Our 5‑Year Wedding Delay Was Worth It

If you had told me back in 2020 that we wouldn’t actually get married until 2026, I would have laughed in your face. My husband proposed that year, and we were so excited—we had everything planned for a 2021 wedding. And then, well, COVID happened.

Everything just… stopped. We had to cancel, and we didn’t even know when we’d be able to reschedule. It was honestly heartbreaking. But looking back now, I’m kind of glad it worked out this way? Because the wedding we finally had this past May was everything I didn’t even know I wanted.

Anyway, way back before all the delays, I’d already bought matching a sage green flower girl dress for my daughter—. I think I paid around $120 for the set? They were this pretty lace and tulle number, and I’d had this image in my head of them walking down the aisle in them ever since.

Fast forward to us finally planning the real deal—a rustic outdoor thing in our own backyard, with all the greenery and boho vibes—and I knew I wanted the same style, just in a different color. But I also knew I did *not* want to drop another $100+ on dresses they were probably going to wear once. So you can imagine my excitement when I found the exact same dress on sale for $70 each. I didn't even hesitate. Clicked buy so fast.

Okay, so let’s talk about the actual dresses.

I was a little nervous. The old ones were great, but you never know with a discount. But these blush peach ones? They totally blew me away. The quality was exactly the same—like, exactly. I was also really worried about those three-quarter lace sleeves because our wedding was at the end of May and it can get hot. But the lace was so lightweight, and the open back actually let air flow through, so my girls weren’t even a little bit sweaty or grumpy. Huge win.

One tiny thing I noticed is that the slip underneath is a smidge shorter than the outer tulle. You can’t even tell unless you’re looking super close, and it definitely didn't show up in any photos, so no big deal. But the color? It was perfect against all the green trees and plants. They just blended right in with the whole earthy, garden vibe.

And the rest of their little looks…

We kept it simple. Both girls had those soft, wavy blonde hairstyles, and we tucked these little crystal headbands in—nothing too fancy, just enough to match the flowers and garden setting. I let them have a tiny bit of pink

lip gloss, which made their smiles pop in pictures without looking like they were wearing a ton of makeup.

My oldest carried this little wicker basket lined with white lace down the aisle. She was so serious about it, haha. She also held up this little wooden sign we made that said “Daddy it’s time to give Mommy our last name” for some of the portraits, which was just way too cute. My youngest was just giggling her way down the aisle, tossing petals everywhere. I think she had way more fun than she was supposed to. Honestly, my favorite moments were after the ceremony when they were just running around and twirling in those dresses, making the skirts all floaty. It made everything feel so magical.

My dress…

So while the girls were in soft peach, I went with a classic ivory. I’m plus size, and I found this amazing halter A-line dress that was just covered in lace appliqués and subtle sparkle. It had a deep V-neck with a sheer lace bodice that had these really pretty vine patterns that tied into the garden theme. The train was long and flowy, which was gorgeous, but I did get a little dirt on it walking around the grass. Worth it, though.

I loved that it was sleeveless, because I got to show off my tattoos a little bit—it just felt more like me. I kept my blonde hair in loose curls with a crystal pin, so we all kind of matched, headband-wise. And in our family photos, I had my arms around both girls, and the contrast between their peach tulle and my bright white lace was just gorgeous. Those are the pictures I’m going to treasure forever.

Looking back…

All those years of delays, rescheduling, and stressing over tiny details? Totally worth it. Our wedding ended up being a million times better than anything we had planned for 2021. And finding those $70 dresses felt like a huge win—they were cheap, but they didn't look or feel cheap at all, and more importantly, my kids were actually comfortable in them.

So if you're planning a rustic or garden wedding and you have flower girls, please don't stress about spending a fortune. Find something lightweight, cute, and affordable. It just makes the whole day so much sweeter when you're not worried about a toddler ripping a $300 dress. Standing at the altar and watching my two little girls walk towards me in their matching gowns was the best moment. This whole thing wasn't just about my husband and me finally getting married—it was about having our whole family there, in that moment, together. Every single one of those long years of waiting just melted away the second I saw them.