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That beauty right there is the wedding gown trend in Japan. Usually, a Japanese bride will wear a kimono for the ceremony and change into a dress (or two) for the reception. Not just any dress, a big poofy honking princess of a dress! Complete with tiara, of course. Now, who DOESN’T wanna be a princess on her wedding day? Japanese wedding gowns are the stuff little-girl-dreams are made of. They also come with a price tag that gives the little girl’s daddy a heart attack. And they are a little impractical for a backyard wedding. Can you see why I haven’t been dress shopping in this country?
Since day one after Mr. G proposed, I’ve been looking at dresses. I think most brides have a pretty clear idea of what they are looking for; some, fancy pick-ups, others need the poof. For me, I pictured something with a sweetheart neckline with a trumpet/mermaid cut.
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I love, love, love Melissa Sweet. But this dress is a little impractical for a backyard wedding. A beautiful, expensive dress like that going through the grass and dirt? It would be a tragedy. The solution: short dresses!
Mrs. Meatball let us L.A. brides in on a little website store called Unique Vintage that specializes in replicas of retro clothing straight through to the ’70s. They also do tons of dresses and wedding gowns. I was so excited to see all the gorgeous dresses for super low prices. Since then, I’ve been stalking their website and crushing over gowns. Here are my favorites from their current line-up:
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Pretty, right? And all of those selections are under $500! Pretty and perfect! Some are long, but at such a bargain price I wouldn’t mind dirtying it up a little. I’ll definitely be making a bee-line towards Unique Vintage when I hop off the plane at LAX in October!
Of course, any budget bride can find something at David’s Bridal. I’ve got my favorite short dresses there too.
Again, these are all under $500. I think David’s Bridal will be my second stop if I don’t find anything at Unique Vintage!
In the end, I probably won’t get my $3,000+ Melissa Sweet mermaid cut gown, but that’s OK. I know I’ll find something great because I’ve done my research and there are options out there for us budget brides—I am dying to try them on!
What kind of dress did you picture yourself with? If you are looking, are you finding yourself broadening your horizons? If you’ve found “the one”, was it different from what you’d expected?
I have been haunting that DB short dress…ct326! I am looking to buy it for my wedding next summer…so if anyone is looking to sell let me know! I am a street size 12 
That first Davids Bridal you have posted is ADORABLE - short in front a bit longer in the back, swoooon 
I love that first Unique Vintage dress!
My dress came from Dolly Couture ( http://www.dollycouture.com ) If you’re looking for a short dress, you might want to look at their selection… they’re custom made for you and most are under $500 : ) Plus! They just opened a store in Tarzana.
I too have been looking daily at the DB short dress ct 326! For some reason the moment I saw, I fell in love!
Yay! Another shrt dress bride!! I love your selection of dresses.
I did try a lop of different dresses, and just because I could also a couple of long dresses. Dress shopping is just so much fun! 
Can’t wait to read more about your search for the dress.
Might I suggest something similar in look to the Melissa Sweet, but not nearly as pricey?
WToo (part of the Watters & Watters company)’s “Natalia” or style # 12421
I got mine last September (when it was still a “new” style) for $695 INCLUDING a custom hem to hollow measurement (since I’m so short) and tax (that’s in Idaho). It’s a designer gown for a real bargain.
http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/watters-natalia-dress
BTW, we got married in a garden where I was tromping through the grass and bushes and it really didn’t end up that dirty…
I got my dress for my rehearsal dinner from Unique Vintage, the Ivory flirty cotton swing, and got so many compliments on it! I ended up changing into it late night during our reception! It was so flattering and true to fit, I ordered it online. I ended up selling it to a friend and she wore it to her wedding last weekend. I plan on buying many more dresses from the site, the quality was fantastic and definitely had the vintage look I wanted. Highly recommended.
My dress is the new Eden Bridals informals 1381 and I am cutting it down to tea-length and throwing a poofy colored petticoat underneat. I got it for $298 through http://weddingshoppeinc.com with no shipping charge. (They are a real store here, but they let you order off their site). I was also haunting Eden Bridals 1366 which is only $278. I have my dress and it doesn’t look cheap at all. In fact a store in IL was selling it for $700.
My dress is the new Eden Bridals informals 1381 and I am cutting it down to tea-length and throwing a poofy colored petticoat underneat. I got it for $298 through http://weddingshoppeinc.com with no shipping charge. (They are a real store here, but they let you order off their site). I was also haunting Eden Bridals 1366 which is only $278. I have my dress and it doesn’t look cheap at all. In fact a store in IL was selling it for $700. I was also haunting Unique Vintage before trying this one on.
Oops, sorry about the double post. Thought I caught it before it went. Guess not.
I stalked and stalked and stalked a dress online, then tried it on and…man, I knew bridal gowns were heavy, but I would have sunk right into the grass at my outdoor wedding with that thing.
And then I became one of those girls who buys a dress that’s the exact opposite of what she said she wanted. No lace, I said! Just try it, said the saleswoman! And of course it was perfect.
In pictures, I loved lace dresses, colored sashes, and more of a structured empire or a-line dress. Once I started trying stuff on, though, I realized lace didn’t always work as well on my shape in person. I ended up getting a Maggie Sottero that is ivory on top, a light gold/champagne on the skirt, and a far more dropped waist than I’d imagined. I looove it!
@Racheal: To be honest, I’m really looking forward to that one too. I’ve seen it around on some other brides around the internetz and well.. SWOON.
@Mrs. Dachshund: I’ve heard about Dolly Couture but I didn’t know they could be affordable! Thanks for the tip!
@Kippie: I think I’ll try on my fair share of long dresses too
@UCLAMeghan: GASP! The Natalia is gorgeous!!!! I’ve never ever heard of Watters or W2, is that weird? I’ve had a look at their website and they’ve got some gorgeous options. Thanks for opening the choices up for me! Man, I love Weddingbee!
@cassied: Holy cow! That website is amazing! So many choices, and you can limit your options to exactly what you are looking for and in the price range you want. That is perfect! Thank you so much!
@Emily: Sounds like you had a great experience at Unique Vintage! I’m so excited to check them out!
Yay! Short! Yay! Vintage! I went the custom route- but there are so many cute options for short dresses these days.
Many brides choose to have their wedding ceremony and even the wedding reception on the beach. A romantic destination, weddingdressforsale.org can be a great idea for the perfect wedding, a casual yet elegant wedding on the beach. So it’s not unusual for a couple to fly out to a tropical island paradise and recite their vows among the sand and surf with a stunning beach sunset as the background. So if you’ve consider weddingdressforsale.org having your wedding on the beach, you’ll also have to consider weddingdressforsale.org a beach wedding dress as your wedding dress.
Beach wedding dresses are considered less formal that the traditional ones, with full formal skirts and poufy headpieces. If you’re choosing a weddingdressforsale.org , it doesn’t mean that you won’t look classy or elegant. But you should be careful when you’re choosing the design so you can avoid being over the top.
Omg, that dress in the first photo from Unique Vintage is TO DIE FOR! And unique, indeed, your dress definitely wouldn’t be cookie-cutter. What a fabulous idea!
The more I learn about Japan, the more I think I would fit in way too well there, haha.
The only thing I knew is that I didn’t want a big poufy princess number, but a-line suits me well. I tried on a Christos ballgown with a $5K pricetag that made me swoon, but even though I don’t have the proportions for it, I loved sheaths, so I wore an amazing Reem Acra sheath, and I think I pulled it off amazingly thank you very much. I love your dress pics, but I think you really need to try dresses on -you’d be surprised what you like/what looks good.
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Mrs. Glasses, Tokyo/Los Angeles, CA Age and Occupation: 24, English teacher Fiance's Age and Occupation: 27, English teacher Engagement Date: September 2008 Wedding Date: October 2010 Venue: Parents' backyard About Me: I’m an expat living in Tokyo. I’ve been in Japan for almost three years now, where I met my fantastic English fiance. It’s time to leave Japan, so we are planning a fun, intimate, backyard ceremony back home in the suburbs of L.A. in October. Our wedding will be a mix of my love for food, beer, my Japanese culture, and Mr. G’s Englishness. We are on a tiny budget and DIYing almost everything!
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