Bridal Impossible

Working in retail is certainly not the most glamerous job in the world. I really hate it when people come in, obviously just to have fun, try on the entire store, force me to hang everything back up, and don't buy anything. I really didn't want to do that to some poor bridal consultant knowing full and well I wan't going to be dropping any "dolla-dolla" bills. But Tuesday I changed my mind. I had questions to ask that I knew only an actual gown would answer. So Sandy and I embarked on "Bridal Impossible"....

We went to a local bridal shop and tried on a bunch of dresses, mostly to see how they were made. There were a few, one in particular, that I really liked but it just had way too much beading for an afternoon wedding at Ascension. All the beading combined with the cheap lace and taffeta made it look a little tacky. But I was pleasantly surprised that all of the dresses I liked were highly reminiscent of the one we're working on. But I was happy for the gowns' subtle whispers like, "Make your train longer!" as I tried them on.

Checking out the construction of these dresses did answer my questions. Questions like:

1. Do I need to interface the entire dress?

Dress #1's answer: Yes. You should probably also insert a corset beneath the lining.

2. Do I need some sort of petticoat/crinoline?

Dress #2's answer: Yes. Insert it as a part of the lining about 4-6 inches below where your flare begins.

3. How big should my train be?

Dress #3's answer: Pretty dang big. (This is me trying to measure 1/2 of one of the trains and kicking myself for not smuggling in a tape measure!)

These are some of the other not-so-sneaky pictures Sandy took. She got a little camera-happy... discretion isn't our thing.

Too much beading but we liked the shape and neckline.

Not all about the neckline and asymmetry of the skirt.

Liked the shape, hated all the beading, the fabric, and color.

Also liked how the lace extended further than the taffeta on the train.

Like the fabric and the fit, but wasn't in love.

Loved the waterfall of the train.


Of course we didn't get a picture of the one I liked best. Typical.