Here Comes the Bride

Well, I'm not really one for starting chain letters, or the blog equivalents (tagging or getting everyone to do the same blog theme as you). But I wanted to do one today. It's because I was at my friend Cara's house the other day and noticed her wedding picture on the mantle as we were eating lunch. I meant to go over and take a closer look after lunch, but of course my kids distracted me. so it was only later in the day that I realized that I never got to get a close up look. And as I was thinking about it, I realized that I totally love wedding dresses. I'm sure most girls do--it's the one time in your life you can spend a ridiculous amount of money on your clothing, dress up like a princess in the most gorgeous gown ever, and prance around looking beautiful while everyone admires you. I consider it a crime against humanity that most women only get to do this one time in their lives (unless they get invited to red carpet events in Hollywood regularly). I will probably have to own or work in a wedding dress store later in life to continue living out my wedding dress fantasy through my customers. But in the meantime, I want to start a blog chain asking all of you to post pictures of you in your wedding dress. I would love to see what your wedding dresses looked like. Why did you choose that dress? That veil? That bouquet? Was your hair worn like you usually wear it or done special for the occasion? Did you like how you looked? Was it fun to dress up or did it put you out of your comfort zone? Tell me all about you and your wedding ensemble!

Here is mine:



I bought it on ebay, believe it or not. I had been searching for a Maggie Sotero gown that I could afford. I found a couple of styles that I really liked of hers, but they were all out of my budget. I mostly liked her dresses because of the corset style. The old-fashioned romantic in me really dug the tied corset top. Plus it was flattering on me. So after looking online for any Maggie Sotero dresses I could afford, without any luck, I found a bridal shop on ebay going out of business that sold Maggie Sotero look-alikes. I got my gown for $325, brand new. And it arrived in plenty of time and exactly as described. I guess I lucked out because the FBI contacted me a few months later when they were doing a fraud investigation against that bridal company (who apparently didn't send all the dresses that were purchased). Anyway, my dress fit perfectly. It was off-white Duchess satin ("candle light" was the exact color.) It had the corset top, the draping in the front that reminded me of the 1890's saloon dresses, and it was covered in crystals and pearls on the bodice. A rope of crystals and pearls lined the neckline and arm holes. It had a "chapel length" train with little bits of crystals and pearls embroidered down the sides and on the bottom. And since we got married civally, I was able to do a sleeveless dress. It seems weird to me now, but totally normal to me then. I LOVED my dress.



My shoes, however, were evil instruments of torture. Way too high and with no padding to speak of. I bought them 2 hours before the ceremony, as well as my jewelry. (I didn't do very well at preparing ahead of time. I guess that's what happens when you get married late and all of your bridesmaid friends are married and moved away.) Anyway, I only wore my shoes to walk up and down the aisle and ditched them the rest of the night.

My veil was made by my mom. I wanted something medium length with a plain edge and a front layer to wear down the aisle. I couldnt' believe how expensive veils were at the bridal shops, so my mom sewed mine. I bought my headpiece at the fabric store (they sell great headpieces there) and it matched the crystals and pearls on my dress perfectly. Unfortunately, I forgot to wear the front section of the veil down as I walked down the aisle. What a shame! If I'd done a rehearsal like I meant to, I would have practiced and not forgotten that. But...no bridesmaids to set me straight.

My hair? I did the stupidest move a bride can do--I tried something new and different on my wedding day without trying it out ahead of time. STUPID. It's a classic nervous-bride blunder, the kind that your bridesmaids usually protect you from. But I didn't have any. So I put my hair up and curled it and then curled these little hangy pieces around my face. My mom pressured me into the hangy pieces. And I caved. But I hated them then and still hate them when I look at my wedding pictures. They're just not me. Stupid move. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

The only other thing to note about my dress--or at least my picture of it--is that I forgot to get bridal pictures done. Another problem with not having any bridesmaids to tell you what's what. I guess it was the theme from my wedding: "All the stupid mistakes you can make that will ruin your wedding if you don't have bridesmaids to tell you what to do." At least my own daughter(s) will be spared these mistakes because of my own hard lessons learned. Anyway, once I realized that I had no picture of me in my dress, I decided to wait until June (my wedding was in February) when the weather was nice and did my bridals outdoors by a stream. So much better than the frigid winter shots I would have had to do! But kind of fakes. I also removed the top part of the veil since I didn't like the way it looked and had never used it anyway. And I did my hair the way I usually wore it. All in all, it was a MUCH improved picture--what I should have looked like on my wedding day.

My bouquet was red, yellow and pink. Gerbera daisies, roses, and some other stuff I can't remember. They were tightly pressed together to form a sort of ball, stems cut short. Nothing hanging off. The colors were bolder than I had planned when I met with the florist, but it probably suits my personality better that way.

So what's your wedding dress story?