Wedding Blog
I had my third dress fitting today and I *finally* have a waist!
So here’s the story about my wedding dress…
I bought my Judd Waddell wedding dress early on when I started planning for our wedding. I fell in love with my dress the moment I laid my eyes on it, I loved how the satin draped from so many angles and the ivory color of the dress was so rich and beautiful. I bought this dress after spending only three hours looking for wedding dresses. Why did I spend so little time finding my dress compared to brides who spend at least a few months or even a year finding the perfect dress? I was alone and new to the Philadelphia area, I just started an internship and all my family members and close friends were in Chicago. The only person I knew at the time was my fiance and he obviously couldn’t come along with me. 
Dress shopping alone was kind of awkward. I didn’t have the support of my friends or any family members around to help me pick out the perfect wedding dress. I had the support of several customers and they loved the dress. I also fell in love with the dress so much that I decided to buy it the same day. I figured the price was just right, about $2400, and I really wanted to save the rest of my money for the wedding and paying back loans.
Many months passed by and I totally forgot what my wedding dress looked like! Finally Judd Waddell posted his recent collection and I found a photo of my dress.
I have to say that I was a little bummed when I saw the dress online. The dress has a pretty color but the style looked so…simple.
My wedding dress arrived around January and this is how it looked. I brought my fiance’s mother and she was surprised how simple the dress looked. She was expecting a dress that was more Cinderella-esque in style, with a full skirt and rhinestone jewels adorned across the bodice. She kept stroking the Reem Acra dresses as I was trying on my dress - some support she is!
First fitting:
About one month ago I had my first fitting and it was a total disaster. Once again I went alone after a long day at work and the wedding shop was packed with brides. My seamstress Janette, the sales consultant and the wedding shop owner all crowded around me and kept saying how beautiful the dress looked. I had to be honest with them and I said the dress didn’t look too great, it lacked shape especially around the waist. I asked the seamstress if I could make the dress more fitted and the wedding shop owner kept saying that my ideas would ruin the dress. I wanted a french bustle but the owner liked another bustle idea. It was ridiculous, I felt like I had no control in this situation and I knew I had to do something about it. I decided to schedule private fittings with my seamstress at her house.
Second Fitting:
At the second fitting, my seamstressed pinned the dress like crazy. We took away a lot of inches from the sides and she tried her best to preserve the draping effect. I felt a little better about the dress but I wouldn’t know how it looked until my third fitting.
Third Fitting:
I have to admit I was kind of nervous about this fitting. Our date is really getting closer and if the dress doesn’t look right, there’s not much I could about it! I tried on the dress and she did an amazing transformation!
I love the side of the dress, just look at the lovely draping effect!
Here’s the french bustle!
A nice frontal shot.
I guess if you compare it to other dresses, it now looks like Melissa Sweet’s Lia dress. I think it’s still a Judd Waddell but would he be disappointed with all of these alterations? Haha, I guess we could now call it a “Janette Waddell”! My seamstress did such a lovely job and now I have no regrets about my wedding dress. It truly looks beautiful!
There’s still a fourth dress fitting and I decided to invite my fiance’s mother. I hope she’ll be pleased with how the dress looks after my fittings! No Cinderella-esque gown for Miss Bell Pepper! I love the dress and I guess that’s all that matters.
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Share this post: I *Finally* Have A Waist!
I think your dress is gorgeous! I know how you feel. My dress was the third that I tried on… I only went to one shop for a few hours and that was that. By the time my dress came in I tried it on and of course it didn’t fit right and didn’t look great. I was totally second guessing my choice until my fitting 2 weeks ago. The seamstress pinned it all in and it was like a totally different dress and I remembered why I loved it. I say do what you have to do to love it, it’s your day, not Judd’s.
The dress is lovely. The seamstress did an amazing job. I live in Philadelphia and am in need of a seamstress to alter my dress (the shop that I bought it from is very small and does not have one in house). Do you know if she accepts clients outside of the wedding salon she works in? Could you provide me with her contact information (ktworkowski@gmail.com)? Many thanks.
the bustle is gorgeous
Is that at the wedding shoppe? That was the first dress shop I went to at first as well. I fell in love with a lacy number from Judd Waddell, and she did a similar satin bow for me too. In the end, I got a Melissa Sweet dress.
I love your dress and I love the draping. It reminds me of Mrs. Ladybug’s dress. I think you were right about the alterations and in the end it made your dress even more beautiful!
i love your dress and it looks so beautiful on you. i think a lot of bells and whistles would have killed the timeless elegance this dress is giving out.
Your dress is beautiful, just beautiful. I only went to one store too. I found my dress in a few hours. Too bad the saleswoman at the store was very rude. We ended up going someplace else and found my dress there as well. I seriously think it was meant to be.
Hey turtle,
I did get my dress at the Wedding Shoppe and I only tried on this design from Judd Waddell. I noticed later he had a lot of pretty lacy dresses! I wish I could have tried them on! I only tried on four dresses that day, the Judd and three Jenny Lee dresses in a similar style. They had Ladybug’s Amsale dress but the the price range was too high for me.
Beautiful dress! It looks lovely on you!
I think the dress looks great! Good job on your decisions with the alterations! Just wondering…with all the alterations you did…how much more did you pay? I’m thinking about pulling in my dress a bit and have not yet gone to a seamstress. I just wanted to get an idea before going. Thanks!
oohh…very pretty. the bustle looks great too! i’m sure your FMIL will love it! i actually enjoyed going dress shopping by myself. i didn’t want others’ opnions to influence me. i brought in the troops for a final consult after i knew i’ve found my dress.
You sound so happy!
Your seamstress and designer are talented. It’s clever how the side seam isn’t entirely vertical, but arches back at the chest; emphasizes the chest and the lovely back arch!
My seamstress is offered a pretty good price range for the bustle and pulling in the sides. I thnk we are at about $250-275 for everything.
Sometimes simpler is better. I think that your dress is absolutely beautiful–perfectly elegant.
if it’s any consolation, i have a sparkly, top-to-bottom beaded sparkly dress, but seeing your dress, i had just a moment of pause as to whether i should have gotten something with more understated elegance. (okay, no i still love my dress, but since it was the experience of trying it on and instantly knowing it was THE ONE, that’s saying a lot!)
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Mrs. Bell Pepper, Philadelphia
Age and Occupation: 28, Resident Physician
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Resident Physician
Engagement Date: May 30, 2006
Wedding Date: June 2007
Venue: Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts
About Me: I love whimsical details and design, everything that *sparkles*, sipping on hazelnut lattes, pugs, shopping for antiques and second-hand goods, scenic photography, delicate flowers, and checking out new restaurants in the city with my fianc??. We are planning our wedding at a unique city venue for about 75 close family members and friends. I have a lot of DIY ideas and I like to blog about ways to save money on your wedding.
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