After getting a fews commenst about wanting to know how everything turned out, I have decided to write out my story with Dolly Couture and my "custom" dress.
After my last post with the 2nd seamstress I hoped that I would show up and magically find all the flaws worked out of my dress. I did not :( I put on my dress and mom zipped it up. My arms easily fit in the arm holes thanks to the magic of the seamstress. Unfortunately, the shoulders still felt like they were falling down most of the time. The bust was sewn/tacked together but it is still SO low cut. I am afraid to move around the kids because I think someone is gonna get a full view of the girls.
Mom and I tried to pull the bust together, but it wouldn't move anymore. I have room to take the waist in also, but the zipper won't be able to move if we take it in. I did not feel thinner or pretty or beautiful in my dress. I felt like I had no waist and a big butt in my dress.
I wrote Dolly one more time. After sending some more pictures and expressing my frustrations, I got an email back from her. She offered to have a new dress made for me. At first I didn't think it would work. There would be NO time for alterations, because at the time of the email I only had about 25 days till the wedding! She asked for ALL of my measurements, and I stopped at the seamstress and had them taken professionally so there was NO mix up at all. I had told Dolly in one of my last emails that I had expected my dress to look like the Beverlywood dress because that design had been based on the sketch she had made for me. Instead of recreating my first dress again (which obviously had fatal flaws IMO) she offered to have the Beverlywood dress made for me to my exact measurements. The only custom alteration would be to add my blue netting under the dress.
To say I was worried was an understatement. I was a ball of nerves until that new dress arrived. In my paniced state I even ordered a dress from David's Bridal in hopes that I would have SOMETHING to wear.
The new dress arrived on Septemeber 5th. Exactly 1 week before the wedding. I rushed to my mom's where the box had been delivered and opened the box. I pulled out the pink packing tissue and grabbed the hanger with the garment bag. I think I ran to the bed room and opened up the bag to get my first peak at the dress. It looked beautiful on the hanger. I carefully put the dress on and then called my kids in to help with the zipper. It went up perfectly and fit like a glove. I fell in love the INSTANT I saw my reflection.
This had been the moment I was waiting for. I had found my dress ... I had found my Bridal Glow. It was time to begin the countdown of my last week as a single/divorced mom with 2 kids. Join me on my journey thru the last week. It was a whirlwind!
Showing posts with label plus size. Show all posts
Showing posts with label plus size. Show all posts
Monday, September 14, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Need Dress Help!!
I won't bore you with the details ... but let's just say I was left fighting back tears after my final alteration appointment with my Dolly Dress. Mom says I look beautiful ... right now I just don't FEEL beautiful when I put it on. Mom took a couple more picture. I was really hoping to find my Bridal Glow at this appointment ... but it just didn't come.
To help me feel more comfortable Mom has offered to by me a "reception" dress to change into after we cut the cake. So I can "party" and be more comfortable. We are trying to stay under $100 and trying to stay away from alterations. For my body ... that means I probably need to go strapless. I wear about a size 20 and I would like to keep it under $100.
Any Suggestions?
To help me feel more comfortable Mom has offered to by me a "reception" dress to change into after we cut the cake. So I can "party" and be more comfortable. We are trying to stay under $100 and trying to stay away from alterations. For my body ... that means I probably need to go strapless. I wear about a size 20 and I would like to keep it under $100.
Any Suggestions?
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Dolly Dress: Alterations (take 2)
Yesterday after work Mom & I headed to a second seamstress. The first seamstress that I went to is gone on vacation till the end of the month. I felt uneasy about waiting that long. The plus side to the new seamstress is that she is at a Bridal Shop, not her home and she is only a few blocks away from the shop. That makes it very easy to head over for fittings.
When I walked out of the dressing room to have my mom zip the back she said "You've lost weight" YIPPY!!! Those are very sweet words to hear, believe me :) I had brought a necklace to try with my dress as well (it was on loan) Mom and I both agreed it was a little too thick and didn't compliment my dress.
The seamstress came over and we showed her the problem areas of the bust. She made a few marks with her pins and that was that. For the changes she quoted us $40-$45! Not bad at all. I go back on August 10th. I am actually hoping that by then she will need to take the waist in. I just have to keep getting up in the morning for those walks.
I am still a little disappointed that the bodice wasn't made how I requested :( I did not ask for a boatneck. I asked for a tank. There is no way to make the dress into the original style that I requested and paid for :(
Are you disappointed with any aspect of your dress?
When I walked out of the dressing room to have my mom zip the back she said "You've lost weight" YIPPY!!! Those are very sweet words to hear, believe me :) I had brought a necklace to try with my dress as well (it was on loan) Mom and I both agreed it was a little too thick and didn't compliment my dress.
The seamstress came over and we showed her the problem areas of the bust. She made a few marks with her pins and that was that. For the changes she quoted us $40-$45! Not bad at all. I go back on August 10th. I am actually hoping that by then she will need to take the waist in. I just have to keep getting up in the morning for those walks.
I am still a little disappointed that the bodice wasn't made how I requested :( I did not ask for a boatneck. I asked for a tank. There is no way to make the dress into the original style that I requested and paid for :(
Are you disappointed with any aspect of your dress?
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Dolly Dress: My Dress is BACK!!!
Let's see, where did I last leave off??? Oh! Yes. My dress was WRONG and I had to send it back :( I admit that I stalled when it came to sending back my dress. I just didn't want to put it back in the box and ship it off. My mom told me to basically suck it up and get it in the box already. So I did.
They redid the petticoat on my dress in lightening fast time. From the moment I sent off my dress to getting it back was about a week. No Joke! The blue petticoat is now the proper shade of blue and the petticoat reaches the hem of the dress (it didn't before). I am still not totally happy with the design of the petticoat. I think the fullness is hitting me in the worst/heaviest part of my body ... right around my hips. I did get the extra blue netting with my dress when I got it back so I may be able to have the seamstress fix that portion to help slim my hips a bit.
There will be more to this dress saga LOL. Stay tuned for the next alteration appointment, where I will be getting a second opinion.
What part of your wedding has become more time consuming than you anticipated?
They redid the petticoat on my dress in lightening fast time. From the moment I sent off my dress to getting it back was about a week. No Joke! The blue petticoat is now the proper shade of blue and the petticoat reaches the hem of the dress (it didn't before). I am still not totally happy with the design of the petticoat. I think the fullness is hitting me in the worst/heaviest part of my body ... right around my hips. I did get the extra blue netting with my dress when I got it back so I may be able to have the seamstress fix that portion to help slim my hips a bit.
There will be more to this dress saga LOL. Stay tuned for the next alteration appointment, where I will be getting a second opinion.
What part of your wedding has become more time consuming than you anticipated?
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Blue outfit blues
I mentioned before that I have been having a hard time find cute outfits I like in plus sizes. I don't have any definite dates for any showers or parties, but I know that there will be some. The last few times I haven't had kids my friend and I did some shopping around town looking for options. I haven't purchased anything because nothing has jumped out at me. Here are a few outfits I like.
#1 - Blue Floral Dress
Robbie Bee dress at Dillard. Currently on sale for $55. I have a few Robbie Bee dresses and they always fit so nice. I didn't try this one on, but it is very simlar to a green one that I wore on Mother's Day.
#2 - Skirt and Tank outfit
Lane Bryant skirt and tank. The skirt is $49.50 and was really the only part of the outfit that I liked.
#3 - Dress with and without shrug
Lane Bryant dress. The dress is $69.50 and the shrug is $29.50. It was okay, but still didn't really flatter my figure.
#4 - Ebay Dress
Rockabilly Dress on Ebay. I have been watching this dress on ebay for a while. Right now it is 15% off, but I am still hesitant to make a purchase.
Which outfit do you like? I am open to other suggestions as well.
#1 - Blue Floral Dress
Robbie Bee dress at Dillard. Currently on sale for $55. I have a few Robbie Bee dresses and they always fit so nice. I didn't try this one on, but it is very simlar to a green one that I wore on Mother's Day.
#2 - Skirt and Tank outfit
Lane Bryant skirt and tank. The skirt is $49.50 and was really the only part of the outfit that I liked.
#3 - Dress with and without shrug
Lane Bryant dress. The dress is $69.50 and the shrug is $29.50. It was okay, but still didn't really flatter my figure.
#4 - Ebay Dress
Rockabilly Dress on Ebay. I have been watching this dress on ebay for a while. Right now it is 15% off, but I am still hesitant to make a purchase.
Which outfit do you like? I am open to other suggestions as well.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Finding cute fashions
I love seeing everyone's posts about adorable bridal shower outfits and rehearsal dinner dresses. I click the links and follow the yellow brick road hoping to find new places that I can look for adorable outfits as well. Most times I am disappointed to find that the sizes stop at XL or 12-14 :( BOO! Plus size brides want to look cute too!
Anyone one know of good sites with larger sizes??
Anyone one know of good sites with larger sizes??
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Dolly Dress: I just wanted to cry - Part 2
When we last left off I had just taken off my beautiful Dolly Couture dress and was on the brink of tears.
That evening I composed an email to all three of the contacts at Dolly Couture: Dolly herself, Nickie the sales rep, and Desiree the seamstress. I tried to be calm and rationale in my email. I think I did a good job of not turning Bridezilla on the staff.
In turn the responses from all three were very apologetic and informative. The seamstress actually admitted to changing the design of the petticoat after our last email conversation. Instead of using the softer pre-dyed netting, she used the regular tulle and dyed it with RIT dye - which is why the color was drastically different.
To compare here is the sample dress with the correct blue and my dress side by side:
As you can see there is a definite color difference. In person the blue is much darker than it photographs. It is because she used this stiffer tulle that the skirt is much fuller than I wanted as well. During the course of our emails back and forth it was decided that I would send the dress back and Desiree would remove the petticoat and resew a new one in with the correct netting.
The fit of the bodice was also an issue and Dolly suggested I go see a seamstress and was confident that with proper alteration the dress would fit. Yesterday my mom and I did just that.
This is the dress on me before the seamstress started pinning and making adjustments:
Problem #1 - The Arm Holes
They were cut WAY too small. As you can see the fabric under my arm buckles and folds over. They are also very constrictive and I can't raise my arms at all. The seamstress recommends about an inch be taken out from under the arm and then I will still need to take the tops of the straps in about an inch on the top so that the straps sit correctly on my shoulders like a tank top strap would.
Problem #2 - The Cross Over Bust
When not pinned the cross over portion of the bust gaps open and exposes the girls A LOT! I know I will be bending down thru out the wedding day so that needs to be fixed. Once the shoulders fit properly the bodice can be fixed so it sits correctly. It is VERY low cut right now.
Problem #3 - The Butt
Where the zipper ends on my dress there is a very definite "dimple" I am not sure that it is caused by the extra tulle or if it is a defect in the construction of the gown. Desiree will be taking a look at this when she has the dress to fix the petticoat.
I have been told by Dolly that these bodice alterations are my responsibility, but I am disappointed that I was not informed prior to placing my order that I needed to give them additional custom measurements. As stated in the FAQ on their site each custom measurement is a $25 upcharge. I had to give custom bust and waist measurements at the cost of an additional $75 because I am a plus size girl and the largest size on her size chart is an 18. I was not told that the neck to waist, shoulder to shoulder and arm circumference were needed measurements for this style to fit me correctly.
Stay tuned to see the outcoming of all these alterations. I know I am on pins and needles.
Did you have to have major alterations done to your dress?
That evening I composed an email to all three of the contacts at Dolly Couture: Dolly herself, Nickie the sales rep, and Desiree the seamstress. I tried to be calm and rationale in my email. I think I did a good job of not turning Bridezilla on the staff.
In turn the responses from all three were very apologetic and informative. The seamstress actually admitted to changing the design of the petticoat after our last email conversation. Instead of using the softer pre-dyed netting, she used the regular tulle and dyed it with RIT dye - which is why the color was drastically different.
To compare here is the sample dress with the correct blue and my dress side by side:
As you can see there is a definite color difference. In person the blue is much darker than it photographs. It is because she used this stiffer tulle that the skirt is much fuller than I wanted as well. During the course of our emails back and forth it was decided that I would send the dress back and Desiree would remove the petticoat and resew a new one in with the correct netting.
The fit of the bodice was also an issue and Dolly suggested I go see a seamstress and was confident that with proper alteration the dress would fit. Yesterday my mom and I did just that.
This is the dress on me before the seamstress started pinning and making adjustments:
Problem #1 - The Arm Holes
They were cut WAY too small. As you can see the fabric under my arm buckles and folds over. They are also very constrictive and I can't raise my arms at all. The seamstress recommends about an inch be taken out from under the arm and then I will still need to take the tops of the straps in about an inch on the top so that the straps sit correctly on my shoulders like a tank top strap would.
Problem #2 - The Cross Over Bust
When not pinned the cross over portion of the bust gaps open and exposes the girls A LOT! I know I will be bending down thru out the wedding day so that needs to be fixed. Once the shoulders fit properly the bodice can be fixed so it sits correctly. It is VERY low cut right now.
Problem #3 - The Butt
Where the zipper ends on my dress there is a very definite "dimple" I am not sure that it is caused by the extra tulle or if it is a defect in the construction of the gown. Desiree will be taking a look at this when she has the dress to fix the petticoat.
I have been told by Dolly that these bodice alterations are my responsibility, but I am disappointed that I was not informed prior to placing my order that I needed to give them additional custom measurements. As stated in the FAQ on their site each custom measurement is a $25 upcharge. I had to give custom bust and waist measurements at the cost of an additional $75 because I am a plus size girl and the largest size on her size chart is an 18. I was not told that the neck to waist, shoulder to shoulder and arm circumference were needed measurements for this style to fit me correctly.
Stay tuned to see the outcoming of all these alterations. I know I am on pins and needles.
Did you have to have major alterations done to your dress?
Friday, May 1, 2009
Dolly Dress: I just wanted to cry - Part 1
I was SO excited to find out that my dress would be in my hot little hands this week!
On Wednesday afternoon after work I found the orange slip in my mailbox that I had missed the mailman by 20 min :( The post office now had my dress.
Thursday morning at work the little orange slip in my purse taunted me. I couldn't leave early though and I was really dreading the lunch hour crowd at our local post office. I decided to brave the trip anyway and at about 1pm I had the box in my car
There was really no way that I was gonna be able to wait to open the box at my mom's house, so I carefully tore into it and lifted out the garment bag that contained my dress.
Then I slowly unzipped the garment bag. I could see the beautiful champagne silk peeking out. I carefully reached in and gathered up the bottom of the dress and pulled it out of the garment bag.
The criss cross bodice looked just like I imagined.
The silk had the perfect about of sheen and warmth. Then I lifted the skirt to admire the custom royal blue petticoat.
Hmmmm .... that petticoat doesn't feel right. It felt stiff and not at all like the soft netting that was described to me. The color looked very dark as well. Not the vibrant royal blue that I saw in the original photo I used as my guide for picking the color.
I didn't start panicking. I thought it would be okay once I put the dress on at my mom's house. I carefully tucked the dress back into the garment bag and zipped it up.
Once at my mom's house I tore into the dress a little faster since I knew I was going to be putting it on. I had to walk out to have my mom zip up the back and thought it was odd that the skirt didn't fit thru the doorway. I understand I am a big girl, but that just didn't seem right.
I stepped into the living room and was less than pleased with the first words out of my mom's mouth. I may or may not have snapped at her (sorry mom). The moment just wasn't what I had thought it would be. The dress seemed really poofy, my mom didn't have the "oh you are so beautiful" look on her face, the straps on the shoulders didn't feel right and the neckline seemed very low. It just wasn't "perfect"
Mom started messing with the tulle to see if it was just bunched up too much and she tried to smooth it out. It helped a little with the poof, but not much. That is really when I started to realize the petticoat was wrong. Instead of 3 layers of soft netting and one top layer of stiff tulle the dress had 4 layers of stiff tulle. It was basically a DOUBLE full petticoat! Mom and I also agreed that the blue seemed a little "off". My daughter actually called it purple! Yikes!
Finally I just took the dress off and hung it back up. I was let down. I was disappointed. I was on the brink of tears.
Later that evening I went over ALL of my emails between Dolly, the Sales Rep and the Petticoat designer. I looked at the sample photos I had sent and decided to email all three. Stay tuned to find out their responses.
Were you disappointed with your dress when it finally arrived?
On Wednesday afternoon after work I found the orange slip in my mailbox that I had missed the mailman by 20 min :( The post office now had my dress.
Thursday morning at work the little orange slip in my purse taunted me. I couldn't leave early though and I was really dreading the lunch hour crowd at our local post office. I decided to brave the trip anyway and at about 1pm I had the box in my car
There was really no way that I was gonna be able to wait to open the box at my mom's house, so I carefully tore into it and lifted out the garment bag that contained my dress.
Then I slowly unzipped the garment bag. I could see the beautiful champagne silk peeking out. I carefully reached in and gathered up the bottom of the dress and pulled it out of the garment bag.
The criss cross bodice looked just like I imagined.
The silk had the perfect about of sheen and warmth. Then I lifted the skirt to admire the custom royal blue petticoat.
Hmmmm .... that petticoat doesn't feel right. It felt stiff and not at all like the soft netting that was described to me. The color looked very dark as well. Not the vibrant royal blue that I saw in the original photo I used as my guide for picking the color.
I didn't start panicking. I thought it would be okay once I put the dress on at my mom's house. I carefully tucked the dress back into the garment bag and zipped it up.
Once at my mom's house I tore into the dress a little faster since I knew I was going to be putting it on. I had to walk out to have my mom zip up the back and thought it was odd that the skirt didn't fit thru the doorway. I understand I am a big girl, but that just didn't seem right.
I stepped into the living room and was less than pleased with the first words out of my mom's mouth. I may or may not have snapped at her (sorry mom). The moment just wasn't what I had thought it would be. The dress seemed really poofy, my mom didn't have the "oh you are so beautiful" look on her face, the straps on the shoulders didn't feel right and the neckline seemed very low. It just wasn't "perfect"
Mom started messing with the tulle to see if it was just bunched up too much and she tried to smooth it out. It helped a little with the poof, but not much. That is really when I started to realize the petticoat was wrong. Instead of 3 layers of soft netting and one top layer of stiff tulle the dress had 4 layers of stiff tulle. It was basically a DOUBLE full petticoat! Mom and I also agreed that the blue seemed a little "off". My daughter actually called it purple! Yikes!
Finally I just took the dress off and hung it back up. I was let down. I was disappointed. I was on the brink of tears.
Later that evening I went over ALL of my emails between Dolly, the Sales Rep and the Petticoat designer. I looked at the sample photos I had sent and decided to email all three. Stay tuned to find out their responses.
Were you disappointed with your dress when it finally arrived?
Monday, April 20, 2009
Dolly Dress: She needs a name
I am facebook friends with the designer making my custom wedding dress, Dolly Couture. Every few days or so she posts new pictures of the custom dresses she is working on. Today when I was checking my facebook account I saw that she had uploaded a new photo. That is when I saw her ...
My Dress!
She isn't done yet. The dotted petticoat is not what will be under mine. Plus my petticoat will not protrude from under my dress like this one does. I love her already. Now she needs a name. Something fun & flirty, and classically 50's. I found a few options of popular 1950's names. Which one do you like?
Bonnie
Marilyn
Peggy
Shirley
Carolyn
Beverly
Did you name your dress??
My Dress!
She isn't done yet. The dotted petticoat is not what will be under mine. Plus my petticoat will not protrude from under my dress like this one does. I love her already. Now she needs a name. Something fun & flirty, and classically 50's. I found a few options of popular 1950's names. Which one do you like?
Bonnie
Marilyn
Peggy
Shirley
Carolyn
Beverly
Did you name your dress??
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Dress Shopping
I know, I know ... I already posted that I bought my dress. I realize this, but I started getting a little nervous. You see ... I bought my dress sight unseen. Without trying it on! Without physically seeing or touching a dress made by this person. People thought I was CRAZY! Then I started to think I was crazy ... Then I started to get worried.
What does a worried bride do?? She calls the closest David's Bridal and makes an appointment. Why?? In hopes that she can try on dresses that will at least LOOK like the dress she has purchased sight unseen to calm her fears. So that is what I did. I felt a little bad going since I had no intention of buying a dress there. Then I remembered all the David's Bridal posts from previous bloggers. They are not a small little boutique that closes down for each bride. They have MASS amounts of dress in a wide array of sizes. As another blogger posted, they are the Wal-Mart of Bridal Salons. Do you feel bad walking out of Wal-Mart empty handed? Nope, me neither. I pushed those concerns aside and scheduled my appointment for the next time I would be taking my kids over to see their dad.
So last Friday after I dropped my kids off with their dad, I headed to David's Bridal in La Mesa in hopes of trying on at least ONE of these dresses:
Oleg Cassini
David's Bridal Collection
David's Bridal Collection
David's Bridal Collection
and my favorite:
Galina
You may have noticed a common theme among the dresses, until you reached my favorite. Let me explain. The top 4 dresses are all v-necks and have tank style sleeves. That is the bodice of the dress I ordered. I wanted to make sure that the girls would stay in place (if you know what I mean). The rest of the details on those dresses are basically worthless too me. I tried to explain that to the bridal consultant, but I don't think she really understood.
That brings me to my favorite dress ... the Galina! If David's Bridal made the Galina tea length dress with a tank style v-neck bodice I would have bought it. I knew I wanted a short dress since I saw Mrs. Shortcake's post on WeddingBee. (I wasn't browsing WeddingBee back then, I came across it while I was reading back in her posts LOL) What is very disappointing is that David's Bridal only stocks select gowns in the larger sizes. The biggest size they had of the Galina in stock was a size 14 .... yeah, not gonna work for this plus size girl.
The first dress I tried on was the ONLY dress in my size from my original list. GRRR.
David's Bridal Collection
You will have to excuse the photo quality. It is hard to be the one behind the camera if you are trying on dresses so a friend took these. I edited them the best I could, and cropped out my head to reduce the double chins and weird expressions I had.
I did actually love the neckline. The v-neck wasn't too low and didn't expose the girls too much as all. I wasn't crazy about how tight it was under the bust, even though it did give me a very defined waist. Hopefully that won't be a problem in my actual gown.
Since this was the first wedding dress I have tried on since I got married the first time it was VERY odd. Especially once the lady put a veil on me. I started to have mini flashbacks and almost wanted to be done with the appointment then and there. I stuck it out and picked the next dress to try on.
It was not one I had originally seen online, but it was in the store in my size, so I tried it on.
Style 9T9717
The modest panels may work for some, but not for me. I quickly unsnapped them to see the true line of the v-neck.
This one was cut higher and I defintely decided that I liked the 1st one better. I really didn't like the ruching on the side of the dress. It didn't hide my belly at all, in fact I felt like it emphasised it. Not a good thing at all.
I then tried on a halter style sheath dress
This fabric clung to all the wrong parts. I would have to be knee to bra in restrictive undergarments if I wore this style. No Thanks.
Next was actually a strapless dress ... that I hated. I hated it so much I wouldn't allow my friend to take a picture.
I think it was about then that the consultant's manger came over to check on us. I have seen enough "Say Yes To The Dress" to know that she was trying to save a possible sale. My biggest objection to every dress was that they were not tea length. The one tea length dress they had in the store wasn't my size. They brought it over and I held it up while wearing a bridesmaid outfit to "feel the style"
See that cheesy smile? Yeah, I knew at that point that I was gonna love my Dolly Couture dress. Only about a month and a half until my dress should arrive. I can barely wait to try it on for the first time and have that cheesy smile yet again for the real thing!
Did you buy your wedding dress sight unseen?
Thursday, April 2, 2009
A Word about Weight
Ok, there will probably be more than one word ... I just need to get this out.
I am a "big girl" always have been, probably always WILL be. My Dad is over weight, my grandmother was over weight, I am sure I could start a list and keep going but really I don't want to. Those two people seem to be who I have followed after in the gene pool.
For the most part I have accepted this. I have heard all of the horrible comments behind my back and to my face since grade school. I have developed my coping mechanisms, but somewhere deep down it does still hurt.
It is not like I haven't TRIED. I have been on diets. I have lost weight. I have went off diets, and I have gain weight back. I always seem to fall somewhere in the range of 200-250. Not a good fluctuation I am sure.
my 2006 weight loss in pictures
I have gone to doctors and had them tell me to lose weight (really? gosh that was great advice Dr. McSkinny) but then they run all kinds of blood tests and the most they can find wrong is that I am anemic. No thyroid problems, no blood pressure, cholesterol is well within normal ranges and I am no where close to diabetic. What does that all mean? I am HEALTHY! Yes, I said it ... I am too healthy for the medical community to consider helping me lose weight. That means no pills, no lap-band, no gastric bypass surgery. The doctors have bigger fish to fry and I am low on the priority list.
Why am I bringing this up now? Well, because of the wedding. The wedding industry seems to assume that every bride either is or wants to be a stick on their wedding day. The sample sizes at Bridal Salons alone prove this point. Then every "wedding checklist" at some point mentions starting to "watch what you eat" (which is code for diet) or tells you to focus on "toning those problem areas" (which we all know is code for exercise).
It isn't just the mass media & fashion industry though ... friends and family join in as well. I know they mean well, but it just causes more stress when people are pointing it out. It really doesn't help though because their comments cause stress, and stress makes me eat. It is a vicious cycle.
{source}
If Mr.B loves me the way I am, then why should I "have" to change? Why can't I feel comfortable on my wedding day at whatever weight that might be? Will I be any less beautiful? Will my marriage somehow last longer? Will I be any happier? No, I don't think so.
The thing is that I HAVE lost weight before, and mentally I know I can do it again. I also remember the things I didn't do while I was losing weight. I didn't go out and socialize with my friends. I didn't scrapbook (a hobby I LOVE). I also somehow spent less time with the kids. I wouldn't eat with them, because they were eating different foods that I was not allowing myself to eat and I didn't want to be tempted.
I was also working three jobs. Yes, you read that right THREE. I was a single mom, with 2 small kids and I was working three jobs to stay a float because my ex-husband wasn't helping support his kids. I was constantly on the go and never had free time to enjoy life. It was a different kind of stress. I wasn't really happy, I was just trying to be.
I don't want to go back to that point in my life. I am happier now. I am only working one full time job (with a small 2nd job working in the church nursery a few hours a week). I have Mr. B and we do go and do things, like the movies and playing at the park with the kids. We eat out with friends, and hang out. It is a totally different lifestyle.
I have a single friend that is sort of on the same weight loss journey. We are/used to be similar sizes. We have dieted together on and off for the past year or so. Her life is different though, and I am not sure she understands that. She can go to the gym and Zumba and do cardio for an hour. I don't really have that same option. I have the kids. Planning meals isn't as simple as easy for me as it is for her as well. She just has herself, I have 3 other people to plan for as well. Most of the time it ends up just being whatever is the fastest to make or grab on the way home.
I guess I am just conflicted, I am not sure what to do or which way to turn. What have you decided to do in regards to weight for the wedding.? Do you plan to keep it status quo or are you stepping it up to lose weight?
I am a "big girl" always have been, probably always WILL be. My Dad is over weight, my grandmother was over weight, I am sure I could start a list and keep going but really I don't want to. Those two people seem to be who I have followed after in the gene pool.
For the most part I have accepted this. I have heard all of the horrible comments behind my back and to my face since grade school. I have developed my coping mechanisms, but somewhere deep down it does still hurt.
It is not like I haven't TRIED. I have been on diets. I have lost weight. I have went off diets, and I have gain weight back. I always seem to fall somewhere in the range of 200-250. Not a good fluctuation I am sure.
my 2006 weight loss in pictures
I have gone to doctors and had them tell me to lose weight (really? gosh that was great advice Dr. McSkinny) but then they run all kinds of blood tests and the most they can find wrong is that I am anemic. No thyroid problems, no blood pressure, cholesterol is well within normal ranges and I am no where close to diabetic. What does that all mean? I am HEALTHY! Yes, I said it ... I am too healthy for the medical community to consider helping me lose weight. That means no pills, no lap-band, no gastric bypass surgery. The doctors have bigger fish to fry and I am low on the priority list.
Why am I bringing this up now? Well, because of the wedding. The wedding industry seems to assume that every bride either is or wants to be a stick on their wedding day. The sample sizes at Bridal Salons alone prove this point. Then every "wedding checklist" at some point mentions starting to "watch what you eat" (which is code for diet) or tells you to focus on "toning those problem areas" (which we all know is code for exercise).
It isn't just the mass media & fashion industry though ... friends and family join in as well. I know they mean well, but it just causes more stress when people are pointing it out. It really doesn't help though because their comments cause stress, and stress makes me eat. It is a vicious cycle.
{source}
If Mr.B loves me the way I am, then why should I "have" to change? Why can't I feel comfortable on my wedding day at whatever weight that might be? Will I be any less beautiful? Will my marriage somehow last longer? Will I be any happier? No, I don't think so.
The thing is that I HAVE lost weight before, and mentally I know I can do it again. I also remember the things I didn't do while I was losing weight. I didn't go out and socialize with my friends. I didn't scrapbook (a hobby I LOVE). I also somehow spent less time with the kids. I wouldn't eat with them, because they were eating different foods that I was not allowing myself to eat and I didn't want to be tempted.
I was also working three jobs. Yes, you read that right THREE. I was a single mom, with 2 small kids and I was working three jobs to stay a float because my ex-husband wasn't helping support his kids. I was constantly on the go and never had free time to enjoy life. It was a different kind of stress. I wasn't really happy, I was just trying to be.
I don't want to go back to that point in my life. I am happier now. I am only working one full time job (with a small 2nd job working in the church nursery a few hours a week). I have Mr. B and we do go and do things, like the movies and playing at the park with the kids. We eat out with friends, and hang out. It is a totally different lifestyle.
I have a single friend that is sort of on the same weight loss journey. We are/used to be similar sizes. We have dieted together on and off for the past year or so. Her life is different though, and I am not sure she understands that. She can go to the gym and Zumba and do cardio for an hour. I don't really have that same option. I have the kids. Planning meals isn't as simple as easy for me as it is for her as well. She just has herself, I have 3 other people to plan for as well. Most of the time it ends up just being whatever is the fastest to make or grab on the way home.
I guess I am just conflicted, I am not sure what to do or which way to turn. What have you decided to do in regards to weight for the wedding.? Do you plan to keep it status quo or are you stepping it up to lose weight?
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Dolly Dress: I bought my dress!
Yes I know I still haven't finished my proposal story, but I am just SO excited to share this that I can't wait. Yesterday morning I purchased my wedding dress .... my CUSTOM wedding dress!! I couldn't find exactly what I wanted so I am having it done custom. My requirements for a dress were:
Short (between knee & tea-length)
NOT white
Full A-Line skirt
Colored Petticoat
Straps (no strapless at all)
Affortable
The search for my dress did not start at some fancy boutique or bridal shop. Just like everything else, my search started online. Being "Plus Size" all my life, shopping for clothes is never easy. Dress shopping the first time around was less than perfect and I really wanted to avoid the trauma this time. I know what looks good on me and I thought I knew what I wanted.
I started at David's Bridal because I thought I would just find a nice inexpensive dress there, plus there is one in near-by San Diego that I could go to if I needed/wanted too. I found this dress: Strapless Tea-Length Dress It came in my size, was under $100 and had some of my requirements. I wasn't in LOVE with it though, so my dress searching continued.
I did a search for "short dresses" on WeddingBee and came across this post by Mrs. Shortcake. She introduced me to Stephanie Jones and Candy Anthony. I couldn't stop looking at their beautiful dresses. Here are my favorites:
{source - Candy Anthony}
{source-Stephanie James}
My dreams were crushed when I realized Candy Anthony is in the UK. and that Stephanie James dresses start at about $1500. Bummer :(
So I did a Google search for short wedding dresses and somehow found Dolly Couture. I fell in love! The prices were right, and because Dolly does custom dresses I could get ALL my requirements met!! After seeing probably a 100+ dresses and saving the images on my computer I had a good idea of what I wanted to ask for when I finally emailed Dolly a few weeks ago. I showed her my collection of inspiration which included a few of hers. I told her I wanted a cross over type bodice with a royal blue petticoat and it to not be white! She suggested we take her popular "Manhattan"
Do a custom bodice and add the blue petticoat. This is the sketch she sent:
She also sent out 2 fabric samples for me to look at. They arrived a few days later and I loved the Champagne. After a few more days of making a few modifications (no tulle protruding, deciding how the straps would hit on my shoulders, ect) I emailed everything to the Orders Rep who put up my custom Ebay listing. As soon as I got the link I went and paid. It was a little bit more that I thought I was going to be paying (the custom charges & my measurements) but I know I am gonna love it.
In 8-12 weeks it will be here!! WOO HOO!
Did it take a lot of online searching to find your dress?
Short (between knee & tea-length)
NOT white
Full A-Line skirt
Colored Petticoat
Straps (no strapless at all)
Affortable
The search for my dress did not start at some fancy boutique or bridal shop. Just like everything else, my search started online. Being "Plus Size" all my life, shopping for clothes is never easy. Dress shopping the first time around was less than perfect and I really wanted to avoid the trauma this time. I know what looks good on me and I thought I knew what I wanted.
I started at David's Bridal because I thought I would just find a nice inexpensive dress there, plus there is one in near-by San Diego that I could go to if I needed/wanted too. I found this dress: Strapless Tea-Length Dress It came in my size, was under $100 and had some of my requirements. I wasn't in LOVE with it though, so my dress searching continued.
I did a search for "short dresses" on WeddingBee and came across this post by Mrs. Shortcake. She introduced me to Stephanie Jones and Candy Anthony. I couldn't stop looking at their beautiful dresses. Here are my favorites:
{source - Candy Anthony}
{source-Stephanie James}
My dreams were crushed when I realized Candy Anthony is in the UK. and that Stephanie James dresses start at about $1500. Bummer :(
So I did a Google search for short wedding dresses and somehow found Dolly Couture. I fell in love! The prices were right, and because Dolly does custom dresses I could get ALL my requirements met!! After seeing probably a 100+ dresses and saving the images on my computer I had a good idea of what I wanted to ask for when I finally emailed Dolly a few weeks ago. I showed her my collection of inspiration which included a few of hers. I told her I wanted a cross over type bodice with a royal blue petticoat and it to not be white! She suggested we take her popular "Manhattan"
Do a custom bodice and add the blue petticoat. This is the sketch she sent:
She also sent out 2 fabric samples for me to look at. They arrived a few days later and I loved the Champagne. After a few more days of making a few modifications (no tulle protruding, deciding how the straps would hit on my shoulders, ect) I emailed everything to the Orders Rep who put up my custom Ebay listing. As soon as I got the link I went and paid. It was a little bit more that I thought I was going to be paying (the custom charges & my measurements) but I know I am gonna love it.
In 8-12 weeks it will be here!! WOO HOO!
Did it take a lot of online searching to find your dress?
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