need honest opinions on my wedding dress.. is it cute or too gaudy/ theatrical?

[Tinuviel]

Hey everyone,
I just joined Pricescope! It really seems like a great community! = )

So I ordered my wedding dress online from Julius Bridal and it arrived today. I need your opinions as I have only 3 days (well, 2 days not including today) to return it if I decide to do so. It is different than what was pictured online, so I am trying to decide what to do.. and btw, I am definitely going to get rid of those 3 ugly flowers w/ green leaves at the front of the dress.. they are only still there in case I decide to return it. So just imagine the dress w/o those things...

the pros:
1. I like the slightly storybook-ish feel to it.. I want the style to be reminiscient of a princess in a fairytale. I know I''m so cheesy. But we''re thinking of having a children''s book theme for our reception table numbers, so it would fit in. Also, I think the dress would fit well w/ the church we''re using, which sports Byzantine-Romanesque architecture. Pictures of the church interior can be seen at: http://www.christchurchnyc.org/tour.html
2. It was only $254 including shipping
3. I have a really hard time finding dresses modest enough and this one meets my requirements, or will once I get all the alterations in. (the bodice is too big.. that''s just cuz my boobs are nonexistent.. oh well..)

the cons:
1. I didn''t know it was going to have so much GOLD coloring in it!! It even has gold sequins!! Would it be too gaudy? Does that mean I have to have a gold colored headpiece, too, or can I still wear a silvertoned one? Then again, our church has a lot of gold in it (see images in the link above), so maybe it would match? Also, our church isn''t super-bright, so maybe all that gold won''t be as glaring as I fear? I just personally prefer silver to gold tones...
2. My mom and brother think it looks more theatrical (like a costume in a play) than a real wedding dress. (Actually my mom thought it was ok until my brother turned her opinion!) But the thing is, I rather want a pseudo-Victorian look! But what do you all think? Is it cute? Or is it really just gaudy/ theatrical? I need your honest opinions. Thanks so much!! = )

 

[TravelingGal]

Love the church, but I think this dress may put it over the top. Is modesty a big concern for this ceremony? How modest do you need to be? You have such a cute figure, and this dress doesn''t do much for it. It also goes with the church a little TOO well...might be a bit over the top for your guests.

I don''t know what your style is...you may be able to pull it off. If it were me, I''d return. But that''s mostly because if I ever tried to pull off being any sort of princess, my friends would laugh their a** off.

 

[DivaDiamond007]

I like the bodice and sleeves but not the skirt. Too much gold for me - although the train is a nice length. If you like it then I say go for it!

Jess

 

[DMBsGirl]

I agree that the gold and green around the flowers is a bit much. Could a seamstress possibly remove some of this? the sequins and stuff? maybe cover the gold enbroidery with white beading?

 

[KimberlyH]

You and your FI should be the center of attention on your wedding day not your dress; the dress is very distracting. You are absolutely stunning and I think you can do better. I''d look for touches of Victorian with a modern flair to suite your stature and beauty.

 

[Kissmark]

Date: 7/26/2007 10:18:08 PM
Author: KimberlyH
You and your FI should be the center of attention on your wedding day not your dress; the dress is very distracting. You are absolutely stunning and I think you can do better. I''d look for touches of Victorian with a modern flair to suite your stature and beauty.

Totally agree with this, I think you can find something better with the theme you have in mind. maybe you can use this as a backup? if you don''t find anything later you can always order this again

 

[diamondfan]

If you are asking for honest, I will be, but it is your opinion that counts most!

I think it looks a bit costumey, and I am not sure that is what you want. But, if you are really keen on not spending a ton, and can remove those green leaves and flowers, it may be great in the end. I just wonder if you could not do a bit better...

 

[tallblondemonster]

To be perfectly honest i''m not a big fan of the dress...i think you could find something that would fit you much better...i guess the embroidery is throwing me off too...can''t decide if its too much or too little...if you are worried about modesty how about getting a different dress and getting a little lace bollero jacket or a wrap for your shoulders during the church ceremony? With your figure you can pretty much wear any dress out there

 

[ladyciel]

I''m sorry, and please don''t take it the wrong way, but I think your brother is right. It screams costume to me.

 

[TravelingGal]

I''m still looking at this dress to see if there''s some way that you could modify it so it becomes less the center of attention, as KimberlyH said.

if it were all white (no embroidery) it might work. Also if the bells of the sleeves were not so big/long. Maybe you can shorten them a bit? With lace AND the embroidery, it''s too much.

If you do like the embroidery, I''d say, only on the bodice, plain skirt and capped (short) bell sleeves might give you the look you are after, without it being too costume-y.

 

[neatfreak]

Honestly, it reminds me a bit of the dress princess Fiona wore in Shrek. And I don''t think that''s a great thing.

I think you can find something that will be much more flattering to your body AND modest. There is a lot out there like that with long sleeves...

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 7/26/2007 10:28:35 PM
Author: TravelingGal
I'm still looking at this dress to see if there's some way that you could modify it so it becomes less the center of attention, as KimberlyH said.

if it were all white (no embroidery) it might work. Also if the bells of the sleeves were not so big/long. Maybe you can shorten them a bit? With lace AND the embroidery, it's too much.

If you do like the embroidery, I'd say, only on the bodice, plain skirt and capped (short) bell sleeves might give you the look you are after, without it being too costume-y.

Worst photoshop ever (Boy I miss Irina!), but here's kind of what I mean. This is less over the top, I think? Although I still say you can find something better altogether...

ETA, I'm even thinking you could lose the bell/lace sleeves and still keep the victorianish look...

 

[neatfreak]

Here are a few with similar vibes but not as cartoonish you might want to check out:

http://www.brides.com/fashion/dresses/gallery/vendor/designer/moncheri/detail/141508/?ff=Bride&pf=sleeve+length%3ALong&offset=6&page=1

http://www.brides.com/fashion/dresses/gallery/vendor/designer/marysbridalpcmarys/detail/117185/?ff=Bride&pf=sleeve+length%3ALong&offset=32&page=4

http://www.brides.com/fashion/dresses/gallery/vendor/designer/cosmobella/detail/121115/?ff=Bride&pf=sleeve+length%3ALong&offset=43&page=5

http://www.brides.com/fashion/dresses/gallery/vendor/designer/edenbridal/detail/117807/?ff=Bride&pf=sleeve+length%3ALong&offset=49&page=6

 

[TravelingGal]

Ooh, neatfreak, I think the first and last links are nice and may fit the bill!

 

[decodelighted]

I showed it to my husband & asked him what *he* thought and he said "Is it a Ren fair wedding dress?" -- so, if that''s what you''re going for: BINGO.

My opinion: you''re a very pretty girl with a great figure and this dress doesn''t particularly flatter you. The dress is wearing YOU rather than you wearing the DRESS.

I think you can find something that is more subtle & flattering but still in keeping with your Storybook theme. You don''t have to knock people over the head with "storybook" or "princess" -- I think that''s why this dress veers towards "costumey". It''s not SUBTLE.

 

[february2003bride]

How about this one?

http://www.davidsbridal.com/bridal_gowns_detail.jsp?stid=2293&prodgroup=10

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I agree with everyone. If you don''t LOVE it I think there is something more beautiful out there for you.

 

[VRBeauty]

It seems to call for your HTB to be wearing something other than a tux. If you were already thinking of putting FI in a jacket with a bit of a theatrical flair, then this might be the dress for you (with some alterations). If you were thinking of a standard tux, then this might be a bit too much.

I think the bodice on the dress is a bit too long for you. If you decide to keep it, I''d play around with the length of the bodice. I also the sleeves could use some tweaking... perhaps a bell-shaped lace or sheer piece at the end, rather than gathered lace, would look more elegant.

 

[E B]

I agree with the others; it does look a bit too costume-y with all of the gold. If you want a victorian flare but still want to look like a princess, what about something like this?

Eden Bridals 2410, House of Brides

It''s not too much more than the Julius gown ($409) and has the poet sleeves and princess train, but is still very bridal.

 

[Gypsy]

I agree with everyone. Looks costumey. And takes away from you.

I'm thinking Lady Kemma is the person to help with this issue, though.
She sews, and is into the renaissance faire circuit (which I myself am looking forward to this year) so she might know of a person who makes period gowns... but elegant, understated and not gaudy ones.

Personally if it were me, I'd prefer to go that route or maybe with a maggie sottero off ebay or another site if a new one is out of the budget. Cause some of hers look period-- then I'd add sleeves.

 

[Tinuviel]

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for your helpful feedback!! I''m thinking of returning the dress and asking Julius Bridal to custom make another one for me (since they do that kind of stuff) but w/ the following changes:

1. all embroidery done in white, not gold (and no sequins) and of course no flowers
2. bell sleeves shortened so that they hit mid-forearm
I just have to find out how much it would cost for them to do it..

What do you think? Would it still be too costume-y? Do you think the skirt is too puffy? I wonder if I should request changes to that, too..

neatfreak, thanks for the links-- I esp liked the last dress! And I liked february2003bride and Ebree''s suggestions, too. I''d like to stay under $500 including alterations (which I know can be expensive) but then again it might be even more expensive to have JB custom make the above but we''ll see!!

thanks everyone!!

 

[Pandora II]

I'm going to be brutely honest here.

The overall shape of the dress is not the problem, but if you are going to have something of that sort and it not look like it came out of a costume catalogue it is really important that you use great fabrics - and above all natural fibres, real lace, silk or even fine cotton or linen/silk mixes but absolutely not synthetics and that it is properly boned and lined.

I'm looking at a very similar sort of dress myself and must have spent 100's of hours looking at all the american renfaire sites (it's not that popular over here) to see the dresses. There is a huge difference when proper construction techniques are used.

I haven't found anything existing that fits what I'm after so I'm going with a dressmaker who specialises in corsetry.

 

[surfgirl]

The dress swallows you up and it does look more costumey. And you have a lovely figure so why not show it off more?!? Can you tell us about your experience with Julius Bridal? I was going to order a dress from them but I wasn''t sure about how long it would take (for a rush), how nice or not the fabric is, etc.???

 

[nytemist]

I''ll be the one going the opposite way... I think it''s beautiful! I Love, love, love Renn style gowns. This looks lijke something that would be worn for a Celtic/Pagan cermony. I couldn''t find anything like it for myself in my size and having one made was too expensive.

I think it ties in great with the theme you want to go for. But then I love non-traditional gowns. Wear it with pride!

 

[Scintillating]

Hi,

You're such a beautiful petite little lady, I think that dress is wearing you.
You're not really shining through. It is a little costumey. (Sorry.)

I suggest that you go to a salon and try on a whole bunch of dresses, in lots of different shapes, even ones that you never really imagined you'd like. Experiment.

Just my .02cents.

Scintillating....

 

[Scintillating]

Sorry for the double post.

 

[aljdewey]

I have to agree that I''d return the dress as well.

I think you can do unique and victorian without crossing over into caricature; some of the options posted by the gals here are really nice options.

 

[fleur-de-lis]

Hi Tinuviel,

You''re such a pretty girl, but I''m afraid I have to agree with your family and several of the other posters here-- the dress looks more costumey than bridal. Though the green flowers jumped out, there was something else that I couldn''t put my finger on about the sleeves... until Pandora posted about fabric selection.

I hope it''s okay if I share a backstory that will make me sound a bit dorky, but might help illustrate the point I''d like to make. When we were in the second grade, my best friend and I decided that we wanted to make wedding dresses. (You know, for when those TV actors whom we had crushes on met us and asked us to marry them.

) Her stepmother was pretty cool, and she took us to a local fabric store to select materials we could afford on our allowances and taught us how to use her sewing machine. We made dresses that were solid white in the bodice and skirt, but had lace fabric gracing from the top of the bodice to our necks; being more than newbie seamstresses, her stepmom had helped us select a really inexpensive synthetic lace that not only wouldn''t fray (thus shortcutting the need for actual sewing skills), but was something like only $1.99 a yard. Anyhow, please understand that I''m only trying to be helpful when I mention this, but when Pandora mentioned fabric, I realized what that je ne sais quoi feeling had been-- the lace on the sleeves of your dress looks very similar to the type we had used. It''s inexpensive, made of a synthetic, and it''s cheap and easy to sew because it doesn''t fray like real lace. It''s great for costumes, but perhaps not up to standards for a bridal gown, you know?

That said, I love the lines of your dress. The trumpet skirt and bell sleeves do have a romantic flair to them which does evoke a fairy tale theme, so I think you''re on the right path. Perhaps going custom would be the best way to go, but I''d be hesitant to use the same company if they would be using the same fabrics. I agree with Pandora-- the labor costs will remain relatively the same no matter which fabric you use, but upping the fabric budget in a custom job can make all the difference int he final product. My vote would be to return the dress and continue the search. Good luck!

 

[amileegirl]

I have to agree that you can do much better. The embellishments are very distracting. Pandora was spot on about fabric.

 

[Tinuviel]

Surfgirl--
re: my experience w/ Julius Bridal, the problem I found was the the dress they sent me was quite different than the dress pictured on their website, which is why I''m in this little quandry to begin with.. on their website, search for gown by name, and click "Fina" -- that''s the dress I thought I was getting, but when it came, the embroidery was much more golden than it seemed in the picture, etc.

timing: I ordered the dress on 6/22, they gave me an estimated time of arrival of 7/21 and it actually arrived 7/26, so they were only about a week off (I have read on other forums, however, that they usually quote you a month and end up taking 2 months!! I don''t know if that''s still often the case). I didn''t submit a rush order, nor was it a custom job-- just ordered one of their ready made gowns in a ready made size...

fabric: before I ordered, I asked them what the dress is made of, and they told me "fine Italian satin" but when it came, I see that it''s just a synonym for polyester, since that''s what the label says! And also, like fleur-de-lis commented, the lace isn''t of the best material either.

However, from online forums I''ve read there have been lots of ppl who have had great experiences w/ JB, so I don''t know!

Everyone-- thanks for all the comments! I''m just going to return the thing. I''m afraid if I ask them to do a custom job and they mess it up, then I WON''T be able to return it b/c it was already custom made for me! Also, the dress is too hot. It''s for a summer wedding. I''m going to try to find something lighter and more breathable...