True Stories and Tips
By Pat Esden
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Avoid Bridal Gown Hell - 2 |
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 The Good Enough Gown
My wedding gown fit me beautifully and it fit my tight budget. So what that it made me feel more like a conservative lady-in-waiting, than a sexy princess? It was good enough. Or so I thought until my wedding day.
As I walked down the aisle feeling adequately dressed, I looked at my fiancé’s face and I could see that he was disappointed. For years after that he told me it was my imagination, but on our fifth anniversary he finally admitted that he would have gladly helped pay for my dream gown rather than see me dressed in a gown that he knew was not what I had really wanted.
The Runaway Bra
My gown was totally stunning, perfect in every way, except for the fact that, between the size of my breasts and the cut of the dress, I had to have a custom bra made.
I had heard horror stories about gowns being lost on air flights, so I mailed my dress ahead of time to Vermont, where my wedding was to take place. But my custom bra traveled in my luggage. And in Chicago, while I flew on to Vermont, my bra went to Colorado.
I tried to find a replacement bra, but couldn’t find one that worked with the gown. Finally I settled and went braless, bouncing my way through the wedding and reception, and cursing myself for not choosing a gown that didn’t require special foundation garments. I should have put my bra in my carry-on luggage.
The No-Sweat Wedding
My gown had at least a half dozen layers of skirts and petticoats, a dress that would have been warm even on a winter’s eve let alone in July in a reception hall stuffed with people. I was sure I was going to faint before the reception was over. To make matters worse, I had bought my dress a size smaller than what I normally wore because I was intent on losing a few pounds before the wedding--which I didn’t. In fact I gained a few. If I could do it all again, I’d buy a dress that allowed me to breathe and feel cool, rather than spend half of the reception in the restroom dabbing cool water on my face.
The Workout Bride
I found a gorgeous dress with beads, an off-the-shoulder top and giant train. The tailor altered it so that I could loop up the train for the reception, but by two hours into the reception, my back was killing me because the dress and train were so heavy. The only spare clothes I had were jeans and a t-shirt. Everyone laughed when I reappeared at the reception, but at least I could move. To top it off, that’s when my mother-in-law mentioned some gowns have removable trains.
The brides who told me these stories preferred to remain anonymous. Most brides prefer their wedding to be remembered as a beautiful occasion, not because of an embarrassing gown problem.
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Gowns by Alfred Angelo. Available at Needleman's.
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