In the process of planning the wedding, one of the most enjoyable tasks has been window shopping for those “extra” pieces that are making the year and the entire journey more enjoyable. This has spanned from obsessing over which color “Mrs. Box” to purchase to a fun pair of sneakers I am going to wear for wedding errands. I try to not let myself get carried away, but the wedding market is overloaded with the most darling items and they are marked up a crazy amount. A t-shirt with a generic quote- $20. The same t-shirt with anything slightly relating to “bride,” “wedding,” or “wifey,”- $50. It is insane and makes this process even more important to keep under control.
While there have been a few unnecessary items I have splurged on, I have also looked for ways to save pretty often. One of the biggest money savers I embarked on was my handmade “BRIDE” denim jacket. I saw these jackets all over Instagram with $200+ price tags and just couldn’t make myself drop that much on such a nonessential. How many times can I practically use a denim jacket adorned with “bride” and bling? (Okay, probably a lot in my case, but I still wanted to save!).
This prompted me to explore the route of making it myself! I was inspired by the jackets and the long amount of time my mom collected brooches while I was growing up. Thus, my denim jacket journey began.
Finding the perfect denim jacket was harder than I imagined it would be. I scoured TJ Maxx, ROSS, Marshall’s and Target to no avail. They were all too tight, too bulky, too stiff, too slouchy, too light or too dark. I felt like Goldilocks more and more after each jacket I tried on. I stalked the J. Crew clearance tab and finally tested my luck and ordered a final sale piece from their website. Thankfully, it fit perfectly and was better than anything I had tried on. It was more than the jackets were at Marshall’s and the like, but I knew I would have rather spent an extra $25 than have a jacket I didn’t truly love.
Next came the embellishments. Hobby Lobby was my first step, and I found the perfect letters to go on the jacket. I love the sports jersey vibes they give to it, especially paired with the delicate brooches. I ironed those on, but due to the material of the jacket, they also required a few stitches to lock them in place.
Finally, I smooth talked by mom and MIL out of a few brooches from their collection (which they were more than happy to give me!) and arranged those exactly how I wanted on the jacket. I am so, so happy with how it turned out. I wear it all the time and don’t limit myself to wearing it only for venue visits, cake tastings, etc.
The brooches are a hodge podge of family heirlooms, collected pieces and new buys, but each one is so special and makes the jacket unique. If you don’t know anyone who collected these, here are a few Amazon similars! Brooches: Star chain, Initial, Silver
If you or someone you know is a bride in need of this jacket, let me know if you need help making one! The only part of the process I can’t assist very well with is picking up the denim jacket- they are definitely not one size fits all.
