That Dress is Divine

via Polka Dot Bride via Jonas Peterson

Jane’s dress is divine! I usually don’t like the black against the white on wedding dresses, but this looks just fantastic.

Off The Shoulder Love

via Junebug Weddings {source}

Can’t get enough of this dress? Me either! It is so feminine and flirty yet incredibly enchanting.  Monique Lhuillier really knows what she is talking about!

Taking A Break

I don’t want to think about Save the Dates, Guest Lists, Color Palettes or even Menu Cards.  All I really want to do on my wedding day is wear my beautiful dress around all day and eat some cake.

via East Side Bride {source}

Can you tell that I’m over it? Taking a much needed week off from the wedding world.  Be back in a few!

It’s Official, I’m a Two Dress Bride…

….and I love every minute of it!

****Ger Stop Reading****

I know what you are thinking, “I thought Abby decided that she was going to wear her original dress?”  Well, that was true until I changed my mind (AGAIN.)

Remember when I went to try on dresses at Vera Wang the first time? There was one dress in particular that I absolutely loved however it was too small and way way way over my budget.  Then after my meltdown I went to try on this dress just one more time but it was already gone.

Stephanie, one of my Brides (turned great friend) that just got married (Yay!!) suggested that I check out Vows.  Vows has a wonderful on-line gallery that you can check out what they have in stock.  The best part is is that they carry all of the high end designers at a discount of 50-75% off!! What I loved most about Vows is that if you go in on Saturdays you don’t need an appointment and you can go around searching through all of the dresses without being followed by bridal consultants. I love the stress free environment!

Anyway, back on track.  I tried on a few dresses but nothing that made me say wow.  The last dress I tried on was my Vera!! I had finally found her!!

P.S. Check out that veil! It has a 60’s vibe that I totally adore. (Yes, I could not resist and bought it too!)

Here I am with Stephanie and Jenna!! Remember them from The Wedding Inspirations Event!?

Can you tell that I am completely obsessed with my wedding dress? It is so comfortable, so chic and so me.

Lesson learned: It’s best to get a dress that you feel fabulous in and that makes you shine.

So, what do you guys think! Did I make the right choice?

Candid Thursday- Modern Twist on Traditional

I love when I see a mixture of looks in one wedding.  Who says you can’t have it all?

Nancy and Edward do a superb job of creating a modern look with a little bit of traditional added in.  Just take a look at Nancy’s dress! My goodness!

via Weddingbee Pro {source} via Amelia Lyon Photography {source}

Elizabeth Anne Designs Feature: Wedding Dress- The Result

Remember last week and my meltdown with my wedding dress? I was having second thoughts about my wedding dress and wasn’t sure if it was the right one.

Through the advice of the fabulous girls over at Elizabeth Anne Designs, I got an overwhelming response of suggestions of what to do! Thank you so much!

The day after I posted my dress dilemma, I made an another appointment at Vera Wang.  I thought that my experience this time would be different since I wasn’t going during a sample sale.  I was the only one in the bridal salon and knew exactly what I was looking for.

Vera Wang only had one of the two dresses that I could try on.

via Brides.com {source}

This is a dress from the Spring 2006 line.  They had the same dress that I tried on at the sample sale.  Apparently this dress is discontinued so there would be no way of buying one that fit properly (unless I found it on other pre-owned websites.)  To be honest, much like the Priscilla of Boston dress, it was wearing me.

I tried on a few more dresses that were nice.  I found one much like the one I was originally searching for but the skirt was so full that I don’t know how I was going to walk in it.

I contemplated the thought of buying it but I didn’t want to get in the same predicament that I was already in so I asked if I could take a picture of me in the dress.  I needed time to mull over it and being the visual person that I was, I needed a picture to remember what I looked like in the dress.  To my surprise,  I was not allowed to take a picture.  Apparently, you can only take a picture only if you decide to buy the dress.  Are you kidding me? How do you expect people to buy dresses if you don’t allow them to take pictures?  I was a bit taken aback and turned off to be completely honest.  I then asked if I could have the style number or name of the dress and was denied that as well.  The wedding consultant basically said that this number wouldn’t do me any good.

I can  understand that they don’t want brides going else where to find their dresses but I would be more inclined to buy from them if they let do the things I needed to do to feel comfortable with my purchase.

So that was my second experience with Vera Wang and I’m pretty sure I’ll never be back.

I know this post turned into more of a rant then anything but I have now developed a plan of attack with my wedding dress.

For now, I’m going to stick with my current wedding dress.  I have plenty of time to change my mind and will continue to look but at least I know that I have a dress that is beautiful and that looks beautiful on me.

I have learned that a wedding dress is not a piece of taffeta or silk, it’s not the buttons the line that back of the dress or the train that follows you, it’s the way it makes you feel.  You make it a wedding dress, it doesn’t make you.

I shall not judge another “2-dress Bride.”

Okay…I know what you are thinking.  “How can yet another girl be a 2 Dress Bride.”

Well, technically I am not one… yet!

To be honest, I’m having second thoughts about my wedding dress.

I’m not sure if it is “wedding” enough.  I also worry that I’m going to feel a bit self conscious in it if the wii fit doesn’t take off more pounds.  The way the dress is meant to fit is not very forgiving.

If you remember, I bought this sleek little dress at BCBG after getting fed up trying on ridiculously expensive gowns.  I was at a point where I didn’t want give the wedding industry the satisfaction of capturing yet another bride.

My dress has been hanging in my closet since March and I get a chance to look at it every day.  When I first tried it on, I thought that i could definitely work with it and turn it into wedding material.

I was constantly asking my fiance for approval (yes, he’s seen the dress.) Ger would always say to me that its beautiful but I need to feel like a bride in it and that this day only comes along once in a lifetime.  The words resonated in my head.  Did I really feel like a Bride in this dress? Was this the one?

I secretly began to freak out.  Could this possibility be happening? Of all the stories I read about “2 dress brides.”  I thought I had escaped this phenomena.  I guess not.

On Friday I made the decision to ease my mind and just try on a couple more dresses.  I was hoping that this would only strengthen my decision to keep my present wedding dress.

On Saturday I was back in Priscilla of Boston trying on dresses.  I fell in love with Piper in the Vineyard Collection. I liked that it was much more modern then the previous Priscilla of Boston dresses.  I definitely felt more “bride” like but was it worth the thousands of dollars more? Very good question.

After sleeping on it, I realized that there was something that I didn’t like.  It was in fact, not the one.

I did more searching and somehow stumbled upon the Vera Wang dresses I tried on previously.

via Brides.com {source}

I loved the way this one fit and I felt more comfortable with the straps.  It is very similar to the Priscilla of Boston Piper dress.

The next dress I tried on was one of my favorites as well.

via Brides.com {source}

This dress had a lot of the same features of the Piper and Vera Wang.  I loved the flirty style of the straps, how natural it felt and how flattering it was.I didn’t feel that I needed to change a lot about me to feel beautiful in it.

This week I’m going to set up an appointment at Vera Wang to try on these dresses again.  Both of these dresses were at the March Sample Sale and from the 2006 Spring Line.  I only hope I can find them again!

The light at the end of the tunnel reminds me that luckily, if I do decide to buy a new dress, I won’t lose a lot on the first dress.  I can certainly shorten it and wear it for a another event!

So what do you think? Should I keep my original dress that I got at a stunning price or buy another one that has more of a wedding look to it for a much higher cost?

Please help!!

Elizabeth Anne Designs Feature: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Do I like making decisions? No.  Are there are a lot of decisions to be made when planning a wedding? Yes.

This creates quite a conundrum, doesn’t it?

First there’s the location, the venue and ceremony site, the guest list, the dress, the shoes, the entertainment, transportation and on and on and on.

Luckily for us, we got engaged with plenty of time to think about things involved in wedding planning.  The first few months we took it slow and enjoyed being engaged.  All of a sudden, time has creep up on us and we really need to set the wheels in motion.

Like many people, I’ve thought about my wedding day and how I want it to look and how I want it to feel for a very very long time. Kick in my love of creativity and design, it really makes the process extra hard.

So what am I going to do?  Since it is Memorial Day, I’m taking the weekend off.  I’m going to clear my head, not think about my wedding and spend the day in the sun!  I’ll come back with an open mind, clear focus and ready to take on the task at hand.

I do have one decision to share with you today.  My Wedding Dress Accessory I wrote about last week, here!

Thank you everyone who contributed in helping me decide!  And without further ado…

Here is it {probably}! …until 1.) I buy the wrap or 2.) find something else to mull over

oi vay

Do you find yourself not being able to pull the so called wedding trigger?

Elizabeth Anne Designs Feature: Help Me Decide! Wedding Gown Accessories

Last week I revealed my wedding dress, now I need your input into which accessories I should add to jazz up the dress!

(Please note that these photos were photo-shopped and I haven’t tried the wrap or sash on in person yet)

Here is a possible ensemble.  I like how it has a kind of Asian flare with the use of a paper parasol for the photos.  What do you think, is it too much?

As mentioned in a previous post, I found this amazing Wrap here (Bonzie is great!!) and found the great feather hair piece also on Etsy, here.

Right now I’m debating on the color Wrap I want and what looks best with my skin tone.  Please help! Here are the options!

(purple)

(deep teal)

(red)

(green)

(pink)

I believe the Wrap from Bonzie only comes in teal, green and red but I wanted to get your opinion on a variety of colors.

Please vote now!

The next question is…should I wear a sash with the dress (color would match the wrap) or just keep it simple?

(with sash)

or again…

(without sash)

Please vote here:

After the poll results are in, I will be sure to share with you my favorite option!

Elizabeth Anne Designs Feature: My Wedding Dress!

I just remembered, I haven’t even shared my wedding dress with you!

Here is the story of how I found my wedding dress…

As most of you have realized, I am not the traditional bride.  It took a trip to Priscilla of Boston to realize this.

I decided to wait and try on my first Wedding Dress when my Mom was able to join me (my dad was able to come along as well!)  This would mean waiting 3 months until her trip to Boston in March.

On a day off of work, I made an appointment at Priscilla of Boston.  I didn’t have a clue of what I wanted or what would look good on me so I tried a few different dresses.

They all were very nice but I didn’t feel like “me” in them. They were definitely too formal for an intimate wedding.

*********

The following weekend, I made an appointment at Vera Wang on Newbury Street.

Just from the style of the dresses on display, I could tell from the start that this was more my speed.  The modern lines with a flirty twist suit me perfectly.

Apparently I went during a trunk show.  Being a naive bride, I didn’t realize that this would mean only a (1/2) hour appointment and was only allowed to try on (4) dresses.

The bridal consultant was trying to cram me into these dresses and convince me that they fit perfectly.  They clearly didn’t zip and I clearly couldn’t breathe in them.  For a $3500 price tag, i wasn’t going to spend more of my budget on  getting my ribs removed just so I could fit into the dress.  I’m not good with being under pressure, especially when purchasing a wedding dress so I left.

(Sorry for the lack of photos- I was rushed along too fast to be able to snap a shot)

*********

From that moment on, I made a decision…The Bridal Retailers of the world were not going to defeat me!

Then it hit me, why can’t I just buy a white or ivory gown? Does it have to be a “wedding dress.”

I walked across the street and stopped in Neiman Marcus and Saks 5th but no luck.  I spotted BCBG out of the corner of my eye.  Now, I’ll admit that I’ve never been in BCBG but something was telling me to go in.

I walked straight to the gown section of the store and came across the most beautiful ivory tiered dress.  It was simple, it was modern and it was perfect!

I went in the dressing room to try it on.  Luckily it fit great because it was the last one!  This dress was perfect for the type of wedding we were planning.

(sorry for the blurry shot)

You may think that because I got my dress at a non-wedding related store that I didn’t get that “bridal” experience but that was not the case at all.  As the girls at the store came in to check on me they asked the occasion and I told them that it was my wedding dress.  They got so excited and made a fuss over me.  It was exactly how I wanted to feel- special but not pressured.

To add to my excitement, I was able to buy my wedding dress for $175!! That sure is a bit better than $3500 plus missing ribs!

Growing up, i always thought I would be the traditional bride with the dropped waist, veil and train but I’m beginning to learn that I’m not that bride.  I’m unconventional, I’m different and I have a different perspective and that is okay.

Next week I will ask your opinion on what accessories to add to my dress!

Did you ever learn something new about yourself when you started to plan your wedding?