Happy Weekend Friends!
I hope everyone has had a nice enjoyable one so far. It's really warm today in Chicago. Again, I'm one of those who loves colder weather. But if you love sunbathing, today would be your day here in the Midwest! Funny that I ever would end up here... only because I never imagined I would. Delighted just the same as this truly is a beautiful city and a lot of fun things to do here! Potato really has adjusted well. He loves walking down near the lake. He's quite the cosmopolitan cutie!
Anyways, I wanted to post this awhile ago. In between boards and rotations, sometimes I get a chance to dream about the wedding day. Still, no date yet. Hoping to finish school and then land residency is first. Then I can plan! If all goes to plan, hopefully September 2013!!! I love the dress I purchased it right when I got engaged. It's a simple white gown (my second one for part of the reception is ivory!) that's part classic and part modern. Hard to describe. It has a fitted bodice but there is just enough poof at the bottom to make me feel like a princess! Not too much, but just enough. Why choose when you can have both?!
Although initially I was in love with the Maggie Sottero Rhianna Royale, the boutiques I went to did not carry it. The sales associate would have me try on a "similar" gown, and tell me to go ahead and order the Rhianna Royale without actually having have seen/felt/worn the actual gown. I wasn't ready to shell out that much for something I wasn't 100% sure I would like, and of course, no returns or exchanges. Lucky me, I found something else I was able to try on and fell in love with too! It has some detailing, is lightweight, and just made me feel like a bride! I wasn't sure what I was looking for, but I'm glad I kept an open mind! However, it lacked the floral detailing that I so loved on the Maggie dress.
The solution? Make my own flower appliques! The hardest part for me was cutting out the little squares. After awhile I realized it didn't have to be perfect and I started zipping through these little fabric flowers in no time. I would watch study videos and make these at the same time. I have added them to the original dress and am in love with the dress even more! You know, it's those personal touches that truly make the dress your very own! I placed them along the sweetheart neckline and then scattered them along the fuller skirt portion of the dress! I'm debating if I should add some floral strap(s). Just like the Maggie Sottero dress, my dress has the lace-up back so it requires less tailoring since you can just adjust the laces to your figure. It's ideal for girls like me who likes to indulge chocolate chip cookies, ice cream, Doritos. You won't have to be too worried because there is give on these types of dresses (within reason - I'm not saying it's okay to eat your way to 50 pounds but 5-10 pounds shouldn't be a huge deal!) Or, if you lose weight too (um, I wish!) all you need to do is tighten the laces. Short of a spandex wedding dress (I'm not judging, just saying!) there is some leeway should you get a little curvier;) Since I feel like I have a rather difficult body to fit (don't we all feel that way sometimes?!), this was the perfect solution.
I wish I had the dress to show (I'm not superstitious so I don't mind showing the dress before walking down the aisle!) but I didn't bring it with me to Chicago. Although sometimes I wish I did, just to admire it! I wish I could be one of those girls who's hush hush and keeps it under lock and key - but I guess I get so excited I can't wait to share things sometimes! I used a combination of both satin and organza to make flowers of varying sizes to give depth to the dress. I also added some petite crystals and pearls to enhance the flowers. I soooooo adore the finished product.
So far all you brides on a budget, here's a great way to enhance an otherwise simpler dress without having to break the bank. After all, I felt that if I was only going to wear it for a day, I didn't want to spend too much coin. Okay, I would love to break it out once a year and have a Wedding Dress Party Day... and occasionally when I wash the dishes too...;) So get creative, ladies! Just because the dress of your dreams isn't perfect as is on the hanger, but you love the style & fit, you can always add extras and make it what you always dreamed it could be! In fact, I actually like my gown so much more than the Rhianna Royale because there is a more ballgown feel to the skirt but without the bulk. Very lightweight in comparison to many of the other dresses I tried. It's just perfect for a French garden outdoor ceremony and reception!
XoX,
Marikym
