WIsh me luck dress shopping tommorow - I need to find a dress

[Delster]

Dee hon I think you are somewhere like where I ended up in my dress hunt.

I found at the end of my dress search I just couldn't see the wood for the trees. I felt overwhelmed trying to choose between the, eh, slightly bonkers dress (!) that made my heart sing when I had it on, and the classic 'wedding' dress that made me feel like a bride, but didn't set my heart on fire. As the time passed since I'd tried on bonkers dress, the glow-y feeling from wearing it faded and I came *this* close to plumping for the classic dress. I imagined myself looking like the epitome of 'bride!'; I pictured swishing around the dancefloor in acres of satin; and I could just *feel* the whole 'wedding!'-ness of it all.

Then I went for an appointment with the bonkers dress salon to talk to them about their pricing, and I was early and I sat in the car outside waiting to go in and I realised I was hyper excited to get to put bonkers dress on again. Classic dress just didn't make me excited. It made me feel beautiful, sure, but like someone else's idea of a beautiful bride. Bonkers dress made me feel like 'me', only kind of giddy with the prettiness of it all!

Listen to your gut hon and go with the dress that when you had it on you felt like it belonged to *you*. Not the dress that makes you feel like you're playing dress up, not the dress that is someone else's idea of what a bride 'is', and not the dress that you feel you should choose because it's your one chance to wear that ballgown / mermaid / Swarovski-encrusted-deliciousness/etc/etc...

You'll know the right one for you. All three of them are beautiful in their own right but honestly I feel the decision is down to the 5356 or the Eleanor. It sounds like the Clarissa is someone else's vision, not yours. The other two are actually quite different looks I think - the 5356 is quite structured to my eye and the Eleanor is more drapey. I think you need to talk to your designer lady too about what she thinks she can achieve, that should be a really helpful conversation.

And yep, I think we do have similar taste, we is tasteful ladies us

I'm sorry about your iPhone! Bummer!

It happened to one of my friends too, at her wedding

I hope you can recover it or claim on insurance. That really sucks - big hugs!

 

[Deelight]

Delster I big puffy heart you to my diamond twinkie and all my other PS gals I would be insane by now without you all, I read your post to FI, and I think you hit the nail on the head he is all for me going down to Melbourne to shop next weekend now to contact my sis, niece, honey and the bridal store to see if it is a goer.

I am annoyed we didn''t do photos today so many ops but it wouldn''t have mattered anyway - phone gone

Still not sure which to go for I like the idea of creating my own dress and getting exactly what I want, I feel romantic in the Eleanor it is vintage and simple and elegant in the 5356 (if I made the changes) and in the Clarissa I feel pretty and like a bride but it is such a puffy dress I am a simple girl LOL, but it is still beautiful .

I love your bonkers dress sweetie it is just perfect to me it is classic but just a little different I like that , thats what I want something a little different.

insurance won''t cover the phone...

 

[Gypsy]

Sorry about the phone honey. Felt I should chime in because as the resident winner of the multiple wedding dress purchases made by a PSer, I have a little experience in trying on lots of different and lovely dresses but feeling in the end that nothing was making me happy (wish I'd kept my wallet and check book in the car, BTW, but that's another story for another time!) .

And a lot of your inspiration gowns were ones I loved also.

Here's my two cents: Go custom. Don't try to fit a square peg in a round hole. Stick to your guns, find a talented designer/seamstress and have your dream gown made. I had mine HEAVILY altered to fit (complete bodice redesign from a halter to a V neck) my mental image of the perfect dress and I'm so glad I did.... but should have just gone custom all the way.

 

[Skippy123]

aw honey i am sorry about your phone too. huge hugs

 

[Deelight]

Date: 1/8/2010 6:57:57 PM
Author: Gypsy
Sorry about the phone honey. Felt I should chime in because as the resident winner of the multiple wedding dress purchases made by a PSer, I have a little experience in trying on lots of different and lovely dresses but feeling in the end that nothing was making me happy (wish I''d kept my wallet and check book in the car, BTW, but that''s another story for another time!) .


And a lot of your inspiration gowns were ones I loved also.


Here''s my two cents: Go custom. Don''t try to fit a square peg in a round hole. Stick to your guns, find a talented designer/seamstress and have your dream gown made. I had mine HEAVILY altered to fit (complete bodice redesign from a halter to a V neck) my mental image of the perfect dress and I''m so glad I did.... but should have just gone custom all the way.

Gypsy thanks for your input I appreciate it and you make vaild points I am somewhat hestiatant to go custom but on the other hand it may be the only thing that makes me happy at the end of the day the wedding is in June and I still don''t have a dress

.

If I went custom I would likely go the bodice of the LF 153 from the first montage with the skirt from the 5356 with the pleats ending on a bias and different detailing heavy triangular beading in the shape of a diamond with small beading on the end of the train and a button up back with sleeves but not sure what kind I like the slightly off the shoulder look (I really like my sticky outie collar bones and I don''t want them covered at all). I also would like to stay under 3k if possible which is likely possible with that as well. I think the trip to melbourne is in order. I do also find a front picture of the clarissa which FMIL was also telling me today how much she loved on me according to her it is simple but not (i would also remove the flower and do a sparkly detail instead) I have found a picture of the dress from the front and not in red and have also done the worlds WORST photoshop but I think with the sleeves added and beaded it looks really lovely - kinda growing on me now more GAH.

I have found a picture of the clarissa from the front in an ivory colour and have managed to PS (badly) on sleeve onto it I have to say with the sleeves it does make a difference and fits into that romantic vision of myself and less an 80''s nightmare that I was worried about - if someone feels sorry enough and can photoshop the other sleeve for me I would be forever grateful .

Skippy thanks sweetie the circs around it make me sad and angry but I am calling apple today to see if they can track it.


Picture of the clarissa with the badly PS''ed sleeve the dress keeps growing on me admitedly and it is a little different then the norm around here which is also what I like. Also for reference the dress is raw silk which is the same material I wanted to get married in when I was a 13 and trying on christening dresses (something I just remembered LOL)

so confuzzeled LOL and just want a dress I don''t think I care anymore

 

[Deelight]

Feel like I am spamming my own thread sory guys but here is a another badly photoshopped with 2 sleeves have to admit it keeps growing on me with the sleeves

 

[honey22]

Gown shopping??!?!

Appointment calendar wiped! What time do you want me at BOM?!?!!

Sweetie, I am so totally NOT going to be any help. I have drunk half a bottle of wine and nothing is making sense. But that said, I would love to see those three gowns on you in person!!!! Squeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Deelight]

I have to see if the sister and niece are free tonight then I will get back to you, LOL I trust all three of you gals opinions *giggle*

 

[Delster]

Dee that new picture of the Clarissa is incredible! Wow! Such a statement dress!!! I can see how this is such a hard decision

Have you let your head breathe a bit over the last few days? Any more thoughts now that the trying-on-dust has settled a little?

 

[kama_s]

Oh, what a change the colour makes to a dress! I''m loving the ''Clarissa'' in the ivory, I didn''t even notice the tulle at the bottom initially! I think it would look fantastic with the lace cap sleeves. Hope today''s dress shopping will help you get closer to ''the'' dress!

 

[missbennet]

Those are hands down some of the most gorgeous dresses I have ever seen! Good luck, i hope you snag one!!!

 

[Deelight]

Went gown shopping again today during work hours boss let us have the morning off to shop and took one of the girls from work who I believe has wonderful taste her opinion essentially mirrored mostly what the FSIL and FMIL have said but she was more direct:

Ella 5356: It is nice she liked that one
Eleanor: She thought was ugly not like a wedding dress she flat out ruled that one out
Clarissa: Her favourite by FAR she told me I don't get that dress she is not coming to the wedding

she thinks it was just BEAUTIFUL and that I looked amazing in it.

Unfortunetly could not sneak pics

So I have spent all weekend looking at the dresses and I keep falling more and more in love with the Clarissa, like the bridal SA said it just keeps growing on you the more you try it on and the more you see it... I even almost cried in the clarissa today because I kept thinking I am sure this is it (I didn't cry because I didn't want to look like a wuz LOL) does this count as a momment?

The SA put earring's near my ears fiddled with my hair and placed the veil on and it looked GOOD. So this weekend I fly to Melbourne this weekend to see my niece (MOH), sister and of course Honey22 where I make my final choice but at this stage I would say the Clarrissa is the winner hands DOWN...at this stage

Delster I have, I can't get the Clarissa out of my head especially with the photoshopped sleeves it just alters the dress in such a way that makes me even go WOW

kama_s it does and it looks even better in silk white, the one I tried on was in gold and while not ugly just does nothing compared to the white the dress for such a BIG dress is really light and airy very comfy I will be adding silk sleeves to it with beading to match the bodice to make it a more cohesive look

missbennet thank you that was really sweet


So if I get the clarissa I will be making alterations:

- Adding the slightly almost off the shoulder silk beaded cap sleeves the sleeves will join from the sweetheart neckline come around the back in a V shape so that they look like they should have always been there.
- The back will be taken lower into a v-shape just below the bra line to make the sleeves more uniform
- A slightly deeper sweetheart a girl's gotta have a little something something

all together the SA stated about $500 in alterations and I don't pay unless I am happy and it is still even UNDER FI's budget

Funnily enough this dress I liked more and more the others I have started to like less and less who knows maybe it was meant to be .

I also advised the store that in Melbourne they have the dress for $400 cheaper and they stated that they will match the price however they will no longer include the free veil and garter, not so free now is it but that is neither here nor there tulle is cheap and I can get FMIL to help me make a veil .


Stay tuned

 

[honey22]

UPDATE!!! We went gown shopping this afternoon and I KNOW WHICH ONE DEE PICKED!!!!!!!!!!!

And I am so NOT telling! She will be around soon

 

[Delster]

Ooooooooooooooooooooh! Come on Deelight where are you?!?!?

 

[Steel]