Posts in the 'The Bride' Category
January 31st, 2012 by tori
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Hey there, Broke-ass Brides!
I’m seriously stoked to bring you Iris’s request for a non-white wedding gown that is just Va-Va-Voom! Here’s what Iris had to say:
Hi there!
My name is Iris, and I’m addicted to your posts. How you find all of those dresses is, even in the age of google images- just miraculous! So thanks for all the eye candy and sending those of us with more grad plus loans than we care to admit some hope of looking gorgeous and special. I’m sending a dress that I found in a magazine, and then of course lost the magazine 
Its an Oscar De LaRenta ( I know, I know, I couldn’t even afford it with monopoly money)- BUT- I love how structured and couture it is with the sculpted bust and the one shoulder and big side pleats. And that its not white. I SUPER like that.
So if you could wave your magic wand over the inter-net and discover something similar that would be- well amazing. And I would send cookies to your office.
Thanks again in advance! Happy 2012!
Iris
Can’t Afford It:
Oscar de LaRenta $5,000.00+
Well, Iris, may I just say that you are one super smart cookie?! By choosing a “not white” wedding frock, you have seriously upped your options and dropped your cost in one funky swoop! I L-O-V-E it!
I had a blast playing personal shopper here! So let’s dive into the sea of blue taffeta and one shouldered wonders I have in store for you. Are you ready to Get Over It?
I stumbled onto designer Teri Jon‘s website and got smacked in the face with Awesomeness! Both of the selected dresses are under $1,000.00! D-R-O-O-L….
2) BLUE AND BLACK ASYMMETRICAL GOWN item 17029, $890.00
And then there’s Tony Bowls! He usually sells his gowns in prom shops. Since I don’t know where, in the world you are, you should definitely head to his website to find your nearest store. Depending on the retailer and, of course, the year the design was released, a Tony Bowls dress could cost you anywhere from $300- $1,000.00. I can’t help you out any more than that on price unless you do the rest of the leg work. But, here are the two that I found best matched your azure dream!
All of these dresses are under the $500.00 mark! I’ve never had the pleasure of shopping at any of these sites but if any readers have purchased a gown from 1) Milanoo, 2) Elegant Park, 3) Luxeslee 4) Alibaba, or 5) Dresssale.com, please comment below!
7) Luxurious Dark Navy One-Shoulder Ruffles Dress, $128.99
Lightinthebox.com had four dresses that wowed me! I particularly like that they make certain thier customers know that these dresses are not brand name. They are reproductions/replicas of other dresses. I’m down with that if you are! These beauties are also under $500.00!
inspired by Kathryn Le at Grammy Awards, $146.99
There you go, Iris! Don’t be blue! I hope these options quell your fashionista thirst for fabulousity, structure, & that brilliant blue hue! You are going to be a vision in whichever gown you grab! Thanks for writing in!
Oh, and BTW, I like chocolate chip cookies 
-Tori
January 28th, 2012 by Dana F.
Reader Request:
Etsy seller PetrasRocks
“I have found my dream ring… but with my fiance and I paying for the entire wedding ourselves, it’s a little out of my price range. Can you help?”
We sure can! Here are some fabulous looks for less:
1 $899 //2 $699 // 3 $770 // 4 $703 // 5 $979
What do you think, BABS? Which of these pave halo diamond engagement rings is your reasonably priced fave? If you’ve got a wedding fashion-related request, leave it in the comments!
- Dana F.
January 26th, 2012 by Emily
Do you often feel like you’re forgetting something? Well that kind of describes my wedding planning experience, in a nutshell – a long, jerky highway of mental checkpoints, like: “Did I send X and Y wedding invitations?” or “What am I supposed to be doing right now?” or “Was I surfing Pinterest for a reason?”
I frequently feel like I’m totally omitting essential elements of the wedding like RINGS, or CAKE, or a MARRIAGE LICENSE (That last one is more essential than most). And despite having two degrees in WRITING, I still don’t jot down notes or leave myself little reminders everywhere. Or read contracts, for that matter! That’s all on my fiance John.
So while wedding planning has been totally fun, it’s also been just a a teensy bit stressful for me AT ALL TIMES. In order to deter this steady undercurrent of mild mental anguish, I’ve made a very extensive (yet surprisingly basic) wedding checklist. It seems almost too basic to merit posting, but I just KNOW there are other brides like me out there who could totally use this.
These are the things you need to get married. I’ve put an asterisk by the things that are legally necessary.
I'm hungry for braaaaaaaiiiiiiiinnn...cake.
A Groom/Partner* – don’t leave them in the car! You are legally required to have “two consenting people” of “sufficient mental capacity”. Legally, you don’t even have to like each other that much, you just have to be OK with the idea of marriage…
The Date – it’s an abstract concept, but it’s the first thing you have to get nailed down, along with finding…
The Venue – whether it’s a courthouse, an old railroad station, a Scottish castle, or the great outdoors!
The Dress – SQUEE! Now move on to…
The Invitations – even if you’re just sending an e-vite, you should probably let people know where this shindig is happening, and not just rely on word of mouth…or facebook.
A Wedding Party – made up of your nearest and dearest! Let those people know well in advance that they are expected to stand up for you on your big day. AND that they’ll be required to NOT look, you know, how they do in everyday life.
A Caterer - is someone you’ll definitely want to get in touch with SOON if you want to serve people food (and maybe BOOZE?), and not just…
The Cake – which is ok too! Be warned, not all caterers do wedding cakes. And not all cakeries do catering…
A Photographer - couples on a serious budget can just buy a few hours of their time, or just rely on their friends to provide the lasting memories. Couples who are DEADLY SERIOUS about photography should splurge here, and maybe even pony up for…
A Videographer – a lot of newlyweds say they regret NOT getting one of these. I’m just putting that out there.
The Flowers – are another prime opportunity to scale back and save a little cash. If you’re getting married on a beach, or in a garden, why bother? Just spring for some nice bouquets. But if big ol’ blossoms are totally your thing, go crazy. I myself am partial to anemones. Thanks, Pinterest!
The Officiant* – is absolutely necessary to the wedding ceremony. THOUGH there are a few states where you don’t need one. But odds are, you don’t live in one of those states. If you don’t have a preferred preacher, pastor, or yogi, there are all manner of lovely people who are professional wedding officiants. Also, basically ANYONE can become an ordained minister online (EDIT: though according to our resident wedding planner Liz, it might not be legal to have them officiate a wedding in your state)
Music – is easy enough – just bring your iPod! Always imagined yourself being serenaded by a string quartet? Be prepared to line a poor musician’s pocket with some serious coin.
The Rings – could easily be forgotten somewhere by someone at any point during the wedding day. A fact which terrifies me.
The Marriage License* – FYI, you can’t get one of these bad boys day-of. Don’t wait till the Friday before your wedding, either. Take care of this several days if not several weeks before. You don’t have to sign it until your wedding day. (EDIT: Liz rings in again – apparently some officiants CAN issue a marriage license day-of…for a price.)
Witnesses* – are those people you sent wedding invitations to. You did remember to send them invitations, didn’t you?! Fortunately, you usually only need two people to show for this whole thing to be legit.
I STILL feel like I’m forgetting something? If so, PLEASE let me know, brides!
- Emily
January 24th, 2012 by tori
OMG! Did you hear? Jesse G.’s got a crush! It’s totally tragic because her crush is utterly unattainable! As in, no longer on the market. (Single tear…) Here’s what Jesse confided in us:
“I need some of your CAI/GOI magic. In this case though it’s not so much can’t afford it as just can’t have it. I’ve got my heart set on black and white print bridesmaid dresses. I found this last summer at White House/Black Market.
And then I waited too long to tell the girls to go for it, and they sold out. I’m trying to stay under $100 because I know my maids aren’t rolling in cash. Help. I need to stop going back to this image over and over again, I can’t have it.”
Poor Jesse! I say we pop a bottle of wine, curl up with Ben & Jerry, and GET OVER IT! I’m here to help! Black & white bridesmaid’s dresses abound! Jesse, are you totally prepared to be smitten with something new?
Get Over It
Magic Black & White Sundress
Overstock.com $32.99
Onyx Nights Abstract Black and White Party Dress
Overstock.com $59.99
Dot Necessarily Dress
ModCloth.com $69.99
Make Me Wanna Shout Dress
ModCloth.com $94.99
Be careful with ModCloth, Jesse. They only have a limited stock. If you find something there that you absolutely must have, grab it! You can always get your gals to reimburse you. We don’t want you getting your heart broken a second time!
Sangria Sleeveless Dress
Amazon.com $67.93
Floral Scroll Empire Waist Knee Length Sundress by Annabelle
Amazon.com $24.99
Ever Pretty Spaghetti Strap Floral Printed Cotton Tulle Short Cocktail Dress
Amazon.com $89.99
PacificPlex Applique Ribbon Strapless Mini Dress Prom Party Formal Gown
Amazon.com & Sears $71.99
A. Byer Juniors Strapless Print Dress with Belt
Amazon.com $23.62
A. Byer Juniors Strapless CG Party Skirt Dress
Amazon.com $69.99
Corey P. Jacquard Empire Dress
Kohls.com $76.50
Adult Pillow Case Black & White Damask Dress
By KootieZ at Etsy $35.00
Folter Clothing STRAPLESS BLACK ROSE DRESS in Black on Black Rose Print
Pinupdoll.com $74.95
I know, I know! I cheated. This last one is black on black. But, I just liked it so much I had to throw it in! Okay Jesse, I gave you halter top, spaghetti straps, & strapless. You got to see black on white, white on black, black on silver, and black on black. And every last one is under the $100.00 mark!
Do you like what you see? Circle: Yes or No. I hope this CAI/GOI got you through your dress dilemma, and now you’re totally head over heels for something that’s actually attainable. And in the event that this Get Over It didn’t knock your socks off, I have some tips for you. Don’t search for anything that says “Bridesmaid” if you want to keep the price down. Use key words like pattern names and dress styles (i.e. sundress, party dress, cocktail dress, & yes, even prom dress). So girl, stop pining away for something you can’t have. And revel in the endless choices you do have! You’re bound to find “The One”, just like you found your fiance. So buck up, Butter Cup! And lemme know how it turns out!
-Tori
January 21st, 2012 by Dana F.
Reader Request:
Hi there. I find myself looking for a modern wedding – clean lines, bauhaus-inspired – but everything that I can find at reasonable price has a more vintage/romantic or blingy/overwrought vibe. I’ve included photos of two dresses that I like because they’re 1. modern, 2. not strapless, and 3. kind of space agey. Can you suggest budget options that would be similar?
The inspiration:
Source: Pronovias
Source: Angel Sanchez
Here are some modern, unfussy bridal gowns that come in at a reasonable price. Good luck in your search!
Shop Now:
L-R: White House Black Market $120 // BCBG $348 // Badgley Mischka $348 //
Saja ~$1100 // Aria ~$600 // Derek Lam $695
January 19th, 2012 by Emily
Hello again, brides! I’ve spent a lot of time recently talking about the 5 Things Nobody Tells You About Trying On Wedding Dresses, and then I followed that up with ANOTHER 5 Things Nobody Tells You About Trying On Wedding Dresses, which was based on your fabulous responses to my original post. BUT it’s been a long time since I waxed poetic about my own personal wedding journey.
In my very first Real Bride post, I told you that we originally planned to bang my wedding planning out in 3 short months – and then shortly after we set a date, my fiance got a job in Reno, NV (on the other side of the country from where we were formerly located – Athens, GA). So shizz has been HECTIC, to say the least. Last week, I was planning a wedding and executing a cross-country road trip SIMULTANEOUSLY. It can be done, y’all, but I don’t recommend it. Thankfully, I’ve tackled most of the major wedding deets – catering, flowers, etc. And I’ll be gushing about all that in future posts – but today I wanted to tell you about my DRESS!
Behind this amorphous black blob, there's a surprisingly chic strapless gown!
I went to all of 2 wedding salons in Decatur, GA – where I’ll be getting married on February 18th – I took only my Mom, (who fortunately, had never watched a single episode of “Say Yes To The Dress”, and was blissfully unaware of what the salon experience would actually entail), and my BFF who I have known since I was 12, Katie. I had spent a lot of time earlier that week trying to narrow down where we would shop on our all-day bridal extravaganza, and had finally settled on 2-3 salons that were (completely coincidentally) also the closest to our wedding venue.
I really can’t stress enough how much sites like Yelp.com, and Wedding Wire helped me decide on these two bridal salons. If bridal salon reviews consistently lamented things like rude staffers, lack of options for plus size brides, or sky high prices, I was quick to axe that bridal salon off the list. I whittled my list of 5 down even further by calling salons on the phone and inquiring about things like sizes and pricing. My little wedding posse only ended up spending about 3-4 hours at 2 different salons that were two very different experiences.
The first was a traditional bridal salon, where dresses are pulled by an assistant, put on you by an assistant (who will use all manner of contraptions to make you look STUNNING). Then you’re trotted out into a fancy lounge area to be confronted by a giant mirror, crazy studio lighting, and more “OMG I’m a BRIDE!” moments than you can possibly stand. Or at least, that was my experience. I tried on 3 off-the-rack options at the first bridal salon – they were bedazzled, big strapless ballgown thingys. They were ALL gorgeous, and they all looked splendid on me – but they were all extremely HEAVY, opulent mofos – and they were not at all what I had in mind. Though I must say – in the moment, I was very tempted. And I did have one of those “OMG, I’m a BRIDE” moments, much to my chagrin.
Trying on those 3 dresses was physically exhausting – I couldn’t imagine staying in any of them for 6 hours. When I started feeling a little faint ( the corset I was wearing was 2 sizes too small for me, but still strangely effective), we made our excuses and got out of there. The customer service was AWESOME, and the prices were right, but I was getting disoriented and confused by gowns that looked AMAZING on me, but weren’t ME at all. On to our next appointment! Our next stop was The Bridal Outlet of Atlanta. This was an outlet in the traditional sense – there were a plethora of dresses to choose from, you grabbed what you wanted, and their fabulous assistants helped you into it. These gowns were a mix of sample sizes and overstocked gowns from their sister bridal salon, La Raine’s Bridal Boutique. They also had a small selection of NEW gowns they simply didn’t have room for at La Raine’s.
I tried on a wide range of dresses that were thankfully, much more to my taste. I had been pretty insistent on NOT getting something strapless, because as a plus size gal, I was worried about looking like I was exploding out of the top of my dress (We’ve all seen those brides. Yikes.) But again and again, strapless gowns simply looked best on me. Also – FYI, the ratio of strapless gowns to non-strapless gowns at any bridal salon right now is probably 10:1.
Finally, I had narrowed it down to two gowns – one romantic n’ flowy, slightly ethereal empire waist gown, and one slinky, ruched gown with a half-bow detail, a sweetheart neckline, and a nice dose of vintage va-va-voooooom.
Wanna know which one I picked? TOO BAD. All will be revealed in good time, fellow brides…
ALSO, my wedding website speedometer thingy tells me that I have a mere 32 days left till my wedding. 32 DAYS.
- Emily
January 19th, 2012 by christen
Oh! Was I drooling? When this beauty of a wedding landed in my inbox, I just stared … and stared … and stared. Heather and Jacob had a stunning peacock-infused and SUPER budget-friendly event in Seattle. They are one handsome couple and the camera sure does love them. Get your bib ready and throw some plastic over your keyboard, because you’ll be sure to soak it with your own dribble.
Name: Heather and Jacob
Occupation: Café/Wine Bar Manager
Wedding location: Tacoma, Washington
Wedding Date: April 2, 2011
Budget: $10,000, but I think we spent around $12K
How would you describe your wedding:
Our wedding was a total expression of our personalities. It was fashionable, funky and creative but with lots of traditional and personal touches. I knew I wanted to go with peacock feathers, and choosing them opened the door to a beautiful, jewel-tone color scheme. We chose over-the-top venues, fun outfits for our wedding party, but maintained tradition by marrying in a chapel and having our pastor marry us. We both wrote our own vows … we were both crying so much we could hardly make it through the ceremony!
What was your favorite part of your wedding? I think listening to my husband’s wedding vows. I had not heard them before that point, and he was crying so hard … it was the sweetest thing I had ever seen. I was so full of love at that moment!
My favorite “material” part of the wedding was our flowers. My bouquet was amazeballs!
What did you splurge on?
Photography and invitations.
Photography is really the only thing that really lasts forever, so we knew we wanted great photos. To me, invitations are really important because I believe they set the tone for the whole event.
What did you save on?
My dress was a sample gown that had been in the shop for six months and had never even been tried on. I think the owner was dying to get rid of it (guess no one else liked it!) so she gave me a huge discount.
I won an essay contest and got $300 off of our invitations (they still were pricey), we had a friend cater the wedding, and we DIYed as much as we could. I spent 13 hours the day before the wedding making our centerpieces and ceremony décor. I also made all the cake stands for the candy bar and had friends and family members make dessert. We even borrowed a cotton candy machine from a friend and spun our own cotton candy!
I also made all the table numbers and table squares, escort cards, the wishing tree and the bridesmaid’s hair fascinators. I had a whole year to plan, and I was literally working on crafts for an entire year!! Day of, I had friends do my hair and makeup, and stayed at a hotel that my parents’ friends own (free!).
Was there anything you would have done differently, in retrospect?
Honestly, everything went so smoothly that there isn’t anything I would change. We had help from a lot of friends and the day went off without a hitch. I still don’t get tired of looking at my wedding photos … I am still in love with the whole event!
What was your biggest challenge in planning?
Definitely having such a small budget for a wedding with 230 guests. We both had help from our families, but we still paid for most of the wedding ourselves. It took a ton of time, energy, and research to find the most cost effective version of everything. I probably spent thousands of hours on the Internet !! There were times when I thought it LITERALLY would not be possible, but it is! I managed to juggle full-time school, a full-time job, and planning a wedding and still did not come out completely broke!
What lessons did you learn from planning or from the wedding itself?
Organization. I am definitely more of a “free spirited” person than an organized person, but if you are planning a wedding on a budget, organization is key. You need to keep track of coupons and sales, as well as network with people. I used the homie hookup on whatever I could, and I think that’s part of the reason we were able to have such a beautiful wedding on a budget. We used connections through friends at church, our parent’s friends, and Facebook friends! I made lots of excel spreadsheets to keep track of how much we had spent and how much we had left to spend. I had to keep track of every tiny expense, even if it was 5 dollars!
What were your top 5 favorite things about your wedding?
1-the way my bridesmaids looked together. I think their dresses were amazing, and paired with the peacock fascinators, funky hosiery, sky-high heels, and lime green flowers… I don’t think I have ever seen a cooler bunch of bridesmaids!
2- our reception venue. We had it at a history museum and rented out all three floors. When we walked into our reception it was like being on the loveboat—looking up at three floors of balcony filled with our loved ones cheering and applauding us. It was a surreal feeling. I might be biased but I think it was the coolest reception venue ever (especially since it had a mummy display)!
3- My flowers. They were more than I could have imagined—simply perfect! I even was in love with the flower girl’s dark purple pomander ball! (I used vintage brooches on the front of my bouquet, given to me by my mom)
4-Our wedding video. A very talented friend of ours did a wedding video for us as a gift—it turned out beautifully!
5-Having a candy buffet. Because we had at least 30 kids at our wedding, we really needed to do something they would love. Having a candy buffet complete with freshly spun cotton candy was a huge hit! I loved going around and greeting all of my guests and seeing them all with blue tongues.
Top 5 least favorite?
1. The fact that it ended! We only had our reception venue from 6:30 until 11:00, and I was really sad when everyone had to leave. The party was absolutely insane at our reception, and I think most of our guests moved on to an after party. I am so glad that people had so much fun! (boring receptions are the worst)
2. That we couldn’t have live music at our reception. We just couldn’t afford it, and opted for a DJ instead.
That’s really all I can think of… everything else was wonderful.
What was the worst piece of wedding advice you received?
Well, we had a lot of unique ideas and almost every single person in my life bashed all of my ideas. People could not believe we were doing a candy bar instead of a traditional wedding cake, or that we were doing a wishing tree instead of a guest book. Someone flat out told me that those ideas were disrespectful to our guests! People also knocked the lime green flowers idea, and the fact that I wanted to wear polka dot tight sunder my dress. However, I think once they saw everything together, they realized they were wrong!
The best?
I didn’t get any great advice. However, I am a really independent person and just went on with my planning by myself and didn’t really listen to what anyone else was saying. Planning a wedding is hard enough, you can’t let other people’s negative opinions and comments get to you! I am glad I stuck to my gut because I am SO PROUD of how my wedding turned out.
If you’ve been married for more than a year, what have been some challenges? It’s been the best 10 months of my life! In fact, we are expecting a little baby girl in May.
{Eds. note: CONGRATULATIONS!!!}
Any other bits of wisdom?
Always go with your gut. Only YOU know yourself best. Don’t let other people tell you “that dress is just not YOU” or, “really? You want your reception in a museum? That’s so not you!” Only you truly know your taste, and if you let other people make decisions for you, you might regret it in the long run.
Check out Heather & Jacob’s totally gorgeous wedding vid (WARNING: it might make you a little teary)
Heather and Jacob | Every sunrise and sunset from james dean on Vimeo.
Budget breakdown?
Food and rentals: $4,000
Photography: $2,600
Ceremony Venue: $300 (score! My husband’s aunt was an employee at the venue)
Reception Venue: $1200
Dress: $800
Flowers: $1,000
Décor: (DIY) $600
Invitations: $500
Candy bar: $200 (lots of DIY, bought candy from bulk website)
DJ: $900
Videographer, wedding veil, and desserts were all gifted!
Vendors:
Dress: Jasmine Collection
Veil: Vera Wang
Shoes: Paris Hilton
Hair Flower: Nordstrom
Bracelets: Forever 21
Groom’s Suit: Tommy Hilfiger
Groom’s Tie: Urban Outfitters
Groom’s Shoes: Steve Madden
Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Betsey Johnson, XOXO, David’s Bridal
Bridesmaid’s tights: Nordstrom
Bridesmaid’s Shoes: Steve Madden
Hair fascinators: Made by bride
Cocktail rings: Forever 21
Groomsmen outfits: All H&M
Groomsmen ties: Urban Outfitters
Flowergirl dress: David’s Bridal
Ring Bearer’s outfits: JC Penney
Flowers: Debra’s Botanical Design
Ceremony Venue: Kilworth Memorial chapel
Reception Venue: Washington State History Museum
DJ/Lighting: Adam’s DJ Service
Photographer: Clane Gessel Photography
Videographer: James Dean
Invitations: Peacock Invitations on Etsy
-Christen
January 7th, 2012 by Dana F.
Reader Request:
Hello! I loooove your website! I’m definitely a bride on a broke-ass budget. I’m also a plus-size bride and really wanted to know if you had any good recommendations on less expensive plus-size gowns? Lots of ladies are curvier nowadays but the price tag seems to go up along with the pounds unless you want to look like a shiny satin tent. Please help me if you can! If I could find something for $500-ish, I would be over the moon! Thank you so much!
These gowns all go up to size 24-26, and definitely not tent-like. They’re all within your budget, and I hope you’ll love at least one!
From David’s Bridal, clockwise from top left: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
Alfred Angelo, priced under $599:
Target, $70 (!)
Etsy is another good place to look. Many Etsy sellers will make custom dresses in plus sizes. Here are a few of my favorites:
Etsy seller Elbling, $250:
Etsy seller Rosemortem $199
Etsy seller AtelierTami, $430
December 31st, 2011 by Dana F.
Reader Request:
I’m looking for cute bridal “belts”, but am having a hard time finding an elegant one at a good price. Do you have any advice or tips on where to look? This is my dress:
Beautiful dress! Here are some beautiful bridal belts that won’t break the bank. Which one would you pair with your wedding gown?
Shop Now:
