As we have been making wedding plans for next summer, of course my first thoughts, perhaps even more than elopement and party plans have been about the dress. Tea length seemed obvious, since we will be doing it at the height of summer on the solstice, which is usually pretty hot, plus I don't want to be weighed down with a full-length dress downtown, where the odds of dragging it through dirt, getting caught in doors, and all manner of clothing tragedies may befall it. I wanted something vintage-ey, but not any particular decade. A little wispy and romantic, but also a little boho, but not exageratedly so. Lace probably, either ivory or champagne. Informal more than formal since it is a City Hall ceremony and dinner, but nice enough for pictures. Bridal, but not TOO bridal, like a girl on top of a wedding cake. Something with a nod to the styles of dresses I wear all the time (and ideally a piece could potentially wear again) in the $100-300 range. Also, it has to be available in a plus size range of sizes, and good quality, soft fabric, especially if its lace.
I've been pinning like a madwoman since April, dresses of all sizes and price points for inspiration, as well as some actual buyable options. One longer one was lovely, but felt like a little much for a downtown elopement and low cut enough that I didn't want to be adjusting my bodice all day lest I spill out. Another, a cute dress with cap sleeves and a beige underlay was a contender at a nice knee length, but the top felt a little too high. Another, I liked but the sleeves were longer and I worried it was just too much fabric for summer. I often thought I wished I could Frankenstein together the perfect dress. This hemline. These sleeves. This lace. This exact color.
Of course once you are googling anything about weddings, all you see are weddings. The dresses that would crop up in ads on social media were not for me, but I occasionally caught sight of a contender. Sundress style with adjustable sleeves. White lace over a beige underlay. With tiers like a peasant dress, but more subdued and fitted at the top. Very soft and swishy, with panels of lace woven spaced with chiffon. Romantic, but also casual and totally wearable again in a more casual context. It was the perfect solution, but when I clicked it kept taking me to a dead page to my disappointment. Weeks passed and I forgot about it, but then there it was again. This time on both on the Nordstrom site for around $150 and steeply on sale at the manufacturer's website. The latter had the dress at a steal, but only in a couple small sizes. Nordstrom had a single dress in my exact size saying there was one left. But then I was a week from getting paid and didn't want to spend the dregs of my bank account on a dress I won't need for a year.
I worried though that someone would buy it out from under me, and checked in daily the past two weeks to make sure it was still there, each time thinking I would have missed out and would have to find something else. Today, I finally had enough in my account and lo and behold, it was still available so I bought the damn thing in all its perfection. Granted, brides get all coy about revealing their dresses and whether the groom should see it before. (he actually won't--not being a big reader of this blog.) Also that most brides spend hours in try-ons and fittings (though I have gotten really good at going by measurements and knowing the cuts that look best on me, the benefits/challenges of being plus sized.) . But I also could not wait to share..
