Compare Your Wedding Dress With That Of The Royals

[junebug17]

This is such an amazing thread!!! Everyone looks so beautiful!!!! I loved seeing all the beautiful snapshots in time. It is so fun to put a face to all of you wonderful ladies who are always so fun and helpful on these boards.... this is the only pic I can find and it doesn't show the dress very well! We were married back in 2001, and we were such babies!I seriously look like I was in High School. I had just turned 21 less than a month before we got married and my husband was still 21! We had been best of friends for all of our college years and then we got married at the end of our senior year of college. My dress was made of raw silk and we got an awesome deal bc it was the dress they used at a fashion show to display it and then they sold it super cheap...$199 or $299 I think...I had no idea how to apply makeup then and my hair was basically done in the bun that I wore when I played volleyball lol. I wore a brown MAC lipglass (gross) and purple eyeliner lol. I wish I could go back in time and style myself lol. I actually didn't even want to wear makeup in my wedding photo, because I rarely wore it at the time, but my mother-in-law convinced me to (thank God I listened to her lol). I was such a Tom Boy back then...I didn't even want a diamond (for real!) I had a $99 2 tone gold band and was thrilled with it lol. I still take it out to reminisce on occasion. I didn't want an e-ring bc I thought it was a waste of money. I specifically remember looking at a jewelry counter and asking the jeweler what the big deal was with diamonds because I just thought they were so overpriced and not very pretty. However, that's also because I had only seen included mall jewelry at that point...a few years later I saw a friends 1 carat, Internally Flawless, well cut diamond and my mind changed quickly....and since then..well, a lot has changed lol

We got married really young for our generation, but we had been best of friends for 3.5 years and didn't see any reason to wait. When you you know, you know....we have so many friends that are just now getting married and having kids at our age...it is fun to be all done and to have kids old enough that we can sleep in when we want and if we are tired they can get themselves food and even cook for us! lol
View attachment 644783

These are recent photos...17 years and 3 kids later...boy time flies

You were stunning as a bride @goldenfire, and you are a beauty now! And your dh is quite handsome and your kids are beautiful, what a lovely family!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Gorgeous pictures goldenfire--thanks for sharing!

cheers--Sharon

 

[iluvshinythings]

I love this thread so much! Everyone looks so beautiful!
We met on 11/11/11 and married on 11/11/13 at 1:30pm in Las Vegas.

Here's a good shot of my dress. I bought a dress from Nordstrom and really didn't like it but didn't want to stress or deal with it. Then the week before the wedding I freaked out. Realizing I didn't have time for alterations, I found a pre-owned wedding dress site and found a bride with my height and measurements. I ended up loving my dress and I wore the previously purchased one to the reception. I wore a crystal, sparkly thing in my hair, but no veil. I spent tons of time looking at pictures of bouquets, but the one they gave me was perfect (although not what I had picked).

My favorite memory of our wedding is that my groom broke down and cried when he saw me which brought me to tears too. So we said our vows tightly holding hands like we always do in times of joy and sadness and most any other time.

Here's a decent pic of the dress:


And here's a shot of the bouquet and the bling! The photographer probably took more shots of our rings than she did of us. I think she appreciates PS quality.



And here's a pic my FIL shot at Wynn (which was the easiest Christmas Card photo decision ever):



And this is how it went when I told my groom that he was going to have to assist me in the bathroom because there's no easy way to pee in a mermaid dress:

 

[AprilBaby]

Still fit you?

Absolutely not.

 

[goldenfire]

Thanks so much for the sweet comments ladies! This is such a great thread, keep the wedding pics coming!

 

[Rubybrick]

This is such an amazing thread!!! Everyone looks so beautiful!!!! I loved seeing all the beautiful snapshots in time. It is so fun to put a face to all of you wonderful ladies who are always so fun and helpful on these boards.... this is the only pic I can find and it doesn't show the dress very well! We were married back in 2001, and we were such babies!I seriously look like I was in High School. I had just turned 21 less than a month before we got married and my husband was still 21! We had been best of friends for all of our college years and then we got married at the end of our senior year of college. My dress was made of raw silk and we got an awesome deal bc it was the dress they used at a fashion show to display it and then they sold it super cheap...$199 or $299 I think...I had no idea how to apply makeup then and my hair was basically done in the bun that I wore when I played volleyball lol. I wore a brown MAC lipglass (gross) and purple eyeliner lol. I wish I could go back in time and style myself lol. I actually didn't even want to wear makeup in my wedding photo, because I rarely wore it at the time, but my mother-in-law convinced me to (thank God I listened to her lol). I was such a Tom Boy back then...I didn't even want a diamond (for real!) I had a $99 2 tone gold band and was thrilled with it lol. I still take it out to reminisce on occasion. I didn't want an e-ring bc I thought it was a waste of money. I specifically remember looking at a jewelry counter and asking the jeweler what the big deal was with diamonds because I just thought they were so overpriced and not very pretty. However, that's also because I had only seen included mall jewelry at that point...a few years later I saw a friends 1 carat, Internally Flawless, well cut diamond and my mind changed quickly....and since then..well, a lot has changed lol

We got married really young for our generation, but we had been best of friends for 3.5 years and didn't see any reason to wait. When you you know, you know....we have so many friends that are just now getting married and having kids at our age...it is fun to be all done and to have kids old enough that we can sleep in when we want and if we are tired they can get themselves food and even cook for us! lol
View attachment 644783

These are recent photos...17 years and 3 kids later...boy time flies

Lovely story and you have a beautiful family! Thanks for sharing and I can totally relate to not into bling earlier in life!

 

[missy]

I absolutely love this, missy. Thank you for sharing your entire story. If you ever find a photo of yourself in the polka dot dress, please add it to this thread. I bet you looked happy (and beautiful) that day!

Hugs,
Deb

Hi Deb! I did not forget and finally am going through old photos this morning. And look what I came across. We eloped on one of the hottest most humid days that summer August 3rd. We got married by a female judge at our local City Hall. We took the train there and the train back and Greg went to work afterwards. Yet is was/is one of my most romantic memories. Marrying the love of my life in one of my most spontaneous (for me) moves ever. Our only witness was our friend who took the only photos we have of the occasion. Let's just say these are not our most flattering photos but I am so glad I found them and thank you for being the inspiration to look for them. So to answer your question yes I looked and was very happy (and very hot lol). (((Hugs))) @AGBF





With my fake $20 bouquet of flowers Greg insisted on getting right before we went into the city hall building. LOL I was arguing with him it's too expensive. Hahaha. I still have those flowers to this day.




And 3 months later we had the "big" scheduled wedding with all our friends and family.

Screen capture from a friend's grainy phone video...we didn't do professional photos or video at either of our weddings.
Married by a rabbi and priest.

 

[ringbling17]

Here is a picture my husband’s niece sent me. Married on June 2nd 1993. We look so young in this picture. I was 20 and five months pregnant! I can’t believe we will be celebrating our 26th wedding anniversary soon. How time flies...

 

[Starfacet]

Oddly, my youngest says she wants to use my dress which I am trying to tell her is not a good idea. Although I have no idea what condition it is in anyway.

LOVE this dress!! I can see why she wants to wear it! It can probably be professionally cleaned and look great!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

LOVE this dress!! I can see why she wants to wear it! It can probably be professionally cleaned and look great!

Aww, thanks so much! Fortunately I got married right before the '80's styles came along! Mine is fairly classic as a result!

 

[junebug17]

You really looked like a princess, junebug. You are an incredibly beautiful woman. I saw these photos before I went away for the Memorial Day weekend but did not have the time to respond to it. I have to tell you that they really made an impression on me. You are lovely. Your husband is handsome. I love your gown and cap. Everything is just perfect. I want to come back and look at these photos when I have time. Thank you for sharing them!

Hugs,
(((junebug)))
Deb

@AGBF, I've been meaning to respond to this for a while , please forgive me...your thoughtful words mean so much to me and I truly appreciate them. Thank you so much for your kindness. (((HUGS)))

 

[diamondringlover]

Married in May 1984 still married today. The dress is white lace over ivory..and of course since it was 1984 white hat and of course silk flowers lol as a FYI this is a cell phone picture of the orginial

 

[pearaffair]

Oh yes, loving the wedding hats!!!

Also I love how @missy and her husband are kissing in 99% of the photos Awww l’amour!

 

[Bonfire]

Aww, thanks so much! Fortunately I got married right before the '80's styles came along! Mine is fairly classic as a result!

Hey now!!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Lucky timing, that's all it was! I don't think I have ever told anyone this, but after we got engaged, I went in a bridal shop in the city I lived in alone just to take a look at dresses. I saw the one in the picture and it was on sale, so I tried it on and really liked it (I realize it is a pretty simple dress which I guess is "me". ) I called my mother and asked her if she minded if I bought a dress without her, and she said to get it if it was what I wanted. So that was the only dress I tried on, and I was alone when I found it...not the typical scenario!

 

[Mrs_Strizzle]

So this was my second marriage and I wanted to elope. He was also married before, and wanted a "real" wedding. We compromised and had a New Year's Eve party/wedding.

I can't believe I don't have a pic on my phone if he and I. But here's one I cherish since it's 4 generations. I'm a lucky woman.

 

[CloverBuddha]

In the Royal Wedding thread a poster commented that royal brides had to be covered up, not showing cleavage, bare shoulders, or too much upper arm. The photo below shows Lady Diana Spencer; Katherine Middleton; and Meghan Markle at their weddings. I was married in the United states in 1977. As I posted in the Royal Wedding thread, at that point some people had started to marry less conventionally (on beaches, on so forth). When I was growing up in the 1950's and early 1960's, however, brides never dressed to show bare shoulders or cleavage. A bride dressed modestly. In this thread I invite you to post a photo of yourself to show how covered up you were when you got married. Letting us know the year; the country; and the venue (e.g. a church or a private beach or garden) in which you got married would also be interesting. You can disguise your face if you desire anonymity.

I will start. I had a church wedding in 1977 in the United States. The planning for it was very rushed (done in one month) so my veil was the wrong one; my hair wasn't professionally done; my dress wasn't correctly altered, and so forth. In the second photo one can see my Juliet cap had slipped back on my head. I am not delighted with all the details of what I ended up wearing or how I had my hair. (I am afraid my ensemble will be picked apart the way Meghan Markle's was and I had no assistance getting ready), but this is the general style I chose and also what I considered modern and acceptable in that era. The dress I wore in 1977 follows the general guidelines of what royal brides still wear; it is what was once universally considered to be tasteful for a church wedding.

Please share!

Deb/AGBF

From left to right
The late Diana, Princess of Wales; The Duchess of Cambridge; The Duchess of Sussex:


AGBF married in The United States at a church ceremony in 1977:

Oh, he just looks so lovely! I can’t think of anything that can be faulted, you just look like a proper bride! Thanks for starting this thread… I’m not going to be married for another year, but it will be on the beach and, my shoulders will be exposed with a very long veil.

 

[CloverBuddha]

Married 41 years ago today in 1977! This was fairly typical of the style back then. I really loved my dress but by today's standards, we look very dated - but then we are - lol!

So sweet! Love your veil… Taking that away for some inspiration for my veil

 

[KKJohnson]

Oh what a fun thread! Yesterday was our 6 year anniversary so guess it’s a good time to share!

I was actually set up in a blind double date with my husband and we went to the state fair, who would have thought I would have married that man

I wanted a court house wedding with no fuss involved but my husband wanted the big destination wedding in Jamaica and there was no convincing him otherwise. I bought my wedding dress from a consignment shop, it was a sample dress for 50% off and my reception dress I bought off eBay lol

 

[CloverBuddha]

Oh what a fun thread! Yesterday was our 6 year anniversary so guess it’s a good time to share!

I was actually set up in a blind double date with my husband and we went to the state fair, who would have thought I would have married that man

I wanted a court house wedding with no fuss involved but my husband wanted the big destination wedding in Jamaica and there was no convincing him otherwise. I bought my wedding dress from a consignment shop, it was a sample dress for 50% off and my reception dress I bought off eBay lol

Wowowowowow! You look absolutely amazing! Such a pretty dress, such a pretty smile.

By the way, we are going to be destination wedding twins! I’m getting married in Jamaica next year in November. In fact, in two weeks time we’re going to go and meet the wedding planner to discuss details, do a quick Quick run through (to time my walk up the aisle so we know how long the music will last before I get to the top of the runway!) I know, I’m an uber organised person and leave nothing to chance!

My only disappointment is that my engagement ring won’t be ready for taking photographs with when we’re out there.

By the way, where were you married on the island? My ceremony will be under a gazebo like the one you have photographed. I’m ever so curious now-I love the island well.

 

[AV_]

I had just turned 21 less than a month before we got married and my husband was still 21! We had been best of friends for all of our college years and then we got married at the end of our senior year of college. ...
We got married really young for our generation, but we had been best of friends for 3.5 years and didn't see any reason to wait. When you you know, you know... ... it is fun to be all done and to have kids old enough

Just reading the story makes me happy!

Good for you!

 

[KKJohnson]

By the way, where were you married on the island? My ceremony will be under a gazebo like the one you have photographed. I’m ever so curious now-I love the island well.

We got married at Sandals in Ocho Rios, it was really nice but it rained all day! We had to delay the wedding till it stopped raining and move the reception indoors, I was really sad about having to relocate. But the rain did allow everyone to get good and drunk before the ceremony lol

 

[CloverBuddha]

We got married at Sandals in Ocho Rios, it was really nice but it rained all day! We had to delay the wedding till it stopped raining and move the reception indoors, I was really sad about having to relocate. But the rain did allow everyone to get good and drunk before the ceremony lol

Oh no! What time of year? We are getting married in a place called Runaway Bay, which is 30 minutes from Montego Bay and not far from ‘Ochi’

We’ve chosen end of November: it’s the end of the hurricane season and bordering on December- the month for the best weather, without the high season costs. Your photos look lovely though…

 

[mrs-b]

Well, all I can say is - there are some STUNNING women on PriceScope!!

I scanned a few photos, but I think they've come out minute. So I'll try uploading them and see what happens. And let me just say - our wedding was in 1984. Which explains a lot.

Firstly, we got married *here*...because we wanted something low key (ok, our parents stepped in - hard - and this is where they chose):



We had our reception in *this* room. I'm pretty sure we sat on those same, massively uncomfortable chairs.



I got married on the first day of spring, so wore a floristry on my head.



My sister, who everyone is afraid of, including me, was my maid of honor. Growing up with her was like having a third parent. Here's a shot of us with me looking like I'm a) about to get married and b) about to get into trouble for it. Notice the side eye.



Two months later, when my headpiece had dried and was a more manageable size (and still awfully pretty, in fact!) we took some more photos. Here's one with my best friend, who was a bridesmaid and is still my best friend to this day. Notice, wedding stress has passed and we are now smiling.



Lastly - the fabric in my dress was embroidered for me in Paris. It has my favorite flowers embroidered into it - heavy around the hem, the neckline and the wrists, then climbing in tendrils down to my waist, up my arms, and up the skirt from the hem. It was, and remains, the most beautiful wedding fabric I have ever seen.

ETA There are holly leaves all around the hem, sleeves and neckline also, connecting all the embroidered flowers.

 

[MissGotRocks]

Lucky timing, that's all it was! I don't think I have ever told anyone this, but after we got engaged, I went in a bridal shop in the city I lived in alone just to take a look at dresses. I saw the one in the picture and it was on sale, so I tried it on and really liked it (I realize it is a pretty simple dress which I guess is "me". ) I called my mother and asked her if she minded if I bought a dress without her, and she said to get it if it was what I wanted. So that was the only dress I tried on, and I was alone when I found it...not the typical scenario!

Believe it or not DS, my story was very similar to yours! I found my dress alone too and it was also on sale at a bridal shop. I bought it and took my mother back to look at it - thankfully she loved it! She found her mother of the bride dress there too. There is so much that goes into weddings today that just didn't seem present back in the day. These stories seem rather odd today but at the time, it really was no big deal to sometimes dress shop alone!

I had my dress cleaned and packed and swore if I ever had a daughter, I would at least want her to try it on. She did and boy did we laugh! She fussed about how scratchy the lace was and how she hated the long sleeves. I knew it would never be her style and honestly wanted her to have her own wedding dress. She was a good egg though to honor my wish of trying it on. I then wadded it back up into the box and back in the closet it went - for what I don't know but didn't have the heart to part with it just yet.

 

[mrs-b]

Here's one last photo. I had the flu the week of my wedding and during the reception fell asleep on DH's shoulder. He, on the other had, was apparently 'there for the food!'

 

[KKJohnson]

Oh no! What time of year? We are getting married in a place called Runaway Bay, which is 30 minutes from Montego Bay and not far from ‘Ochi’

We’ve chosen end of November: it’s the end of the hurricane season and bordering on December- the month for the best weather, without the high season costs. Your photos look lovely though…

October 23rd is when we got married, it was literally the only day it rained the entire week lol

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Believe it or not DS, my story was very similar to yours! I found my dress alone too and it was also on sale at a bridal shop. I bought it and took my mother back to look at it - thankfully she loved it! She found her mother of the bride dress there too. There is so much that goes into weddings today that just didn't seem present back in the day. These stories seem rather odd today but at the time, it really was no big deal to sometimes dress shop alone!

I had my dress cleaned and packed and swore if I ever had a daughter, I would at least want her to try it on. She did and boy did we laugh! She fussed about how scratchy the lace was and how she hated the long sleeves. I knew it would never be her style and honestly wanted her to have her own wedding dress. She was a good egg though to honor my wish of trying it on. I then wadded it back up into the box and back in the closet it went - for what I don't know but didn't have the heart to part with it just yet.

You know, I guess that's very true that dress shopping wasn't the event back then as it seems to be now. We didn't waste as much money on weddings and receptions, either! It's funny, though, that we both did about the same thing, and your picture looks a lot like mine except your dress had long sleeves! Even the husbands had the black tuxes with the wide black bow ties! I had my dress cleaned and sealed, too, but my older daughter didn't even ask about trying it on! She wanted to go dress shopping, and the first place we went, she found one she loved. In fact, she burst into tears when she looked at herself in the mirror! So I never brought up trying on mine! lol! The younger one is practical and brought up wanting to try on mine. So when the time comes, we shall see if that packaging preserved the dress or not!

 

[CloverBuddha]

October 23rd is when we got married, it was literally the only day it rained the entire week lol

Pants! Anyway happy belated wedding anniversary

 

[MissGotRocks]

You know, I guess that's very true that dress shopping wasn't the event back then as it seems to be now. We didn't waste as much money on weddings and receptions, either! It's funny, though, that we both did about the same thing, and your picture looks a lot like mine except your dress had long sleeves! Even the husbands had the black tuxes with the wide black bow ties! I had my dress cleaned and sealed, too, but my older daughter didn't even ask about trying it on! She wanted to go dress shopping, and the first place we went, she found one she loved. In fact, she burst into tears when she looked at herself in the mirror! So I never brought up trying on mine! lol! The younger one is practical and brought up wanting to try on mine. So when the time comes, we shall see if that packaging preserved the dress or not!

My dress was perfect except for some yellowing at the shoulder/sleeve seam. Not sure if it could have been removed but it was ok since it wasn't going to be used. I was surprised at that though; the rest of the dress, slip and veil were perfect after 30+ years at the time we opened the dress box.

Good luck with your opening - would be very special if your daughter decided to wear the dress!