Miss Candy Corn, Philadelphia
Age and Occupation: Senior Editor/Writer & Freelance Illustrator
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Student
Engagement Date: September 1, 2004
Wedding Date: October, 2008
Blogging Since: May 6, 2008
Venue: Pennsylvania Museum of Archaelogy and Anthropology
About Me: I enjoy people watching (especially in New Jersey malls), obsessive collecting, drooling over contemporary art, browsing flea markets for vintage finds and eating an absurd amount of cheese. In my Philadelphia abode, I create mixed media artwork and one-of-a-kind home accessories in the company of my farmer-tanned fiancé, our Westiepoo (Betty White), our three rabbits (Cadbury, Willie Nelson and Applesauce) and our two frisky chinchillas (Ethel Funk and Maude).
The Girl Whose Accessories Cost More Than Her Dress
May 7th, 2008 @ 3:15 pm by Miss Candy Corn
Ok, so this is the part where Mr. CC hides his eyes to avoid seeing my wedding dress! Ready Mr. CC? Alrighty, here goes..
This probably isn’t something I should advertise, but my wedding dress cost a whopping $36 (including shipping!). I decided I wanted a BCBG dress for the wedding since I love their designs, so I browsed on Ebay for my size and found one that seemed perfect for me within a few minutes of searching. The dress still needs to be altered…it’s about a foot and a half too long (yeaaaah, I’m only 5’2) and it needs to be taken in a bit.
This is obviously the dress on the model. I’m sure when I wear it, I will have to have my photographer Photoshop out what I like to call my “vagina arms,” aka the little folds on the side of your armpit when your arms are at your side.
Here, Tyra will demonstrate for you (Rich at fourfour is the genius behind this, not I!):
Here is the dress on me (I had to lay down since my tripod and I don’t get along very well and I didn’t have anyone to snap a photo, so I resorted to using my handy dandy dresser as a “tripod”):
It’s pretty darn hard to tell what it looks like in this shot, considering I’m horizontal and made the photo all blue-toned…come to think of it, this is probably a pointless photo to share, but at least there’s a puppy dog in it! I love me some puppy dogs.
This is the other BCBG dress I had originally considered wearing, but decided it was a bit too casual for the location of our wedding. I’ve decided to wear it to the dress rehearsal instead.
Here is a poorly-Photoshopped idea of how I plan on wearing the same brown ribbon as the bridesmaids, so we look like one big, happy, sashtastic family:
I’ve chosen this brooch from Etsy seller Sarah Ogren due to my obscene amount of love for rabbits:
Brace yourself. It’s time for obligatory pet bunny photos!
Top row from left to right: Willie Nelson with his lovah (Eeyore); baby Applesauce and I; Applesauce; Bottom row from left to right: Cadbury being sassy; the babies that the supposedly-male, sexually-assaulted SPCA bunny Cadbury popped out (this includes Applesauce); and Willie Nelson giving his typical look of disapproval.
Sorry, I just had to get that out of my system.
Whenever I visualized my dream wedding day as a young, tinier version of myself, I never imagined wearing a veil. I’ve always been a wee bit creeped out by the possible misinterpretation that the lifting of the wedding veil=the groom taking possession of the wife. It’s just a whole lot of sexual symbolism that I’m not interested in incorporating in our ceremony (more power to the veil-wearing brides, I’ve got nothing against them, it’s just not my cup o’ tea). In my not-so-fashionable opinion, headbands are way cuter.
Since I didn’t have nearly $700 to splurge on the headband of my choice, I found a crafty bride-to-be online who was willing to make me a Jennifer Behr-esque creation from scratch. I couldn’t be more excited about the outcome! I’ve never been one to wear headbands, so I’m hoping I can pull off this look. If anyone digs the final results and wants to get in touch with my headband helper, feel free to shoot me a private message.
Here’s the headband with the necklace I’ll be wearing from Anthropologie. My hair is in the growing out phase from a pixie cut, so hopefully it will be bob-length come October (I’ve been taking Flintstone vitamins because my hairdresser said they would encourage my hair to grow faster…plus they taste good).
Wow, I babble. For those of you who are still reading, does anyone in the Philadelphia area have any recommendations for where I should go to get my dress altered? I’ve tried to research wedding dress tailors online and someone suggested Tina Kang at Natural Cleaners. I have an irrational fear that my $36 dress will get butchered and I’ll end up walking down the aisle in my birthday suit. Eep! Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
53 Responses to “The Girl Whose Accessories Cost More Than Her Dress”
Very pretty! I envy the price you paid for such a gorgeous gown:)
I cannot believe that you got that dress for onl $36. I bow down to your masterful shopping because that dress is *gorgeous*. I love it and I love the way you’ve paired the beautiful, whimsical accessories with it. The headband and necklare are the perfect touch.
Ok, you know about vag arms, think Rich is a genius, and you love puppy dogs … I love you already!
Gorgeous dress by the way, and I think the sash is a great touch.
Yay! Thank you for sharing the bunny love… I love rabbits.
Miss Candy Corn, you are really funny.
Loved your post.
That is all 
Not that I don’t love the pictures of you and your beautiful dress and stuff, but I have one request: BUNNIES IN EVERY POST! Please?! Pretty please? I love the bunnies.
You are so funny. Okay, so…
1)$36 wedding dress? F****** fantastic! I can’t tell you how bomb that is!
2)Vagina arms? So funny. Please don’t sweat the small stuff. No one will even notice. I might now though, since you brought the issue of vag arms into the forefront of my mind!
3)Headband and necklace. Cute.
4) Your fears of alterations are valid. I live in L.A. so I can’t help you, sorry. I wouldn’t want anyone murdering my dress either, that would totally negate the whole $36 goodness. Good luck!
i remember seeing the same dress and thought it would make a very beautiful, classic wedding gown (so audrey hepburn-ish). btw, tums and almond help hair grow faster, too.
I have a seamstress who’s really good (she’s doing my wedding dress and I’ve been really pleased), but she’s a bit pricy and she’s in Chadds Ford, PA. PM me though if you would like her info!
PS — You crack me up.
Please feel free to brag about your bunnies anytime! I have one myself and she is my little love. I volunteer at the local ARL, hoping to educate people on bunnies, they are fabulous pets that often get misunderstood.
I would love to incorporate my little girl Isabella Donna in my wedding some day, I love the idea of the brooch!
Cute and I love that you read FourFour!
For anyone who is curious,
http://stores.ebay.com/JTandCompany is the Ebay store with the discount BCBG clothes (new with tags) that I ordered both my rehearsal dinner dress and wedding dress from. I highly recommend them for the fellow not-so-rich BCBG addicts
Thanks for the kind words everyone! I’m strangely relieved to know that I’m not alone with my armpit issues.
1) LOVE LOVE the dress and accessories. So very unique and classy!
2) Bunnies!! They are adorable, and so is your sense of humor.
3) Vagina arms? Seriously, it’s totally unnatural to NOT have them and if you have any sort of a rack, they will appear, because they are actually partially breast tissue. Like mlindsey said, don’t sweat the small stuff, ESPECIALLY this thing. The only thing you will notice in your photos years from now is the glow in your face and the joy in your photos. Seriously. Take it from a woman who had a BMI of 18.3 (less than 18.5 is underweight) on her wedding day (stress weight loss, I swear) and STILL had those funny folds because the boobs didn’t disappear with the rest of the fat.
Love your dress & accessories. I am in awe of your bargain find. Also, I really love the color & the style of your bm dresses.
I am unable to erase the words “vagina arms” from my brain. It’s just tumbling around in my brain over & over again.
and again…
$36!!!!!!
I officially hate you!!!! In a good way.
Everything looks lovely! now get a friend and take a full body pic! Please!
hi candy corn–
first of all, i love you!
second of all, check out nilah & company:
lots of brides in the area use her. i haven’t been there yet, since we’re not getting married until next year, but i’m wearing a BCBG dress too! weird!
ah! i’ve been looking for a pearl necklace like that for a long time! they don’t have it any more on the anthropologie website… do you have the style name of the necklace so i can try to find on ebay or something? thanks!
Also recommend Nilah! Love the dress, and your arms look nothing like Miss Vag Arms Banks.
@Thea T:
The item # for the necklace is 74745
Here’s the rest of the info I have:
Oyster Drop Necklace
Color: PEARL
Size: ONE SIZE
1 $88.00
Good luck, I hope you can find one on Ebay or perhaps they sell it in store by you?
LOVE. YOUR. DRESS! I’m going to do some ebay searches right now!
I saw another bride with the same gorgeous in the real budget section (she paid $450):
http://www.weddingbee.com/author/real-budgets/
@sandy:
Aw i had never seen it on another bride! That makes me gush with happiness Thanks for sharing and good luck searching!!
Hi Miss Candy Corn,
Welcome! I totally agree about the veil and I live in Philly too. I have heard that Premiere on Sansom Street is supposed to be very good. Sew Rob in Wynnewood is supposed to be great too. Another idea is to go to one of these places like Vagabond or Smak Parlour in Olde City where they make their own clothes and sew things in the shop. They might be able to do your sash for you too. I am looking forward to your future posts!
Oh god, when editing photos it’s so damn hard to get rid of ‘vagina’ arms. And it looks so bad. Baaaad.
And hip-hop-hurray for bunnies! I have 4 house rabbits who are semi-pissed that they are not in the wedding(venodr says no no no).
And that headband is hotness.
Pssst…my dress cost more than your killer bargain but I got mine on ebay too.
Now I’m sitting at work looking down my own shirt trying to figure out if I’ll have vag arms at my wedding! Nice!
Anyway, thanks for an awesome (read: crazy) post! I’m so glad you are here and sharing your weddding plans!
1.) I’m really digging the dress–it has such an ethereal vibe that seems to match you to a T (from what I’ve read so far).
2.) The accessories are to die, and while quirky, have a Gossip Girl feel to them as well–the funky headband and pearls are like an amalgamation of Serena and Blair’s styles (if you have no clue what I’m talking about, it’s very much a compliment! I’m completely smitten with the wardrobe on that show).
3.) If you’re genuinely worried about your arms, try pushups. They really work! I’ve been doing them a few times a week (incorporated into my regular workout) and I’ve really seen a difference not only in my arms, but in my shoulders, upper back, and even waist.
I’m a fellow October Philly bride (planning long-distance from CT) so I’ll be sure to follow your entries–and humbly request chinchilla pictures as well as bunny pictures!
OMG! Willie Nelson looks just like the bunny I had all through middle school and high school. So cute!
I also recommend Nilah. She altered my dress, made a custom veil for me and made my chuppah cover! And everything was great. She works from her home and its not too far from you.
OMG! I LOVE YOUR BRIDESMAID DRESS! What company and style is that????
Awesome dress, awesome deal!!
And excuse me, but if Tyra Banks can have armpit pudge, so can I!!
this is a little outside philly, but when my family lived in central jersey we went to philly all the time, so when i lived in philly and my family had moved away from central jersey, i still went back there all the time… so anyway, here’s a great seamstress in hightstown: tailoring unlimited, on main st in hightstown.
i highly recommend her — great prices, great work (my friends and i have had multiple bridesmaid dresses altered there, and my friend fully intends to get her wedding dress altered there once she gets engaged and finds a wedding dress :), great service! unfortunately, a little outside of philly, but if you’re going to make the trip, then make a side stop in princeton and go to hoagie haven. mmmm, deliciousness.
Ugh! Now I can’t get over the vagina armpit thing… I keep looking at mine… Ick! I never thought of it that way before or even noticed it!
fabulous! vagina arms both made my now and now has me racing through the pics of me in the dress to check if i have the dreaded v-arms… push-ups all around!
LOVE the headband and necklace - both look amazing and really flattering.
p.s. - keep the bunny love comin’
1) You are truly a bargai-hunting goddess.
2) I never knew that camel-toe of the armpits was so widespread. Peace, my fellow fatty-deposited sisters!
3) Do you know about “Disapproving Rabbits” ( http://www.disapprovingrabbits.com/ )? Today, there was a post titled “The softer the rabbit, the harder the stare.”
I LOVE your dress! And all I can say to $36 is . . .
Wow.
Can’t wait to see more pictures, too!
My girlfriend got her dressed altered by this wonderful little women worked out of her house and did an amazing job. (in Norristown I think) Fitting a dress that was much too big for her and had a ton of beading to her tiny little frame. She sewed every last sequin and pearl back on and it fit perfectly. I e-mailed her to ask the name of her seamstress.
If she can’t find it you can also try Sabrina Ann (sabrinaann.com). They sell used & sample dresses but also do alterations even if you didn’t get the dress there. I haven’t used them but thier service (I dress shopped there) is fabulous.
I’m sorry, I just had to comment. I went to disapproving rabbits and it was too too funny! Today was a good day….I learned a new name for the fatty area of my armpits, AND learned about a website devoted to rabbits with “attitudes!” I love Weddingbee!
@Jennie:
Thanks for all of your advice! Smak parlour makes me happyyyyyy
@elizabeth:
I’m a closeted Gossip Girl addict and truly honored that you would compare my style to those stellar hotties!
@shelbystar:
The company is Priscilla of Boston and the style is PB104 and it comes in a lot of colors. Check out the website for photos at http://www.priscillaofboston.com
@hwong14:
Oooo I might have to check it out! I was born in Freehold, so I’m familiar with Hightstown. Mmm now I want Jersey Freeze…so much for getting rid of my vagina arms.
@beanchar:
I’m totally obsessed with that disapproving rabbits site and point at it and giggle on a daily basis. It’s good to know there are others out there like me who enjoy moody bunnies!!
wow im so jealous. i purchased that dress prolly back in 05 for 130. im gonna end up using it for cake cutting.
hehehe I love this post so much. you make me laugh!
i love it all. it’s going to look great all put togheter.
i was so excited to read your post! i have a bcbg wedding dress too it wasn’t $36 but $127 is still good and it fits perfectly (it’s short so i don’t have to worry about hemming it).
i have a feeling I’m going to really like your posts.
your buns are just too cute!! I have two myself. It’s just so disappointing that it wont be possible to have them hop down the aisle with the rings. (Ring Bunnies?)
You are my new favorite bee. You made me chuckle out loud… and I am sitting in a stuffy Yale library during finals time. I may not survive this… but at least I was entertained before the nerds got to me.
I love the hairpiece. I think it will look really cute. I also love the sash on your dress. I think the dark color will draw the eye to your waist.
Kudos
LMAO @ vagina arms… XD
love the dress. love the color scheme. love the sashtasticity, love the headpiece. great job.
Eep, this is amazing! I hate me some vagina arms, but practically everyone has them. So I am now on a crusade to embrace them. Love the vagina arms.
lol! i dont know what obscene word to come up for what i’ll be rocking on my big day………. “vagina pits” ?
i got SERIOUS boobage.
you are going to be sooo beautiful on your day! please do share a pic with everything all together!
i had a bunny once. most previous pet i’ve ever owned…….*sniff* miss him……dont you just love the way they circle your feet with luuuuv?
You’re my new favourite bee
hey, I was totally going to ask how you got even BCBG for so cheap–thanks for adding the link!
Love your dress & your trendy (but not too trendy, of course) vintage-esque accessories!
You have awesome taste, Miss Candy Corn! As someone upthread pointed out, I wore the same dress for my wedding! I love it…still! So many people complimented that it has a timeless, classic look. I too had fun picking out accessories to dress it up. I made my own headband and searched high and low for a long malleable silk sash that would keep its form (which I eventually purchased from Saeyoung Vu).
Dress twins! Have a great time putting it all together. I’m excited to follow your progress!
Another vote for Nilah & Co– she SAVED my dress and did beautiful work on our bridesmaids dresses. She’ll take good care of your dress!
