest….just for being mine. So we looked at stones in my favorite color and DG purchased the most perfect ring I could have hoped for. It is completely and perfectly me. And come May 1^st, it will be accompanied by these two other bands to complete what DG calls "the diamond sandwich." Really, who doesn't love a diamond sandwich?

Be with me here... Imagine my dismay when I opened up the latest Brides magazine (which, by the way, I did not subscribe to on purpose but inadvertently have received every issue since I went to that crazy bridal show…along with a post card from every wedding vendor known to man), to discover this feature…

Seriously, people? I'm just gonna need everyone to get out of my head.