Dress

After trying on over 80 dresses in 13 different stores in three different states, I finally found it and ordered it on 6.25.09. It is Casablanca 1914, in ivory and was the very last gown I tried on. Maggie Sottero makes a gown very, very similar, Vogue Royale, that was the fifth gown I tried on. It was also the only gown I kept trying on. Everytime I came up to NJ to go dress shopping, I tried it on. But there was just something missing, something I just couldn't put my finger on. I was getting tired of looking, and frustrated, and close to settling and just ordering it. But my Mom wouldn't let me. She felt I still had time and it was too soon to settle. One day, I went into a bridal salon, thinking maybe I needed to try different styles, when my Mom pulled a Casablanca out and told me it was their version of the Maggie Vogue. I LOVED it and neither of us could figure out why I had never tried it on. As soon as I saw myself in it, I knew that this dress had whatever was missing with the Vogue. It was also probably the only dress I didn't want to make any changes to. I went back a few days later and tried it on for my Nana, Aunt and cousin, and ordered it. As the salesperson was writing up the order, everyone's cell phone starting ringing, calling with the news that Michael Jackson was dead.  I will always know where I was when I heard the news about MJ.


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Veil & Headpiece

I went up to NJ in Oct and tried on my gown for my sister, who had not seen me in it. I tried it on with a cathedral veil and love the look. I was concerned that a long veil would take away from the illusion train, but from the picture below, you can see that it actually adds a layer of interest to the back of the dress.

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This veil is absolutely beautiful. It's Bel Aire #8345 and has swarovski crystals all along the edge. It's also $280! Not sure I can justify the cost, since I know I'll only be wearing the veil for the ceremony.
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I tried on a flexible rhinestone headband and loved the look. It was Bel Aire #981. I can't find a picture of it anywhere, but this one is very similar to it.

And the winners are.....

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Pictures don't do this justice. It's Malis-Henderson, style 308, cathedral length ivory, with an ivory pencil trim. There are swarovski crystals scatter long the edges and along the bottom, but in a pattern, not vandomly. These crystals sparkle like no one's business. Thinking maybe it was the lighting in the store, I tried on a lower priced veil, also with supposedly swarovski crystals, and the ones on the Malis veil were, without a doubt, much more sparkley. I bought this at Castle Couture in Marlboro. 
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After trying on what seemed like hundreds of headbands of various shapes and sizes, the minute I put this one on, my eyes filled with tears. Absoultely beautiful. It's by Erica Koesler, style A5340. I bought this at Sassy Chic in Red Bank.
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headband on model
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Hair & Makeup

One of the hairstyles I'm considering is a side pony. Craig loves when I wear my hair down, and curled, but with my wedding outdoors and beachside, not sure how it will hold up with the wind. I thought a curly side pony might do the trick. If I go with that style, I'm considering wearing a white flower where the band will be to hold the pony, something like the ones on the left. On the right is a picture of me, pretending I'm wearing a flower in my hair. If I wear it up, I like the style below.
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My trials

I had my makeup trial in Dec and loved everything about it but the lip color she used.  I'll be going to MAC in June to pick out a color I want for the day of, since I'll need my own tube for touchups that day. I went with an airbrush foundation, since it holds up well under heat and humidity. Two of my bridesmaids are also going to have just an airbrush foundation done the day of the wedding for the same reason, but will apply their own makeup.  

I had my hair trial in April. Love it from the sides and the back and it held up really well throughout the day.  I'm just not liking the front. My bangs were just a tiny bit too short to lay the way I want, but my stylist is confident they will grown enough by the wedding. If not, we'll put in extentions.  I just feel, though, that from the front, it doesn't look any different than how I normally wear it. My stylist thinks I just need some more height. I'm still not confident and keep searching for pictures of ways to do the front.
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Underneath it all

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Yep....I'm planning on wearing a hoop slip. During one of my many visits to try on wedding gowns, one shop suggested trying a gown with a hoop skirt. Sure...why not?  Much to my surprise, it gave the gown an amazing shape and, more importantly, lifted the gown off my legs and immediately made me feel cooler. I was sold...at least on the hoop. The shop where I eventually bought my gown didn't have any hoop slips in the store (and looked at me rather strangely when I asked about them). Did some googling, and finally found hoop skirts for trumpet style gowns on eBay....and for only $20. The hoops themselves are adjustable, and can be removed. I'm definately going to be buying one and at least try it on with my dress when it comes in.

UPDATE: BIG FAT FAIL! My dress looked ridiculous wth the hoop underneath it.  When I go for my alterations, will decide if I just want some add'l crinoline added to the dress. I know I don't want to wear a slip underneath everything. 

Bustle

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Love the look of a double french bustle

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This is french bustle with an illusion train

Jewelry

I'll be wearing these gorgeous swarovski drop earrings. The bracelet was made specifically for me, using some swarovski beads from a necklace my Mom received from her Mom (my Nana, who I'm named after), who got them as a gift from her Mom.
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Shoes

Right now, there are eight pairs of shoes sitting in my Mom's house, waiting for me to make a decision. I want them to be stylish, yet comfortable. I'd love to be able to wear a 4 inch heel, but I can barely stand in them without falling over, let alone wear them for hours and hours. I need to decide soon, though, as my dress will be made hollow to hem, and I will need to know the exact heel height when I order my dress this summer. These are some of the shoes I'm thinking about.

UPDATE: Went home in May and not one of the 8 pairs of shoes waiting there are going to work :o(  I love the styling of the bottom shoe on the right, but the color is too dark (it's gray, not silver) and they were very uncomfortable. All 8 pairs are being returned. Looks like it's back to square one.

I'm also considering a plain ivory or silver strappy sandal and adding a shoe clip, made from pink rhinestones, like the pictures below.

My dress was ordered hollow to hem, and my dress shop suggested I wait until the dress is in to purchase my shoes. Hollow to hem is never guarenteed to be exact, and could vary by half an inch. So, while we measured to assume a 2 inch heel, the final gown could require a 1.5 to a 2.5 heel. Now I'm on a quest to find shoes with a 1.5", 2", and 2.5" heel, and bring all of them to my first fitting. Ironic that I now have to find three shoes I like, when I haven't been able to find even one.

My latest idea is to find dyeable shoes and only dye the heel raspberry. I'm more and more leaning towards shoes that will allow me to add some kind of bling and/or bow. Below is one style I like, since they work with or without a shoe clip. Not sure, though, if they're dyeable, but here's a rough idea of how the heel only would looked dyed.
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And here are some ideas for embellishments.
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And the winner is.......
They're Bourne "Jasmine" in ivory satin. Lord & Taylor's had them on sale, for 60% off, so they were only $80. Nordstrom's has them in gold for $255! Major BLING going on with them that you can only appreciate in person.  All I could say when I tried them on was "WOW". When I tried them on with my dress, I thought they might have been just a bit too high, but the dress shop owner said they were the perfect height, that you do not want the wedding gown touching the ground.
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In gold
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On me
"I Do" Stickers for the bottom of my shoes. These were the very first thing my Mom bought me for the wedding.
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In ivory
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On my feet
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Dancing Shoes

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These are from Avon. Got the silver ones for $5.99

Garter


The weekend I got engaged, I asked my Mom is she would allow me to use her wedding gown for my bridal garter, and she agreed.  Well....she went a few steps further and had it made not only from her wedding gown, but took some lace from my one Grandmother's head piece and some beading from my other Grandmother's wedding dress, and had the garter on the bottom left made for me. Inside is a label with my name and wedding date. I had no idea she was doing this. She surprised me at my bridal shower with it. The orange and pink garter on the right is my throw away garter.
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