Dress: Check!

I picked up my dress on Saturday! I adore it. As one of my friends commented, it feels weird to love an inanimate object so much. I can't wait to wear it! The dress maker did such a great job.

After I picked it up I dropped it at the MOH's house; it's hanging in her guest bedroom closet. We'll have to figure out logistics of getting it where it needs to be when it needs to be there later, for now, Mr. T is just not allowed to see it, so her place was the best storage option.

I also came in under budget on the dress (Hooray!). I'm contemplating using the extra to buy myself an "after-party" dress. I can't help but think I'll be over wearing a corset by about 10 pm. Still, that means locating another fabulous dress in under two weeks. Hm.

2nd Dress Fitting, Rehearsal Dinner Dress, and Cufflinks!

I went for my second dress fitting yesterday. I'd thought they were going to do another muslin, but this was my actual dress fabric--exciting! Unfortunately, they have to re-make the corset. The cutter didn't make the lace on the bodice wide enough, and the pattern of the lace was upside-down. However, it was fun to try it all on together! My first thought was that it makes me look very tall! Actually, that was my second thought. My first thought was WOW.

They are going to finish the corset that I tried on and sell it at Dickens Fair...funny to think of someone buying something that was literally made for me. I wonder who out there has my measurements?

Autumn, my dressmaker, is awesome and so nice. She is full of compliments every time I'm in there, about how great I look in the dress, how my figure is made for a corset, how tiny I look, and this last time she told me my arms look good. I could keep her around all day!

As usual, you can email me for pix...I can't post in case Mr. T checks the blog. I have another fitting in a little over a week. Yay! At that fitting I think we'll make some decisions about beading the corset and/or the skirt.

What I CAN show you is the dress I splurged on for the rehearsal dinner and/or the bachelorette. It's a little strain on the wallet, but it's so cute! Hopefully it looks as good on me as on the model...or at least, half as good anyway!



And, finally, we bought Mr. T's cufflinks today. They are Halloween with a classic look. I think you won't be able to tell they're Halloween-appropriate unless you're up close, which is very him. He likes his dark side to be more subtle.

Dress Fitting #1

On Friday I went for my first dress fitting. Even though what they brought out was two pieces of different colored off-white muslin, I squealed and yelled, "I LOVE it!". I guess I'm an easy customer.

This was my first time in a real corset (Hot Topic or Lip Service ones just don't count, do they?) and even though it was just the muslin mockup, I was surprised by three things:

1. My waist looked tiny.
2. M. was right, I won't need a bra (first time in my life, I think! Well, aside from when I was younger than 11 years old).
3. It was a little harder to bend over than normal! Well, I guess I wasn't super surprised by it, but that boning is no joke. I had great posture.

The skirt was a bit too short, and the shop owner thought I'd lost weight even since she measured me, which I'm not sure if I lost all that much...my waist was the same size when they re-measured me on Friday.

I had to pick a new fabric because they can't get the Duchesse satin anymore in the color I liked, but they presented me with a silk dupioni that I liked even better. I loved how the lace panels in the skirt looked, and we're going to back those with the red fabric so you can see the detail of the lace. I can't wait to see the final product! We're going to do one more muslin before they cut fabric, so I'll go back in a month or so. Squeal!!

I'd post some pix, but Mr. T is known to read this blog from time to time, so you'll have to email me for them if you're curious! ;-)

Invitations to Printer: Check! Plus, other random tasks

I'm so happy to report that we sent the invite files to the printer yesterday and dropped off the black paper this morning before work. Hooray! That is such a weight lifted. We were ecstatic after uploading the files yesterday.

Also, the printer has already sent us a PDF proof of our invite. That was fast! The owner told Mr. T that they were in a lull at the moment, so the printing might only take about 2 weeks. Hooray! That means, if we have some time to spare, that we can consider doing custom postage through Zazzle or a site like that, to coordinate with our invitations. If we use the post office's postage, we're stuck with some not-so-thrilling options, but we'll suck it up if we have to. I just wish they'd updated the Edgar Allen Poe stamps with the new rate...sigh.

This weekend we also accomplished a few other wedding tasks:

• We made our registries live on our wedsite. We haven't added flatware yet, but we can do that later.
• We tried two more rehearsal dinner options. This is turning out to be much more challenging than finding the wedding venue! To summarize, the Vietnamese place closest to our venue sucks, so we're looking at opening our search to restaurants without private rooms.
• We purchased a custom return address stamp from Etsy.
• We booked our hotel room for our wedding night, plus our photographer's hotel room for two nights.
• We ordered our cupcake stand (cardboard, to be painted and adorned by us).
• We purchased gifts for my bridesmaid and MOH as well as our officiant.
• I purchased a wedding band for Mr. T from an online jeweler...luckily we can return it to the company if he hates it.
• We purchased envelopes for our invitations, with extras for thank you notes. We also decided that lining the envelopes wasn't worth the hassle, so that's another thing off my list.
• We put some thought into our first dance and decided what we're going to do (but I'm not telling!)
• I scheduled my first dress fitting for this Friday! This is when I try on the muslin version. After that they order the fabric and get to work!
  

Phew! Only another 120 things to go!

Measured! Dress Appt. #2

This Saturday the MOH and I went to my dressmaker's so I could finally be measured for my dress! I have to say, I love my dressmaker already. She's so awesome. Funny, nice, smart...you name it. I'm so excited to get this ball rolling!

The next step is that they'll make a muslin for me, which will take about a month and a half, and then I'll come in again and they'll make adjustments. After that they cut fabric! My dressmaker says that she's not concerned about me losing more weight; I guess it's not a large enough amount (like 100 lbs or something) to make her worry about it. I told her I was going to keep losing until she tells me to stop it.

Of course while I was in there I ran into my friend M., who is the lovely lady that sold me my wedding shoes and who's getting married a month before I am. She was there to try on her muslin for her dress. Small world!

I also was very weak and bought a feather fascinator while I was there. No, not for the wedding. It's a gorgeous set of ostrich plumes in pink and mauve and burgundy. Sigh. Once I put it on, I was done for! The MOH also bought a skirt and a top. That shop is trouble.

Speaking of fascinators, I did choose one:


I realized that the black flower with the rhinestone center was $80 all by itself; the veil was separate. That's just crazy. No flower is worth $80, in my opinion. So I took a chance on this feathered beauty that was a fraction of the cost; I thought, well, if it's not the right color, I know I'll wear it for something else. But I got it yesterday, and Mr. T, the color expert, deemed it close enough (I have a swatch of my dress fabric at home, but that's all he's allowed to see)! So I think I'm set, except for a birdcage veil. One of my friends thinks she has some extra netting she can give me, and if so, and if the MOH and I can rig something pretty, we're golden! Now I just need to schedule a hair trial...

Fun Dresses

I recently discovered the Rock N Roll Bride blog (how did I not know about this before??). Between that one and Offbeat Bride, I drool over all the lovely dresses...here are a few. Just had to share.

I love this vivid blue! I think either her mom or MIL made it. And, a tricorn hat! Just this morning Mr. T and I saw someone walking around in a tricorn hat and pirate coat; so festive!



I don't think Mr. T would go for a Marie Antoinette theme, but it's so decadent. I LOVE her hair. I've never had pink hair and sometimes I still think about going for it. The bleaching is what stops me. I worry that all of my hair would fall out.





And, y'all know I love red and corsets. She made her own skirt, which is impressive.



This is a great train. My skirt will be a tiny bit like this, although not as huge and with fewer layers of lace. But WOW.



I got this from my corset maker's album on Flickr. I kind of covet this necklace.


And we end with the beautiful Dita on her wedding day. Sigh. I know their marriage didn't work out, but OMG I love her. Such glamour.

Dress Appointment!!!!!

Saturday the MOH and I were super excited to go to my appointment with the dress maker. She's a custom-corset maker who also creates bridal ensembles in SF. Before the appointment we wandered around her store, which is stuffed with ready-made corsets, custom little top hats and fascinators with feathers and lace and other fun frilly things, beautiful jewelry, gauntlets (both of us almost caved and got a pair of overpriced gauntlets, but we resisted), spats, skirts, coats, sweet little lace umbrellas, fans, you name it. It's like goth heaven!

The owner, Autumn, who had on the cutest skirt, took us upstairs and looked through my inspiration photos, reading all the comments I'd written on the page very carefully and listening intently to what I said about each. She was very engaged and present in the conversation. She had kind of a quiet demeanor but as she spoke you could feel the passion and knowledge she brings to her work. She told me at one point that we have a similar aesthetic and also that she liked my sense of humor, both of which I felt flattered about. I feel like a fangirl with a crush on my seamstress!

After looking through everything, she offered her opinion that I should go floor-length with the skirt, which will lengthen me, but that we could show flashes of leg through lace insets. This was based on one of my inspiration photos, if you'll remember:



I adore this dress. Although I'd change a few details, such as straps (I want some), the tightness around the tummy, and the train (too long and cumbersome for me). Also the color, although I adore that she chose pale pink.

So, we designed something similar based on this dress (mermaid shape with lace insets in the skirt), but in a beautiful red silk satin and with a slightly looser mermaid skirt so that I'll be able to sit. The satin is heavy enough that it won't wrinkle, which you may recall I was worried about. We also picked out the black lace, which has a gorgeous s-shaped curve in it, and talked about also bringing the lace into the bodice to make the dress feel like one piece. Finally, I told her I wanted straps, a modesty panel in the back (no flesh peeking out between the laces in the back), and that I also wanted modesty in the front--no Dangerous-Liasons style cleavage "in front of God and the family" as the MOH put it. We selected a corset style that had more seams in the bust area, so it would allow for the curve of the breast rather than shoving it all out of the top. We also opted to go with no busks (those clasps that appear in the front of corsets), which increases the difficulty of the dress (a lot heavier lacing duties for someone!) but which also, in my opinion, offers a cleaner line and makes the ensemble look more like a dress.

Autumn talked about having red beads hand-sewn on the black lace, but we decided that those were out of my price range. However, now that I've been mulling it over, I'm reconsidering. Beading would add another $500-1500 to my budget. I think I could live with an additional $500 ($1500, not so much). Another option is to do the beading myself, or have a friend do it for free. I wouldn't trust myself to do it, but I may have a friend who can. I haven't decided, but I have time to figure it out.

As we looked through her portfolios I saw at least three women I know in her photos, and we determined that she's done dresses for a couple of other women I know, and is currently doing a dress for a friend of mine who's also getting married this year. It was hilarious. Clearly she comes highly recommended!

She asked if I plan to lose weight before the wedding, and I wasn't sure how to answer this. My answer is, yes, I'd like to, but I'm not on any crazy diet or aggressive weight loss plan...just good old exercise, and trying to eat better. We decided we'd take my measurements in two months. If I do lose some weight, the corset allows for a little bit of weight loss...Hopefully it will be clearer in two months if I've lost weight. I feel like maybe I've lost a couple of pounds (the jeans are fitting better), but nothing radical.

Since I had officially placed the order I put down a deposit of $800. I used my Discover card, which came back DECLINED. I was so embarrassed. Nothing like setting up a good relationship or giving a good first impression! I have plenty of room on that card, and not only that, I have excellent credit. I mean, not to brag, but I have EXCELLENT credit. So I put the deposit on another card, which, after I experienced a brief panicked moment of paranoia, went through just fine.

After the appointment the MOH and I went to eat lunch and I noticed I'd gotten a voicemail on my cell phone from Discover's fraud department. I called back and my phone apparently was fading in and out, or at least that's what the bitchy customer service representative was saying. I'm sorry, if you are in customer service, even if someone's cell phone is frustrating you, it won't kill you to be polite. Just saying.

So I put the phone back in my purse after hanging up on her and we spent the rest of the day shopping for makeup and bras, which was a lot of fun. We were spending some pay from a recent gig, so it was a great way to have some guilt-free spending. We both went to the Chanel counter and got Vamp lipstick, which they are making again!!! Vamp is that gorgeous deep, deep red lipstick (they call it rouge noir, or red-black). The MOH and I had been digging the dregs of Vamp out of our old lipstick tubes, and saving it for special occasions, but now we have brand new tubes!

Anyway, once I was home I called Discover back from my landline. It turns out they declined the card because of their security standards (meaning, the purchase was out of the ordinary for me). I asked the guy, "I'm getting married this year, and it's likely that I'll have a number of large purchases like this. Can I keep this from happening again?" The man, who was very nice, apologized for my embarrassment (which I mentioned pointedly) and said that no, there was nothing I could do, but in the future I could always have the vendor call and verify the charge over the phone.

I'm sorry, but that's a huge pain in the ass, and I'm very seriously considering canceling my Discover card. It's nice they're so concerned with my account's safety, but if I can't use the card, it's useless to me. What if I had been stranded and trying to pay a tow truck driver with that card? WTF? Isn't that what credit is for, the little (or big) unexpected things in life that pop up? So yeah, not a huge fan of the Discover company. Maybe I'll look into a Capitol One card...the whole reason I got Discover was the rewards program.

I'd like to clarify that although I'm using the card, it doesn't mean I'll carry a balance. It's just a way to delay payment until I can move the money from our wedding fund over to my checking. Also, it's good to pay vendors with a credit card...you can contest it if something happens. Not that I'm expecting anything to happen, but you never know!

Embarrassing credit card incident aside, it was a lovely Saturday afternoon, and I couldn't be more excited to see my dress take shape!

OMW: Days 7 and 8, also dress appointment!!

Mr. T and I are now fully embracing the 3 days per week workout schedule (this is our second week on this schedule). I figure we'll do this for one or two more weeks, then move up to four. I wasn't sure how to deal with Mondays, because I drive into work that day rather than taking BART, so I was facing walking to the gym and then walking home afterward to get the car (20 minutes each way). However, it turns out that the gym validates parking for the lot next door, so I can drive there and park for $1, and then I can drive home and shower in my own tub, which I love (gym showering is always a little icky...I wear flip flops in the shower). So Mondays are now my new favorite workout day.

Mr. T seems to think the morning workouts are feeling easier now, physically. I'm not sure I agree. Getting up is still hard, getting up at different times each morning is hard, forcing myself to go to bed earlier is really hard, and the quality of the workout really depends on how rested I feel, frankly. And walking to the gym in the cold and dark at 6 a.m. is never going to be very fun, I'm afraid. But, I persevere. I know it will all be worth it. My belly rolls (that means the belly dance belly roll movement, not rolls of fat!) are actually visibly improved by the ab work I've been doing, and my skin is better too. I think the latter is from drinking more water (32 oz at the gym, then 24-32 oz at work). I wish I could say my clothes are fitting better, but alas, no. I don't think the cupcakes I've been eating lately have been helping (birthdays, baby showers, sigh).

This weekend the MOH and another good friend and I went to the Ethnic Dance Festival Auditions, another budget outing. For $7 you can see a whole day of auditions. The audition performances are exactly as they will be in the final show--outfits, music, staging, etc. The only thing that will change is the lighting; at the auditions the stage lights are on steady the whole time, and the curtain remains up. I love attending the auditions every year. The downside is for every good group you see, you see about 5 times as many mediocre or just plain bad groups, but in a way, that's entertaining, too, and as a dancer, it's certainly educational. It's also fun to predict who will get into the show. I was bummed not to see more audition days (we could only make it to one of the four days), because I don't think I can afford to see the real show this year, but we'll see. I love this city--so many good and affordable cultural experiences!

Finally, in actual wedding-planning related news, I made an appointment with the seamstress!!! She has a business in San Francisco and specializes in corset-making. The appointment is the third week of February, so it will be awhile before I can report back, but I'm excited! Ironically, the appointment is one day before my co-dancer's wedding. I will have an all-wedding weekend!

Random Images from the Internet--dresses, decor, and a cake

It's gotten to the point that when I Google "red wedding dress," I get sent to my own blog. However, since dress shopping is at hand, I tried again last night. First I emailed David's Bridal for an appointment. That's right, David's Bridal. I'm not looking forward to it--although part of me thinks it might be hilarious, especially with the MOH in tow--but I want to try on a variety of silhouettes and DB is probably the best place for that. I also thought they might actually have samples in my size, although perhaps that's hoping for too much.

Here are some images that I liked. The first is just for fun--I don't know when she wore this, but Madonna's dress is pure craziness here:


It's so over the top, I love it! This next dress looks gorgeous on the model but I guarantee it wouldn't look as good on me. Still, I love the color, the mermaid skirt, the embroidery, the jewelry...sigh. She looks like a princess. Albeit, a princess with a headache.


I have been looking at some vintage styles as options. I love the one below but worry again that it would not look good on my figure. Still, how fun and sassy!


In comparison, the dress below looks a little bedraggled...this is not a wedding dress, just a vintage dress someone's wearing, but despite the obvious signs of wear and the weird bunching under the skirt (pull it down, girl!), there's something about it I like.


Again re: silhouettes, I love the mermaid style but am concerned about how it would look. I love that I am a curvy girl and have no issues with showing that off, but I also want the dress to be flattering. I like the back of this one (and the color!) and I wonder if this style, which doesn't seem to be full-blown mermaid, would work? I worry in particular about the upper thigh region, if you know what I mean. Plus satin shows everything. It would have to be a different fabric, for sure. That's about as much train as I would want, I think.



These styles were also called "slight mermaid". Hm....a possibility?




I kinda like the back of this one. The bustle doesn't seem too overwhelming or ridiculous. Still, would this make one's ass look big?


Moving on to my other obsession: pumpkins. Look at this awesome monogrammed and dated (in roman numerals, no less) pumpkin! I love it, although I'd need help with the roman numerals. Once I get past 29 I have issues. Although, they didn't do the whole year. Maybe there's hope for me yet.



I love this sweet photo outside with the glowing pumpkins. So spooky and darling.



Below is (kinda) our table settings: pumpkins with flowers in them, and mini-pumpkins as votives. Our flower colors would be different colors, though.


I really like these silver pumpkins. So elegant and Cinderella-like, somehow. I am definitely considering painting pumpkins.


This is not a real pumpkin, but interesting:


Here's another idea I've mentioned before that we might do: placecards on mini-pumpkins. Cute, huh?

And this has nothing to do with pumpkins, except for what we might put in them: I like these branchy things. Very Halloween.


Mr. T and I love candy corn, so I loved this photo. I love ring shots in general. We definitely have to have some of those (ring shots and candy corn, that is).


I found a bunch of cute Halloween wedding stamps on Zazzle, but was less enchanted when I realized I'd be paying over double the normal postage amount for them. Um, no thanks! But, these are cute.


And finally for something completely different. I am also obsessed with leopard print, although I doubt it will appear at the wedding. Look at this awesome cake!!! OMG I love it.


I also like the leopard martini glasses, featured at the same wedding. Sigh.


That's it for now! More inspiration to come.

Engagement Party Afterglow

So Saturday was our engagement party, hosted by the MOH, BM, and another dear friend of ours (and her husband, who did a lot of the manual labor!). I wore a tea-length red dress that I bought for a friend's wedding, with my leopard-print stiletto heels (which surprisingly were fine to wear all night; I expected them to be less comfy) and Mr. T wore a dark blue button-down shirt, jeans, and his birthday Adidas. It was a little foreshadowing of our wedding outfits, since I'll be wearing a red dress and he'll have a dark blue suit on.

We didn't have to lift a finger other than bringing an iPod loaded with music and my old Polaroid camera (which I discovered doesn't work, but I'll get to that in a second). Mr. T was a little uncomfortable with having folks do everything for us, but I felt strangely liberated (and I am usually the control freak!). I knew my girls would take care of everything, though. The MOH also asked us to bring some framed pictures of us as decor for the food tables and I realized that I haven't printed a single photo out since we got a digital camera, so that's on my list of things to do before the wedding! All the photos I found of us were from years ago and we both look baby-faced...and thinner. I did find a couple of hilarious Halloween images: one of us as geishas, and one of us as Mulder and Scully. We went to Target that afternoon to get some frames for the photos and scored some for $2 each! We'll have to pick up more before the wedding, since I'd like to display a bunch of photos there as well.

We hit horrible traffic on the way over to the MOH's apartment and ended up being 40 minutes late to our own party. Mr. T called it being "fashionably late" and tried to keep me from getting too cranky about it. Once we got there, I was amazed at what a great job the ladies had done. The MOH was calling the theme "Halloween lite", so there was a skull on the door and a sign that had our names, hyphenated, followed by "Engagement Party;" the sign was in the shape of a spooky old castle.

Once we got inside we were greeted by the hilarious site of white and orange streamers in the hall, and a white tissue paper wedding bell with bats hanging from it. I laughed and laughed. Once we had drinks in hand (there were two signature drinks, named after us, and an elaborate and crazy bar set-up), I relaxed and got to chatting with folks. The Halloween and wedding decor was great, and there was a huge spread of food, although I realized I was so excited to talk to folks that I barely ate anything...no wonder you hear about all the couples who don't eat anything on their wedding day! The E-party team had everything running like a well-oiled machine, and we felt so taken care of and loved.

They had set up a guest book area with Polaroids; luckily my bridesmaid had brought her own Polaroid camera because mine just wouldn't do anything. I have no idea how to fix it; it's been at least 10 years since I last looked at it. I'd wager the battery's dead, but how to replace it? We couldn't figure it out. Anyway, although Polaroid is no longer making new film, they'd managed to find some, although it expired in 2004. It gave all the photos a sepia tone that was kind of neat. Still, I think my vague idea of having a Polaroid guest book at the wedding will have to remain unfulfilled, since the film situation will only get worse from here out. Don't worry, though, I have other ideas!

Anyway, folks got their picture taken and then signed next to their photo. It is a really fun memento from the evening! Mr. T's dad was there, although I think he felt a bit out of place since none of the other parents/older relatives came, which was unfortunate. My friend from high school came, and Mr. T's cousins, and the belly dance crew, and Mr. T's office, and my book club (the bookbabes). I showed off my ring; Mr. T and I had been joking that we needed to have a fancy jeweler's lamp set up so that I could do showings every 15 minutes. Folks seemed to like it, or at least they said they did! ;-)

One of my belly dance troupemates picked up vegan cakes from Millennium; since I'm a lactard she wanted us to have cake I could eat. There was a lemon one with white chocolate frosting and a chocolate one with yummy raspberry filling and chocolate frosting. Apparently she asked the baker to decorate them for Halloween, which first surprised the baker (um, mid-August!), and then amused her. She had to bring some ghost-shaped sprinkles from home and asked my troupemate not to tell anyone she did that, since Millennium doesn't use any artificial ingredients in their food! Mr. T and I did a ceremonial cake-cutting pose, which will probably be the first and last time for that, since we're doing cupcakes for our wedding.

A couple of folks disobeyed our "no gifts" request (defiantly!) and we got a great bottle of champagne, which we'll probably pop open on our 11th anniversary this year, and we also got a nice bottle of tequila and a box of candy. Ah...booze and sugar, the way to my heart.

The MOH sent us home with tons of yummy middle eastern food, the leftover cake, and these hilarious bride and groom rubber duckies that now reside in our bathroom.

The next day we hung out with Mr. T's dad, watched the Olympics, and got some dinner. It was a fantastic weekend, but I'm exhausted today. It felt like a test run for the wedding, only on a smaller scale...very educational! My one regret is that Mr. T and I didn't spend more time together at the party...we have sort of an unofficial "divide and conquer" strategy at parties to get to talk to more people. At our wedding, though, I told him I want to hang out with my husband, and he agreed.

Seeing how smoothly everything went made me reconsider hiring a day-of coordinator (DOC). I have a little idea about that...gotta clear it with Mr. T and we'll see what happens...

Red Dresses and Other Fun Finds

Every so often I Google "red wedding dress" to see what pops up. Here are some of my recent finds:


I kinda like the above dress, and it's even made by a regular wedding dress maker (which means made in China by underpaid workers, most likely). Here's what I like about it: the corset bodice, the criss-crossing straps on the bodice (there's no telling how this would look on a bustier girl, but it's so Grecian and lovely), and the skirt, which doesn't look like a wadded up mess. My reservations would be: strapless (which would be a joke on me, frankly), the ruching in the bust area, and the Cinderella ball-gown look of the skirt...part of me kinda likes that, the other part thinks it's just a little too much. I guess I'd have to try something like that on to know if I liked it or not.

I also found this image on a photographer's site (I was bad and didn't keep track of which one):



The red of the gown is lovely, but this is a perfect example of why the Go Fug Yourself writers have anagrammed A Satin into I, Satan. Really, you look at satin in the wrong way and it instantly wrinkles. Very impractical.

I also found this lovely bouquet while I was looking:


Perfect color, and I love the little branches. Beautiful!

And, in a less serious vein, I found some alternative cake options for brides on a budget.
1. Donut cake decked out for a pirate wedding:




2. Hostess cake (Mr. T might actually want this. Hopefully he skips this entry...):



And finally, a symbol of what's wrong with the wedding industry:

Photog

It's early for this, but Mr. T and I are setting up a meeting with a potential photographer next week. I don't want to give any details too early, but I like what I've seen of this person's work, so it would be great if it worked out. More on that later!

Re: photography, I like the pseudo "photo journalistic" style that is so popular at weddings these days. Yes, I want the family shots to frame and put up around the house, but I also love detail shots of the rings, flowers, getting ready, and the unposed shots that just seem to capture the feeling of the day much better than the "standing in a group looking at the camera" posed shots ever will.

Offbeat Bride had a little ad for J. Scott Photography, a photographer in Indiana, today. The ad featured a red-dress bride; I've decided I definitely don't want my skirt to look like a crumpled piece of paper. Hooray! I made a decision.


I also don't like how uncomfortable the bride looks here.

What I do love is this shot. LOVE it.


It speaks to the classicist in my soul.

More Lovely Red Corset Dresses

I'm still not sure that a bustle is for me. I like the idea of the bustle, but then I wonder if it will make my butt look too big...I mean, I've already got some junk in the trunk, you know.

Still here are some lovely dresses, found via Offbeat Bride. The first two are a circus performer named Lucifire, she seems like quite a character:



Check out her red furry hooded cape and the skull atop her transportation to her wedding:



Can't remember how I found this photo below, I think from Lucifire's dressmaker's site? Anyway, I'm worried about bustles, even though they're cute.

Another Hilarious Guest Costume Idea

What if all the women guests came as brides? It would be a sea of ladies in white, with the actual bride in red. I would love to see those wedding photos!

Ah, I crack myself up.

Relax, I am not going to make you wear a white wedding gown to my wedding. It was just a thought.

Forewarned

Someone asked me what I would do if someone came in costume as a bride to our wedding, in the big white dress and veil that I won't be wearing. I thought that would be hilarious, but I also thought, "wow, when the vendors start wanting checks, I can just send them to "the bride"." So, be forewarned. If you come as a bride, you're footing the bill, and dealing with drunk guests, and handling any other irksome details. I'll just be the guest in the fabulous red dress.

Speaking of dresses, I found this one courtesy of Offbeat Bride. To paraphrase the MOH, there's nothing I don't like about this dress. Or this bride!






I can't even tell you how much I covet this dress. It's gorgeous! And she wore a black veil! I also believe the rabbit pictured was their officiant. Love it.

I have been researching the 50's crinoline-enhanced skirt as a perhaps more affordable alternative to the 80-foot train. I found some cute examples on Stephanie James' site (and I love how she did a photo shoot in the Neon Sign Museum!). Picture these skirts in red with a red corset top. I like how this design makes the waist look tiny, plus you still get some leg, which (I hope) negates the wideness of the skirt...I don't want to look like a bell, or like I'm 100 feet wide; I'm hoping more for kitschy and fun, and "wow, you look tiny!":








The following dress would probably not look cute on me at all (too many segments calling attention to all the wrong areas), but I liked it anyway. Doesn't it suck how that happens?


This dress was from a different site (as you can see). Again, I liked the small-waisted effect but no way could I do a halter top (or strapless for that matter)! I also thought the skirt had volume without being too poofy...perhaps a solution for the "too wide" dilemma (although I do want an element of drama, since it's my wedding dress and all!).


And finally, also courtesy of Offbeat Bride, another girl after my own heart. She wore killer heels for the ceremony but changed for dancing. I am totally bringing my red Converse as backup shoes after seeing this adorable photo!