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You know what sucks? Being a person who loves it all. Seeing random things here and there that you desperately try to interject into your theme, decorations, life. Changing your mind 5,000 times about wedding projects because you find new, pretty, shiny things to be obsessed with.
But the one thing I never doubted? My dress. Let’s gaze at a photo for old times’ sake, OK?
Sigh. I’m still crazy for it, but it just won’t work. You see, something much more important just came into the mix…
One of my grandma’s necklaces. (I’ll share pictures later, because OH HONEY!, it deserves a post all its own.)
Now let me just tell you that my grandma has the most killer jewelry collection known to man, and she’s given me oodles of it because I’ve loved it since I was a wild-haired littlething. And oh boy, do I wear it on a never-take-it-off basis. And the antique necklace she’s going to loan me for the wedding? It’s HUGE. Ginormous, in fact. It’s unique and gorgeous and perfect, just like my grams. Can you tell she’s my favorite relative ever?
But let’s put the brakes on all this sappy talk right now: That flower strap you see up there in the dress picture? It won’t work with the necklace, because it would just be blindness-inducing accessory overkill. And if I wanted to wear some sort of giant hair accessory (that I may or may not have already made…), it would look absurd and Mr. Jam would cry for more reasons than his newly acquired marital bliss.
And so, just a few months out from the love-fest shindig, I’m back to dress-hunting. Square one, in fact, because this post is kick-starting the hunt and I’ll probably spend the entire night searching online. Because you know what? It’s SO much more important to me to rock a sentimental necklace than wear my dream dress.
I can only hope I will find as insane of a deal as I did the first time, sheesh.
OK, hive, spill your guts: Did you change your dress just so you could wear a different accessory? Were you guilty of–gasp!–accessory overkill? Were you feeling sort of MEH about the dress, but YAY about your jewelry?
Do what makes you happy. Sentiment definitely rules, and I think wearing your grandmother’s necklace is an awesome idea! And just an idea, if you kept the original dress- it could be shortened for a rockin’ rehearsal dress or reception dress. Just a thought.
OK…I totally get the accessory love. I have 3 viels, 3 necklaces, 2 pair of earings. I feel ya. But couldn’t you just have the strap removed from your dream dress? then you have lovely expanse of shoulders for lovely necklace? but 2 dresses is cool to
Good luck hon! I couldn’t imagine having to do the dress shopping things again.
I’m the opposite! I love my dress SO much I don’t want to wear annnny jewelry with it! I say go with the family necklace and just get a new dress…or modify the one you own!
I think I would look into removing the strap from the original dress too. I think it would look lovely as a strapless dress and then you’d get to wear both!
sentimentality is so important on your wedding day, I say find a new dress and take HokieBride11’s advice and shorten the one you have for a rehearsal dinner, bachelorette or to take off on your honeymoon in!
I absolutly feel you. My grams has (had) the most awesome jewlery collection ever!! Two HUGE jewlery boxes full. Many of the items belonged to her mother. AWESOME. I asked her a few months back if I could borrow something and she was all on board. But then she suddenly passed away. Anyway, I’m definitely wearing her jewlery and would absolutly have changed my dress in a heartbeat if it didn’t blend well. I agree with the previous poster about possibly turning that awesome dress of yours into a rehersal dress and scoping out a new dress that will compliment your grandma’s necklace.
@Brooke Aiello: OOPS! Forgot to mention that I look redonkulous in strapless dresses; I’m the girl who won’t ever stop hiking them up and being self-conscious. It’s unfortunate 
I wish it were that easy!
WOW that dress is so beautiful! However…that being said - if you love that necklace, I’m sure you’ll find the perfect dress to compliment it!! 
I agree with you - sentiment is important. My mother gave me 2 strands of my grandmother’s pearls…now granted, they were only COSTUME jewelry (aka fake pearls) but they belonged to my grandmother…and I SO wanted them to be a part of my ensamble…since I’d already bought my pearls for my wedding day - I ended up using them inside my boquet! (which were composed of silk flowers, so I still have my boquet, grandma’s pearls and a charm on the boquet consisting of both sets of grandparent’s wedding pics - my great aunt and uncle and my parent’s wedding pics.)
can’t wait to see the necklace post!
@xtatic1: OMG. Alter for rehearsal dinner, bachelorette or honeymoon attire? I LOVE THIS, and I would still get to wear the dress I heart so much! 
i say- choose the necklace. or buy a second party dress to go with the necklace.
i’m buying my dress (and probably basing the style of the wedding) around this amazing swarovski choker/necklace my parents bought 3 years ago
why don’t you rock your already purchased dress for the ceremony, and then get another one for the reception? that way you can have the best of both worlds.
the dress will have it’s moment, and then at the reception (which face it, is A LOT longer than the ceremony) you can rock the family jewels!
Oh, yay! I’m not alone in this!!
My mother had this vintage blue topaz necklace strung on a strand of pearls. It had matching earrings. When I was small, I always thought she was so beautiful and glamorous when she wore it.
Fast-forward to my adulthood - shortly after I graduated college, my parents sold their farmhouse and moved to a more modest home in a neighborhood. I was helping pack, and musingly mentioned the necklace that I loved.
My mother gave it to me, right then and there. Not for a special occasion, but just because I loved the necklace and she loved me.
So, I’m wearing that necklace for my wedding. It’s my something old and my something blue. My entire dress search will be based around finding something that works with the necklace.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one!
If you don’t want to do strapless, do you have any other options for altering that dress? Could you do some sort of off-the-shoulder sleeve modification?
http://www.projectwedding.com/photo/browse?tag=dress+%22off+the+shoulder%22
Spaghetti straps, even?
@Chocolatte: I briefly considered this, and you know what? It sounds even BETTER when you say it! Definitely tossing this idea into the mix
@lasaire: Lady, you gave me GOOSEBUMPS! Absolute, 100 percent, goosebumps. That is so sweet and special! You’re going to find the perfect dress to go with your perfect necklace…I hope you share pics when you wear it all together! (And PS: My necklace will be my something old & something blue, too!)
@SuperBrook: I’m so sorry to hear about your grandma, but I love how special your jewelry will be & the sentiment behind it all. It will be a perfect way to honor her on the big day. Are you basing your dress selection on the jewelry you’re going to wear?
Would you still like the dress if the flower strap were removed? I read your first dress post, and if not, at least you could probably resell the dress for exactly what you paid My dress is somewhat similar (Maggie Sottero rd1044), and my mom’s been trying to talk me into a pearl necklace (NOT a family hierloom), but it’s just not gonna happen! Good luck
good luck!! i can’t wait to see the post about this necklace, it sounds AMAZING.
i’m also curious like the PP, would you consider removing the flower strap and attaching it to a belt so the flowers are in the back? the dress is so pretty and ethereal, i think it could work!
What if you did a second dress that you could wear the necklace with for the ceremony or reception. That way everyone wins? May something short and strapless for reception paired with necklace? Fabo!
I’m really excited to see the necklace now. Your dress is so beautiful!
is there a reason you can’t take the big flower strappy part off of the dress?
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Mrs. Jam, Chicago Age and Occupation: 25, Writer/Associate Wedding Coordinator Fiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Structural Engineer Engagement Date: December 23, 2009 Wedding Date: June 2011 Venue: Hunter’s Ridge, Princeton, IL About Me: I’m a penny-pinching cat lady getting ready to marry the frugal dog lover of my dreams. Our ideal Saturday morning includes rummaging around people’s junk at garage and estate sales followed by an afternoon date to our favorite café, where we only eat sandwiches that include the word “salad.” We actually love it so much, it’s sort of our unofficial wedding theme: Look at our delicious finds, eat homemade ham salad, and celebrate our love…barndance style. When we’re not obsessing over our love-fest shindig, we’re planning themed parties for our best friends and jamming to '90s music.
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