Mine at Last: Dressed to Impress

I used to believe in "the one," of the wedding dress variety.  After shenanigans, heartbreak, and subsequent laughter (read about it here, here, here and here), I let go of the "the one," and said, "Hello" to a beautiful dress that served me well.  I was not in love with my dress, but wearing it on my wedding day, and now looking back at photographs, I realize that she was the right dress for me.

I love the dress in black and white.  Time seems to stand still and the date seems ambiguous. 

After putting my dress on, I couldn't really move without some help.  I was so nervous to bunch it up and carry it, but I got over that hesitation later when I realized that no matter how careful I was, the dress was going to get dirty (it just sweeps all floors like a giant mop).

The train was particularly wide and unwieldly.  Even my seamstress* commented on the difficulty of laying it down.  Sam** was a pro though, and expertly fanned it out for this shot that showcases not only my dress, but the beautiful stained glass window of our church.

Even though I couldn't use my mom's and grandmother's dresses for my own gown, I still really wanted to incorporate them into the wedding somehow.  I thought it was a shame to just cut a small piece of them, so I decided to display them on dress forms near our "Generations" table.  We showcased wedding photographs up to four generations back along with the two dresses.  Here, I'm adjusting the tags I made for each form to denote the owner of the dresses.

I think the best part about my dress, aside from the heavenly cascades of organza, lacy top, and full back of real buttons, was the ability to wear the dress two ways.  I wore the full dress for the formal pictures and ceremony, through the cocktail hour.  Then, right before introductions, I shed the top layer and wore the sleek and fitted satin underlayer. It was just so much lighter and more agile.  Additionally, not going to lie, I really enjoyed the "wow" factor of wearing two outfits.   In the end, my "wardrobe change" was cheaper than if I wore the top layer the entire wedding because of the saved cost of only putting one bustle into the under layer (as opposed to the 12 point that the outer layer would have required).

My only complaint about the dress is that it didn't have an elastic waistband, so I couldn't stuff myself quite as full as I wanted to with all of the delicious food!

Do you believe in "the one" in the dress world?  Or has your dress love grown over time?

*My dress was altered at Maya Couture on Military Highway in Norfolk.  I was very pleased with their seamstress and would recommend them.  I did pay a pretty penny, but I thought it was worth it considering the service and quality of the alterations.
**All photographs by Sam Hughes