duurrrrr, so i thought your original post was in regards to being on a tight budget!
lawl.


i can see how this is a tricky situation.


plan something really quickly for that weekend!

7/11/2011 11:36:29 AM

Quote :

" I understand that it's an honor to get invited, but even so, I'd only want to attend a destination wedding for my closest friends and family members."

Exactly. It's an honor but not one you are honor bound to commit to regardless of any factors playing into your commitment. Hell I had family that couldn't make it out to our wedding for one reason or another and I honestly didn't care. It would have been fabulous if they could have come but I'm not going to be mortally wounded because they couldn't.

7/11/2011 11:40:09 AM

wolfpackgrrr spits da troof itt

7/11/2011 11:41:41 AM

I spoke to Carolina Bridal World and Bridal Mart, and they seem to have the biggest selection... I was trying to avoid huge stores but I have no choice I guess.

7/11/2011 11:41:48 AM

Unfortunately, it's common knowledge in our group of friends that my bf and I don't have to worry about money. I could claim otherwise, but our lifestyle and habits don't particularly reflect that we're "on a budget."

So yeah, we're not on a budget, but I think it's silly to spend that much money and time on a wedding for someone who you aren't close to.

I like your idea, Joie. I'll schedule some sort of family visit to South Florida. Get an alibi.

^ Bummer! Time for a wedding dress road trip?

[Edited on July 11, 2011 at 11:42 AM. Reason : k]

7/11/2011 11:41:55 AM

aren't most larger stores cheaper though?

who knows you may find the perfect one there!


i would totally give it a shot!

7/11/2011 11:43:30 AM

Yeah, big doesn't always mean bad Even the little shops are just selling big commercial brands for the most part.

7/11/2011 11:46:12 AM

If you're looking for something more unique, find the basic dress at a larger store and then take it to a tailor for alterations. Can be pricy, but if it's just a few embellishments, it might be your best bet.

7/11/2011 11:48:20 AM

And there's always Etsy if you want something one of a kind!

7/11/2011 11:58:02 AM

Is it silly to order a dress online? Would anyone here do that?

Also, recently read an interesting discussion on Slate about re-wearing wedding dresses:

Quote :

"Q. Bad Luck Bride?: Six years after my first time as a bride I am walking down the aisle again with my second husband. My first wedding was one with all the glitz and glamour. Although it was nice, I believe you should only have one big wedding party—hence my second wedding is a low-key affair. I don't want to spend a lot of money and have been cutting corners where I can. Since bridal gowns take up a significant portion of the budget in many weddings I've opted to re-wear the dress I wore at my first wedding. To me it has no sentimental value, and it's not like I'm going to display my first and second wedding photos side by side anyway to compare how much more beautiful I used to look when I was younger. But the reaction of my family and friends is that of horror. Some people said it's bad luck and others said it's tacky to wear it again. Personally, I don't think the dress has any superpowers to somehow cast the evil eye on my second marriage. But since people have reacted to it so strongly, it makes me wonder—should I buy a new dress? A: You often hear from women who buy untraditional wedding gowns that they intend to wear them again, and probably no one ever does. But you have come up with the perfect way to get more use out of your gown—wear it for all your marriages! I agree with you that it's silly to imbue extraordinary talismanic powers in inanimate wedding objects. People have written to me asking if it's OK to reuse engagement and wedding rings, and as long as everyone is comfortable, why not? On the other hand, as you walk down the aisle, you want people murmuring how beautiful you look, not, "I think the dress fit her better last time." I suggest a compromise—have the dress altered. If it's strapless, transform it with some lace a la Catherine Middleton. Perhaps you could change the length. With some clever tailoring you can repurpose your gown so that it looks as if the dress, as well as your union, marks a fresh start. "

http://www.slate.com/id/2298502/?from=rss

Thoughts?



^ I didnt' know you could get a wedding dress on etsy! Very cool. I like that option.

[Edited on July 11, 2011 at 11:59 AM. Reason : f]

7/11/2011 11:58:57 AM

I ordered my dress from Etsy. It was cut to measure and was perfect Granted, I think there's definitely some risk involved with going that route but if you do your homework you should be okay.

Now would I wear my dress again if I were to get remarried. No way! That just seems kind of weird to me lol.

7/11/2011 12:01:17 PM

i don't think i would either.


not that i believe it's bad luck or anything...i would just feel....weird.

i maybe would if it was altered a bunch.

7/11/2011 12:05:00 PM

Someone responded to Prudence's response and said that significant alterations could cost as much as a new dress!

7/11/2011 12:05:49 PM

That doesn't surprise me really. Alterations are hard work, especially if the dress has a lot of beaded embroidery!

7/11/2011 12:07:22 PM

I never got to wear my dress it's all paid for but is still at the dress shop in storage.

I love that dress and if I ever get engaged again and get to plan another wedding, I'd like to wear it but who knows maybe I'll change my mind when it happens

7/11/2011 12:49:47 PM

I'm glad I didn't get that far in the wedding planning process. I had nothing booked, scheduled, or paid for. My Stepdad bought my diamond and got a beautiful wrap for it and gave it to my mom. It looks amazing on her.

7/11/2011 1:06:37 PM

2and3 Photography Blog for our wedding:

http://2and3photography.com/blog/archives/3686

Thad and Sarah are really, really good at the job they do. We found their link from this thread (although Katie would never admit something USEFUL came from this site) and were blow away by the job they did. They tried out a few new things (i.e. reeds moving in the back of one of the pictures, the first picture with us moving out of the picture during the long exposure) and they turned out perfect. A+++++++ seller, would recommend!!!!!!!!!!!

7/11/2011 1:25:57 PM

^Your wedding looks amazing! I love the centerpieces, and the scenic shots on the beach are phenomenal.

7/11/2011 1:35:43 PM

^ I love all of their pics and Sarah is AWESOME.

ps. this one that you mentioned = AMAZING

7/11/2011 1:36:32 PM

^^^ WOAH WOAH WOAH.
youre katies husband?!
lol. such a small world.




anyway....they look AMAZING. i love them!

this one:




ohmyGOD love love love love



[Edited on July 11, 2011 at 1:40 PM. Reason : i swear there are so many people who lurk here!]

7/11/2011 1:37:10 PM

Yeah that one is amazing!! ^


About the dress, I will most likely order through Etsy. I am going dress shopping next Thursday to get ideas aka appease my sister and mother. I keep hearing that I could try on long dresses then have them altered.... But I don't get that because wouldn't I want to see how the tea length looks on me? I would think many dresses would look totally different with such a drastic hem. And it would cost even more....


This is going to sound terrible, but I'm not even that excited. I'm worried my sister will take over one of the few days I should get the spotlight.

7/11/2011 2:09:06 PM

Haha after the last decade of lurking, I finally decided to reveal my identity.

No.. I just wanted to show off some of the awesome pictures from the recommendation that I got from this thread. 2and3 has an awesome set up (2 photographers for the price of one) and Katie can't stop refreshing that blog post.

I'm really sorry that I had to reveal my identity in order to share this information. I'll go back to lurking.

7/11/2011 2:11:01 PM

Quote :

"But I don't get that because wouldn't I want to see how the tea length looks on me?"

So true! I ended up not even liking the tea length dresses I tried on because I thought they made me look really short. I mean, I am short, but they definitely highlighted my shortness Really glad I went dress shopping so I could see what length dress I actually wanted, as opposed to what I thought I wanted haha.

7/11/2011 2:35:57 PM

Yeah.. I think I have my heart set on tea length only because I always wear that length, but I have a feeling a lot of dresses would look differently with so much fabric taken off :/

Today I'm going to ask my mom to tell my sister a few things for next thursday: please don't be bossy, don't talk about your wedding (at least while we're at dress shops), and please don't ask Sam to try on shit she obviously doesn't want (i.e., strapless)

But I feel like that's a mean thing to ask..

7/11/2011 2:39:43 PM

lol BJsRumRunner, i'm joshin.


sometimes it just legitimately surprises me how many people know about this site


tell katie hi

[Edited on July 11, 2011 at 2:41 PM. Reason : ^ NO IT IS NOT. i would totally, shes your sister, you better tell her stuff like that ]

7/11/2011 2:40:41 PM

^^that's not mean that's just being assertive and preemptive. I think it's much better if you say it first before you go shopping, instead of blowing up in the dressing room.

BridezillaSister has/had her days and so should you!!

7/11/2011 2:46:12 PM

I know that's how it should be but i can't even get five minutes of the spotlight I shouldn't be dreading dress shopping for these reasons... Or at all, I guess. I always thought I would be all excited and I can't even say I am.

7/11/2011 2:48:12 PM

I think it might be beneficial for you to have a friend of yours to tag-along dress shopping with you, your mom, and sister, someone to act as a buffer and ally.

7/11/2011 3:00:17 PM

^^^^ so was I

All the credit should go to 2and3... these two are truly amazing!! I'm not sure who gave the suggestion earlier in this thread and I'm too lazy to find it.. but I thank you.

Now the long wait for the final product....

7/11/2011 3:06:16 PM

Quote :

"Today I'm going to ask my mom to tell my sister a few things for next thursday: please don't be bossy, don't talk about your wedding (at least while we're at dress shops), and please don't ask Sam to try on shit she obviously doesn't want (i.e., strapless)"

This is a good thing to take care of beforehand, and a good bridal consultant will keep it in control too. A lot of the stores I went to, if my sister started going on about what she wanted for her dress, or talking about what she wanted in a bridesmaid dress, the consultant would nicely, but firmly say "Who's the bride today? Or did someone forget?"

I will throw this out there though--you may be surprised as to what looks bad on the hanger and good on you. So, don't necessarily throw out something without trying it on (I'm not referring to strapless, I share your hatred of most strapless). And don't get discouraged if something doesn't fit you right, or you don't think it's what you pictured. You have a ton of time to find the dress YOU want, and that's perfect for your wedding, without having to sacrifice.

That being said, I saw my dress in the window of the first shop we drove up to. We had an impromptu wedding dress outing while we were at the beach for a family vacation. No one expected to buy, we just wanted to browse and have fun (I'd gotten engaged a week before). It was the first one I tried on. I tried two others to appease the sisters, but ultimately knew the first one was it, so what do I know about searching.

[Edited on July 11, 2011 at 3:13 PM. Reason : ]

7/11/2011 3:11:09 PM

It's true. There were some dresses the attendant would bring me that I would initially go to but they actually looked great once on your body. Guess that's what those ladies are there for! haha

7/11/2011 3:26:01 PM

I would laugh hysterically if the consultant said that to her.

And yeah, I'm open to new ideas and not saying no to every thing that look bad on a hanger... But my sister is the type to try to force styles on me that I absolutely don't love at all, usually from personal experience. :/ It will definitely be interesting.

Oh and I was trying to avoid big stores only because really big crowds stress me out.. :/

[Edited on July 11, 2011 at 3:35 PM. Reason : .]

7/11/2011 3:34:21 PM

Why not just have your sister not come? If she throws a fit your mom could just play it off as a case of the bridezillas and leave it at that.

7/11/2011 3:42:11 PM

She's my MOH :/

7/11/2011 4:08:04 PM

It sounds like you hate your sister.

7/11/2011 4:12:59 PM

^^ My maid of honor didn't come to my dress shopping adventures. It's not a requirement

7/11/2011 4:19:15 PM

Nah, I definitey don't hate her (all the time that is, hah). But we are about six years apart and it's been hard lately. I have a feeling it has to do with us being basically in the same point in our lives but with the age gap... Being 30 and where she's at now really bothers her and I honestly don't get it. She can take the competitive sibling shit way far. I do love her though. Sisters are one of the only people you can really hate and really love at the same time


I talked to my mom and apparently after the dress incident a few weeks ago she sat my sister down and explained she needs to separate the two events a little, and not always bring up her stuff. :/ She didn't realize she was doing it but is now aware... And I guess she actually felt bad and admitted she will try not to do it - that doesn't happen often.

7/11/2011 5:07:20 PM

yay!

7/11/2011 5:08:40 PM

I found mine, and it's being made in tea-length for me (I find this awesome):



you'll notice it's green

I wasn't looking for a green dress (I would have preferred blue or gray, probably), or looking for anything in this silhouette but I tried it on and it surprised me

don't worry, you'll find it

Quote :

"I will throw this out there though--you may be surprised as to what looks bad on the hanger and good on you. So, don't necessarily throw out something without trying it on (I'm not referring to strapless, I share your hatred of most strapless). And don't get discouraged if something doesn't fit you right, or you don't think it's what you pictured. You have a ton of time to find the dress YOU want, and that's perfect for your wedding, without having to sacrifice."

good advice (I also agree with hating strapless dresses)

7/11/2011 6:35:06 PM

6 days...

7/11/2011 10:56:10 PM

^ZOMGGGGGGGGG!!!

7/11/2011 11:07:37 PM

As much as business 2and3 has gotten from TWW's lately, we should get discounts

7/12/2011 12:24:08 AM

SO CUTE

if i ever get married anyway. i <3 pie

also cute






omg pie in a jar favors


WEDDING PIE POPS ARE YOU SERIOUS


ok i gotta get outta this thread


[Edited on July 12, 2011 at 11:03 PM. Reason : .]

7/12/2011 10:57:11 PM

we're doing different flavored mini cheesecakes and serving them like cupcakes. We tested them out awhile ago and they were addictive little wonders.

7/13/2011 1:52:47 AM

Sam, I actually set up an appointment to try on dresses with David's Bridal. My purpose was to get an idea for the dress I was going to create. I wanted to make a tea length wedding dress... Well I ended up buying a floor length dress from David's and I LOVE it. I AM having the train removed... but that acually takes $50 off the price.

Also, I told my bridesmaids they could get whatever dress they wanted and from wherever so long as it was black. They all ended up liking the same dress at Davids and theyre absolutely beautiful!
http://www.davidsbridal.com/Product_Strapless-Chiffon-Short-Dress-F12284_Bridal-Party-Bridesmaids-Shop-By-Color
I felt terrible because it ended up costing them $100 for the dress but apparently thats not a bad price for bridesmaids dresses and they all said they would definitely wear the dress again.

7/14/2011 10:53:53 AM

Eh, if they chose it themselves I wouldn't feel bad. It was their choice!

I'm still kind of bitter about my bridesmaid who is getting married and said, "omg I loved that you let us choose our own dresses so I could find something in my budget. Oh yeah btw for my wedding I want you to get a $150-200 bridesmaid dress." Say whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!?

7/14/2011 11:12:09 AM

Yeah, I worked really hard to make sure my bridesmaids didn't have to pay much for their dresses. I think the total cost was $65 each after shipping. I picked a dress from White House Black Market, and just poured over the sales until it hit. They posted them on sale at like 2 in the morning. I ordered all the four I needed, and by the next morning, they had sold out completely. And, since it's just a pretty dress from WHBM, they have ALL worn it again.

7/14/2011 11:20:33 AM

oh gosh.
we ended up spending a lot for our girls and guys... (they each got 2 dresses of their choice and my brother got a suit). the girls got boots. we paid for it all. but keep in m ind we didn't get them a "gift" either.


BUT that's (one of the reasons) why we had such a small party.




[Edited on July 14, 2011 at 11:50 AM. Reason : sdfdfds]

7/14/2011 11:46:12 AM

So I need to find an officiant. We do not want a paster/priest/preacher. Neither one of us are religious. Where do I start? Any suggestions?

7/14/2011 12:49:54 PM

I recommend Reverend Kayelily Middleton, even though we didn't end up having the wedding, she was very pleasant, nice to talk with and very open.

here's her blog
http://raleighweddingblog.blogspot.com/

7/14/2011 12:56:30 PM