Details: The Dress & Bolero

My wedding dress situation was a saga! I purchased a Vera Wang from the Macy’s sample sale, but was unable to wear that because I had sent it to get a few alterations, and my seamstress sent it to the cleaner – and when I returned for a fitting, I noticed an awful, huge stain on the bodice, rendering it useless.

Dress #2 came from Priscilla of Boston – a fabulous little ivory fitted Melissa Sweet dress with sweetheart neckline and mermaid (fit and flare) skirting.

I couldn’t wear that because we discovered that I was pregnant in December (after 9 months of being engaged) and the wedding was set for May. We went back and forth a LOT on whether to move the wedding date or keep it. Ultimately, we decided to go for it on our designated date (May 16), even though I’d be 6 months pregnant. The Melissa Sweet dress certainly wouldn’t do.

After scouring the net for something that would work for a big old belly, I settled on a BCBG dress. It was only $380 – but it worked well with my body-shape at the wedding. I had some alterations made (at “Sew What!” in Saint Louis Park – love that place!) and the dress was ready to be worn.

I wanted a bolero for the wedding, on the off chance that it’d be cool (and it was – with gale-force winds and below 55 degree weather, it was downright cold!). I ordered a raw-silk shrug from LarimeLoom on Etsy. Luckily, the color was quite close to the dress’ color – so they looked pretty great together. In all, I was sad I couldn’t wear the other dress(es) – but pretty satisfied with how my “look” turned out.

As for the other 2 dresses, Melissa Sweet found a new home via Once Wed, and the Vera was donated to Mary Madeline project.

All photos taken by Laura Ivanova – and cannot be reproduced or used, on the web or otherwise, without permission.

Look What I Made! Hair Flowers for my Maids

Check it out…

(please excuse the poor lighting in the photos — I don’t have a flash on my iPhone, and my “first-thing-in-the-morning-taking-a-self-portrait-as-I-wait-for-the-dog-to-poop” facial expression.

These were fairly easy to make, and actually kind of fun!

Coming up next – where the idea (and tutorial) came from — so you can do it yourself.

Nelle Handbags — Spring Line Released!

Oh, I love Nelle Handbags. I’d blogged about Nelle’s line back in September, even though I’d been privy to the lovely gorgeousness since the previous spring. Please forgive me.

I’m writing about Nelle again because the Spring ’09 line is decadent! And you can choose from a variety of colors. And… Nelle handbags were highlighted on Brooklyn Bride!

Check out this lovely cherub tote with hand-died silk ribbon detail!

And how could you NOT find a bag to match your dress, and your maids’ dresses? What a lovely gift to your girls!

Laura really outdid herself with the updated collection!

The Perfect Wedding Clutch

I love a good purse. I seldom buy them, because I love my classic lovelies, and I can’t bear to spave (spend money on something because it is cheap, and thus, save money on the price) my money on a cheap handbag, unless it is beyond lovely.

Enter Nelle Handbags. I love these bags, they’re quirky, cute and so well made. I love stalking the blog posting to see when new bags are unleashed, and I can hardly wait for the day that Nelle Handbags are seen on the runways with some hot celebrity grasping the gorgeous silk charmeuse or ribbon material.

Sooo, here you go. Eye candy that makes my resolve (to save money) melt.

Nelle Holiday 2008

What I love about Nelle Handbags are these things:
1. those with brooches are all different! Each bag has a different bit of vintage “bling”
2. she hand-dyes the fabrics, creating rich, delicious colors
3. Laura loves ribbons and she makes them gorgeous, from details on the Fit To Be Tied to creating an entire bag from pleated petersham ribbon.

If you’re at my wedding, I can promise that you’ll see one of these pretties on me… but which one?

My Ruined Dress Pt. 2 of 2

After I took the Vera Wang home and happily shared the news of our union (lol), I set forth to get her modified and cleaned.

I contacted the seamstress I’d worked with for multiple prom and bridesmaid dresses and we went over the changes I wanted…

1. determine and create bustle
2. remove sashes
3. change back of dress from simple zip to a more detailed, somewhat open back similar to an Anne Barge dress that I love)

We agreed upon the changes and I bid my dress farewell (but not before shooting several photos!).

My Ruined Dress, Pt. 1 of 2

Here’s the story of my wedding gown… er, the gown that WAS to be my wedding gown.

I went to Macy’s Bridal Sample Sale in April, arriving 1 hour before the doors open. I was probably about number 120 in line… which means that there were women who had been waiting since 6:00 a.m. or sooner. Wow.

I had tried to get my sister to join me, but she was snoozing, so I faced the sea of lace, satin and tulle alone.

So anyway, my experience in line was pleasant. The girls in front of me were not exactly friendly, but there were plenty of women with small or no entourages who were friendly and chatty.
Want to see the dress, click

I’m Obsessed

We have decided on a casual wedding. Not “picnic table” casual (though I’d have loved that if we could find it…), but casual.

For some reason, I keep going to look at a certain dress. Natch, to obsess about it. I stare at it. I look at the alternate views several times a week. I try to imagine myself in the dress.

Would I look frumpy? Sexy? Over the top? Casual? Beautiful? Flouncy? Words I rarely use bounce into my vocabulary as I try to picture myself in this style of dress.

Why do I love it? I typically scoff at dresses with flowers-shapes stuck onto them. I don’t like flouncy skirts much. I don’t want any sort of train or bustle. I’m not sure I want to spend much on a dress, but this beauty is easily under a grand, even with alterations.

Is it worth ordering? I don’t know. But I do know that I am certifiably obsessed.