Tried on two more dresses...opinons please!!!

[Mara]

oh yes someone brought up a wonderful point re heavy wedding dresses.

i have posted on this before but one of my girlfriends got married a few years ago in a stunning wedding in an old mansion around here. her dress was beautiful, elaborate, detailed and HEAVY with different things.

by the end of the evening, my only image of her stuck in my brain is her rushing around trying to see everyone, do the dancing, etc etc with her hair all sweaty and stuck to her head. REALLY not appealing. and honestly i cannot get that image unstuck. it's unfortunate she chose such a huge heavy dress, but she wanted something renaissance-ish to go with the mansion. but i can never forget that. when i was shopping for my dress, the top priority was that it not be too much material, too heavy, too formal. and good thing because in hawaii that NIGHT it was 80! it was really hot and everyone was sweating. all i could think of was that i was really happy that i didn't choose a really heavy gown because you never know.

anyway, think about that for sure. esp in july. and i do think the reem is overkill for that simple setting you posted. for me the reem is a cathedral church gown with a huge very elaborate wedding. i am a huge fan of the dress matching the surroundings...aka simple for simple surroundings, or wearing a beautiful elaborate gown in a huge church etc.

for me, it's not about the dress and what people *want* to buy or what styles they just love. for me it's about how damn good do you look in the gown? these are pictures you are going to see FOREVER. do you want a dress that you just really liked the style of no matter how it looks, or do you want a dress that looks absolutely wonderful on YOU and makes YOU look even better and highlights the wonderful things about you rather than accentuating the things you might not love as much? that is what i was always trying to think of when shopping. the salesgaal told me that so many girls try to get these dresses that don't even fit their body shapes, and it's like they HAVE To have them because it's their 'dream dress' or whatever. why would anyone want to make themselves look purposefully shorter or bigger? totally don't get it. anyway, oh and on the trend thing, i don't think you should worry as much about it...i think what i said previously was trends come and go and you can't really live your life based on not wanting to be trendy, buy what you like, what looks good on you and don't worry about what it might look like in pictures 10-20-30 years from now. pickups might even be back at some point...doesn't everything come back?

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Date: 11/17/2006 11:29:07 AM
Author: Mara
for me, it''s not about the dress and what people *want* to buy or what styles they just love. for me it''s about how damn good do you look in the gown? these are pictures you are going to see FOREVER. do you want a dress that you just really liked the style of no matter how it looks, or do you want a dress that looks absolutely wonderful on YOU and makes YOU look even better and highlights the wonderful things about you rather than accentuating the things you might not love as much?

I want to agree with Mara on this one. I can speak from experience. I got married 11-1/2 years ago. I had a dress from a previous engagement that I never got to wear. When I got engaged to my current husband, I couldn''t bear to have my parents purchase another dress when I had a perfectly good one sitting in my closet! When I tried it on, it still fit me perfectly, so I decided to wear it. Everyone told me I looked beautiful (yada yada yada), but I look back on those pictures now and I realize how much I hated the dress!

Not because it was from my first engagement. Because I realized that my tastes had changed from my first engagement to my 2nd. My mother loved the dress and so I wore it for her. But I look at those pictures and in my heart-of-hearts I can tell you I probably should''ve never worn that dress. Even about 3 months before the wedding, I remember thinking "I hate this dress!" But I never did anything about it.

As Mara said, find the dress that will make you look and feel beautiful! That''s the dress you''ll see yourself in years from now as you look through all your photos. You want to remember back on that day as the most beautiful woman you were (and will be!)....

 

[cara]

So my first thought was...

OMG! Just buy that Reem and be done with it! That dress is gorgeous!

Then... I must admit, YOU look gorgeous in the third dress. It fits beautifully, its all gorgeous, the focus is a little more on you, and your figure looks great. The dress is lovely, but not quite the same impact as the Reem. (And, I''ll just agree with the do-not-buy-the-mermaid-dress people. Does not flatter your shape...)

So, comes down to what you are looking for in a dress. Some people want a little more impact with the dress itself, others are looking for more something that flatters them and doesn''t command as much attention in itself.

As for it fitting your wedding, I would think carefully about this. Personally, if I bought the Reem for your venue, I would go super-easy on the other stuff as someone suggested. No veil (or very simple one), simple jewelry, etc. However, I don''t think its too too much, not if you are having the formal wedding trappings.

 

[decodelighted]

I like the REEM ... and I wonder if the folks who are saying that they "notice YOU more" in the third picture realize that YOUR HEAD is cut off in the REEM pictures!

OF COURSE you notice the DRESS more then!

Ixnay on the Mermaid. ESPECIALLY with the bolero. You''re so curvy up top & tan ... the super white bolero cuts you up in a weirdly unflattering way. I don''t think you''re going to be able to do a White White bolero no matter WHAT dress you pick ... not even the third one .. there''s just not enough room above your chest or something - the proportions are very very tricky.

The REEM just looks AMAZING on you. I can''t speak to the tattoo situaton ... are you going to wear you hair half up & half down? Maybe get some special scar covering supersonic makeup?

 

[SoonIHope]

Date: 11/17/2006 12:21:21 PM
Author: decodelighted
I like the REEM ... and I wonder if the folks who are saying that they ''notice YOU more'' in the third picture realize that YOUR HEAD is cut off in the REEM pictures!

OF COURSE you notice the DRESS more then!

Haha, I was just coming back to this thread to say exactly this!! Try posting a headless Marisa and/or a headed Reem and then we can compare a little more easily!

 

[Gypsy]

Don''t like the Mermaid. You''ve got a great figure and that just does al the wrong things to it.

The reem is okay.

But that Marrisa! OH YEAH. I LOVE IT on you. Pluse I prefer the white with your coloring... striking contrast. Part of my problem with the reem is the color.

 

[Mara]

i can quite easily imagine chelle's head on the reem...but that dress is just so plain distracting!!! it really IS stunning and beautiful. but on a dressmaker's bust. that other picture posted of the bride with that other reem on....all i could think of was overkill much?! and it wasn't even as elaborate as this reem on the bottom and waist.

part of what people prefer is going to be their personalities. i just flat out do not like overdone dresses. i don't care WHO is wearing it. i love simplicity, i love seeing the beauty of the bride shining through with accessories and classic gowns or dresses with not too much going on. but that is just what i always prefer. so the pickup to me looks the most classic out of all the gowns, even if it is a pickup or bubble or whatever it's called. i don't see myself seeing that reem on any bride EVER and thinking it looks spectacular.

so chelle, what's YOUR personality like? cuz it's your dress.

 

[njc]

Re: Dress being heavy

My dress was on the heavy side, but beause it fit properly, I carried all the weight on my hips. I just remembering thinking how comfortable I was and I was dressed for a good 11 hours. What hurt the most was my feet pounding on the hard tile floor (the $1 Target flip flops turned out to be worth just that!).

In the picture, the dress seems to fit well off the rack! If and when you go back to try it on, try to figure out where you are carrying the weight of the dress.

 

[KimberlyH]

The third dress is my favorite. It is so flattering to your figure and leaves you in the spotlight as opposed to the dress. I like the Reem 2nd best and I am not a fan of the mermaid dress. You have a great figure and that dress doesn''t flatter it.

 

[mercoledi]

I'd have to vote for the Marissa. The Reem is beautiful and extravagant and a fab deal, but I just can't see it for an outdoor ceremony. I also (IMHO) don't think it is as flattering or fits as well as the marissa. The waist embellishment is in a funny place, you can see that it even makes the other bride in the same dress look hip-wide even though I seriously doubt she really is. It also looks like it might not fit you quite right, and the super-shiney fabric accentuates every little pucker and wrinkle. Sorry, maybe it's better in person, but that's how it looks to me in the pictures.

I like the shape of the Marissa on you, and I love the striking white against your skin tone. If you want to fancy it up, that dress is a blank slate to accessorize your heart out on. I'm not sure about the lace bolero though, Deco might be right about that one. It's hard for busty girls to rock the bolero.

Go try them both back on and bring a friend, see which one resonates as being more 'you'.

To address the whole head/no head issue:

 

[Mara]

lol mercoledi re the head issue.

actually that is what i also did not like about the reem. it''s very unflattering at the waistline with all that extra pulling material. it could just be how THAT particular dress fits, but the marissa has none of that and therefore just visually looks more flattering to your figure, chelle.

the other thing that those two last shots make me think of is...in the marissa i look at it and think wow i''d love to have a dress look like that on me and make my figure look smokin hot in all the right places. but the reem doesn''t inspire that in me at all.

 

[labbielove]

I second the idea about bringing 1 or 2 very good friends (that know YOU) to help at the next try on. It can really help with perspective.

After trying on so many gowns it''s easy to lose sight of the big picture, this worked amazingly well for me-
when I was wavering between 2 gowns I walked out in one and they simultaneously said "that is so YOU"- and that''s what I want my day to be about, not the dress. Not sure if that fits for you, but just keep it in mind.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Chelle - I hear you on the willpower.

I have to say though, I''ve struggled a lot with keeping that weight off and some of it came back (partly due to new asthma meds though, so that part I couldn''t control, and its more important to breath than to look thin). The thing that''s worked the best for me so far though, is exercise, running in particular. Its really hard to control your food intake coming up to your wedding, but exercise I found much easier to keep control of and it also provides great stress relief. So don''t pressure yourself too much about your inability to have willpower about what you eat - just exercise more and think of it as stress relief.

BTW, you still look AMAZING, even if you have gained some of the weight back - you will be a beautiful bride no matter what.

And I still like the Reem best - I think its the most flattering on you, and frankly I think the pickups will just look dated in a few years. But AchiO gave some great advice that I wish I''d taken when I was dress shopping - think about what YOU want, not what''s trendy or even appropriate, just what is most flattering on you and what you will want to look back on in 20 years.

 

[lili]

Chellebelle,

I think the Marissa looks best on you.
I have to agree with Mara about the Reem dress.
The Reem is very regal and elegant, but personally
I don''t think you need the extra frill of the embroidery to
enhance your already very well-endowed body

 

[chellebelle]

I''m supposed to be studying for a test I have in my next class, but I just had to pop in! Thank you all for the replies. I really really really don''t know what I''d do without my PS girls. I want to respond to everyone but I''m headed to class. I promise I will later though! I have to say, you all are just so great and I''m still giggling from what some of you said! The whole "no head" comparison cracked me up! Also, I noticed the Marisa dress really does a lot for my... ahem... boobs.

The Marisa kinda showcases them more than the Reem. Is that a bad thing? Do I look too busty?

 

[upgrading mama]

Don''t forget, the permaid dress wasn''t in her size, so that may be why it doesn''t fit perfect.....

I still like that one. Vavavavoom!

 

[E B]

After seeing the side by side that mercoledi made, the Marisa is absolutely my favorite on you. The Reem''s "drop waist" doesn''t seem to be that much of a drop waist, and it sits just a little bit too high. I experienced that with the Reems I tried on, too....they all cut me off right in the middle when what I needed was length!

*chants* Marisa, Marisa, Marisa!

 

[ephemery1]

Date: 11/17/2006 12:39:53 PM
Author: Gypsy
Don't like the Mermaid. You've got a great figure and that just does al the wrong things to it.

The reem is okay.

But that Marrisa! OH YEAH. I LOVE IT on you. Pluse I prefer the white with your coloring... striking contrast. Part of my problem with the reem is the color.

Echo Gypsy... LOVE LOVE LOVE the Marisa... it looks so perfectly conformed to your body... like it was made for you!! Then again, I'm always biased towards dresses that are soft and simple and clean... feminine without being overdone. The Reem would be my second choice on you, though. I agree that the way I thought about it when dress-shopping was: looking back at my pictures years from now, which dress would feel most timeless and classic? For me, that meant the more simple the better. And I HATE dresses with pick-ups usually, but the Marisa is just done so softly I almost wouldn't consider them pick-ups.

 

[Mara]

" Also, I noticed the Marisa dress really does a lot for my... ahem... boobs. The Marisa kinda showcases them more than the Reem. Is that a bad thing? Do I look too busty?"

lol chelle, in case you didn't know it girl...you ARE busty!!!! and it's not a bad thing, i think the marisa 'showcases' things the best for lack of a better word!

 

[Kerbear560]

Date: 11/17/2006 3:13:31 PM
Author: chellebelle
Also, I noticed the Marisa dress really does a lot for my... ahem... boobs.

The Marisa kinda showcases them more than the Reem. Is that a bad thing? Do I look too busty?

Unfortunately, I am not well endowed...at all...lol! When I was trying on dresses, I noticed that if they had a lot of beading/embroidery on the bodice, they made me look even flatter than I really am

, and on the flip side, dresses without any embellishment on the bust area actually made me look a little larger than I really am (one of the reasons I chose the dress that I did)!

With that said, I don''t think the Marisa makes you look too busty, but I think it showcases "the girls" more than the Reem...it depends on the look you''re going for. Personally, I''m leaning towards the Reem, but I would really love to see pictures of you in the Marisa with the bolero and sash to make a fair comparison (I think I remember you saying that you wanted to wear it that way in your previous thread). And, while there''s something to be said for getting our unbiased opinions, we don''t know you in real life, so I third the idea of bringing a couple of good friends with you to try on the dresses and get their opinions on them. In the end, you should choose the one that fits your personality best, and makes you feel the most beautiful!

 

[VRBeauty]

In the interest of full disclosure, I should note that I''ve never had to worry about "showcasing boobs" -- quite the opposite!

But that was in part what I was referring to re the embroidery on the Reem dress. (The way the bustline is shaped by the two dresses also seems to be a factor.) Is it a problem? That depends on you and what you (and your FI) are comfortable with... or if the bustline is so prominent that that''s what people come away remembering, rather than the whole bride! On the other hand, it''s hard to know from just a few pictures, and the soft pick-ups on the Marisa dress do offer some balance and counter-point.

Having seen pictures of your venue I''m starting to lean towards the Marisa myself. I think Reem might be a bit formal for an outdoor wedding, and the champaign color makes me think of candlelight rather than sunlight.

I think you would have trouble with an off-the-shelf bolero, but a skilled seamstress should be able to design and make a bolero to flatter you and compliment your gown.

 

[MINE!!]

#2 HAS DEFINTELY got my vote.. I love the color and the way it accentuates your curves. I think Mermaid dresses are tricky. I think they either look spectacular or blah. I think people who wear them need to be tall and skinny, maybe with a little curve. You have a womans body, nice curves, little waist.. so I think that the 2nd one looks fabulous.

 

[tanyak]

Not too sure how helpful I can be. Like Mara, my tastes lean toward simple. I though the Reem was pretty from the front, but the train is over the top to me. And after seeing your location and hearing about the month (July=hot), I'm not sure about it. But to be upfront, I've never seen a Reem in person. I understand that the fabric is fabulous, but from photos, they always look overdone and dramatic to me, but like I said, I always lean toward simple. Your mileage may vary.

I think the Marissa is very pretty. It's simple, looks like it's easier to move in and just seems to fit a beautiful, outdoor July day. I also think it's more figure-flattering and I notice you, not a lot of dress details.

I can't really answer about the mermaid. In general, I don't like them, and since this one is the wrong size, I really can't give a good answer.

 

[Fancy605]

chellebelle, we share the same wedding date!

I personally love that Reem dress on you. Like many people have said, I think it makes your figure look KILLER! I like the detail all over it (but that could be because my own dress is very decorative). I think you can def. carry off all that sparkle.

 

[bee*]

Definitely the 2nd or the 3rd dress-I love them both and really cant choose between them. You''ll look stunning in either of them!

 

[anacgarcia]

I love the reem, but I'm really traditional and I want my wedding dress to be white.. If that's not the case with you then buy it, you look amazing and it's a great deal..
And the marissa is also beautiful... so.. I think I didn't help at all hehe

ETA: I'm also getting married on 7/7/7

 

[robbie3982]

Check out the bio of knottie txlonghornbride. I''m pretty sure that''s the marissa dress. I think it looks much better on you though

 

[basil]

I like the Reem. I think it''s stunning and very flattering. And I think if I found a Reem in my size for 70% off, I''d have trouble turning it down too!

If that style (ornate, ballroom) was your "dream dress", then I''d say get it and who cares if it''s maybe a little fancy for your setting. You''ll never get another opportunity to wear something like that! But it sort of doesn''t sound like that to me, based on what you said about liking lace and liking the other styles. Someone''s signature says "it''s only a bargain if it''s exactly what you want" (paraphrasing) which I think is true here. The Marisa dress is very flattering, I''m just not a huge fan of pick-ups. Though those are better than most, I think.

Anyway, I think you''re more hourglass than pear, and you could pull off the mermaid look if you wanted. Maybe not that particular one though. It''s difficult to tell because it isn''t fitting correctly there. There''s seems to be a big variation in mermaid-ness among mermaid styles, too. Some are super-fitted and some are more A-line with a flare below the knees. If you really like that style, I''m sure you could find something that would work!

 

[monarch64]

OmG. without even reading through this thread, I did sneak a look at the pics and WOW, the Marisa really compliments your figure...I hope you choose that one!

 

[ladykemma]

the reem