Earlier this week when I was posting about my Trash the Dress dress, I realized that I never showed you guys my REAL dress! Recently I’ve had alterations on my mind, so I thought a post relating to alterations (and by association, my dress) might be a good plan. 
When I was searching for a dress, I went to a wonderful store in San Francisco called Forget Me Knots. The women there were super nice and very knowledgeable. The woman who helped us told me that they are one of the only places in the bay area (if not THE only place) that carries dresses for petite brides. She explained that it’s ideal for a petite bride to buy a petite dress (even though you’re going to have to have it altered anyway) because certain parts of the dress won’t hit you where they are supposed to. Even though I didn’t end up buying my dress there, that tidbit has stuck in my mind, especially when I look at pictures of myself in my dress.
However, before I can explain what I’m talking about, I have to say this:
MR. CREAM PUFF, PLEASE DO NOT READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY. DON’T EVEN GLANCE AT IT. AS GOD IS MY WITNESS, I WILL KICK YOUR TUCHAS INTO NEXT TUESDAY IF I SEE ANY WHITE ON YOUR COMPUTER SCREEN!!!! But of course, I love you. Thanks.
So without further adieu, my dress:
I love it. I love it soooooo much. LOVE IT (by the way, my boobs are not really that big, I swear. It really needs to be taken in up top!).
And because I can’t resist trying it on, here I am trying it on again at my parent’s house. As you can see, it’s way too long:
However, the main thing I am concerned about alterations-wise has to do with the rouching. See the following picture. I am pretty sure that (a) is supposed to be where (b) is pointing, and area (c) is supposed to be where (d) is pointing. If I were taller, that’s where these areas would fall, and I think it might be more flattering in the hip area that way.
I plan to talk to my alterations person about this when I meet with him/her.
Anyway, moving on from my beautimous dress to my silly accessory… my shoes! I decided that I wanted something really wacky under my dress. I found these hot pink satin shoes at Nordstrom and thought they were perfect!
This is my veil (and a look at the weird mood I was in!). This veil looks pretty much exactly like the one I tried on in the bridal salon (photo above). The difference? The bridal salon’s veil cost $240, and mine cost $24. Yes, that’s right, $24. My mom and I bought it at Fabric Depot in Portland, Oregon. My mom had to sew the veil onto the comb (super easy), but other than that, the whole thing was finished. I do love a deal!
I get cold very, very easily. San Francisco can be pretty chilly in the summertime, so I was a little worried about being in a strapless dress on the trolley after the ceremony. I started looking at little bridal jackets, but they were all well over $100 (most over $200), and would just be another thing I can’t wear again. So I started looking at pashminas, and found this one, which matches my shoes perfectly. None of my bridesmaids chose pink for their dresses, so it works out pretty well. Mr. Cream Puff wants to wear a bow-tie with his tux, so I’m thinking we can find him one to match my pashmina/shoes (which he doesn’t know about, btw, so don’t tell!)
So there you have it: my long-winded, photo-happy, egotistical dress post. Whoohoo! Now here’s a real question for you: do any of you know how far in advance we’re supposed to have our dresses altered?
I love every single thing about this post. Your dress, your veil, your shoes, your pashmina. And I can’t wait to see your FI in a pink bow tie (magenta pink!)
I think that dress is BEAUTIFUL!!! It fits you so well!
Creampuff, you are simply breathtaking! It’s so lovely to see a bride that has chosen not only a dress she loves, but is perfectly suited for her!
I love reading your posts, because I think our wedding is on the same day (Aug 02), and we’re also in the Bay Area.
I haven’t taken my dress in for alterations yet. But I started calling around. I was told about six weeks to a month before the wedding is pretty normal. Although, if your seamstress is busy during the summer months (and probably will be with all the weddings in the summer), you should probably book your appointments a couple of months in advance.
I’m off to shop for shoes and undergarments today so I can take my dress in to a few places to get a quote on alterations.
BTW, I love your dress! It’s really gorgeous, and super-flattering even if the ruching is in the wrong spot.
Look at you!! So beautiful!!
I had my first fitting 6 weeks before the wedding (and I told them my wedding date was a week earlier than it actually was, just to make sure it was ready in time). The dress needed to be sized down (it was a sample) and the silk charmeuse was re-draped from the bust to below the hip-line, which must have been a time-consuming task. They ended up doing that twice. The dress was ready two weeks before my actual wedding date.
So in short, you can have it done as late as 6 weeks prior, but I recommend starting the process earlier (8-12 weeks?), just so you’re not rushed. However, time it so that your last fitting is close enough to the wedding that if you lose any weight unintentionally (stress-based or otherwise), you won’t end up having to alter it AGAIN to fit. (I thought the weight thing wasn’t an issue but I unintentionally lost a good 5 pounds in the three weeks leading up to the wedding - thank god for the lace-up back.) This is especially important because you are petite and the weight you might lose close to the wedding would be a larger percentage of your overall weight (and therefore would be more noticeable).
Your dress looks beautiful on you! I got my dress at Forget Me Knots, and since I’m a shortie (a tad too short for even their petite dresses), they had the company custom make my dress to my measurements for $50! Anyway, they told me to call the alterations lady on May 1 for my mid July wedding.
That looks gorgeous on you girl! Is that a Mikaella dress? I think I tried it on before when I was doing my dress shopping!!
I did my first fitting about six weeks before the wedding and my next fitting about three weeks efore the wedding. The salon told me that if my weight stays consistent I could start fittings as early as two month before also depending on how detailed the dress is. However, if my weight fluctuated then I should start them in late november to early December for my January wedding. I think it also depends on whether your wedding is during a busy season. I ended up going in early December, because I had lost quite a bit of weight. Check with your alterations person, they can provide you with more information on best estimates. Good luck.
You look so beautiful!!! That dress is amazing and I love the hot pink accessories.
You look like one hot mama in all of that! That dress is perfect for you and please wear your hair down. Also I love all the pink touches. So fun!
You look so pretty! Yay for lovely curves! (I’ve got em, too )
I have my first fitting appointment in May, and our wedding is in September. My dress doesn’t need many alterations, so if I get there and they don’t think it will take very long, I might not have them do anything until I go back in late June or July. That way I’ll be closer to my wedding-day weight.
You look totally hot in that dress! I love it! I wish I had curves…I’m a bean pole - but I did find a dress that gives the illusion of curves - so hooray!
You and your dress are AMAZZZZINGLY gorgeous. You look SUPER HOT. Even if they can’t move a to b or c to d or whatever, it looks amazing.
I was told to have the alterations done about a month before the wedding.
i almost bought that mikaella dress it was my # 2!!… but alas, i found my #1 and ended up with a san patrick, and my salon said… try to loose all your weight before you start altering, you don’t wanna alter then lose 10 more lbs in the next few months and have to do it again! mine said 4-6 weeks is ideal… hope that helps
you are stunning! love it
Since I am planning on losing more weight, I will go 1 month before the wedding.
your dress is so gorgeous! even though it needs a little tweaking, you look great it in it!
i love Weddingbee….bc whenever i have a question or am wondering about something, one of you wonderful bees does a post abotu the very thing on my mind!
thank you sooo much for posting your pashima. i just ordered my dress today and when we left, my mother said, great! now you need to find a wrap. (wd: 11/01/08)…..
i hadn’t thought of pashimas. can’t wait to hunt one down!
I thought of pashimas, BUT never in another color. -What a great idea! I am totally re-thinking matching my ivory dress.
I am also with a dress that needs alterations. I set up a appointment with the in-house seamstress at the bridal shop in which I purchased the dress (March 26th). This is a date that is is 3 months before my wedding a she said “the best time to start alterations”.
your dress is fabulous!!!
i was told by my bridal salon that i should do my first fitting 6-8 weeks before the wedding.
hi there miss cp! it’s me, from yelp! anyway, your dress is beautiful on you, even before alterations! and i like your taste in “wacky” shoes. i bought some magenta colored mules to wear as the peek of color beneath my wedding gown. it was divine! so i love it, great choice.
the dress looks beautiful on you! and great deal with the veil! would you be interested in selling your veil after your wedding? please let me know
I love your dress! Im usually pretty picky about dresses, but yours is so pretty. It falls at the right places and fits your body very well!
That dress was made for you girl! You look fabulous!
your shoes and the pashmina! Love love the pop of color. Just too cute. As far as fitting, I think an initial fitting earlier on (a month or 6 weeks out) is standard, plus a week-of “check up” to make sure it still fits perfectly.
Ah Mah Gah.
Pengy Luffs!!! Its 100% flattering and so fitting of your fun personality! And, with the multi-colored bridesmaid dresses, I cant imagine you WOULDNT have hot pink shoes Looks great!
oh yeah, PS, how many shops did you go to before you found the one and were they all in the bay area? Or is this another post that I’m supposed to look forward to?
WOWEEE, thanks for all the compliments, you guys!!! That seriously means so much to me!!!
And thank you for all the alterations tips. I contacted the woman I hope to use for alterations yesterday, so hopefully I’ll be getting some sort of direction soon. And of course, now that I’ve seen all the options for dresses, I’m thinking about adding covered buttons to it. I know I’m never going to want to take this dress off. I just know it!!
Mrs. Bear–thank you for that super informative comment!! You are super helpful!!
crackhead (nice name!)–I will definitely be wearing my hair down (or maybe partly up so the veil has a place to go)–as requested by Mr. CP!
Selena and Joie–holy moly, you guys have good eyes! It IS a Mikaella dress! I was super thrilled because I was able to buy it off the rack, and I couldn’t find it cheaper online.
Emilie–I recommend buying a few different colors, trying them on with your dress, and then returning the ones you don’t like as much. I tried stark white, teal and hot pink. I really thought I was going to like white the best, but I didn’t end up liking it at all!! I was totally surprised.
hans–I hadn’t thought about selling the veil yet! I don’t know! Probably? hahaha. I’ll let you know after the wedding.
Penguin–I went to probably…5 or 6 bridal shops? But this was the third dress I tried on at the first shop!! I went back for it. You can check out my reviews on Yelp for some fabulous re-caps of my experiences. They were all in the bay area. hahaha. Why do you ask?
Miss Cream Puff, I LOVE your dress!! (It’s similar to mine, so no wonder!) You look stunning in it - your hubby is gonna be ecstatic when he sees you! 
Miss Cream Puff, love your dress. Wish there was a lot more mermaid styles out there especially for us petite girls. Also I love the Fabric Depot. if you come up to Stumptown again let me know and we could meet up and grab some lunch.
You look gorgeous. Um, maybe not in that veil picture. But you should wear your hair down like in that first pic.
Those are really good tips from Forget-Me-Knots. I could see how buying a dress specially suited for a petite frame would be ideal.
Your dress looks gorgeous on you!!!
I started getting my alterations about 3 1/2 weeks before the wedding but that’s also when my dress arrived. If it were me I’d want to get my alterations in the last 2 months in case of weight loss/gain, but if you’re getting a more major alteration like you have in mind (making “a” go where “b” is) you should have that appointment sooner than later.
Good point, Katya. My mom is coming to visit this week and she’s bringing the dress with her. Methinks I’ll be seeing the alterations lady soon!!
You dress is Beautiful and you look absolutely GORG in it!
Hello,
i was doing a google search for Mikaella gowns…and this site came up. I love your dress..I think it is the same one I fell in love with months ago..the 1202..but didnt buy…and bought something else similar…and now I secretly still think of this one!
not sure how you feel about it, but are you going to sell it after your wedding? cause i would be willing to buy it!
my email is laurie_lu77@yahoo.com
hi!
i know this is a weird question, but would you want to sell your dress? I tried it on about a year ago, and fell in love with is, but cannot find it anywhere, i mean anywhere!!!!!! desperately wanting to buy it from somebody
Just wondering what you wore for your undergarments? I bought the same dress and loooove it. Bought it off the rack as well! Now I just need to make sure that there are no unsightly lumps : P
Izabela I know this dress is currently available in Toronto, Canada. Not sure where you are located, but found this dress at Ritche and Bridal & Beyond. Hopefully you can find it. It’s a fabulous dress!
Mrs. Cream Puff, San Francisco Bay Area
Age and Occupation: 25, Illustrator
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Merchandise Planner
Engagement Date: May 27, 2007
Wedding Date: August, 2008
Blogging Since: February 7, 2008
Venue: Ceremony at Crissy Field and Reception at the Green Room
About Me: I never dreamed about my wedding as a little girl because I was too busy playing in the mud or pretending to be Martha Stewart–but now that it's here, I'm having a fabulous time DIYing everything in sight! We’re planning a very fun multicultural wedding (I'm Jewish and Mr. Cream Puff is Chinese), filled with as many personal details as I can muster.
I don’t know how far in advance you should get your dress altered, but I would think that you should do it sooner than later.
But I just wanted to say that you look so very cute in your dress!