Monday, April 22, 2013

Pride and Prejudice: Purchasing Wedding Clothes

"Oh! my dear brother," replied Mrs. Bennet, "that is exactly what I could most wish for. And now do, when you get to town, find them out, wherever they may be; and if they are not married already, make them marry. And as for wedding clothes, do not let them wait for that, but tell Lydia she shall have as much money as she chooses to buy them, after they are married. And, above all, keep Mr. Bennet from fighting. Tell him what a dreadful state I am in, that I am frighted out of my wits—and have such tremblings, such flutterings, all over me—such spasms in my side and pains in my head, and such beatings at heart, that I can get no rest by night nor by day. And tell my dear Lydia not to give any directions about her clothes till she has seen me, for she does not know which are the best warehouses . . ."  
~ Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice Chapter 47 


Maybe it is because I attended my niece's wedding last week, or maybe it is because spring is in the air, or maybe it is because I have watched WAY too many episodes of "Say Yes to the Dress," but it resulted in a revelation this week:  I am getting married again.  

Well, not really.

I am staying married to my darling man of 17 years and I'm keeping the ring, but I want a do-over of just about everything else---including the dress.  My poor husband, sisters, mother, and dentist have all heard the sad tale of how I looked about as stylish as a pair of tube socks on my wedding day in my satin sack.  

So instead of perpetuating the wedding-dress-gone-wrong-story for another 17 years, I've decided to write a new story---a story about a happily-married mother of five who decides to throw a small, elegant party for friends and family the way she should have done all those years ago.  There will be good food, twinkle lights, a string quartet, and a real photographer.  Oh, and she will be wearing the PERFECT dress.

But what should it look like?  I don't want a train or a veil since I will most likely be needing to chase my children and/or break up their wrestling matches during the event.  Besides, I've already worn those once and this isn't really a wedding.

But I DO want my dress to be reminiscent of these . . .



How could you go wrong with the elegance of Grace Kelly's gown or the flattering lines of Audrey Hepburn's tea length ensemble?  (You know what?  Forget the dresses.  I just want their waistlines.)

So with these inspirations in mind, here are some dresses that I've stumbled across and I'd love to have your input.  Which one would you vote for?


#1




#2


#3


#4
#5
#6


#7


#8



#9


#10


#11


#12


#13

#14


#15


#16


Who knows?  Maybe someday I'll actually be able to post a picture of me in one of these gowns---looking happy, looking redeemed, and looking nothing like the Amish Bridal Runway Model of 1996.



26 comments:

  1. I can't choose between #3 and #14...but they're all so beautiful!

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  2. I would love to do this too! While I don't hate the gown I got married in, It was closer to the Princess Di era. Vera Wang hadn't showed up yet to change things around! Love Grace Kelly's dress too!

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  3. 3,9, or 14. Any or all of them. :)

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  4. You and I see eye to eye, sister! I just wrote a post last week on my blog about STOP WEARING STRAPLESS DRESSES! You have excellent taste!

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  5. I too would love a do-over. Complete with bridal showers. After 17 years, I have changed my mind on my china!? Same wonderful man - I have not changed my mind about him! I am torn about which dress! I am thinking #4 or #6. . . Life to the full! Melissa @ DaisyMaeBelle

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  6. I think both # 9 and # 14 are exquisite. You have an incredible selection to choose from and anyone of these gowns would be lovely. Follow your heart.

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  7. Oh number 3 to be sure! Please tell us the site link for this dress!

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  8. Oh my, what a decision...I love #1, 3, and 13. It's so, hard they are all beautiful. But, you might want to choose a fuller skirt, if you are going to have to run after kids! ;)

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  9. Oh I love #1 for the structure and the way it frames the face, and #10 for the floaty ethereal effect. It would be hard to choose.

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  10. I totally agree with Sande...#9 and #14 are both to DIE for!!!

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  11. Oh yes please #4. I love it with the little bolero style jacket and the fitted top with he full skirt.

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  12. I vote for #10, dreamy! I share your pain. Except I was married in 1979. I wore the same dress that my sisters wore - not kidding. My two sisters and I all got married in the same dress that my mother made and made minor modifications to for each daughter. It wasn't my first choice, but I honestly just wanted to get married, the wedding details weren't my priority. And going on 34 years later, I guess the choice of a groom was more important than the choice of the dress. My sisters marriages in that dress didn't last, but 33 years and almost 4 months later we're still on our honeymoon (most of the time)!

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  13. They are all beautiful. My 2 cents is: pick a tea length one in a simple, elegant style. And even better if it's made of fabric that would lend itself well to dyeing. Then you could color it and wear on special occasions and date nights with your wonderful husband. As much as I loved the idea of a beautiful ball gown, my dress is similar to #3, and I plan to dye it navy and wear it for years to come.

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  14. I would love #3, #4, #8, OR # 16. All very classy AND you could wear them elsewhere.

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  15. Whee! This is fun. I vote for dresses I think would actually look good on me so 4,7, 10. I think I want something with sleeves or jacket as my arms are not as toned as the first lady's! BTW, Audrey Hepburn's gown is from Funny Face and probably designed by Givenchy as he designed a lot of her dresses. The photography was soooo pretty in that movie. Was Grace Kelly's gown designed by one of the Hollywood costumers?

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  16. These dresses are beautiful and any one of them would be a wonderful choice. But you really need to post pictures of your "real" wedding dress. It isn't fair to talk about it without sharing :)

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  17. All beautiful and I'm sure you were a beautiful bride! Besides, while a wedding and all the bells and whistles are fun and pretty, it is the vows that our heart makes that lasts the longest. Patty/BC

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  18. I would vote #8. It is so classy. I love the idea of then dying it a color to wear to on other occasions. -Kristen

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  19. Um, WOW! I don't know how I would pick between dress #'s 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, & 14. Maybe I could narrow it down to dresses #9 and #14. They're all so beautiful! You can't go wrong being inspired by Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly! Have a great week!! ~ Jamie

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  20. I do not want a do-over! I hated all of the hoop-la of the small wedding that I had. However, I do have a thing for wedding dresses on other people and I love all of the ones that you chose. Wow - you had me at Audrey - my all time favorite!

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  21. Welcome to our shop to see and buy the wedding dress,robes de mariage pas cher what questions you can contact our customer service, really want to help you find the right dress. I wish you a happy life!

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  22. Where can I also find dress #6. It's pure simple elegance.

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