Blogging bride, Lindsey, has written another excellent post for The Lovettes series. We’d love to hear about your own adventures in dress shopping via the comments below…
So, almost two months have whizzed past since my last post; it’s now MAY (the end of May at that!), we’re celebrating five months of being engaged, and there’s just over ten months to go till our wedding. ZOIKS! Time really does fly. I was initially worried I wouldn’t have enough to write about for this post; however, sitting down to type it seems like all I’ve done these past eight weeks is try on dresses, make ‘just one more tweak’ to our wedding stationery (our designer Skinny Malink remains unfeasibly patient), and source ‘stuff’ for decorations. Oh, and meet my best pals’ awesome new baby girl! Pretty joyful times all round.
Image sources: floral circlets, wedding scrabble, mint green shoes, flowers in her hair
Like my fellow Lovette Kay I am not the most decisive of folks, so I anticipated wedding planning might be somewhat of a challenge, but so far we have been decision makers extraordinaire. We only looked at one venue, and just went for it. One photographer, and we knew they were the one for us. Colours? Sorted. Groom’s outfit? Picked. Music? Do I need to go on here?
But then, the dress. Hmmm.
I feel like I have quite a handle on my ‘style’ (cringe), in that I know what I like, I know what I DON’T like, and I have a fairly good idea of the shapes that suit me. Namely 40s/50s shapes. Give me a nipped in waist and a decent billow on a skirt and I’m sold. Or just stick me in jeans and tee shirt, whatevs*, but you get the picture. So, when I started looking for ‘the dress’ you can guess the kind of thing I was drawn to. Ballet length, petticoat, full skirt, vintage inspired; I was all over that shiz, and I fell madly in love with dresses by House of Mooshki in particular.
Image sources: gold spray mason jars, bohemian glam, gold tip feathers, rags garland
I tried on some of her beautiful designs at Ribbons & Lace Boutique (seriously, anyone in the West of Scotland feeling deflated at the lack of choice in the wedding dress market, get thee to this shop, it’s aces, and totes bargainous**). While I was there I tried some more weddingy shapes on and, to my horror, quite liked them! Now, I say horror, what I mean is ‘no way I’ll ever look good or feel comfortable in a weddingy dress, because I am so not a bridey bride and in my head I’m cool and hip yo…. oh’. Cue indecision.
Emboldened by my widened range of options I trotted down to London to visit my wonderful friend (and bridesmaid) Hannah, and we went to David’s Bridal in search of Vera Wang. I tried on a dress that was SO Vera, SO dramatic, and SO not me but why do I like this it’s super awesome aaaaarrrggh! (warning to prospective customers: they make you ring a bell when you’ve found ‘the dress’). You know those people that tell you ‘Now, don’t go in with a set idea in your head, try on as many different styles as possible, even ones you don’t like’? Yeah, them, they’re kinda right. Despite being slightly baffling, dress hunting has been fun; it’d be great to hear from other brides-to-be on their experiences too!
Image sources: coral flowers, dress drama, shower of lights, escort cards
Our wedding is by no means ‘all about the dress’. JB and I feel it is important the day reflects both of us; our shared ideals, our different beliefs, as individuals and together. We have a beautiful picture in our hall of a tree with two birds. The birds are perched on different branches, but are looking in the same direction, and the picture really captures something for us about what marriage might be like (in a tree, evidently).
Next month, JB and I are off to Mallorca to see our friends Sarah and Fran get married. We’re super excited, the venues they have chosen are absolutely stunning and I am itching to see Sarah in her dress. The wedding has a lovely handmade thread running through; we just finished making 40m of bunting for the reception and it’ll be great to see it fluttering in the Balearic breeze as we toast their future together. The hen night was just the other weekend; a night of tapas, inflatable kangaroos, karaoke and getting thrown out of a ceilidh for being a health and safety risk on the dance floor (I’m looking at you Sarah)!
Image sources (clockwise from top left): stag, antler art, jumping fox, piano, landscape, birds, gold bird confetti
I think I’ll be even more emotional at their wedding as a bride-to-be myself. Watching them say their vows, sharing in the joy of the day and being in a place of so much love with JB at my side will be, I’m sure, truly breath-taking. I can’t wait.
Love Lindsey
Post script: I’ve found my dress
* I am aware I am probably too old to legitimately use the language of ‘the yoof’, I do so in firm irony
** see above
