Friday Frocks: Maggie Sottero RD1105

This dress is from Maggie Sottero's Destinations collection. It's got some cute details (those flowers!) and I do like the structure of the bodice. It's a little bit shiny for my taste, but overall its a cute yet elegant gown that would be at home on the beach, on the farm, or at an intimate restaurant reception!

Friday Frocks: BHLDN Pinwheel Tea Dress

I just love the dresses and the styling at BHLDN. Such a great blend of casual and elegant, quirky and romantic. This particular dress would be a little beyond my budget at $1400, but it's made of sumptuous dupioni silk. I love the wrap detail on the bodice, the monochrome appliques, and the layers of tulle peeking out at the bottom! And naturally this dress gets high marks from me because it has POCKETS!

Using Christmas Sales To Save Money On Your Wedding

This is a little off-topic from the usual posts about wedding dresses, but seeing the Christmas displays set up in stores got me thinking--the holidays are a great time of year for anyone planning on doing a lot of diy for their wedding, or who are looking for deals on wedding decor. Of course, if you're planning a December 2012 wedding, you're probably on it already, but even those of you planning for next summer should be checking out holiday and post-holiday sales.

So many people are planning parties, decorating, and entertaining during the holidays season, so a frugal bride can find a lot of great stuff on sale that they can use for their wedding--even if it isn't Christmas-themed. And spreading out your purchases over the year can make it much less financially overwhelming. Plus you can feel prepared, which is something I didn't feel too often in the months leading up to my wedding!

Here are a few things you can find on sale either pre-Christmas, or on the holiday clearance rack:

Christmas Lights

Yes, some wedding venues do have decor packages that will include these, but what if you're diy decorating a community hall or other location? If you can't borrow twinkle lights in large quantities, these are a great deal right after the holidays--buying them at other times of year seems to incur the "wedding tax" and makes them ridiculously expensive. And that's if you can find them at all! White lights are always elegant, and can be used to improve the lighting situation at many venues. You can create a border around tables, along the walls, string them from the ceiling--really the possibilities are endless. And it's a cheap way to create a festive, romantic atmosphere.

Christmas Decorations

While you might not want to use Santa centrepieces in August, Christmas decorations can still have a place at your wedding any time of year. Christmas balls in your wedding colors, colored ribbon, tree branches, and artificial flowers can all be used as decorations for the ceremony, the reception, or both. Red, gold, and silver are always popular in wedding color palettes, and these are in abundant supply during the holidays.

Candles

Candles are everywhere during the holiday season, and the clearance racks are a great place to find these on sale. If you're planning on using candles as centrepieces, you should always check with your venue for their policy on open flame. Fortunately, the hurricane jars or other candle holders you're looking for will probably also be on sale in the holiday section.

Picture Frames
We used picture frames for our centrepieces, and I never realized how expensive they could be, or how hard it could be to find a lot of matching frames. These can sometimes be found on sale, and they don't necessarily have to be matchy-matchy to have an elegant impact--we also used them for the seating plan, and I've seen many weddings that had a memorial table to display photos of loved ones who had passed away, or for family photos.

Linens and Accessories
Table linens and accessories are often on sale after the holidays, often in a variety of colors. Brides planning a low budget wedding can find tablecloths, napkins, napkin rings, table runners, and charger plates on sale.

Craft Supplies

Since Christmas is such a craft-inspiring time of year, you may very well find crafting supplies on sale after the holidays--from "evening wear" fabrics, to lace, to card-making supplies, to stamps, to anything else you can think of can often be found at reduced prices in pre or post holiday sales.

Remember, your wedding doesn't have to look like Christmas in July for you to save money using holiday stuff. What else have you found around the holidays that might be useful to someone planning their wedding?

Friday Frocks: Beach Wedding Dress: Dessy 1030

Our honeymoon was at an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica, and naturally, I saw more than a couple of destination weddings. I remember one bride had the full-on giant taffeta dress with a train, and beading, and sequins, and the whole nine yards. I would have nightmares trying to transport that dress--what if my luggage got lost or damaged? The rest of the wedding party was pretty casually dressed, but the bride really stood out in her giant dress.

Obviously it's not for everyone, but I think a more casual beach wedding is the perfect opportunity to wear a shorter dress--you'll be breezy and carefree in a hot climate, and you can even dip your toes in the ocean without having a team to hold up your dress!

I'm liking this Dessy destination wedding dress. It's sweet and easy, could be dressed up or dressed down, and won't take up a lot of room in your luggage. Plus, I'm a sucker for pockets in fancy occasion dresses!

Friday Frocks: McCall's M6466

This pattern caught my eye in McCall's new holiday patterns--wouldn't it make a fabulous tea-length wedding dress? Sort of that frothy, romantic ballerina look, and, of course, reminiscent of the famous Audrey Hepburn dress.

I'm not a champion seamstress, and I know that when I was getting married I wouldn't have been able to handle a huge project like that. But my mother did make her own wedding dress, as well as my younger sister's, not to mention numerous bridesmaid's dresses for members of my family. Do you know someone who's a confident sewer who'd be willing to take on a project like that?

Petticoat/Crinoline Tutorials

Courtesy of Elegant Musings, some tutorials on making your own petticoats for your vintage wear--including, naturally, your tea-length wedding dress.

Is anyone out there making their own wedding dress? I have to admit, I was sorely tempted, but my sewing skills are a little... rusty, to say the least. It's one of those things I keep wanting to get back into, but I'm thinking starting with small projects might be the way to go. I remember way back in the day, I made a bridesmaid dress for a friend who was in a bridal party who'd been given a pattern. I still remember making the muslin for it (I had no idea how to do alterations for someone petite, given that I'd only ever sewn for 5'7", voluptuous me), and how I got incredibly nervous cutting into that royal blue, expensive, expensive dupioni silk. Too much pressure!

But making a crinoline would definitely have its advantages for the crafty tea-length bride--you can control the volume of the poof, the length, the colour---you just have to have room for the miles and miles of netting you'll be dealing with!

Friday Frocks: Dolly Couture's Derby Collection

So today's Friday Frock is really more of a bridesmaid's dress, or engagement party dress, but I couldn't resist.

Dolly Couture, beloved by tea-length brides for her reasonably-priced custom dresses in tons of fun, vintage-inspired designs, just released the Derby Collection. It's a collection of vintage-inspired dresses in a selection of fun fabrics that could be worn for special occasions, or just when the mood strikes. Best of all, they're priced right around the $200 mark! They're available in a wide range of sizes, from a 24" to a 40" waist, and the classic silhouette looks like it will be flattering to a variety shapes.

I'm loving the "Desiree"as an idea for bridesmaid dresses. I was watching a morning news segment being shot at our local bridal fair, and amidst all the very classic, 2-colour table settings, there was one that really stood out to me--a bold, patterned tablecloth. It was fun and modern, and it made me wonder why patterns aren't used at more weddings. I suppose it carries the risk of becoming too busy, and everything screaming "LOOK AT ME!". But I think a well-placed pattern (or two) could be darling without being over the top.

What do you think? Are you using patterns in your wedding decor planning?

Friday Frocks: Ouma Clothing

Another Etsy find for you gals--Ouma Clothing. A nice selection of floaty, romantic tea-length wedding dresses and party dresses that are reasonably priced. I love the flower fascinator with the french netting as an alternative to a full bridal veil.

When I was planning my wedding, I had a lot of luck finding some great stuff on Etsy--from our wedding bands to our table cards, and even the supplies I needed to make my felt and button bouquets. I'm planning a post with some advice for getting custom-made wedding stuff on Etsy soon!

Until then, happy dress shopping!

Modern Vintage Bride Introduces Me to BHLDN

Check out this sweetly romantic inspiration board featured on Modern Vintage Bride last week!

I confess, I hadn't come across BHLDN before. Very bohemian and a nice mix of modern and fancy. Lots of gorgeous gowns and dresses, including a few tea length wedding dresses.

Like this little number...

Isn't it just stunning? This one is priced at $2600, but the one featured on Modern Vintage Bride is a mere $600 and is utterly adorable.

Friday Frocks: Ellana Couture

I'm back again, after a brief interlude. I'm hoping to feature different dresses and designers regularly for Friday Frocks, so if you've come across a dress that other tea-length brides should know about, please send me the details at tealengthweddingdress@gmail.com !

I was browsing for short wedding dresses on Etsy, when I came across Ellana Couture. She not only makes wedding dresses, but vintage-inspired cocktail dresses (which would be terrific bridesmaid dresses) too. She also has a selection of adorable retro-inspired bridal veils for anyone looking to complete their outfit, as well as delicious-looking crinolines.

According to the shop profile, Ellana Couture is a small group of designers "dedicated to creating unique, elegant, and interesting ladies apparel". As well, many of their garments are made in small quantities, or only once. You can find their Facebook page here.

I was really taken by the darling bow on the front of the "Rosette" dress pictured above, but there were quite a few dresses and veils that fit the bill for cute and sassy.

As always, when making a big purchase online, you do want to evaluate the feedback, how comfortable you are with the seller's communications, and how much shipping/customs fees would be to deliver to where you are. And you should always, always expect to have to take the dress to a seamstress for minor fitting alterations-- it's pretty rare that something fits you like a glove sight unseen!

I had really good luck shopping for wedding accessories and stationery online, how do you feel about buying online for your wedding?

Until next week, happy shopping!

Getting A Custom-Made Wedding Dress

So in my search for a vintage-y wedding dress, I ended up getting a local designer to custom-make a gown for me. I had a bit of a search to find someone that was within my budget, and who I felt was on the same wavelength as me. Obviously, it was a big decision. Here are some of the things I learned, hopefully it can help someone else out!

Try On Some Dresses

The same as with other clothes, some dresses that look fantastic on those bridal magazine models can be less than impressive in the dressing room. And some dresses that look a little "meh" on the hanger can look fabulous on! If you're thinking about getting your wedding dress custom-made, I highly recommend trying on some dresses at a bridal salon to get a feel for what styles and fabrics are most comfortable and flattering. Before you head to the store, you can start by checking your own closet for inspiration-- is there a cocktail dress that always makes you feel sexy and beautiful? Do you feel best in a particular neckline or silhouette? Being confident in what looks best on you will make it easier to discuss design with a dressmaker.

I'd also suggest trying on a few different styles of dresses--you may discover a style that surprises you.

Find A Designer

I actually found my dress designer through online classifieds--and many designers or dressmakers do advertise this way, especially if they're just starting out. You can also ask friends and family members if they know of anyone who had a dress made and what their experience was like. I talked to a few designers to get a feel for what it would be like to work together, and to check out their portfolios.

Bring Pictures

Designers are by nature very visual people, and having some photographic examples of what you like and want can be very helpful in designing your wedding dress. Pictures will also give the designer a chance to discuss potential costs, and make suggestions on how a particular design might be altered to be most flattering for the bride.

Get References

If it's possible, talk to the wedding dress designer's previous clients, look through his or her portfolio, and see some of his or her work up close. Does the dress look finished and professional? Are there loose threads or strange bunching? Is the trim carefully applied, or is there a sloppy look about it?

If you do get a chance to speak with previous clients, some questions to consider might be

• what was the designer like to work with?
• was their estimate of costs accurate?
• did he/she have trouble meeting deadlines?
• were you able to reach the designer easily? Were phone calls and emails returned within a reasonable amount of time?

Consider The Costs

Some people may have the impression that having a wedding dress custom made should cost the same or be even cheaper than the gowns in bridal salons. This is totally not true! Making a wedding dress requires many hours of painstaking attention, and you should expect to pay the professional you've hire for both time and materials.

You should first and foremost be honest about your dress budget, to see what's possible and what isn't. Fabric choice, amount of lace and trim, and the type of dress you want can all impact the final price, and the designer may have some helpful suggestions on how the dress might be made for a lower cost.

Sketches, Samples, and Prototypes

You should expect to see some sketches of ideas, and be given fabric samples to choose from. Fabric choice not only impacts cost, but the drape and overall feel of the dress. Don't be afraid to talk to your designer if you have questions or concerns about your fabric choice.

After taking measurements, most designers will make a muslin prototype of the dress for the bride to try on. This allows the designer to adjust for fit, and gives you your first preview of what your dress will look like. My prototype was made from a bunch of scrap fabric in greys and browns, and I really had to use my imagination to try and picture it in white!

I was really happy with my decision to have my wedding dress made--I got exactly what I wanted, tailored to fit both me and my budget.

Are you having your dress made? By a professional designer, dressmaker, or by a family member or friend? What advice do you have for other bride thinking about this option?

Another Custom Dress Option: Whirling Turban

Looking for a real bombshell dress? Whirling Turban is an option I've heard a lot of tea length brides rave about. They have a lot of beautiful styles and fabric options--for wedding dresses or just for a plain old fabulous frock! They do custom work, or ready-made.

Seriously, their dresses are delicious-- I've been coveting the Wing Bust Dress for quite a while now.

The wedding dresses are fun and fabulous, but crinolines are not included.

Birdcage Veils

I thought I'd step away from the gowns for a minute to talk about veils. I myself wore a shoulder-length two-layer veil that I made myself-- pretty simple. But I did look at quite a few options, including the birdcage veil.

There's something so glamourous and film noir about the birdcage veil--and what a great option for brides with short hair (or long hair), or glasses!

Birdcage veils are made of wide, heavy netting known as French or Russian netting. This veil is quite short, coming to chin-length or even shorter. It can be fastened to your hair with combs or hairpins, and is a chic vintage look that goes with many type of dresses. They may also be called cage veils, blusher veils, or madonna veils.

Styles of Birdcage Veils

The Blusher: a fuller veil, often gathered at the crown of the head. The length covers the bride's face, chin length or below.

Angle Veil: This striking style comes just below the bride's eyes. It can be worn further back on the head, or set at an angle to cover just part of the bride's face.

Bandeau Veil: Almost like a mask, this style covers the bride's eyes or her entire face-- it's fastened at each side of the head with hairpins.

Wedge Veil: Placed at the side of the head or at the temple, the wedge veil is a birdcage veil that covers only one eye.

Birdcage veils can be found at most bridal shops, as well as specialty shops online that carry only veils. You may also find a seamstress or costume designer who can make you a unique veil, or even purchase one second-hand if you're on a budget. If you're feeling adventurous, you can try your hand at making your own birdcage veil. The French or Russian netting can be purchased at some fabric stores, craft stores, or online at millinery supply shops.

You can complete the vintage look by adding a fascinator or other hair accessories. Some brides wear a traditional veil for their ceremony and a fascinator or cage veil for the reception-- be sure to consult your hair stylist if this is an option you're thinking about-- the stylist can make sure that your hair accessories are easily moved/changed out.

The Dress That Started it All

This dress has definitely launched the tea-length dreams of at least a thousand brides. Audrey Hepburn's wedding dress in Funny Face has it all, from the boat-neck bodice to the cap sleeves, to the poofy skirt that accentuates her tiny waist.

Fortunately, the 1950's style doesn't require a tiny waist-- it's flattering on many different body types. In fact, I'd say that it's a dress style that looks better on a curvier woman, since it tends to create that hourglass shape.

Speaking of, what is it with all these bridal ads with dresses hanging off of gaunt women who look pretty unimpressed about the whole business? Is it just me? What do the gals in bridevertisements have to look so depressed about?

Vintage-Inspired Bridesmaid Gifts

Are you planning on rocking a full-on vintage wedding? Or do you just want to carry the retro fun into some other aspects of your wedding planning? I've got a few ideas on thanking your bridesminions:

First off, the gifts don't have to be actual vintage-- they can be new, vintage-inspired items. If you are planning a wedding inspired by a particular era or time period, it can be fun to keep your gifts in that same time period-- and who knows what other wedding goodies you might find while shopping?

When you're shopping, the usual suspects are a good start-- Etsy and Ebay can provide inspiration and ideas, as can local antique stores.

Vintage Jewelry

You can find jewelry from many time periods both online and in local stores. Brooches, necklaces, earrings or bracelets can all be worn by bridesmaids on your wedding day, and can be chosen to suit the tastes of each of your ladies. Unique pieces of similar color, materials, or period can create a cohesive look for the bridal party. And jewelry is available to suit a variety of budgets, from less expensive costume jewelry to the real thing.

Vintage Accessories

Hand-monogrammed handkerchiefs, luxurious wraps, and fun sunglasses are all wonderful vintage-inspired accessories that can be purchased new or vintage. Plus they'll be useful long after your wedding is over. Clutch purses or hair combs or fascinators are also great accessory choices. Looking for both elegant and practical? What about an engraved compact mirror and/or a lipstick holder?

Other Vintage-Inspired Bridesmaid Gift Ideas

Vintage books and magazines can be fun gifts, as long as they're in good condition--think kitschy cookbooks or pulp detective novels. Aprons have made a fashionable return to kitchens everywhere, in a variety of fun retro fabrics. A little old-fashioned but still decadent--personalized stationery and a fountain pen or letter opener. Or what about some fabulous atomic age barware, along with recipes for vintage cocktails?

Looking to splurge? What about a pinup girl photo shoot--a fun afternoon of getting dolled up and posing for some saucy photos!

I went with a couple of these options-- some wraps for the girls, plus a compact mirror engraved with each girl's initial. Then, just for fun, I found some good condition saucy romance magazines from the 50's.

What are you getting your bridesmaids?

Where to Find Tea Length Wedding Dresses?

Although they sometimes appear in magazines, actually finding a tea-length dress to try on in stores can be difficult. Here are some ideas on where to start your search:

Bridal Shops

It's true, most of the wedding dresses you'll find in bridal shops are going to be full-length gowns. But many designers are now featuring at least one tea length dress--they might be called "informal" or "destination" wedding dresses. Some full-length dresses can also be ordered in tea length, or even altered to a shorter length. You'll probably end up paying for the whole dress, though!

Some designers specialize in tea length gowns, such as Stephanie James, Dolly Couture, and British designer Candy Anthony.

Vintage Dresses

Vintage dresses, wedding or otherwise, can be found online on Ebay, Etsy, Posh Girl Vintage, or any other site specializing in vintage clothing. If you're lucky enough to have a high end vintage clothing store in your real life, you might have some luck in person-- no stressing out waiting for the mail to arrive and wondering if your purchase will fit!

White prom dresses or cocktail dresses can also double as a wedding dress, and if you're a gal who doesn't want a white dress at all, your options may open up considerably. Hazards of shopping vintage: many dresses are only available in smaller sizes, and you'll want to inspect the condition of the dress carefully before purchasing. As well, vintage dresses may require special cleaning and repairs before they can be worn.

Bridesmaid Dresses

Although bridal shops don't openly advertise it, most bridesmaid dresses can be ordered in white. If you go this route, there are many tea length styles to choose from, and even the most expensive bridesmaid dress will likely be cheaper than a traditional wedding gown.

When I inquired about this option at my local bridal shop, I was told that there is an additional surcharge for ordering a dress in white, because "they have to be extra careful when cutting and assembling the dress". I personally think this is a way for dress stores to ding you extra for being a bride-- be sure to find out if there will be extra charges if you're ordering a bridesmaid dress for your wedding dress.

Making A Dress

This is the kind of project that you think will make your wedding extra special, but in reality could very well make you into a crazy woman. Making your own dress is an option for the most fearless of brides, and it might be wise to consider having a friend or family member help with this project. Vintage patterns are readily available for sale online, and pattern companies have been reissuing authentic vintage patterns with modernized instructions. A bride taking this route should probably be confident and experienced with sewing-- this is not the best beginner project! Be sure to make one, two or fifteen muslins before starting on the real thing.

Have A Dress Made

Still no luck finding your dream dress? Take the route I did and have your dress custom-made! As a bride on a budget, I shopped around to find someone local. Prices do vary, depending on the complexity of the design and the type of fabric you want. But since my dress was shorter and didn't need as much fabric as a traditional gown, it was still quite affordable. You could also take that fabulous vintage pattern you've found and have someone else make it for you instead of sewing it yourself.

Have you found a fabulous source for vintage dresses or patterns? Please share it here!

Friday Frocks

I know it's not poofy, but I think this Dessy bridesmaid dress could be so elegant as a wedding dress. I love the bow and the bust detailing.

This Dessy dress is also available in white. I always used to get a little annoyed with ads showing dresses in lounging around kind of poses-- I want to see what the dress looks like!

I love the silhouette on this Mori Lee wedding dress-- not too sure how I feel about the organza floral detailing on the skirt, though. It's a little too fussy for me, but I think the right bride could rock it!

A Question For My Tea-Length Ladies...

For all the tea-length brides out there, did you meet with any resistance when you announced your choice of dress? I saw cocktail-length wedding dresses on Indiebride (they have a fabulously feminist and alternative discussion board for non wedding-industrial-complex brides-- just look under "Kvetch") before I was even engaged, and I just knew that those were the dresses for me. The only raised eyebrows I really got were at bridal stores or from other brides, albeit ones I don't know very well.

I really just felt that the tea-length fit my personality (I'm a vintage gal at heart), and seemed a lot more fun than the giant, corsetted dresses I tried on. Not that those didn't look good, too. But they just didn't feel like me.

How do the folks in your life feel about your tea-length dreams?

The Reception Dress

Can't decide between a tea-length dress and the full bridal shebang? Are you the kind of gal who just wants to have it all? Many brides who want to have a formal wedding gown for their ceremony, but still want to be able to dance at the reception (and possibly go to the bathroom without four people helping her) are choosing to wear a reception dress.

The reception dress is often shorter, simpler, and far more casual than the bride's ceremony dress, leaving her free to mingle with her guests and dance the night away at the reception.

Can't afford two dresses? Or just want to skip straight to the tea-length for the full meal deal? Many bridal designers are hiding their shorter dresses away under the title of "reception dress". Check out these beauties from Priscilla of Boston...

My own dress ended up being based on one of Priscilla's reception dresses, though I see it's no longer being carried on the website.

Affordable, Vintage-Inspired Wedding Dresses: Dolly Couture

Dolly Thicke founded her line of tea length wedding dresses after becoming frustrated in the search for her own 1950's style wedding dress. Dolly Couture combines the ease of ordering online, with personal, friendly service (Dolly and her associates can always be contacted by email, and brides who friend Dolly on Facebook can see an ever-growing album of photos of dresses on real brides!). Brides can customize existing dresses, or work with Dolly to bring their dream wedding dress into reality. And, of course, Dolly Couture's prices (starting at $395) make these dresses some of the most affordable tea-length dresses on the net!

Dolly Couture's collection includes tea-length bridal and special occasion dresses in a variety of necklines and fabrics--she's now got showrooms in both LA and NYC for brides who want to visit in person.

Dolly has two mottos: "No unhappy brides", and "Dolly Couture: It's better to show your legs!" We at TLWD couldn't agree more! Dolly's dresses are fun, elegant, and affordable--not to mention a perfect opportunity to show off some fabulous wedding shoes!

Although I ended up getting my own dress made locally, I'd suggest brides looking for a short wedding dress check out Dolly's site-- and if you don't see exactly what you're looking for, drop her a line! As with any dress you are ordering online, you'll want to be sure to have a seamstress lined up for any final fittings/adjustments that may be required.

Pictured above: The Milan, The Marin County, and The Manhattan.

Welcome

Welcome to my tea length wedding dress blog! As a tea-length bride myself, I was surprised at how difficult it was to find vintage style wedding dresses in stores. And when I managed to find one or two styles in bridal stores, I was faced with clerks trying to talk me out of my decision, asking me if I "wouldn't regret not having a full-length dress in twenty years".

So I decided to start this blog for all the tea-length brides out there-- I hope it can be a place to talk about styles, sources, and that deliciously poofy skirt!