Weddingbee Blog

Mr. Pinot Noir and I will be joining our friends and family for an informal after party gathering somewhere in San Francisco. I originally planned to wear my actual wedding dress for the get together. After all, I will only get to wear it once! But after my fitting I realized that this just isn’t a practical choice. I’ll want something a little more comfortable for the evening festivities.

My criteria for the after party dress included, but did not require, the following:

1. Costs under $100
2. There is some white in the pattern/design
3. Something I can wear it again (I’m all about reuse)
4. Will allow me to sport a regular bra (no spaghetti straps and nothing strapless)

Mr. PN and I took a trip to Macy’s to look for my after party dress. I must admit that Mr. PN is really good at shopping for me. He picks out styles and colors that I wouldn’t typically try, and they usually turn out to be great. I get the most compliments on the outfits that he picks out. Too bad I couldn’t take him wedding dress shopping with me! After scouring the sale racks, we came up with four options.

Dress #1: Black & White Party Dress
I really liked this dress but it didn’t fit and it also didn’t meet the criteria…

Dress #2 The Red Dress

While this dress didn’t meet the bra or white requirements, I did like it quite a bit. It looked good on me (is that a little cleavage?!) and I felt really sexy in it. This dress got the axe because I’d be unable to wear a regular bra, due to the low back.

Dress #3: The Spring Dress
I really liked this dress and it was a close contender. It fit well, I could wear a regular bra, and I could definitely wear it again. However, it seemed a little more appropriate for work than for an after wedding party dress so we kept looking…

Dress #4 The White Dress
I loved this dress by Calvin Klein the second I put it on. While I wasn’t looking for an all white dress, it was the perfect fit and style. It was super comfortable and I felt appropriately bridal and party like. We had a winner! Plus, it was on sale from $128 to $65! I’m thinking that I will get a pashmina to dress it up a little, since San Francisco nights can be chilly.

This doesn’t exactly qualify me as a two-dress bride, but I do have two wedding day dresses.

Will you make a wardrobe change on your wedding day?