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When I last left off I was sitting in a puddle of my own drool admiring the Adele Wechsler EcoCouture collections. Well, it was reality check time. Those gorgeous frocks are way out of my price league. I mean way out. Like half-of-our-total-budget out.
We run a non-profit organization and have dedicated our lives to living simply. While financially it would be possible for me to get one of those dresses with a ton of scrimping and saving, I just cannot justify spending that much money on a dress I will wear for one day. I understand that some brides work really hard to find ways to buy their dream dress, and I appreciate that, but that’s just not me. Honestly (please don’t kick me out of the bride club), its not that important to me. When I walk down the aisle I want to be feeling my absolute best, which means knowing that I am wearing an ethical dress from an ecological standpoint, but also a social one. Spending thousands on a dress is not a responsible decision for me to make right now.
Having said that… I want to look pretty on my big day! Small tantrum over. I promise.
Fast forward a few weeks and I was home in the U.S. visiting with Veggie Sis K (for Kale?). (There are 4 Veggie Sisters, E-Eggplant, T-Tomato, and C-Carrot, who will also make appearances.) Sis Kale got married in 2005 and still had a surprisingly large stash of bridal magazines. Knowing that I wouldn’t buy these for myself, she had them waiting for me upon my arrival. I promptly dug in.
Wait. What’s this beauty?
It looks so airy and light. Elegant without being stuffy.
Me: Who makes this?
Veggie Sis Kale: Nicole Miller.
Me: Isn’t she the one who does those funny fabrics with prints of sunglasses and wine bottles?
Veggie Sis Kale: Umm… yeah, in 1992. Welcome back to the world of fashion.
A few weeks later Mamma Veggie, Veggie Sis Kale, and Veggie Sis Eggplant brought me to the Nicole Miller Boutique for our bridal appointment. The consultant was fantastic, if a little confused by my wedding-day wishlist. I surely didn’t help the matter by being a bridal dunce. I wore the wrong undies, the wrong bra, and didn’t know anything about what I was looking for. Luckily Veggie Sis Kale took control of the situation. I ended up finding a few Nicole Miller dresses that I liked, although my top choice was still the HG0013. Could it be the one?
I went home and did some research. (Pro) The price was better, (Con) but at retail value, still a lot. (Pro) Nicole Miller is sweat-shop free and made in the USA, they also support animal rights. (Con) The dress is made out of metal-tafetta, surely not an eco-fabric. (Con) It is still a brand new dress made just for me for one night.
Best to sit and think on it a bit more.
How steadfast were you that your dress meet your exact specifications for type, price, style, etc,?
Did you get to try on the HG0013? Is it your favorite? I had a lot of luck finding used Nicole Millers and ended up getting married in a used IM0002. (The HG0013 looked stunning by the way, and if it wasn’t slightly too casual, I would have totally gone that way) If you go Nicole Miller I vote for looking for one used. I loved mine and felt gorgeous. That was until my husband stepped on it and the bustle pulled, putting a small hole in it. I’m giving it to a friend who is getting engaged soon to see if she can maybe hack it up and make it workable.
Good luck! If you haven’t yet tried, you can try and see if there is someone near you who can make you a custom dress. These are often cheaper than the designer dresses and then you can pick whatever eco-friendly fabric you would like.
To deal with some of your cons you could buy a used one. It will still be the same fabric of course but it wouldn’t be made just for you to only wear once. Plus it’s a lot less expensive!
http://www.preownedweddingdresses.com/dresses/14412/Nicole-Miller-HG0013-Strapless-Metal-Taffeta-Gown-Size-4.html
http://www.oncewed.com/25069/used-wedding-dresses/nicole-miller/size-6/hg0013-strapless-tafeta-gown/
http://www.oncewed.com/26717/used-wedding-dresses/nicole-miller/size-6/hg0013-12/
Wedding dresses make girls do crazy things - good for you for sticking to your “guns.” Have you thought about buying a used dress, then recycling it for a future bride to wear?
I am a total environmentalist outside of wedding life. I’m vegan (duh, obvs by the username), all my household cleaning products are all-natural/biodegradable, my bed linens are organic and made with low-impact dyes, I recycle as much as possible, compost, and so on and so on.
But I am also an incurable fashion/clothing history addict and have been for almost a decade now. I expected to enter the field as a career for ages and still toy with the idea at times now. I really wanted an epic wedding dress that reminded me of the beautiful period pieces I stared at in museum exhibits. After looking extensively at all the ‘eco’ options out there for wedding dresses, I realized that I didn’t really care for any of them and nothing came even close to what I really wanted. So environmentalism was foregone, and I am getting my epic, thousand million yards of fabric ball gown. I honestly don’t feel guilty about this, it is one relatively small thing amongst a lifetime of earth-friendly decisions, and damn, does it ever make me happy. The food at the wedding will be vegan, the invites printed on recycled paper, etc…but sometimes we have to accept the fact that it’s not always feasible to act like an idealist in a nonideal world.
Although if you’re not as picky as me (my family and friends will tell you that I am far too picky when it comes to matters of aesthetic preferences…), I think going the used or custom route is a great idea. And you can always donate your dress, like farmersdaughter said.
While I was more focused on budget than finding a dress that was eco-friendly, I set a low budget and stuck to it. I bought a beautiful dress thinking with my head rather than my heart. It was contrary to every effort by the horrible sales associate I worked with, much less all most of the oppinions from others, but it was the right decision for my FI and I not to blow our budget on a “dream dress”. Hopefully, if it doesn’t get too dirty, I’ll donate it or give it to another bride on a budget after my wedding.
The first dress I tried on was a Nicole Miller and I loved it!
Have you tried checking out sample sale dresses? I bought a beautiful wedding dress for one fifth of its original price because it was from the previous season. If I had not “rescued” the dress, it would have gone to landfill. I have decided to keep it rather than sell on, but it’s a style that can be dyed and worn as a “normal” (but very glamourous!) dress in the future.
Would it be considered eco-friendly if you wore a vintage or pre-owned dress? Like dress-recycling? You can find some affordable once-worn dresses on Once Wed, Encore Bridal or Pre-ownedWedding Dresses.com. And there are lots of great vintage dresses out there- like vintageous.com and local shops. That way you could be true to your eco-values AND your wallet at the same time.
I didn’t know Nicole Miller was made in the US! That’s awesome news–can’t wait to stop in and try some on! I am also trying to keep the cost of my wedding dress down. Every dollar that we save on the dress (or wedding) is a dollar we can save, not spend somewhere else. That is really really important to me. Even though the mister wants me to “spend as much as you need to” I can’t. Hopefully there is a dress that will help me feel beautiful and won’t break the bank. Even if that means going the route of a pre-owned dress.
I always see a ton of HG0013’s on OnceWed and Preownedweddingdresses! Hopefully you have checked there (as it sounds like you already bought a dress). Can’t wait to see what you ended up with!
Well if you do go with the Nicole Miller….it’s gorgeous! It’s what I bought. Too bad your wedding is a month before mine, I could have sent it to you. But if you really like it, I often see it used online while hunting for pictures!
i’m impressed with your resolve to stay true to your beliefs in light of planning a wedding. i can’t wait to see what you ended up choosing
I’m getting a dress from David’s Bridal so I won’t have to spend too much on it.
I never really thought too much about my gown’s environment impact, but plan on somehow reusing it after the wedding to get some use out of it.
That’s my wedding dress! I got it unworn for $500 off Craigslist, I used CraigsLook that let me search all cities with pictures. I just searched for “Nicole Miller” and kept scanning.
I think we have the same taste. That was the first dress I ever tried on and I thought it was the one. At the time, the color options weren’t good though. Now they have a slew of colors. But I adored it!
I liked quite a few Nicole Miller dresses when I was searching. I had a nice experience trying them at their store in SoHo.
I love love love the Nicole Miller HG0013 - I’ve ogled this dress for ages, but am ultimately having a dress made - it will cost a lot less than any of the dresses I’ve liked enough to buy.
I can’t wait to see what you end up choosing - of note, I did see a lot of the HG0013 used for quite a discount when I was lusting after it. It could be worth a look - I think a previously loved dress could be a great way to stay true to your desire to keep the environmental impact low!
While I too lusted after that dress, but after trying it on two people pointed out to me that it may not be made for such a busty lady as myself. The top has a bikini feel to it, and it left the ladies wanting for some support. I recommend an excellent bra or adding straps if you too are larger on top and do go with this dress.
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Mrs. Veggie, Raglan, New Zealand/Scranton, PA Age and Occupation: 27, Director of Small Non-Profit Fiance's Age and Occupation: 42, PhD Student & Farmer Engagement Date: June 13, 2009 Wedding Date: August 2010 Venue: Indian Head Camp, Honesdale Pennsylvania About Me: I am a tree-huggin' farmer turned enthusiastic wedding-planner. I live in a house truck and wear flip-flops more often than shoes. In my old life I was a high school Spanish teacher in love with a crazy guy who lived off-the grid on a farm in New Hampshire. But, we decided to mix things up a bit, quit our jobs and move to New Zealand. My southern hemisphere lifestyle involves growing veggies, teaching, running our small non-profit, and surfing. I love laughing, singing, playing, and the inspirational Mr. Veggie (of course!). For our wedding, I am committed to throwing a killer party that celebrates our values without breaking the bank. Look forward to an eco-thrifty summer-campy weekend-long extravaganza.
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