Fittings

Today I had my final fitting for my dress. I had envisioned putting the dress on making a few minor adjustments and walking out on cloud 9. Instead what happened was an internal freak out when I realized the dress was too short and then tears ensued when I realized there might be a chance it couldn't be fixed.

As a tall woman this is a worst nightmare that something is too short especially your wedding dress. I am used to not being able to buy certain styles because they don't come long enough. I have even attempted to pull off a few items despite them being too short. But for my wedding dress to have a dress be visibly to short is a dreaded thought. I even spent a good chunk of change to order my dress with extra material so that I wouldn't have to worry about the dress being too short.

Needless to say I am 99% sure the dress will be fixed. Despite the fact that the material was cut and there was only about a half inch that could be let out. We also stretched out the bodice so that it sits lower, cut out some of the tulle so that it lays more streamline, and took out part of the bra cups to get the dress to where it needs to be.

I do have to say that the bodice and the rest of the dress look fabulous. My seamstress had to take in the dress about 2 dress sizes and I was worried that it would affect the look and style. But she did a wonderful job. Most likely the fact that it had to be taken in so much is the reason the end product was too short because once we took the dress in it sat higher on my hips. Overall I am happy and know that the day of the wedding it should look great, luckily a major crisis was adverted.

Today we also had a second fitting. I went with Andy's sister, Christy, to have her final fitting. The dress looks great and I couldn't be happier. The fit is fattering, it is a nice cut and I LOVE the color. I was happy to have one smooth sailing fitting.

Out of Commission

This weekend was my only weekend open and free for weeks. I had full intentions of working on many projects however life had a different plan for me and I have been out of comission, sick.

Today I did get a chance to go to one of my maid of honor's fittings, klenex box in hand. And I have to report back that the dress looks 10 times better from the last fitting with the changes we discussed. I am now confident that the dresses will look great on them all. On Wednesday we have fittings for the other two and I know it will go just as smoothly.

**Today is 2 months until the wedding, I can't believe it is sneaking up so fast!

Bridesmaid Jewelry

So I have been procrastinating in posting these pictures because I can't seem to take one good picture of the jewelry I recently worked on for the bridesmaids. For some reason I can not get a focused close up shot so that you can actually see the detail. So please forgive the awful blurry pictures.

All of the pieces are made using pearls and swarovski crystals. The photos don't show how they are sparkly which is my favorite part.

I made 2 different versions of the bracelet and have yet to decide which I like better. When Tiffany comes into town I will give her the choice. I used a magnetic closure to make them really simple to put on.

Also I made 2 different styles of earrings. I like the longer dangle ones better but that's my style. I know that some might prefer the shorter so I am still deciding what to do there.

Bridesmaid Fitting #1

Today my sister, one of her bridesmaids, and I went to the seamstress that I commissioned for my bridesmaid dresses to create her bridesmaid dresses. After the whole experience of searching and searching for my wedding and finding nothing Tiffany decided to skip that step and just have what she wanted made. This process was actually quite enjoyable. In an hour we picked the fabric we liked, the style that would best suit our bodies, had our measurements taken and then left. It was painless and easy, all dress shopping should be this way.

Tiffany also tried on the dress that is being made for my wedding. It was still a work in progress and needed a few adjustments to the style but I think it is going to work out great. We go back in a month with all of my bridesmaids for a fitting and hopefully at that point only minor sizing adjustments will have to be made.

We Did It!

We finally picked a bridesmaid dress, or at least picked a seamstress to make the dresses! Panic mode was in full force but I can happily check this off my to do list. I was able to find a seamstress in town, with fabric choices in the purple I was looking for, within our price range. The fact that we were able to meet all of our requirements is amazing. All of the girls dresses are going to have the same skirt and it is going to be up to them to either all have the same bodice or different ones. Either way I am excited about the prospect that the dresses will all be made for their different bodies and ideally will all look fabulous! The only issue now is coordinating four schedules to be able to get together for measurements and fittings.

Panicked

I am officially panicked about bridesmaid dresses or the lack there of. Originally I had been able to be picky because we had time but now we have run out of time. This weekend I have visited another bridal store that has some options but pricey options. I also have an appointment with a seamstress the first week of January. Hopefully we can get this nailed down in the next couple weeks so it is no longer hanging over my head.

Arrivals

This has been a week of arrivals.

First the lavender I ordered off of Bravo Bride from a woman who ordered more than she needed for her wedding arrived. Needless to say the transaction was simple and easy. I payed her through PayPal, she had the lavender shipped the next day, and in my hands just a few days later. It's exactly what I needed at a great price! I will definitely be regularly perusing this website to find other items I don't necessarily need brand spanking new or want to pay full price for.

The other arrival was the Calvin Klein dress my sister ordered as a possible bridesmaid dress. I posted about this dress a week or so ago and had high hopes for it. She came over to try it on and all I have to say is, "Hello boobs!" The front is just cut a bit too low that it would showcase any size bust big or small a bit more than what is tasteful for the church. Also while shape wasn't awful it didn't do anything either. The color was GORGEOUS but it seems it's back to the chopping block.
I am only posting a picture of the back of the dress because when I was taking pictures I caught my sister off guard so she wasn't smiling and since I didn't get her blessing to post this I don't want a phone call or email saying, "Ugh, I look awful take that picture down." This way at least you can see the color. Oh how I wish this dress had worked out!

Dress Options

My sister found this dress at Nordstrom that we are definitely considering. Now if only we can find a store nearby that carries it so that she can try it on.

Possibilities

Yesterday my sister and I finally gave in and officially went bridesmaid dress shopping. We want a cocktail or tea length dress that is flattering for all the girls. Mainly we seem to be leaning towards v-neck dresses. The main problem is finding a flattering style in a purple that I like. We found two possibilities which are within a reasonable price range and the style should work. The problem is that they only come in the colors eggplant or concord which in person seem a bit too dark for me. I am hoping for something more vibrant but will settle for a wearable style over color. We are going to keep looking but will keep these as viable options.

This dress is from After Six and I couldn't get a picture in the correct color. The other dress I couldn't find a picture to post but you can see it if you go here.

Purple Dresses

Along with finding the wedding dress I am also on a search for the perfect purple dress for the girls.  I don't want lavendar or eggplant but a nice vibrant purple.  I don't want it to scream bridesmaid and hope that it's a dress that they might actually be capable of wearing again.  Lastly I obviously want them all to look good in it and like it.  So it seems that the work has been cut out for me.  Earlier this summer I was having a hard time finding anything and thought it was going to be impossible but things seem to be turning around with the change of the seasons.  Purple is one of the new colors of fall and I have been seeing it pop up everywhere which means we just might have actually have a chance at finding what we want.  If all else fails we will just pick a black dress they all like and can wear again and call it a day.  Here is an example of a dress that I have recently found in the purple I am looking for: