Fashion challenged bride-to-be needs your dress help!

Re: Fashion challenged bride-to-be needs your dress help!

• genevin member

  

  September 2009 edited December 2011

  You can probably where anything you want but here's my two cents. Be timeless and elegant so that if someone looks at your wedding picture they will never know what year you got married. Sorry girls but the pick ups and the heavy beaded dresses are not my style. Your dress should tell the story of the kind of woman you are. Splurge and go raw silk (chantung or duipioni sp?) Modified sweetheart boddice A Line (or modified a line) Strapless How much you want to spend depends a lot on where to go. My recs: Isis Boutique ($$$$) D'Angelo Couture (custom made and designed--this is the route I went). Grab a bride magazing...they mostly showcase wedding dresses...then you can begin to see what you like and don't like. remember...timeless! Good luck!

  Report0 Reply
• CandSU2010

  

  September 2009 edited December 2011

  My advice would be to try on a lot of different types of dresses I ended up falling in love with a dress that was opposite of what I went in thinking I would get.

  Report0 Reply
• wendysandiego member

  

  September 2009 edited December 2011

  I got my dress at Bridals by Susanti in Escondido, and I tell everyone I know that is engaged to go there. They helped me so much. Reasonably priced, wonderfully helpful, and a huge selection. A good bridal shop employee will be able to help you with all those questions. Even though you are too tall for petites in regular clothes, you might still need to order a petite in a wedding dress. Those dresses are made for people 5'8'' to start....usually. From your coloring, I would think an ivory might look nice on you. But again, just go and try on anything and everything. I also got the exact opposite of the style of dress I thought I wanted. Many times, i think the dress picks YOU.......you don't pick the dress!

  Report0 Reply
• Merry Ann

  

  September 2009 edited December 2011

  I'm almost the exact same measurements, only difference is about an inch taller and 34D and also real so I TOTALLY understand where you are coming from and it will be harder for you to get the exact right fit.  I ended up going with a dress the laced up the back (don't remember the fancy technical name for that at the moment) and I would highly recommend it!  It allows you to pull the dress tight at both the waist and bust so that it fits like a glove.  My dress was an A-line, but a lot of different shapes all looked fine.  I bought my dress from "A Night on the Town" in the Costa Verde shopping center, and I would recommend them because the customer service was wonderful, but they don't have the biggest selection.HTH!

  Report0 Reply
• liashke

  

  September 2009 edited December 2011

  1) A-line shapes work for just about every body type, so if you want to not stress over that, I'd try to go with that style.  There are a lot of them.  With slender/curvy, you might also try mermaid/trumpet styles, but I think that will depend on how you like the look of them and I don't think they'd be quite as appropriate for the Catholic ceremony.  I would strongly advise you to stay away from empire waistlines with the chest/waist ratio you've got (that's where the "waist" is right under the bust).2) I found out through my dress hunt that I don't like satin very much.  All the dresses I liked best were organza or taffeta.  They gave a different sheen and typically weren't as wrinkly.  I have no knowledge of silks, though.   For fabric colors, do remember that they will vary from designer to designer.  I think many ivories are too dark and yellowish, but some designers make them lighter and I really like them.  So check them against your skin tone--even if a sample dress is only in the store in one shade, you can find another by the same designer in the other color to double-check.  Hopefully a good consultant can help you with that, or if you take someone with you who's a good judge of what suits you.3) I found Abby and Brittany at Aria Bridal in Escondido to be very helpful with what styles and colors work for a person's body type and skin tone.  They have a lot of dresses, too.  I didn't have the best experience with A Night on the Town's service... I felt I just got any gown I could possibly fit in flung at me, and the selection is limited.For a dress line, I liked Maggie Sottero.  Most of her dresses are made with corset lace-up backs, and with your chest that could really help.  The dress gets fitted perfectly that way to your figure (and it can help a lot with needing alterations!).  I've got the big chest/narrow waist thing going, and nothing felt better than a corset... to the point that I may not even wear a bra underneath, it's that supportive.  And at a 36G, until I tried on those dresses, it never occurred to me I could go without a bra.  Lots of designers use corset backs, but I found more of them in the Maggie line in my own hunt.But when it really comes down to it?  Be like you say you are: open-minded.  Let yourself try on dresses that you at a glance might not be interested in.  It can be surprising what works and what you like.And you'll probably need the petite length unless you plan to wear 3-4" heels.   I'm 5'6" and I needed petite (though I'll be wearing flats or close to it).

  Report0 Reply
• rmonkey

  

  October 2009 edited December 2011

  Thank you so much everyone for the great advice and recommendations!  You've given me a lot to think about, and I feel like I have a starting place now which is just what I was hoping for.  Cheers! :)PS: Is anyone else going to the Bridal Bazaar at the Del Mar Fair grounds this weekend?  It'll be my first, not sure what to expect...

  Report0 Reply
• liashke

  

  October 2009 edited December 2011

  I went to the Bridal Bazaar in July.   What I would expect: When you get there, you'll get a bag with a couple of things in it and likely a sticker to wear to identify yourself as the bride (I didn't wear mine, but I probably should have because it's a lot easier if the vendors know who to focus on--I was with my FMIL and she looks young enough that they kept asking her if she was the one getting married).  The bag itself is intended for collecting all the business cards, flyers, postcards, prizes, magnets, magazines, and whatever else you'll end up collecting.  The bazaar is a collection of vendors all eager to give you said flyers and business cards.  Many will have drawings and prizes for you to enter your name to win something or other.  They really want your contact information, so be sure to use an email address that you do not mind receiving tons of email and potential spam at.  They will email you.Many of the vendors also have additional bags that you can get to carry all the stuff.  Men's Wearhouse had the best bags at the one I went to. :>  Nice and big with sturdy handles.  Funny how much that started to matter as the weight added up.  The magazine I got from The Knot was the single heaviest item!  In retrospect, I wish I'd taken a backpack, because then my hands would have been free of at least some of it.  It was often difficult to juggle all the stuff while trying to fill things out or taste cake, etc.There will probably be a fashion show, and they threw out prizes to catch at the conclusion of the one I went to.  There was even strawberries and champagne you could get while you watched.  I personally found the show hilarious to watch because of all the choreography and the looks on their faces.  One little flower girl was very cute as she squinched up her face.Mostly, it was a crazy whirlwind of collecting information and signing up for drawings.  I wouldn't do it again, but I'm glad I went the once.  Once I got home, I immediately sorted all of the cards and flyers out by subject (caterers, venues, photographers, etc) and filed them.

  Report0 Reply
• caribekat

  

  October 2009 edited December 2011

  LOL we're the exact same measurements minus I have slightly smaller hips. Gotta love finding bras huh. I swear its one of the most annoying things ever.Anyway, in my search I've found that sheaths and empire waists look amazing and you don't have to worry about being right in between petite height and normal. But really anything just about works. Considering its a Catholic wedding, perhaps not too clingy of a sheath. Try to stay away from charmouse (or however its spelled) it looks like a nightgown and will show every little curve. Prob not best for a catholic wedding. Maybe stay away from dropped waists as well as it will just make your legs look short since we're not that tall.But really you should be able to pull anything off! Just wear what makes you comfortable and beautiful! Its hard to go wrong with our body shape ~caribekat

  Report0 Reply
• caribekat

  

  October 2009 edited December 2011

  Oh and one of my favs so far that you may want to look at is Maggie Sottero - Caprice. Its new so not many people carry her, but its very figure flattering, classy but unique, and you don't have to worry about falling out (like you do w/ her sister dress Reese). Its about $850. Although it wouldn't work if you are required to have sleeves.

  Report0 Reply