<-- Wedding planning makes us sleepy.Woke up one morning after getting back from Cali and thought to myself, I really should have my dress picked out and ordered by now. I sort of had it picked out - as in, I had gone in to about seven bridal shops, fallen in love with every single dress I tried on (around 20 in total), but had been keenest on Princess Brides' large selection of rentable dresses, one very modern Maggie Sottero in particular. I filled out their bridal profile after finding myself in love with "my Maggie."
I wore it, I loved it, I gushed about it and wheedled the proprietor into letting me take a picture of it so that I could show everyone (except Scott) what it looked like. I did have a backup, but only because everyone insisted on it. I figured - I'm pretty low-maint. Even if later on it doesn't seem to be my dream dress, well, I never was a Barbie girl. I'd deal.
So today when I went in to seal the deal with my Maggie, I tried on the backup first, just to get it out of the way. On the rack, it looked hideous (but then, it's my opinion that almost all wedding gowns look hideous on the rack) - too ivory, too much bling, too long a train. But on it went, and when I stepped into the light, it was a completely different story. You totally know where this is going - I tried on the dream dress and of course it looked like a sackcloth, and in the end, I put the down payment on my backup and walked out wondering what I'd been thinking, wanting to wear that other one. I still think it's beautiful, it just can't hold a candle, shape-wise, to the so-called "backup."
Hopefully the situation won't reverse itself when I go into my first fitting - I will not, I hope, look longingly at my Maggie and regret the decision I made. I seriously doubt it, though. I don't know if you're supposed to say this about a wedding gown, but my dress is HOT.
No pics. That's how sure I am!
And now for the hairy detail$. My 50 percent down payment is, are you comfortably seated, $635 and change. That is a down payment on a rental. The total cost is just shy (not shy enough for most, I suspect) of the cost of the dress. I had serious second thoughts about putting down this much money for something I would not be able to keep. But then I added up the inclusions: Use of a $400 Swarovsky-embellished veil, shoes, jewelry, tiara, cleaning, all alterations. I will likely use my own jewelry, jury's still out on the headpiece (I think I'm over tiaras), and heaven knows I'd have no problem budgeting for a pair of shoes both wedding-lovely and, ahem, addable to my permanent collection, but the veil and alterations alone sealed the deal for me. Who knew veils were so freakin' expensive? I wanted to be a renegade and not have one but after a vendor at a Bridal Expo placed one on my head "just to see," I have to admit I can see the appeal. (But I will not be wearing it over my face, sorry.)
The $1270 includes all my accessories, plus a free tux rental (so any hopes Scott might have been harboring of not wearing a tux are officially dashed - we are USING all the FREE STUFF we can possibly get out of this deal, and besides, when am I ever again going to see him in one? I've never even seen him in a tie!), plus I will never again have to worry about the dress. Won't have to clean it, preserve it, store it, fret over the fact that no one will ever want it. Well, maybe I will want it, but too bad. I have a closet full of dresses that I love, which will hopefully be enough consolation when it is time to give this one back.
In addition to the dressy-dress, we unlocked a lot of Church roadblocks. Bless my mom, who marched down to the church in person to find out what all the hullaballoo was about. (Phone system on the fritz, looks like.) I finally got to speak to one of the Important Coordinators on the phone, and she was really nice, which helps so much when you're doing things like scheduling the million and one appointments we have to schedule. Yipe.
Also started looking into the Hawaii Catholic Engaged Encounter (a requirement for marriage in the Diocese of Honolulu) and realized - I am totally looking forward to this. Scott blanched at hearing we need to spend 44 hours locked down in a private facility to do pretty much nothing but talk to each other - but this weekend encounter is all kinds of perfect for me, as I love talking, learning about him, and reflecting on questions like these.
AND! Started on the invitations (I finally learned how to spell my fiance's middle name!) and, at Scott's urging, started looking around on bestbridalprices.com for prices that won't make us want to slit our wrists (or get married by a justice of the peace with our bridal party in jeans and t-shirts).
Keep ya posted.
