Wedding gown hunt and winery visit

Last Saturday my daughter Tara and I went wedding dress shopping! Yay! She only tried on two dresses and she loved the second dress so much that she knew this was The Dress. Just click on any picture if you want to see a larger view.

I have to agree, I think it's The Dress too! She looks so beautiful in it. It made my little mommy heart go pitter pat to see her all dressed up like a princess!

Here is a picture of the dress taken in the dark so it would maybe show off some of the beading.
When I took a close up of the bodice detail, I noticed how it hugged her curves in all the right places. It gives her the most beautiful hourglass shape. She's a bigger, curvy gal like me, and this flatters her in every way!

I adore this picture of her looking back at herself in the mirror.
She found bridesmaid dresses too. She loved this style and she is going to get it with the white sash, but will have the dress in blue. In the lower left corner is the hem of a dress in the same powder blue.
She loved the beading in the bodice. She thought it echoed the beading in her gown.
It might not be possible for me to find the mother-of-the-bride dress that was my first choice, but I found something else online that I really like, and it will probably be one-half to one-third the cost of my first choice gown. It has some really pretty beading and a jacket with beading as well.
After all the fun of shopping for the wedding gown, my daughter wanted me to go to Stoney Ridge Winery with her. She and her boyfriend had gone there a few days before to sample some wines that they might like at their wedding. I have been here before and it is such a nice place and the wine is wonderful.

I love the stone gates. It was raining, so I didn't get out to take a picture of the pair of gates, but thought just one would give you an idea of how pretty it was. There are several acres of grapes and a long gravel driveway.
And here is the winery! They added on to the left side since I had last been there.
The entrance was so welcoming. Love the grape purple door, grapevines, and wine barrels.
And I love this pretty window box. This is the same kind of window box I want for my front porch. A welcoming candle is lit in the window. (Ok, I confess, it's electric.)
Here are some grapevines growing next to the dining patio. I remember sitting at that same patio on a date a few years ago and feeling very tipsy from a bottle of their strawberry patch wine! I didn't realize it would pack such a punch.

It's probably hard to believe that grapes grow so well in Ohio, but there are a lot of wineries in the region. The best grapes are grown in the lake regions, and there are several wineries on the Lake Erie Islands and shores.

Below are three pictures taken from the winery's website. http://www.stoneyridgewinery.com/ It's so cozy inside, and you can sample wines at the bar. I abstained. My rule of thumb is to never ever have even a sip of alcohol if I am driving. Ohio is moving toward No Tolerance of alcohol and driving. I did however buy a bottle of their strawberry patch wine. It's great with chocolate. Yummm!


Even though it was such a rainy day and we had so much fun visiting the winery and finding a wedding gown, the best part of the day is what you see below...
...a very happy girl!

Have a merry weekend everyone!