Weddingbee Blog

One of the bajillion websites I oh-so-freely gave my email address to when I first got engaged was Project Wedding (and WeddingWire and The Knot and David’s Bridal, blahblahblah). So, ever since “365 Days Until the Big Day,” I’ve been getting their titled-as-such daily emails—99% of which never applied to me, in large part because I already did them or they just weren’t in my realm of thought. The earlier emails talked a lot about things like Wedding Boot Camp (aw hell no) and Top Wedding Tunes (none of the songs were really my cup of tea) and Unique Ideas for Your Engagement Party (which would have been helpful if we’d had an engagement party). Into the trash they went.

I can’t knock it too much, though, because lately? Lately it’s been lots of helpful and interesting things, like: Get Your Marriage License (check!), Do A Vendor Check In (check!), Top Ten 80s Songs (because the ’80s were the best, obvi), Create Your Own Ceremony Programs (check!), Changing Your Name – Here’s What to Expect (don’t even want to think about it), and—ready for it?—Don’t Forget Your Dress!

Alas, surprisingly enough, this isn’t actually a post about Project Wedding and all of its email goodness. This is a post about the latter subject—the dress. The article mentioned above talks a lot about making sure you get your alterations done, bringing things to the wedding in case your dress needs an emergency fix of some kind, and remembering to accessorize. All of this is well and good, but I just thought it was extra awesome and appropriate at this moment in time because of what I just picked up the other day.

Oh, hello there!

Now, I’ve technically had my dress in my possession since last October, since it was cheaper to have it shipped to Maryland from New York and get alterations done down here than it was to purchase and have alterations done up there. Blame it on lovely New York state taxes and up-charges.

Once I initially had my dress, however, I had to wait (semi) patiently until April to start the alterations process. I eventually ended up taking it to a local seamstress by the name of Estee, thanks to some recommendations from both friends and the ’bee. I have to boast and brag about her for just a hot minute, though, because the woman is simply amazing. She works out of her home, which in turn keeps prices low (we’re talking under $200 for taking in the dress, significant hemming, creating a bustle, and adding what she dubs a “lingerie strap”). I saw her a total of three times, and was able to pick up my dress at the third fitting, just this past Monday. The dress went from somewhat of a hot mess that was too long and terribly unsupportive to one that fits me like a glove—thus, having me fall in love with it all over again. Now I just can’t gain or lose an ounce for the next three weeks. #nopressure

I also have to give some credit as to how the dress fits to my undergarment selection. The process of finding a bra that would properly support me yet still dip low enough for both the very low sweetheart neckline and very low dipping back was a lengthy and anxiety-inducing one. I’ll be honest with you, here: even though the top of my dress has some supportive boning, there was no way in Hades that I could get away without wearing some sort of bra. The tatas just…need some support. Whatever, it’s what I was born with. Sewn in cups won’t do, those silly little sticky cutlet things are a joke, and a backless bra is almost just as laughable. My girls need some help and some oomph. My only real option was some sort of dippy longline bra.

I scoured almost every store and every website I could think of. A close contender was this little number from Victoria’s Secret.

Victoria’s Secret Back Off Baby Low-back Bustier

Would you believe me if I told you that it didn’t dip low enough on either the front or the back? Because it didn’t.

My last resort was Amazon. I didn’t want to go this route because it’s all a crapshoot – I could potentially spend a ton of money on several different bras and wait days to get them, only to have to return them all in the end.

However, this story does indeed have a happy ending! I eventually made myself go on Amazon, and wouldn’t you know it: I saw, I bought, and I conquered. I got one of the few bras that looked like it not only dipped low enough, but had enough support for the girls.

Carnival Women’s Invisible Plunge Longline – 206

No, it’s not the sexiest thing in the world, but I’m counting on the fact that Foxy will be too tipsy to really care. Especially since I also intend on taping and gluing the shiz out of myself to the both the bra and the dress. That thing isn’t budging at all.

Yes, that is toupee tape on the left. It’s the poo.

And yes, I will probably be trying on my dress every time Foxy leaves the house for the next few weeks until the wedding.

How far out from the wedding did you take your wedding dress home? What did you do about the undergarment situation?