Dress/Venue match?

[ash313]

Yay, first offical BWW post for me!

Rubybeth posted this cool dress a bit ago and I totally love it.

Keep in mind my wedding is next January, so I''ve got some time

Just excited. I was thinking I''d like to do an evening gown in white/ivory instead of a formal bridal gown, since the plain style very much suits my taste and budget!

Here''s my concern: what if it doesn''t "match" the venue? The church we will likely be married in is old and quite pretty (old catholic church) and would suit a formal ballgown.

Attached is a pic of our likely venue.

Does the style of your dress HAVE to go with the style of the venue? In other words, is the venue too formal for a plain jane dress? What if I jazzed up the dress with sparkly jewelry, nice haircomb, etc? I think I will order the dress to try it on anyway, I can always return it to the store.

Just wondering if I could get your opinions. Also, please share your dress/venue pics! I''d be curious to see if you ladies have thought about "matching" at all?

 

[neatfreak]

I think that''s a very elegant dress and I wouldn''t hesitate to wear it. I don''t think you need to wear a ballgown just because your venue would carry it well. I think an elegant sheath is ALWAYS a good choice.

 

[CDNinNYC]

I would order it to try it on but I do think it''s too simple for your venue. It looks like a dress one of the guests might wear to the wedding, although in a different colour. (It has a bit of a negligee feel to me.) Just my $.02

 

[lesco]

I'm not really feeling the gown given your reception site. I would love that gown as an "after party" dress though.

Looking at my inspiration boards I think I have unconsciously matched dresses to venues, it seems.
I am toying with two basic ideas. For idea #1, a garden wedding , I selected a lace gown. For the other idea, a hotel wedding, I chose a taffeta dress.

 

[CDNinNYC]

I don''t know if this is your style, but this dress is something I would envision in that venue. You mentioned your wedding isn''t until January 2010. I would definitely make the most of it and try all different styles, shapes, and textures. You''ll never have this opportunity again and you never know what you''ll end up loving.

 

[CDNinNYC]

Here's a close-up. I love that it is simple yet formal with a touch of bling.

(Forgot to mention, when shopping for my dress, I did try to match the dress to the venue.)

ETA: If you want a shot of the back please let me know!

 

[kelbelle134]

Date: 12/9/2008 10:50:41 PM
Author: CDNinNYC
Here''s a close-up. I love that it is simple yet formal with a touch of bling.


(Forgot to mention, when shopping for my dress, I did try to match the dress to the venue.)


ETA: If you want a shot of the back please let me know!

who is that by??

 

[Mediterranean]

Date: 12/9/2008 10:17:44 PM
Author: neatfreak
I think that''s a very elegant dress and I wouldn''t hesitate to wear it. I don''t think you need to wear a ballgown just because your venue would carry it well. I think an elegant sheath is ALWAYS a good choice.

I agree. You could also choose some very sophisticated, elegant wedding jewelry, or some larger jewelry pieces (like chandlier earrings, or a briolette necklace, or a very blingy bracelet) which would add formality. Or you could do classic-evening makeup instead of blushing bride makeup ( you could go for red lips, winged eyeliner and a matte complexion) Or you could add a long drop veil with a cut edge, a veil that is long enough to reach the bottom of the back of the dress. Like chapel length? Or you could add long gloves, or add a Swarovski brooch or two where the sleeves connect with the bust....the possibilities are endless.

 

[CDNinNYC]

Date: 12/9/2008 11:35:02 PM
Author: kelbelle134

who is that by??

Hi kelbelle134,

it''s a Priscilla of Boston gown, style 4111. You can find it on the POB website.


Cheers!

 

[katamari]

Welcome to BWW, LeeNY!

I would not worry so much about the dress matching the venue. For me, the issue is whether or not the formality of attire is consistent. What are your BMs going to be wearing? Your FH? Your GMs? With this dress, I would think the BMs would have to be wearing short dresses and the guys would have to be in suits, not tuxes. My main concern would be the BMs, too. You don''t want their dresses to even encroach upon yours. Does this make sense?

I do love the dress, though!

 

[marchswallowbird]

I definitely kept my venue in mind while dress shopping. There were a lot of dresses I loved which would have looked a bit ridiculous at my simple, outdoor wedding.

ceremony venue: small chapel

 

[marchswallowbird]

Reception venue: outdoor patio

 

[marchswallowbird]

Dress

 

[jstarfireb]

I like the idea of a dress being "appropriate" to the venue, but it certainly doesn''t have to be that way. I also think that CK dress is perfect for the reception site...not so great for a Catholic church, but that''s just my opinion. If you love the CK dress, could you be a 2-dress bride? Maybe get a more formal/modest dress for the ceremony, then change into the one you love for the reception?

I also love these two Galina Signature dresses for your reception site! So yeah, I can totally see an evening gown-style dress working for your reception.

For the church portion of things, I''d think about an A-line dress with something like spaghetti straps, a halter, or an off-the-shoulder neckline.

 

[lala2332]

love the POB gown you posted. I think the CK dress is really pretty, but I''m not feeling it as far as your church/venue. PLus this is on eof the only times in your life you can rock a really fancy dress, i think embracing that is awesome.

 

[fieryred33143]

It may be a little too simple for the venue but with the right accessory, it can be very beautiful.

The bride that shall remain unnamed wore that same dress this weekend. It was beautiful, especially with the necklace she wore.

 

[elrohwen]

I have thought about the matching issue, and I''ve decided that you should wear whatever you''re comfortable with. I''m getting married outside in a relatively casual place (no big church or anything) so I think the ballgown wouldn''t fit in. Then again, I don''t really want to wear a ballgown! My style is much like yours and I''d love just a simple evening dress. However, if I were getting married in a huge Catholic church, I think I would try to fancy it up a little bit with some fun details to make it a little more ... opulent I guess, to go with the venue.

At the end of the day, wear what makes you comfortable!

 

[E B]

I wouldn''t think it''d be an issue unless weather was a consideration. I got married outside in September in Texas (which is still very summer-ish) and wanted a dress that wasn''t heavy.

I think the Calvin Klein would be beautiful in a church/ballroom setting.

 

[MustangGal]

I think you could dress it up for the ceremony with a killer long veil, something with lace or sparlie edging that''s longer than the dress.

I tried that dress on earlier this year, and it felt and looked great! The fabric was yummy!

 

[kellybelly]

YES, finally someone to confirm to me that i''m not cuckoo! i was deciding between two gowns and came to the conclusion that i could not choose the one i really wanted because it was too high-end for my venue....and pretty much too high-end for my budget as well. but you better believe i was wishing for a fancier location (and even considered changing it!) just so i could wear that dress. that''s how much i loved it. i still love it. if it wasn''t so expensive i would buy it and wear it around the house! ha ha

and in the end, i believe my dress suits my venue, at least at the same level of formality, i guess you could say.

here was my dream dress: http://www.matthewchristopher.com/popup/2007/josephine_f.html

and here is my venue: www.bridgewatermanor.com
and here is my actual dress: http://www.maggiesottero.com/dress.aspx?keywordText=libby&keywordType=any&page=0&pageSize=8&style=S5005

 

[Nocturnius]

Personally, I love the dress, and I don''t see why it wouldn''t match your venue.

As for me, I don''t know if mine matched or not? My dress had beaded lace appliqués, and our venue was a stone chapel and courtyard.

 

[CDNinNYC]

I've been thinking about this and wonder if you would be open to wearing a coat over your dress for the ceremony. It'll be winter so it might come in handy!

You can then take off the coat for the reception. My cousin's wife did something like this for their wedding in November. They had a ceremony in a Catholic Cathedral and it looked great!

 

[mimzy]

that looks like a beautiful venue leeny! is that the one in sagniaw?

i think the dress is gorgeous and if you added some sparkle to it somehow i don''t think it would be too informal for the event at all. it looks like a dress fit for any black tie affair - classy, elegant, understated. i think the only issue you might run into might be your bridesmaids like katamari said....you probably won''t want to put them in short dresses in january and you might not want their dresses to be quite as fancy as yours. but if that''s not a concern or you find BM dresses that would be appropriate then go for it! really i think that if you have the right accessories and were willing to rock a great veil, i don''t even think that the idea of it being too simple would even cross people''s minds

 

[ash313]

Thanks so much for all your responses, ladies! I have been cramming for finals, but have a minute to reply now.

CDCinNYC - thank you soooo much! I appreciate your taking all that time to look things up for me! That coat you posted is gorgeous, I would definitely be open to wearing that, but would get too hot for the ceremony, I think. It would be perfect for outdoor winter photos!

Mimzy - hi, sweetie! Thanks for the venue compliments. Yup, that''s the one in Saginaw. Can''t seem to find anything around here for the per person price Saginaw can do

But it''s ok, that venue is gorgeous and unique, and I think it will be awesome. We haven''t confirmed yet, but will probably do next weekend - woohoo!

My biggest concern is bridesmaids, as Katamari and Mimzy mentioned (hadn''t thought of that, thanks, girls!) That said, I could REALLY fancy it up, I would love a super long veil, fancy jewelry, etc. I will think about it and buy it after I''ve gone dress shopping and see where I''m at. If it''s sold out by then, it wasn''t meant to be, and that''s ok with me! I''ve got time right now

Again, ladies, thanks! I am so glad I can always count on you for your thoughtful opinions!

 

[mayachel]

I agree that this could be dressed up significantly, I like the regal long veil idea. I also tend to think that the dress is what really shows off the bride, so wear whatever you like! Formal in a backyard wedding, or simple cotton dress in a grand cathedral. With the right accessories, wear what makes you feel beautiful.

 

[CDNinNYC]

Good luck with your finals!