Faerievert
Shiny_Rock
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2005
- Messages
- 189
OK, here''s the story of my wedding dress. I got engaged in early August, and after about a week, started combing the internet for dresses. We were planning on an August wedding for next year, so I knew I had plenty of time (we''ve since moved that up to June 3). I had planned an a beaded halterneck a-line. That''s what most of my favorites looked like. Then I came across this one at the David''s Bridal site. I''m very pale, so I really look dreadful in white, and I just love wearing red - give me more color, you know?
So a couple weeks later my parents helped me move out of college and off to Ypsilanti, MI with my fiance. My mom and I got to talk wedding all we wanted on the way, because my dad was driving a second vehicle
. I had my laptop with me, and it turned out the hotel we stayed at along the way had free internet, so of course I had to show my mom pictures online when we got there. She''d asked about dresses, and I''d mentioned the one above. We went and looked at it online. She loved it too. Then she commented, "so are there any red ones you like?" I know my eyes got all wide and I was thinking ''you can DO that?''. I told her I had seen some on the haute couture sites, but I hadn''t really given them a second thought - for the price, and the color. My mind was racing with possbilities. Thank goodness for google to have the answers to my questions. I typed in ''red wedding dress'' and the hunt was on. Mostly, you get info on Chinese wedding traditions. But I couldn''t possibly be the first do think of doing this. Eventually, I found a link to the Moonlight Jewel Collection. My mom and I absolutely adored this one:
The girl in the picture even looks a lot like me (ok, I''m not that skinny - but I really do have that hair). We found a bridal shop in Ann Arbor that stocks the collection. The day after we moved in we somehow convinced my fiance and father to let us peruse the store while they wondered around the shopping center it was in (there''s about 2 dozen little to midsized stores all clustered together, it''s rather cute really). I know we kept them waiting too long, but it takes forever to try these dresses on. I think I tried on 6 total. First, the only red one they had in stock (didn''t like the style much, but the color looked great on me), then the one from the photo above in white. It is very very pretty, even in the white, but I didn''t like the skirt. It just reminded me too much of a swirl of whipped cream. Just too plain for my taste I guess. Then we tried a fabulously beaded two-tone (white with red accents). The beading on the skirt was amazing, but I didn''t like the top much. Then I tried the dress shown below, again in white. I loved it. The neckline was so flattering. And I love the rhinestones, especially along the bottom edge of the skirt. I had seen that one online too, and the picture just doesn''t do it justice. The gathered top looks silly in the picture, but maybe you just need a little more chest than a fashion model to make it work. It made my waist look tiny, and I loved the way the back looked when the bustled up the train. The best part, in my opinion is that it has the tie up corset back. I really wanted something with ties. Takes an extra 10-20 minutes to do them up right rather than just a zipper, but I LOVE IT! I''m going to wear my hair down (a lot like the top picture) and probably get this beautiful feathered side comb they had at the shop to pull it back on one side. I can''t figure out a way to make a veil work with the ensemble, so I''m a little disappointed that I may not have one at all (I had planned something elbow length with a blusher, but it just doesn''t work with this look.
So we ordered it. They offered us a 15% discount if we ordered it that day, and the starting price was $780, so even with tax it was just over $700 (within my $800 max budget). But my mom said if I was getting a red dress, I should keep it a secret - make it a surprise for when I arrive at the ceremony. Well, so far the secret is safe, only my parents and I - and now you - know. I''m not sure how long I can hold out. Everyone''s going to find out early on the wedding day now anyway, as we''re doing all the photography before the ceremony. So do I go ahead and tell everyone? Do I keep the secret? I''ve got my attendants in black dresses, and I''m sticking pretty well to a black and white and silver decoration theme.
Eventually I''ll get around figuring out flowers and such, ask for more opinions then. We are having the ceremony and reception at the Louisville Zoo in a large room they have available to rent - it''s overlooking the aviary, and has an adjacent room with a private viewing area. We''re having orangutans on the other side of that glass wall, and setting it up as a room for the children to eat in. So it''s not like we''re exactly going traditional anyway. Basically I just had to tell someone, and it''s always nice to get feedback from you all - even if it''s to say you''re scandelized by the whole idea.
So a couple weeks later my parents helped me move out of college and off to Ypsilanti, MI with my fiance. My mom and I got to talk wedding all we wanted on the way, because my dad was driving a second vehicle
The girl in the picture even looks a lot like me (ok, I''m not that skinny - but I really do have that hair). We found a bridal shop in Ann Arbor that stocks the collection. The day after we moved in we somehow convinced my fiance and father to let us peruse the store while they wondered around the shopping center it was in (there''s about 2 dozen little to midsized stores all clustered together, it''s rather cute really). I know we kept them waiting too long, but it takes forever to try these dresses on. I think I tried on 6 total. First, the only red one they had in stock (didn''t like the style much, but the color looked great on me), then the one from the photo above in white. It is very very pretty, even in the white, but I didn''t like the skirt. It just reminded me too much of a swirl of whipped cream. Just too plain for my taste I guess. Then we tried a fabulously beaded two-tone (white with red accents). The beading on the skirt was amazing, but I didn''t like the top much. Then I tried the dress shown below, again in white. I loved it. The neckline was so flattering. And I love the rhinestones, especially along the bottom edge of the skirt. I had seen that one online too, and the picture just doesn''t do it justice. The gathered top looks silly in the picture, but maybe you just need a little more chest than a fashion model to make it work. It made my waist look tiny, and I loved the way the back looked when the bustled up the train. The best part, in my opinion is that it has the tie up corset back. I really wanted something with ties. Takes an extra 10-20 minutes to do them up right rather than just a zipper, but I LOVE IT! I''m going to wear my hair down (a lot like the top picture) and probably get this beautiful feathered side comb they had at the shop to pull it back on one side. I can''t figure out a way to make a veil work with the ensemble, so I''m a little disappointed that I may not have one at all (I had planned something elbow length with a blusher, but it just doesn''t work with this look.
So we ordered it. They offered us a 15% discount if we ordered it that day, and the starting price was $780, so even with tax it was just over $700 (within my $800 max budget). But my mom said if I was getting a red dress, I should keep it a secret - make it a surprise for when I arrive at the ceremony. Well, so far the secret is safe, only my parents and I - and now you - know. I''m not sure how long I can hold out. Everyone''s going to find out early on the wedding day now anyway, as we''re doing all the photography before the ceremony. So do I go ahead and tell everyone? Do I keep the secret? I''ve got my attendants in black dresses, and I''m sticking pretty well to a black and white and silver decoration theme.
Eventually I''ll get around figuring out flowers and such, ask for more opinions then. We are having the ceremony and reception at the Louisville Zoo in a large room they have available to rent - it''s overlooking the aviary, and has an adjacent room with a private viewing area. We''re having orangutans on the other side of that glass wall, and setting it up as a room for the children to eat in. So it''s not like we''re exactly going traditional anyway. Basically I just had to tell someone, and it''s always nice to get feedback from you all - even if it''s to say you''re scandelized by the whole idea.
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