A Happy Ending!

This is the continuation of the "wedding gown saga" I wrote about last week. So there I was, 100 days before the big event, with no gown! And, to top it off, my mom was in San Diego so she couldn't help me with shopping, and my sister has 2 little boys so she couldn't really help either. The internet saved the day...with all of my wedding-related internet searches, I remembered that there were a couple of stores in the area that sell designer wedding gowns off the rack.

First I called a store named Designer Bridal Outlet in Wellesley. The woman I spoke to, Joanie, was very sympathetic and made me an appointment for the next day. When I walked into the store I felt comfortable with Joanie right away. She's about the same age as my mom and was dressed in an outfit that was very much like one my mom would wear. Because I'm not a size 8, Joanie started pulling out any gowns that were in (approximately) my size. She pulled out some gowns that were not at all the style I was going for, but she urged me to try them on. It's a good thing, because the gown I decided on was one that I wouldn't have considered, mostly because it was strapless.

I tried on a number of gowns and narrowed it down to 2. Because my mom was in San Diego, Joanie went against the store policies and took a couple of digital photos of me in the gowns so my mom could help me decide. Here's one of the photos she took:
The gown fit like a glove and hugged all of the right curves of my body. I never thought I wanted a chapel train or a full length veil, but this gown definitely made me feel like a princess. This would be my only chance to wear layers of organza, so why not go for it! Plus, was completely unlike that other gown. My mom loved the pictures, so I called Joanie the next day and put down my deposit. Believe it or not, this gown was the same price as the other one, but far more stunning. Here's a close-up of the fabric from my actual wedding day:
And here's what my gown looked like bustled (a French bustle) with the veil bustled too. The bustling and alterations were done by Sienna at Bridal Fashion and Alterations (she's wonderful).

The photo above is by Krzystyna Harber Photography in Providence, RI--Krzystyna a terrific photographer and a joy to work with. D and I loved her from our very first meeting with her. This isn't one of the best of the photos she took, but it shows off the back of my gown (and hides D's face...he's shy about being on my blog).

Over the next few months I'll continue to post memories, reviews, and photos leading up to my wedding last May.