Dress Fitting #1

Since both moms were in town this weekend, they were able to see the first dress fitting yesterday... and the appointment went better than I had hoped! This was the first time I've tried the dress on with all the accessories (jewelry, shoes, etc), and as we kept adding the extra touches, it got prettier and prettier.

I was really impressed with Janet, and I felt completely comfortable throughout the appointment that she will make my currently-almost-perfect dress into THE perfect wedding gown for me. I admit I can be tough on salespeople (and I'll consider Janet a salesperson), but she was fantastic.

In the last entry about the dress, I said the dress was big, but I had no idea it will need to be taken in SIX INCHES! Even though we're 118 days out from the wedding, parts of the dress are adjustable, so if needed, she said she could make additional alterations at the next appointment in April.You should have seen me with clamps (see the picture to the left) going up and down both sides of the dress! ;)

One of the main points of discussion was how to bustle the train of the dress. If you aren't familiar with types of bustles, here are some examples:

Simple "under" bustle (French)

A more intricate "under" (French) bustle

An "over" bustle (American)

I chose... (drumroll).... None of them!

After trying out the different styles, I wasn't in love with any of them. I felt like the bustles created a design that either distracted from the overall look of the dress or didn't work b/c of the way the fabric fell. I had an idea and asked Janet if it was possible. Apparently my idea created a rare type of bustle for a wedding (but it is a type of bustle), and it was exactly what I was looking for! She also mentioned the idea of creating a short/cocktail dress out of my wedding dress - to be used for an anniversary, cruise, etc. I think that's such a fun idea, and it's definitely something I'll consider down the line.

I'm so happy with the visual she created with pinning/clamping, and I can't wait to see how the dress looks when I see it next. It was a lot of fun to have my mom and Patrick's mom there to see the first REAL visual of the whole look, and I'm honored they were willing to come to Phoenix for it! Next time they're in Phoenix will be for the wedding. That's crazy to think about!

-Lisa