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Strawberries has a dress!

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Date: 3/1/2009 10:02:47 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
Wow, thanks for telling us about this! I am not seeing on the site where the store is in SC...can you show me where that is? (Found it..Santee)

PS...all three dresses look great on you!
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Thanks diamondseeker!

You are very welcome! Looks like you found the store on the website. I think this was the only stop they're making in this area. Looks like they're coming to Atlanta in April, and Kentucky in September. I would SOOOOO recommend this to anyone who it's convenient for and would like to save some money on a dress while helping a great cause. Some of the dresses are donated, but they say over 50% of them are straight from bridal salons and designers.

Everyone there is really nice. They have women local to each tour area volunteer to help girls with the dresses. I'm thinking about volunteering next year. And the ones that work on the tour know so much about the inventory and are so helpful. One told me today that the one I chose came straight from brides.com or the magazine. She looked at it and said it didn't even look like it had been modeled.

I tried on all prices ranges from $399 (originally $950) to $1600 (originally $4000!!)... so the savings are great. I love it because I hated the idea of spending a thousand bucks or more on a brand new dress I'd wear for half a day and never again - and have to wait months for. Now I have a dress in my hand!
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And like I said, the money goes to a great cause. And they have photographers there to take your picture (and they post them on their website that day), plus a few local vendors for while you wait to go in the dress room. It's just great because everyone there is in support of the foundation, not just to get business. I really enjoyed it - it was a very pleasant experience. I'm sure their store in SC would be a great place to visit, and I'm sure the people there are just as nice - I still may go down there.
 
Some of my family lives in Columbia, so a trip to Santee would be very possible. My daughter is 23 and dating someone wonderful, so I am starting to save sites like this one! We definitely will try to save money on things like the dress. I just can''t see $1000+ for wearing just a few hours, either. What I like about this place is that they seem to have a huge inventory AND the money goes for a great cause!

I''ll be watching to see which one you end up with!
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1 and 3 are beautiful and look lovely on you :D.

2 the heavy beading on the bodice under the arm will eat your arm alive - friend of mine had BM dresses with similar beading under the arm and her BM was the one that complained about it to me.
 
Date: 3/1/2009 11:04:06 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
Some of my family lives in Columbia, so a trip to Santee would be very possible. My daughter is 23 and dating someone wonderful, so I am starting to save sites like this one! We definitely will try to save money on things like the dress. I just can''t see $1000+ for wearing just a few hours, either. What I like about this place is that they seem to have a huge inventory AND the money goes for a great cause!

I''ll be watching to see which one you end up with!
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I am 23 also! That is great your daughter has found someone so wonderful!!
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Yes I am very much about saving money where it''s practical. Mom wants things to be nice, and I do too. But all the normal, expensive, useless traditions probably will not all be followed - and this is a prime example. It''s so practical, and helpful to both parties. If we hadn''t found anything today or in the store, we''d certainly try bridal salons. But now there''s no need to, and no waiting involved.

Let me know if you guys get to go down there, and I''ll do the same - I think it would take a whole day, haha, judging by the amount of dresses they carry... but it would be really fun. And speaking from today - it''s so great to just search by size, find one that fits me and that I like... and walk out with it!
 
Deelight - Thank you for the opinion, and for the advice! That was something I definitely noticed, especially in many others I tried on with beading all over the bodice - they actually itched me, I couldn''t stand it.
 
Date: 3/1/2009 11:10:47 PM
Author: luvthemstrawberries

Date: 3/1/2009 11:04:06 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
Some of my family lives in Columbia, so a trip to Santee would be very possible. My daughter is 23 and dating someone wonderful, so I am starting to save sites like this one! We definitely will try to save money on things like the dress. I just can''t see $1000+ for wearing just a few hours, either. What I like about this place is that they seem to have a huge inventory AND the money goes for a great cause!

I''ll be watching to see which one you end up with!
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I am 23 also! That is great your daughter has found someone so wonderful!!
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Yes I am very much about saving money where it''s practical. Mom wants things to be nice, and I do too. But all the normal, expensive, useless traditions probably will not all be followed - and this is a prime example. It''s so practical, and helpful to both parties. If we hadn''t found anything today or in the store, we''d certainly try bridal salons. But now there''s no need to, and no waiting involved.

Let me know if you guys get to go down there, and I''ll do the same - I think it would take a whole day, haha, judging by the amount of dresses they carry... but it would be really fun. And speaking from today - it''s so great to just search by size, find one that fits me and that I like... and walk out with it!
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Yes, I LOVE it that they have so many in the actual size! That increases the likelihood of not having to have lots of alterations, too. We''ll definitely post if we go! (She went to ASU...how about you?)
 
I love #1 the most, but I like all of them on you. I am very curious to hear which one you picked!
 
Alright, thats enough
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tell us which one you picked
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i like number two i think, but they''re all pretty, or maybe i like number one the most, i cant decide
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seriously though, cough up the goods
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Date: 3/1/2009 11:56:42 PM
Author: katamari
I love #1 the most, but I like all of them on you. I am very curious to hear which one you picked!
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Ditto!

You''re quite the tease, Strawberries!
 
Oh just tell us! I wouldn''t want to share an overly ''honest'' opinion on a dress that turns out to be the one you chose
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Date: 3/1/2009 11:12:35 PM
Author: luvthemstrawberries
Deelight - Thank you for the opinion, and for the advice! That was something I definitely noticed, especially in many others I tried on with beading all over the bodice - they actually itched me, I couldn''t stand it.
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No worries HTH :), I know that the problem got progressively worse as the night progressed and her arm was really red on the inside from it. I would hate to think of someone being uncomfortable on their special night :).
 
Which one? They are all BEAUTIFUL!! I would have such a hard time picking. I really liked 2 and 3 actually, but 1 was also amazing! I just liked the beading
 
Wow love them all. I would have to say #1 is my favorite though. I can''t wait to see which one you got!
 
My order would be #1, #2, then #3.

I think that #3 makes your hips look wider than they are.

#1 is delicious. It''s a beautiful dress on its own and on you its even more beautiful.

And #2 gives so much definition to your waistline. I love this one too.
 
Apparently I''m one of the few who like #3 the best. It just looks more sophisticated to me (and looks like really nice fabric too). I think it''s unique with the bodice detailing without being over the top in any way.

Anyway, looking forward to hearing which one you did choose!
 
I''m with fiery, 1,2, 3 in that order.
 
diamondseeker - I went to UNC Charlotte. My brother''s girlfriend goes to App and loves it up there! Hehe but my brother thinks it''s too cold!
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katamari - Thank you!

Blackpaw - Haha I couldn''t decide either. I promise I''m not dragging it out!
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I posted last night and responded to a few posters, then went to bed - this is the first time I''ve been on since then! Hehe I''m coughing it up in the next post!

VRBeauty - Hehe I really wasn''t trying to tease. I just never got the chance to post before I chose one, so I really wanted some objective opinions on the dresses, since I do have a chance to go back down to the store and change my decision later (though probably not for another of these 3).

musey - You''re very sweet.
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Deelight - It definitely helps to have advice like that! Yeah I certainly wouldn''t want to be uncomfortable.

sba771 - It was a really hard thing to pick!! Thank you for the opinion!

iloveprincesscuts - Thanks!

february2003bride - Thanks!

fieryred - Thank you for the opinions! Seriously! These are exactly the things I was looking to hear. (I don''t know if I''m late to this party, but it''s a girl?? Congratulations!!!!
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)

havernell - Thank you also! As I''ve said, I was looking for objective opinions just like this. It really was beautiful fabric, and lovely color... and the diagonal pleats (?) through the bodice were beautiful.

bee - Thank you!
 
And the winner was...
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I think the second one was the most flattering on you. It can always be let out a bit in the waist. ALL of them looked really nice. I can see where it would be hard to choose.
 
Well folks, thank you so much, sincerely, for appeasing me and giving me your opinions. I honestly wasn''t trying to tease or drag things on. It just occurred to me as I posted these how much I just honestly have come to value everybody''s opinion on here!! I so wanted to post Saturday night, but I never got a chance to. So now, even though I''ve made a choice, I still have the opportunity to go down to South Carolina and see what else they have if I ended up questioning my decision, or if yall had brought up things I hadn''t noticed.

So with no more blabbing
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...

Hanging here in my house right now is... Dress #1!!
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It really does make me feel even better to know that the vast majority of you loved this one. #3 was so beautiful in its own right - the color, the fabric, and the pleating on the bodice - but the seam across the waist did bother me that it looked crooked. And it affirms my opinion that some on here thought it cut me in half, or shortened me. I also loved #2 - it really was between this and #1 in the end. But since #2 was so cinched in the waist on my body, while it did make it look tiny, I thought it sort of made my hips look wider. Most people there said it didn't, but it did make the hip without beading show more, including that seam.


So #1 ended up being the highest contender, and it really needs no alterations except hemming, and perhaps to shorten the train if I choose. I LOVED the buttons from top to bottom. They completely cover the zipper through the bodice, and I think I actually preferred this one in the back of the bodice compared to the asymmetrical one (#2). I also liked the way the train fell in the back of #1 compared to #2, after looking at pictures. So I really feel like I picked the one I liked the best, which makes me even happier! The only other thing I may do is take out a layer of crinoline under the skirt - there are 4 layers up under there, which makes it really really full. I'd just take out the one that starts at the upper thigh and seems to add some width to my body there. But we'll see. Is that an ok thing to do?

ETA: I think I'd also give it a sweetheard neckline!
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I don't know much about bustling yet. But one of the women that works for the tour there said this was one way it could be done, since the train is so long.

ETA - After looking at this again, it almost looks too long there too. You can do double bustles right? Or I could shorten up the train. Hmmmm...

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Yay!!! I think it''s lovely.
 
Yay! I loved number 1 too! Sine the train is so long, you can have fun with that bustle; you can make multiple "points", and have a dramatic bustle, if you so choose.

Congrats on your dress, it really is beautiful on you!
 
Winks_Elf - Thank you! They did mention that it may be able to be let out a little bit. The only thing that made that decision was the left hip without beading was so tight. When I really get on my good fitness/nutrition regimen, I could lose a little there in the hip. But they said the best thing to help that area would be to wear spanx or a full body bra, but I had absolutely no room under there for something like that. It was such a tough choice though. Even looking at the pictures now, I still LOVE #2 - it was so unique!
 
Freke - Thanks!

Beachrunner - I''ll keep that in mind. I''m just not one to carry around a bunch of material, but it seemed to be growing on me yesterday, with the longer I had those dresses on!
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Thank you! I''m just so excited/amazed we actually found one, of all times!
 
I do have a very nit picky question for all of you about the dress, and I'd like your opinions/advice. In the picture above where she demonstrated the bustle, you get a good look at the back of the bodice. About 2/3 of the way down the bodice, there are 2 wrinkles, one on each side of the zipper. Inside the dress is an additional layer of boning that zips on its own, inside the bodice zipper. The bottom of that boning is where that wrinkle happens. The wrinkle's not made by skin, it's just the material of the bodice. I don't know if steaming would get rid of that problem, or the lady mentioned having a seamstress tack down the layers of lace and beading may help. It doesn't do it as much in the front, but it very slightly does. I only noticed it when I had to get nit picky to make a decision on a dress, but now that I know it's there, it's something I'd like to try to fix. It may just be a little snug, and losing a little of the extra flab may help loosen it up a bit. Any ideas?
 
YAY!
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I think a sweetheart neckline will be really flattering and show off a fabulous necklace which you will now have to get
 
I LOVE #1 You just look stunning... what a lovely preview!
 
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