Liesel's Dress

Have you seen the movie, The Sound of Music, starring Julie Andrews? If so, you know the scene I'm about to describe...

Liesel, the oldest of the von Trapp family children, manages to sneak away from the dinner table to meet her beau, Rolf, in the gazebo. Upon meeting, their dialogue turns to song. "I am sixteen going on seventeen....lalalalalalala...." They dance around the gazebo, sashaying on benches and twirling about...

Well, that's the dress I want. Yes, it's true.

Since I was a young girl, I loved that movie...and that has always been my favorite scene...due in no small part to that amazing, twirling, ethereal dress!

I've been saying for years that I want a wedding dress with sleeves, but not your typical lace sleeves, though some kind of bell shape might be nice...but that I don't necessarily want long sleeves because I don't want to be too warm...lol. Well, these sleeves fit the bill.

There are only three changes I'd make to the dress:

1. I want it in gold (not the pale pink). I will not wear white or ivory at my wedding, so gold it is.

2. I want to extend the length of the dress so it just skims the floor. Ahhh...how pretty...

3. If possible, I want to add just a bit more space between each ribbon on the bodice. The first right under my bust, but the last closer to my hips, rather than my natural waist, thus creating more space between the first and middle, and middle and third.

Now, I won't be able to find this dress on a rack or in a bridal store, obviously...but I do have some options.

I can always find a seamstress to make it, which, I know, can get expensive. I do have two courses of action I can take before that, though.

My MoH's mother can sew. She may not agree to do it. It depends on whether or not she thinks she has the ability. If so, I will buy the fabric and pay her whatever she deems reasonable for the job.

If that option doesn't work out for me, I have one more...longshot. My sister-in-law could sew sew sew...she really had talent. Unfortunately, she passed away a long time ago. However, her mother is still alive...and that's where she learned how to sew. If I can get in touch with her, I know she can create this dress. If she's willing, I would, again, buy all the materials and pay her for it.

If those options fail, then I start seeing about a seamstress.

I was told that the material I need isn't too expensive, but that the dress requires A LOT of fabric.

I'm trying not to get my hopes up about this. I am aware that I may encounter a lot of obstacles in having this dress made for me. At the same time, I am feeling a bit relieved. I was getting so overwhelmed with the idea of a wedding dress. There are too many options, but at the same time, they all look alike to me. Maybe it's because I viewed too many.

Part of me wants to wait to look into this because of my weight. I'm still dropping pounds, and I'd like to be my goal weight for my wedding. I can't wait too long, though, because it is going to take time to A) find someone to make it and B) actually make it.

I think I'll give it until October. That still gives me an entire year. If I drop all the weight I want to lose before then, great! If not, oh well. I'll maintain where I'm at at that point in time.

Backed Off? Not completely...

I was talking to my *bff* MK today about backing off some of the wedding obsession I've had lately. I feel like I've done all I can do at this point. There isn't really much left to say about it at this point. Even if I were actually engaged, I couldn't do much right now. Sure, we could book a venue and DJ and stuff, but beyond that, it's terribly far ahead for me to really do much, especially about a dress.

Yet, here I am, still typing away about all this!

I think that's going to be my biggest obstacle...the dress. The rest of it is "easy." I know what kind of wedding I want. I don't know what kind of dress I want anymore. Sure, I've posted pictures about dresses that I really like, but after having tried a few on, I feel lost. I have a few requirements for my dress, but an exact idea just isn't there. Also, my size and my hair make it difficult for me to get excited about it. I'm not happy about the way I look. How can I be happy about the way I'll look in a wedding dress. At least I can narrow down my choices...those few requirements I have should help when the time comes to shop. I even have some requirements about shoes and accessories. What are they, you ask?

Color:
The dress must be either champagne or gold. No ivory, as I've discovered that ivory is still too white for my personal taste.

Neckline:
I really really really don't know about this. I love the portrait necklines. I think they are so classic and pretty, but I also like strapless dresses. I know I don't want a high neckline or a sweetheart neckline.

Sleeves:
I either want long sleeves (in the form of a jacket) or none at all...

Shape:
Originally I thought it had to be an A-line. Now, I think I could do either an A-line or a ballgown, as long as the ballgown isn't too outrageously poofy!

Train:
No train! Or at least a very very short train that can be bustled easily.

Headpiece and veil:
NO VEILS WHATSOEVER!!! Can I make that any clearer? LOL
Headpiece should be a delicate tiara in a gold tone with offwhite pearls and maybe some colored beads.

Shoes:
Gold and inexpensive. I can't see spending a bunch of money on shoes that will hardly be noticed under my dress.
Slippers for reception dancing after all the formalities are finished.

Jewelery:
Depending on my neckline, I may go with a simple necklace to match my tiara.
If I go sleeveless, I'd like to wear an antique bracelet that was my grandmother's. My cousin has the matching one. I might ask if that can be my "something borrowed."

Hair:
I've decided already on a 1940s style. I have a picture of a New Year's Eve where I wore a "pageboy" style. My hair looked awesome that night! Hehehe. I might do that, or maybe one of the other popular styles from the time that sweep the hair back loosely.

I wish I had more artistic talents so I could sketch some dresses that I'd like!

So yeah, my point is that I have not backed off completely, just that sometimes I don't know what to say about it. Also, I'm glad I have a bit better idea about what I want from a dress.

I have more to write, but I'm going to do so in a different post because this one is long enough!

Chocolate Brown Tuxes!

I found chocolate/brown tuxes! Yes, yes I did! WOOOOOOT!!!

I've been searching online for them for months now, and I finally found one!!!

Check it out!

I think groomsmen will go with the dark tie and vest. J will probably wear either a burnt orange or a champagne. If he goes with champagne, it'd probably look something more like this (even though the pic is ivory, I think, it gives you the idea of how it would look with a lighter color)...

BM Dress Wraps and Color Update

So, I was thinking of having the bridal party wear this dress with a sash.

MK tried the dress on for me. The dress came to just below her knees. I'd like the dresses to hit just above or at the center of the knee.

When we were at David's, the consultant suggested adding a wrap to one of the dresses I tried. While I didn't want the wrap, I think it'd actually look really nice with the bridesmaid dresses. Also, it'd give the girls a little bit of coverage for their arms.
Since I've finally settled on Brown, Gold and Orange, I think the gold on the sash will be a nice touch.

Speaking of colors, I think most of the decor will be orange and gold. The orange will just come in small splashes here and there - boutonnieres, the boquets (I'm thinking mums, might try to make 'em myself), mesh bags for the candy, some of the gourds/pumpkins in the centerpieces, ribbons on the centerpieces, some of the detail on the cake, some of the leaf placecards. I think that will still be enough orange to add color to the event without overwhelming everyone with such a strong color.

BIG Dresses!!!

I tried on a few dresses this weekend! Yikes! I've gotten BIG!!! Much bigger than I thought I was. When I saw the dress size I was in and how I looked in the dresses, I wanted to cry. It was not a fun experience at all. I know most wedding gowns run small, but that doesn't change the way I actually look. Whether they called the size a 6 or a 26, I looked big.

It's time I stop whining about my weight and do something about it. I've had a lot of failed attempts in the past, and it's usually because I give up. I don't want to be big on my wedding day. I want to be a beautiful bride. Then, I want to remain beautiful for J. He loves me the way I am. It's funny, but he honestly doesn't see me as big or fat. He just sees me and loves me. I love that about him, but wouldn't it be great if he could have a really hot wife!? :)

I started another blog to help me with my weight loss goals. Check it out. http://bulgingbride.blogspot.com/

The Dress?

I found a dress that I absolutely adore. The pictures are copyrighted, so I can't post them here. You can follow this link to see it. It's a champagne color with a bronze and gold organza sash across the front that billows out in the skirt.

Unfortunately, I'm afraid to order online, and that seems to be the only way to get it. The other bonus is that it's only around $450...right in my budget. I'm afraid of ordering the gown to find it's crap material and shoddy workmanship. Once received, I have only three days to decide whether or not to return it or keep it. I don't know if that's enough time for me. I worry that if I wait too long, it may not be available if/when I decide I want it.

OMG OMG OMG...forget that dress...ok, don't forget it, but LOOK AT THIS!!!
This is a Maggie Sottero dress (style: Suzanne) and it is perfect. I love love love this dress. I actually cried when I discovered it is nowhere near my budget. The lowest price I've encounterd is $1,458.oo. I need to find a way to get this gown...

Shoes!

What girl doesn't love shoes?

Ok, ok, I know...there are actually a lot of girls who don't care at all about shoes, but I'm not one of them!

I found a pair of shoes I really like, but the heel is really really high. I wonder if I could find them, or something similar, in a shorter heel. I don't want sore feet all night.

I also found these. I was thinking that after the formal dances, I could slip them on. Actually, they look enough like bedroom slippers that I could probably get away with saving $30 by buying bedroom slippers.
There are some bridesmaid shoes I like as well. I'm actually considering letting my girls choose thier own shoes, but limiting their choices to gold shoes with at least a small heel. If I do choose, it'll be something like these...

Headpieces and Veils

So I have no idea how I'll want to wear my hair for the wedding. It's currently very short, but I have a long time to grow it between now and then. I'm hoping it'll be at or near my shoulders by then so I can either pull it up or curl it nicely.

I'm not really into veils. I mean, they're pretty and all, but I just don't think I want to wear one. It's too froofy for my style. Instead, I think I'd just like a simple and elegant headpiece.

With that in mind, I've done some internet browsing and found a few of my favorite headpieces. Since I've settled on brown, orange, and gold colors and a cream, gold, or ivory gown, I'm trying to keep that in mind when choosing a headpiece.

Some of them are customizable, allowing me to choose either a silver or gold tone, and even some of the crystal colors (in different jewel tones).

I like the mix of the ivory and gold beads on this one.

I like the flowers on this one, but it is a little big for my taste.

For some reason, I'm unable to upload the other tiara I like. I'll edit this post to include itonce I'm able.

Here it is! This one just might be my favorite. I like the wave and the gold tones with the pearls...very pretty.

Jr Bridesmaid Dresses

So I did a little internet browsing today and found a few cute dresses for Elly (my Jr. Bridesmaid).

This one is from JCPenney. It's not actually an "occasion" dress, but I love the color, pattern, and style. It's gold with a flowery pattern. I also like that the length is similar to my bridesmaid dress...and if I choose to go with a sash for the girls, this dress will also have that element.

So far, this is definitely my favorite.

This dress available in a variety of colors that would match the other girls' dresses. It looks a little too "grown-up" to me, though. I think it's the two-tones and the sash I like.

I found this on Jordan Fashions website. They actually have a lot of cute dresses for girls. I might have to take a look at their bridal collection, too!

Bridal Party Attire

This post is all about the bridal party attire!!! I'll begin with the bridesmaid dresses because they were the easiest decision to make. I knew I wanted my girls to wear brown. Then, I thought about adding orange and/or gold elements in the form of shoes and accessories. I also know that I want cocktail length dresses. Firstly, these are usually more affordable for the girls. Also, I like the way they look. These are the types of dresses that my girls could wear as guests to another wedding if they liked. It wouldn't be a one-time deal for them. I found all of my bridesmaid options on David's Bridal. I've narrowed it down to three choices. Two of the dresses are the same, but one picture shows it with a sash and one does not.

This dress was my first choice. It's simple and it comes in the color I like. I think it would fit a variety of body types, which is important, as all of my girls are very different shapes and sizes. I have the option of adding a nice sash to this dress. The picture shows a pink sash. Picture it with a nice muted orange instead...

This dress is my second choice. I actually like it more than the first, but I don't think it's going to offer the versatility in size and fit as the first one. I'm going to have all three girls try both dresses on before I decide.

I'm still very undecided about my Junior Bridesmaid's dress. She'll only be 7 by the wedding, so I don't necessarily want to dress her up like a grown-up. I chose to make her a Jr. Bridesmaid because I'm not really into the whole flower-girl thing. I think she might end up in a very pretty orange dress with a wide ribbon at the waist. I have no pics yet because I haven't looked much for her dress yet.

Onto wedding dresses!!! I thought I knew exactly the kind of dress I wanted...then I started looking, and realized I want them all! I do have a price range to consider. I'd rather not spend more than $500 before alterations. Ideally, I wouldn't spend more than $300 before alterations, but that might be a bit unrealistic. I'm not going to bother posting pics of the dresses that are way out of my price range, so I've managed to narrow it down to these for now...

This is my favorite. Unfortunately, I can't post a picture of the entire dress. Here is the link for my first choice.














My next choice dress has this beautiful full length jacket that I think would be stunning for an autumn wedding... Click here to see the entire dress.

My third choice is this beautiful two toned dress with a split skirt:

I actually think the second dress is probably what I"ll end up with...or something very similar to it. The more I look at it, the more I realize it really reflects the look I'm going for.

No matter what dress I wear, it will not be white. It'll either be gold, like the first picture, or ivory/cream.

All dress pictures are from David's Bridal. I do have some other dresses on my favorites list, but I'm too lazy to post them right now, and none of them stand out for me the way these do.