Yes, yes, I have been entirely absent for far too long, and then I suddenly show up screaming bloody murder and asking for help, when really, I should have been here all along, filling you all in instead of ignoring everyone. Sigh. I am dismayed that graduate school killed my will to blog, and that summer has been nothing more than one day after another looking after Justin's daughters. It's not that I mind, necessarily, but it's put a huge damper on my creativity, and I have done minimal wedding planning (really minimal--I have given myself until the end of August to make all major decisions, because once school starts again, I will be unavailable for decisions that don't involve lesson plans and classic literature). Justin and I have completed our Pre-Cana classes (Catholic stuff), and have been journaling and being much in love...and my dear friend Sonnet has been helping greatly with facilitating my neuroses when it comes to planning. Because I can't make up my mind about anything. We went to two different salons a week ago to look at dresses, and the I liked nearly everything I tried on (it didn't help--or DID it?!--that everything looked pretty good on me, considering I am a plus-size girl, and I was pretty sure this would be a nightmare). This is where you guys come in. I have narrowed my choices down to two dresses, which are fairly similar (thus the inability to choose). I am going to include a third dress just for shits and giggles, and because it's totally the opposite of what I think I want (but was a front-runner for a long time--the pics of me in the dress even elicited a GASP from Justin when he saw them)...Okay, okay, enough talking, onto the dresses... (Oh, did I mention the wedding is on Friday, December 18th? And it's one week after finals?) Oh, and a reminder to click small photos to make them bigger and more detailed and more fun to look at!
Dress #1
This is the dress that I had been dreaming about back when Justin and I were just fantasizing about getting married. I found it online six months after we started dating (yes, we were discussing getting married that early on), and thought it would be totally out of my league. Well, not so much. (Please click here for access to the style online, featuring NOT ME in the dress...) I thought trying on this dress would be a massive splurge, and I was pleased and surprised that it looked so good on me the first time I tried it on. I love the color (who says wedding dresses have to just white or ivory!), and the embroidery. I much more into decorative stitching then beading. But, I was also incredibly skeptical. First, it's strapless. I can't help it, but as a woman with considerable boobage, strapless dresses make me incredibly nervous. And while I liked that the dress actually stayed up and my boobs didn't spill out and over, I don't like so much the way my back creates a little muffin top. Blah. Second, red doesn't really go with my wedding colors. Am I really the kind of girl who is into colors and themes so much? Not really. But it would mean a change in focus when I felt we had already nailed something down (namely, purple, as much because it's UW Husky colors as well as the colors of Advent...oh boy). Third, I don't know why, but this dress feels gimicky to me. Is it really timeless and simple like I want my wedding dress to be? This is the dress that Justin gasped over, however, and while I don't know if I am feeling it anymore, it's important that my man's jaw dropped when he saw pictures of me in it (he refuses to actually see me in person in the dress until the wedding day). What do you all think? Does it need to still be in the running? Or is it best left at the store? I LOVED it the first time I tried it on, and much less the second time (which was just a few days ago).
Dress #2This dress was brought to me by my bridal consultant. (
Again, a link to the online description.) She had listened carefully to what I wanted, and pretty much brought out my ideal. Simple, with straps (which I consider almost a necessity), fun details like an asymmetrical skirt, and really beautiful, subtle beading. This dress feels classic and elegant. I think that *I* gasped when I walked out of the dressing room and caught my first glimpse of myself in the mirror across the way. I adore the neckline, and the way it makes my boobs look nice and not "on display" (although you will notice that I did bend over to take some silly cleavage shots--which means that I felt damn sexy, and less worried about my boobs than I did when they were more covered by the strapless dress). I also appear to have a waist in this dress. Seriously. I also love the way it looks from the back. Trying this on the second time, I was pleased with how comfy it felt, and how easy it was to move around in. My mom loves this dress (she has only seen the pictures of me in it, as she is back in California). I actually have no complaints whatsoever about this dress. None. Except that if I choose this dress, I might still yearn for the next dress (which is the very last dress I tried on at David's Bridal). And if that's all I have to worry about, then this is probably "the one." Right? What do you think? I have lied awake at night, thinking about this dress. It must be a sign.
Dress #3
After trying on several other dresses after the one above (and being pretty sure that the one above was THE ONE), I saw another bride trying this dress on, and I told my consultant that I needed to try it on too, IMMEDIATELY. Sonnet and I were practically on our way out the door when I turned around and said I needed to try it on. It was that last minute. It's not a dress that I would have chosen looking through the catalog, which is what surprised me even more. I put it on, and immediately felt gorgeous. It's a delicious ivory, and the beading under the bust is called "champagne." Whatever it is, it's beautiful. It is similar to the other dress, in that it has straps, and makes my boobs look YUMMY (my mom says it makes them look too big). It looks great from the back! It's a lighter satin then the other two, and feels more fluid and flow-y. The empire waist is pretty...although I worry that it emphasizes that I want to hide my stomach rather than actually hiding it. Sonnet had pointed out the first time that it seemed like you could see my undergarments through the fabric, which I never would have noticed with my poor vision, although I don't know if I really see anything amiss. When I tried this dress on the second time, I had to wait for some time
to try on the next one (the one above) because my consultant was with
another bride. This was totally fine by me, as I wandered around the
store with Indiana, had her take pictures, giggled like a school girl,
and admired myself from every angle. This dress is incredibly
comfortable. It fits perfectly. Again, it's one of those situations where I adore the dress, but think about the other dress when I think too much about making a commitment. My dad likes this one the most, and we all know how important it is to please your daddy. :)
Other Dresses (Because I know you want to see them...)
These are all from a different bridal salon (Alfred Angelo), and are all considerably more expensive. But they are still awesome.
This one is Sonnet's favorite! She kept saying it looks like freshly fallen snow. She apparently had to prevent herself from crying when she saw me walk out of the dressing room in it. I loved her reaction!
I really liked this one (although not necessarily in green). However, my mother has put a moratorium on strapless. Oops. Still, it made me feel pretty.
This one had color AND was really simple. But again, strapless. Sigh. I can't help but feel uncomfortable. (The face I am making in one of the photos is really just because I am silly, not because I am unhappy.)
I made Sonnet crazy by making tons of silly faces while she was taking pictures. Here I am being totally goofy...
And that's more than enough pictures for everyone. Please do weigh in on everything. I need all the help I can get!
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