Exciting News!

I know, I know.  I've neglected my pink pages of blogginess for a while but I've had so much going on in my non-wedding world, it seems to have taken its toll on my ability to find any spare time to update you. 

Anyway.  My exciting news that I'd like to share with you all is that (insert big fanfare noise here) I've finally chosen my wedding dress! Decision made, deposit paid.  Bish, bash, and indeed, bosh.

About a month and a bit ago, I'd asked one of my local bridal shops to order in a specific Maggie Sottero gown that I'd seen grace the pages of many a bridal magazine, and, me being the sensible soul that I am, decided that before I put my deposit down, I needed to try it on first.  It was the Maggie Sottero Isadora Marie.  An absolutely stunning gown.  I actually can't fault it and would be jealous of any bride who has this as their dress.  But, I just felt like it wasn't as timeless, classic, elegant as the one I have chosen for me.

Isadora Marie

My dress is the first dress I'd picked out.  I love how 'me' it is and know that Mr S will love it too.  This is the dress I've had in my mind all along and as I stood there, looking in the ivory, carved wooden mirror, and a tear pricked at my eye, I knew right then, it was The One.  This was the decision that the other brides to be and their friends/sisters/mums had chipped in with too while watching me prance around the bridal shop floor.  I won't lie, having all the people in the shop look and compliment me was such a good feeling.  Who doesn't like to be told how beautiful, elegant and timeless they look?

As I got dressed back into my jeans, coat and scarf, I felt frumpy, cold and sad (it was a very cold day). I'm one of those annoying 'cold people'; you know, the ones that still wear tights in summer and have a jumper and slippers on at night time even when it's still 20'c outside and the one who asks her colleagues to put the heating on even when they're sat there in a summery top and turning their desk fans on.  I hadn't noticed until then that in my dress, I hadn't even felt the cold.  I'm hoping this will still be the case come April, otherwise I may have to find a way of strapping a hot water bottle under my dress as a mini central heating system.  I'm not even kidding.

I sat down to fill in the paperwork with the assistant when I noticed the final price was higher than the actual price of the dress (which, may I add, was only £35 about budget which came as a nice surprise as I thought it would be a lot more).  I didn't even take into account the alterations charge, the 'ordering in' charge (I'm still not sure what that is) and the price of the hoop that I'll need.  

As you know, I'm on a budget and charging £65 for a hoop because they don't hire them any more, is ridiculous.  I'm very aware that you need a decent quality hoop for your dress so that it looks and fits right under your gown but seriously, £65?  I'm planning on looking for one similar on eBay, which I've found for a modest £15.99.  In the words of Mr Tesco, every little helps.  

My bridal shop was running a promotion and have generously given me a £100 voucher to be spent on any accessories I'd like, such as a veil, shoes, jewellery that they have to offer.  The veil they gave me to try on with my gown cost an equally ridiculous £129.99.  So really, if I wanted it and used my voucher, it would only cost me £29.99.  I think I'll probably search for one on eBay, Preloved or Sell My Wedding and use my voucher on a statement piece of jewellery or hairpiece.   I have found a pair of shoes on Chockers Shoes which are lush and only £35 so feel like using the voucher against a pair of £70 shoes would be wasteful.  I'm aware I'm probably coming across as tight-fisted but I'll never wear ivory shoes again and my dress is floor length.  I'm trying to be savvy!

Mr S has been very inquisitive, asking what my dress is like.  Of course, I haven't told him anything about it but if I look like the image in his head;

"it'll be straight across (at the neckline), long, skinny-fit with a small puddle-shaped bit at the back.  Oh, and have a net thingy on your head".  

I think he meant veil.  I'm glad we're not on Don't Tell The Bride, that's for sure!  

Wedding Dress Dilemma - Part II

So, to carry on from the last saga you may have read about my wedding dress dilemma (if not, you can read it here). 

My second visit to try on dresses was with my mum and Mr S' mum; 'the Two Mums' if you will.  It's important to me that they see my choices and I hear their opinions.  For some reason, I was so nervous.  The kind of nervous when you feel sick, your hands are clammy and you have butterflies and a bit of a dry mouth.  I don't even know why.  If anyone has any suggestions or explanation as to why, please comment.  I think I'd maybe convinced myself that it was THE day I'd put down my deposit on the dress I'd become Mrs S in.  The dress I'd be wearing when I walked down the aisle a single girl and to walk back up the aisle a married woman (insert squeal of excitement here). 

I met the Two Mums at Proposals.  I hadn't told them which dresses I liked, I wanted to try a few on and for them to see for themselves and form an opinion.  The first dress I tried on was my Maggie Sottero gown.  I absolutely love this dress.  Does it make me sound weird if I say that even though it was maybe 2 sizes too big, it fitted like a glove?  Well, anyway, it did.

The next was my Opulence by Natalie M dress.  I stood in the middle of the shop.  Beaming smile.  "Ok, you can look now!" I said.  My mum's eyes opened really wide.  Not in a good way.  My smile faded.  She got up and started to walk around me.  I stood stiff like a child getting told off by their parent.  She started pawing at the skirt and fixing the train.  

"What's wrong with it?" I said in a tone that sounded a bit too aggressive.  "Nothing.  I'm just surprised you've picked something like this.  I do like it though now I've had a proper look at it".  She paused. "Yeah, it's nice.  I love this part".  Phew.

We left it there and I led them to Pronuptia.  Like I mentioned in Part I, I tried one of my favourites on and immediately knew that it wasn't The One. 

My mum has always had an image in her mind of me wearing something slim fitting, maybe a fishtail and a modest train.  Something maybe a little bit like this...

Justin Alexander - 8478

However, I can exclusively reveal that my dress will not look like that. 

Anyway, I tried on a dress similar, just for the benefit of my mum.  As soon as I walked out of the changing rooms, she pulled a face.  Worse than the one previously described.  To clarify, we're all now clear that the above type of dress is not an option for me.

As I unwillingly put my boring work clothes back on, I pulled out a Justin Alexander dress and announced that I'd wanted to try that one on the last time I was there.  I'd asked for it to be put in the changing room for me and when the assistant was about to tighten everything into place, I'd asked how much it was, to which she'd replied a figure that was above my budget.  I immediately told her I wanted to take it off.  Why would I want to torture myself by trying it on, to fall in love with it, to not be able to afford it?  So I didn't get to see it in all its glory.  Not that time anyway.

"Well, why don't you just try it on and see", said the Two Mums.  So I did.

It was beautiful.  Amazing.  I felt beautiful and amazing in it too.  But it was short lived as the feeling was tainted with the fact that I couldn't afford it.  I felt so disappointed.

In the car on the way home, the Two Mums were trying their best to pick out imaginary faults with the dress to make me feel a bit better.  I did love them for that but at the same time, you all know what its like when you really want something and you can't have it.  You don't listen to anyone else.  You want it, and that's that.

Plus with the added cost of a veil/headband/tiara, it just mounts up.  I never knew a head piece could cost so much.  How embarrassingly naive of me.

I got home, just as my grocery shopping van pulled up.  That poor woman who had to come and drop my shopping off.  Little did she realise she'd double up as a therapist for the next 10 minutes while I ranted and offloaded my disappointment on to her.  She did try and plug her photography skills to me but after realising I'd just rambled on and on to a complete stranger, I had to very politely decline her offer as I have already booked James Green. 

The phone rang.  It was Mr S' mum.  Apparently she'd told Mr S' dad the story of that afternoon and he'd very generously said he would put the extra money towards the dress if it's what I really wanted.  I was so grateful.  I mean really, he didn't need to do that at all but he did. 

It's a curse and a blessing to have such a sensible head on my shoulders.  On one hand, I could have the dress I loved but on the other hand, would I be walking down the aisle thinking "I can't believe how much this dress cost to only be wearing it for 12 hours max". 

I've since slept on it and as time has passed, one of my 'original' dresses have still stuck in my mind and I don't feel so disappointed with the expensive dress. 

I've decided to book appointments to go try them all on again.  I think of one in particular and it makes me smile.  I'm taking the Two Mums with me again.  I've booked a whole day off work so I won't be rushing around before closing time (as previously), and I've decided to go to another shop, just to look.

Although saying that, I'm pleased (and surprised at myself) that I'm not in the frame of mind that I have to visit every single wedding dress shop in the area in case I'm 'missing out', but as I have the whole day off work to be all wedding-y, I thought I'd take the opportunity to visit another shop.  What harm can it do?  Other than confuse me even more.  Brilliant.

So that's my story so far.  I'm continuing this whole saga next Thursday.  Maybe in the meantime, I can take note of Kim Kardashian's wedding dress.  I know I can't afford Vera Wang but a girl can dream can't she?

Kim Kardashian's wedding dress as anticipated by Madame Tussuad's

Click here to see the full story of Kim Kardashian's wedding dress as reported by the Daily Mail Online.

Wishing Kim and Kris a long, happy marriage, full of love, laughs and happy memories.  Good luck!

Five Minute Freak Out

OK, so I know I’ve got quite a while to go until THE day (one year, 8 months and 12 days to be precise – and can I just point out that I only know that thanks to my free wedding countdown app on my iPhone), but I’m seriously freaking out about my dress.  I spend far too long gazing through bridal gown shop windows, thumbing through magazines and searching the minefield also known as the internet, to try and pick out what will suit me and my style.  I STILL have no idea.  I have friends who are or who have already been married and are showing me their pictures and every time I see their dress, or any dress for that matter, I find myself saying “yeah, I think I’ll get something just like that”.  I reckon that for the amount of times I’ve done that, I’d have in the region of 892 dresses by now.   How the heck am I meant to know where to start? 

If you’ve not realised by now that this is one of my slight Bridezilla/rant/freak out/stress posts, consider yourself told or warned.  Whichever is most appropriate.

I’ve been told that when I find The One, I’ll just know.  But what if it doesn’t happen?  I can never settle for one.  Of anything.  Cakes, cocktails, chocolate bars (and not those puny little bars either.  The big family size ones – easily demolished in one sitting).  Take for example, my new shoe website I found and kindly told you about a few posts back – Chockers Shoes.  Mr S said he’d treat me to some seeing as though I put up with his constant need to go fishing every weekend.  I found 4 pairs.  Narrowed it down to 2.  Then 3.  Then 2 again.  I can’t pick just one pair.  “Just pick one and have done with it” he said.  “But I can’t.  Can I not just have them both?”  If there was ever a look of ‘you’re pushing it beyond belief’, I think that was the one he gave me.  Now I have no shoes. 

Anyway, I digress to share personal sadness.  Back to the dress saga.  I’ve looked on websites that tell you what dress style to wear for your shape and what’s on the catwalk, but to be honest, as long as I like it, I don’t care if it’s from a season of 10 years ago or if it’s designer or not.  I quite want to feel like a princess, but not in a little girl kind of way.  Would a meringue be too much?  My mum, teamed with one of her best friends commented that they saw me in a sleek, figure hugging, elegant number.  I don’t.  All I know is that I don’t want any kind of material that ‘shines’ and I don’t want a veil, unless it’s below my elbows or longer.  And even then, I’m not overly keen.  But would I not look bride-like if I just had decorative pins in my hair?  Oh, and I definitely, definitely don’t want a tiara.  That is one thing I can guarantee will not be on my person on my day. 

'Meringue' style c/o www.florasdresses.com

Sleek, elegant dress c/o www.johanna-hehir.com

Or something in between? c/o www.londonweddingdresses.com

So you see a little bit of my problem?  I’m too indecisive.  If budget allowed, I’d be all celeb-like and have about 10 different dress changes throughout the day.  That would solve this problem at least.  Then I’ll have to choose my wedding shoes (*look-of-fear-equating-in-crinkled-forehead*). 

That’s a whole other post.  Till next time....