Exciting News!

I know, I know.  I've neglected my pink pages of blogginess for a while but I've had so much going on in my non-wedding world, it seems to have taken its toll on my ability to find any spare time to update you. 

Anyway.  My exciting news that I'd like to share with you all is that (insert big fanfare noise here) I've finally chosen my wedding dress! Decision made, deposit paid.  Bish, bash, and indeed, bosh.

About a month and a bit ago, I'd asked one of my local bridal shops to order in a specific Maggie Sottero gown that I'd seen grace the pages of many a bridal magazine, and, me being the sensible soul that I am, decided that before I put my deposit down, I needed to try it on first.  It was the Maggie Sottero Isadora Marie.  An absolutely stunning gown.  I actually can't fault it and would be jealous of any bride who has this as their dress.  But, I just felt like it wasn't as timeless, classic, elegant as the one I have chosen for me.

Isadora Marie

My dress is the first dress I'd picked out.  I love how 'me' it is and know that Mr S will love it too.  This is the dress I've had in my mind all along and as I stood there, looking in the ivory, carved wooden mirror, and a tear pricked at my eye, I knew right then, it was The One.  This was the decision that the other brides to be and their friends/sisters/mums had chipped in with too while watching me prance around the bridal shop floor.  I won't lie, having all the people in the shop look and compliment me was such a good feeling.  Who doesn't like to be told how beautiful, elegant and timeless they look?

As I got dressed back into my jeans, coat and scarf, I felt frumpy, cold and sad (it was a very cold day). I'm one of those annoying 'cold people'; you know, the ones that still wear tights in summer and have a jumper and slippers on at night time even when it's still 20'c outside and the one who asks her colleagues to put the heating on even when they're sat there in a summery top and turning their desk fans on.  I hadn't noticed until then that in my dress, I hadn't even felt the cold.  I'm hoping this will still be the case come April, otherwise I may have to find a way of strapping a hot water bottle under my dress as a mini central heating system.  I'm not even kidding.

I sat down to fill in the paperwork with the assistant when I noticed the final price was higher than the actual price of the dress (which, may I add, was only £35 about budget which came as a nice surprise as I thought it would be a lot more).  I didn't even take into account the alterations charge, the 'ordering in' charge (I'm still not sure what that is) and the price of the hoop that I'll need.  

As you know, I'm on a budget and charging £65 for a hoop because they don't hire them any more, is ridiculous.  I'm very aware that you need a decent quality hoop for your dress so that it looks and fits right under your gown but seriously, £65?  I'm planning on looking for one similar on eBay, which I've found for a modest £15.99.  In the words of Mr Tesco, every little helps.  

My bridal shop was running a promotion and have generously given me a £100 voucher to be spent on any accessories I'd like, such as a veil, shoes, jewellery that they have to offer.  The veil they gave me to try on with my gown cost an equally ridiculous £129.99.  So really, if I wanted it and used my voucher, it would only cost me £29.99.  I think I'll probably search for one on eBay, Preloved or Sell My Wedding and use my voucher on a statement piece of jewellery or hairpiece.   I have found a pair of shoes on Chockers Shoes which are lush and only £35 so feel like using the voucher against a pair of £70 shoes would be wasteful.  I'm aware I'm probably coming across as tight-fisted but I'll never wear ivory shoes again and my dress is floor length.  I'm trying to be savvy!

Mr S has been very inquisitive, asking what my dress is like.  Of course, I haven't told him anything about it but if I look like the image in his head;

"it'll be straight across (at the neckline), long, skinny-fit with a small puddle-shaped bit at the back.  Oh, and have a net thingy on your head".  

I think he meant veil.  I'm glad we're not on Don't Tell The Bride, that's for sure!