I got my dress!!!!
My mom had referred me to a small place in McHenry, called Gipper Formalwear, a long time ago. I called them on Thurs, to see if they even did bridal, because their website was all about tuxes and prom dresses. The owner told me that they were going to get out of bridal, and starting that day, they were going to sell all of their samples, and everything was going to be marked down 40%. I confirmed that they had a big range of sizes (a room full of size 8s would do nothing for me), and left work a little early, just to see what they had.
They had 2 full racks, but a lot of it was too small for me. They did have some really nice dresses though, so if you are in the market for one, go! I picked out 3 to try on. I really really liked the first one I put on, the detailing was gorgeous, and I was really close to getting it. Then, I tried on the second one. It was really, really great. The owner lady, who was helping me, had teary eyes, and she said that she didnt think she could put me in anything else after seeing me in that dress. I tried on one more, which was not good. Then, I put the second one back on, and decided to get it.
Off the rack, it fits almost perfectly. As long as I stay roughly the same size, it will need minimal alterations -- in at the top a little bit, and hemming. It's got all of the things I want (controlling, shaping top; sweetheart neckline, buttons all the way down the back, lace/embroidery), and none of the things I don't want (tons of glitz, beading, lace-up back, ASS BOW!) I wasn't too excited when I first bought it, I was more like "ok, lets get back into street clothes, and do the sale , so I can get some dinner and you guys can go home (they stayed and let me do most of this after the store closed, which was awesome. Felt all VIP, ha)", and the owner was very sentimental, lots of congrats. As soon as I got in the car, then it was "Woooohoohahsdkfhsdlkfhdskhfkashfdsh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! holycrap i just got my dresss!!!!"
Since it was pretty impulsive, I thought I would have buyers remorse in the morning, but it was the exact opposite -- I am absolutely confident that this is "THE DRESS". It is almost perfect for me. Its a little minimalist, and classic, and timeless, and really is beautiful. Every time I see it in my closet, i get a happy glow. (gag, right??) ha. I am not sure if this is because of the dress itself, or the fact that i never have to go wedding dress shopping again, and its already purchased, paid for and done, and i can move on to other things.
The funny part is how unplanned this was. I did not have an appointment, I didnt have anyone with me, I was unshaven, wearing a black bra with straps, neon green underwear, no makeup, and absolutely no support garments, and i was able to be successful... so screw you, bridal industry! you dont need shit to get things done, and done well.
Here is the link to pics of the dress -- It's by Allure bridal, and is from their Spring 2009 collection, so no really good zoom-in type pictures seem to be left anywhere on the internet. MATTHEW -- DO NOT LOOK !
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Sunday, May 8, 2011
ohboy.
I had my first "real" dress-shopping outing yesterday, with an appointment and consultant and everything! I went to David's, I figured it was a good place to start.
The consultant lady was nice, very quiet, brought out some good things based on feedback, and it is waaaay easier to throw gowns on and off with someone who knows what they are doing. i guess you are supposed to dive into them headfirst, not step in and shimmy up. hm. even though i was wearing a full-length flexee, they still wanted to put me in a community longline bra, i said no. i did wear community slip, which is kinda gross, it had makeup stains on it and was overall dingy, but thats not rubbing up against my intimate areas really, so im ok with that.
keri, keris mom, my mom, and matts mom came with. (thank you soooo much, all of you!!!) i tried on 7-8 (i think?) dresses, none of them were "THE DRESS",, but there were a couple that I liked. One made 2 or 3 people cry, but it wasnt even one of the top choices, i think it was just the first one that made me look like a real bride... at least, thats what im going to chalk it up to.
3 important things that I learned from/were accomplished yesterday:
1 -- My mom originally wanted nothing to do with dress shopping. I was happily surprised that she went yesterday, and i think it was a good experience for her, that this is not like "normal" shopping. it was really nice to have her there, and get her input. i'll throw out invites for the next times i go, and we will see what happens.
2 -- its really, really mofo weird to walk out wearing a dress, that you havent seen yet, and have a line of people scrutinizing. not making eye contact with you, but clearly staring at what you are wearing, and making oooh/aaahhh sounds along the spectrum of approval/disapproval. i want to emphasize that i am so grateful and happy with everyone who came, and gave valuable input, but this is such a unique experience. its odd.
3 -- None of the dresses I had picked out beforehand looked good on me. The ones I did like on me were not at all anything I had looked at before. It turns everything I did not like in pictures (full skirt, beading, embroidery), actually looks good on. WTF. so, now I have to completely do a 180 on the styles i am looking for. this was the biggest thing that came out of yesterday, which is extremely productive in itself. designers i would have blown off before are now coming back (im thinking of demetrios). it sorta takes everything in a completely different direction than what i was envisioning. but, thats good! what i was thinking of before just does not work with the body i have, and thats ok, and good info to have.
So, now -- sweetheart neckline ; A-line dress, structured top (no Grecian styles), and a little sparkle. maybe a lot of sparkle. lace would still be nice, but not a must-have. beaded lace is actually preferable now, as before it was a definite no.
i think in 2 weeks from now, i will make appointments for Demetrios in Schaumburg, and a little place called Gipper in McHenry that my mom referred me to,,,, and go from there! i would really prefer to get the dress picked out sometime in the next 2 months; i think it's do-able, but will mean putting a lot more time into it than I have thus far. I wont lie, a little part of me wanted to find THE DRESS the first time out, but i know thats unrealistic, and i think the whole idea of the perfect dress is a myth anyhow... but you never know, maybe i will change my mind on that too.
The consultant lady was nice, very quiet, brought out some good things based on feedback, and it is waaaay easier to throw gowns on and off with someone who knows what they are doing. i guess you are supposed to dive into them headfirst, not step in and shimmy up. hm. even though i was wearing a full-length flexee, they still wanted to put me in a community longline bra, i said no. i did wear community slip, which is kinda gross, it had makeup stains on it and was overall dingy, but thats not rubbing up against my intimate areas really, so im ok with that.
keri, keris mom, my mom, and matts mom came with. (thank you soooo much, all of you!!!) i tried on 7-8 (i think?) dresses, none of them were "THE DRESS",, but there were a couple that I liked. One made 2 or 3 people cry, but it wasnt even one of the top choices, i think it was just the first one that made me look like a real bride... at least, thats what im going to chalk it up to.
3 important things that I learned from/were accomplished yesterday:
1 -- My mom originally wanted nothing to do with dress shopping. I was happily surprised that she went yesterday, and i think it was a good experience for her, that this is not like "normal" shopping. it was really nice to have her there, and get her input. i'll throw out invites for the next times i go, and we will see what happens.
2 -- its really, really mofo weird to walk out wearing a dress, that you havent seen yet, and have a line of people scrutinizing. not making eye contact with you, but clearly staring at what you are wearing, and making oooh/aaahhh sounds along the spectrum of approval/disapproval. i want to emphasize that i am so grateful and happy with everyone who came, and gave valuable input, but this is such a unique experience. its odd.
3 -- None of the dresses I had picked out beforehand looked good on me. The ones I did like on me were not at all anything I had looked at before. It turns everything I did not like in pictures (full skirt, beading, embroidery), actually looks good on. WTF. so, now I have to completely do a 180 on the styles i am looking for. this was the biggest thing that came out of yesterday, which is extremely productive in itself. designers i would have blown off before are now coming back (im thinking of demetrios). it sorta takes everything in a completely different direction than what i was envisioning. but, thats good! what i was thinking of before just does not work with the body i have, and thats ok, and good info to have.
So, now -- sweetheart neckline ; A-line dress, structured top (no Grecian styles), and a little sparkle. maybe a lot of sparkle. lace would still be nice, but not a must-have. beaded lace is actually preferable now, as before it was a definite no.
i think in 2 weeks from now, i will make appointments for Demetrios in Schaumburg, and a little place called Gipper in McHenry that my mom referred me to,,,, and go from there! i would really prefer to get the dress picked out sometime in the next 2 months; i think it's do-able, but will mean putting a lot more time into it than I have thus far. I wont lie, a little part of me wanted to find THE DRESS the first time out, but i know thats unrealistic, and i think the whole idea of the perfect dress is a myth anyhow... but you never know, maybe i will change my mind on that too.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
It's been a long, long time since I posted, so this is going to be really long, just as an up-front warning. I'll break it down in manageable chunks.
1 -- I tend to binge-plan for the wedding. I'll go weeks without doing anything, then get a whole lotta stuff done, then nothing. Is this normal? I guess if everything gets done in an adequate time frame, then it doesnt really matter. It is getting harder, since the weather is nice now, to not hang out inside and do wedding stuff instead.
2 -- Things I have not made any progress on, that I need to: attire (for everybody), guest list, florist. I need to resume communications with the DJ, which I plan on doing today. I also need to lose 9 more lbs, to get to my -15. I was doing well, but fell off the wagon in the last month or so. Work has been insane, with super-long hours, and I havent been exercising at all, really. So, I just need to get myself exercising and eating out less, and I should be good!
Things that have been done: Booked photographers (well, I still need to mail them a check, but I will do that Monday), I am soooo soo excited about working with them. We met with them a few weeks ago, and they are really awesome people, who know what they are doing. We are also done saving for the wedding, which is a huuuuge milestone. If you include the money that has already been spent, we have 30% over our budget already. So, there is a good chance that we have our honeymoon also paid for, or at least a good part of it. Now, it's my job to spend the money.
I bought a bridal undergarment. I wanted to have it for trying on dresses, so A - I dont have to touch the dreaded community bra that some places make you wear, because thats nasty, and B - I can see what dresses will look like with a support garment, in the best possible shape that i can squeeze myself in to. This thing is a beast. its not too uncomfy, once you have it on, but getting it on, holy hell.
I have set up an online registry, with the idea that we can both gradually add things to it, and not have it be a major task a few months from now. So far, its mostly low-priced kitchen things. Putting together a registry is actually kinda difficult, esp since we have a lot of things from matts parents still in the house, and i have been living on my own for 6ish years, so I pretty much have everything we need for the household. New towels, sheets, etc are always good though.
I also got my bridesmaids their gifts, a 3-day pass to Lollapalooza. I am unbelievably excited for this. I'll also get some small memento closer to the wedding, but at least I dont have to worry about what to get them for all of their time and hard work.
3 -- MORE DRAMA -- the person who we wanted as our officiant politely declined. I am pretty bummed about this, he would have done a fantastic job. I dont know what his reasons were... I have some ideas, but I'm not sure. Matt has offered to take on the responsibility of getting a new one, so I'll let him do that. In the meantime, I have drunkenly asked at least 2 friends to do it for us, hahaha. I was doing a basic internet search, and they are wicked expensive!! I suggested to my teacher friend that he do this for supplemental income,,, seriously, if you are good at it, there is a market out there. I was perusing Yelp, and a lot of the reviews said that the ceremony "had just enough religion to make the grandparents happy" - I'm glad I'm not the only one in that boat! I seriously don't have a clue as to what our ceremony is going to consist of. Sing-along? Raffle? Complete solemnity?
4 -- I need to get a new ring. I wear my engagement ring on my right hand, because it doesnt fit properly on my left (i sized it at a bad time, and the company that makes it doesnt do half-sizes). Other than raising a few questions, this hasnt caused any problems... until last week. I had a vendor visit, and he had a rather strong handshake, which really, really hurt - my pinky and middle finger both were bruised from the ring being pressed into it! Anyway. So, I am going to buy a new ring, and make sure it fits properly, and after being married, wear it on the traditional finger. I need to decide whether to get the same ring I have now, something similar, or completely different.
5 -- Royal wedding thoughts: Briefly, because everything that can be said about it has already been said, multiple times -- beautiful. They make such an adorable couple, and seem genuinely in love. I loved the trees in the church, and the dress. I did not like her bouquet, at all. Lily-of-the-valley is one of my favorite flowers, but a whole bouquet of them looked scraggly, esp from far away. it was pretty up close, though.
I think thats it, for now. Today, I want to try making a couple of tissue flowers, book a haircut appt at a salon near Carol Stream, with the intention of finding someone for hair/makeup for the wedding, re-email the DJ, and organize everything, and put together a payment schedule for venue, so I dont forget to pay them on time.
1 -- I tend to binge-plan for the wedding. I'll go weeks without doing anything, then get a whole lotta stuff done, then nothing. Is this normal? I guess if everything gets done in an adequate time frame, then it doesnt really matter. It is getting harder, since the weather is nice now, to not hang out inside and do wedding stuff instead.
2 -- Things I have not made any progress on, that I need to: attire (for everybody), guest list, florist. I need to resume communications with the DJ, which I plan on doing today. I also need to lose 9 more lbs, to get to my -15. I was doing well, but fell off the wagon in the last month or so. Work has been insane, with super-long hours, and I havent been exercising at all, really. So, I just need to get myself exercising and eating out less, and I should be good!
Things that have been done: Booked photographers (well, I still need to mail them a check, but I will do that Monday), I am soooo soo excited about working with them. We met with them a few weeks ago, and they are really awesome people, who know what they are doing. We are also done saving for the wedding, which is a huuuuge milestone. If you include the money that has already been spent, we have 30% over our budget already. So, there is a good chance that we have our honeymoon also paid for, or at least a good part of it. Now, it's my job to spend the money.
I bought a bridal undergarment. I wanted to have it for trying on dresses, so A - I dont have to touch the dreaded community bra that some places make you wear, because thats nasty, and B - I can see what dresses will look like with a support garment, in the best possible shape that i can squeeze myself in to. This thing is a beast. its not too uncomfy, once you have it on, but getting it on, holy hell.
I have set up an online registry, with the idea that we can both gradually add things to it, and not have it be a major task a few months from now. So far, its mostly low-priced kitchen things. Putting together a registry is actually kinda difficult, esp since we have a lot of things from matts parents still in the house, and i have been living on my own for 6ish years, so I pretty much have everything we need for the household. New towels, sheets, etc are always good though.
I also got my bridesmaids their gifts, a 3-day pass to Lollapalooza. I am unbelievably excited for this. I'll also get some small memento closer to the wedding, but at least I dont have to worry about what to get them for all of their time and hard work.
3 -- MORE DRAMA -- the person who we wanted as our officiant politely declined. I am pretty bummed about this, he would have done a fantastic job. I dont know what his reasons were... I have some ideas, but I'm not sure. Matt has offered to take on the responsibility of getting a new one, so I'll let him do that. In the meantime, I have drunkenly asked at least 2 friends to do it for us, hahaha. I was doing a basic internet search, and they are wicked expensive!! I suggested to my teacher friend that he do this for supplemental income,,, seriously, if you are good at it, there is a market out there. I was perusing Yelp, and a lot of the reviews said that the ceremony "had just enough religion to make the grandparents happy" - I'm glad I'm not the only one in that boat! I seriously don't have a clue as to what our ceremony is going to consist of. Sing-along? Raffle? Complete solemnity?
4 -- I need to get a new ring. I wear my engagement ring on my right hand, because it doesnt fit properly on my left (i sized it at a bad time, and the company that makes it doesnt do half-sizes). Other than raising a few questions, this hasnt caused any problems... until last week. I had a vendor visit, and he had a rather strong handshake, which really, really hurt - my pinky and middle finger both were bruised from the ring being pressed into it! Anyway. So, I am going to buy a new ring, and make sure it fits properly, and after being married, wear it on the traditional finger. I need to decide whether to get the same ring I have now, something similar, or completely different.
5 -- Royal wedding thoughts: Briefly, because everything that can be said about it has already been said, multiple times -- beautiful. They make such an adorable couple, and seem genuinely in love. I loved the trees in the church, and the dress. I did not like her bouquet, at all. Lily-of-the-valley is one of my favorite flowers, but a whole bouquet of them looked scraggly, esp from far away. it was pretty up close, though.
I think thats it, for now. Today, I want to try making a couple of tissue flowers, book a haircut appt at a salon near Carol Stream, with the intention of finding someone for hair/makeup for the wedding, re-email the DJ, and organize everything, and put together a payment schedule for venue, so I dont forget to pay them on time.
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