Weddingbee Blog

(Alternate title: “The One Where I Get Sewn into My Dress”)

Once we finally finished all those pictures, the troops headed back to the Vandiver with about a half hour to spare before the ceremony. The boys went off to one room, while most of the ladies and I went back to the bridal suite for some last-minute touch-ups.

You know…like physically sewing me into my dress.

All photos by Exclamation Imagery unless otherwise noted

Things you should know: My dress had minimal boning in the front and had a zipped up back—there was no hidden corset to tighten or adjust. I also have a fairly small upper torso and waist, but some pretty large-and-in-charge hips. My one and only gripe about the dress since day one was that it had a tendency to “sink down” and rest on those big, ol’ child-bearing hips. Taking it in a few inches at my alterations appointments and wearing a (tissue and toupee-tape filled) corset bra definitely helped, but I was always still nervous about it—I even considered sewing thin spaghetti straps on to just prevent any possible issues.

Alas, I love the strapless look too much. So I had to make it work. And while the tissues and tape seemed to be doing the trick when I first put it on, the dress slowly but surely started sinking down immediately after our first look. I mean…the groomsmen even started placing bets on when it would just slip down entirely. True story.

Welp, thank goodness for Brideslady M—that’s really all I can say. Just as she tried to tape me into place a few hours earlier, she came to my rescue yet again with safety pins and a needle and thread just minutes before the ceremony!

The woman was a freaking miracle worker; I mean…she is a dance teacher and has to deal with costumes that don’t fit all. the. time…so this was like second nature for her. Granted I had no idea what she was actually doing to me back there, but I really didn’t care. I just needed that baby to stay up!

So while she pinned and pricked and sewed, I was loaded up with a few bites to eat and a few sips of our delicious signature cocktail, and I popped a Xanax (hey, sometimes you just need one).

Yeah. That’s an attractive face.

With all the last-minute touch-ups and frenzy going on, I totally didn’t even notice that my dear friend HK was creeping up on me (you can actually see her arm in the picture above!).

I was so thrilled to see her. Fun fact: she was actually originally going to be in the wedding party when we first started planning two-plus years ago, but had to drop out when a possible schedule conflict came up. There was a time when she wasn’t even sure she could make it to the wedding at all, so to have her not only there, but for her to sneak back for a minute before the ceremony, meant the world to me.

After a few hugs and well wishes, HK went back outside to grab a seat, Brideslady M was almost done with Operation: Sew Fox into Dress, and it was just about time for me to head out and get this whole wedding thing started! Breezy B gave me a quick once-over…

…and MOH Copper smelled my armpits and put more deodorant on me (no picture of that one, unfortunately). Now that’s friendship.

MOH Copper also apparently snuck out of the bridal suite a bit earlier in order to help the guys get their boutonnieres pinned on. (They didn’t have them on for pictures because the florist was worried about them staying fresh for the ceremony.)

Oh, boys. What would you do without this amazing lady to help you out?

I was so happy she was on top of this, because I honestly completely forgot that the flowers still needed to be divvied up and pinned on. I’m betting she was also responsible for making sure the parents all got their flowers, too…hooray for someone being on top of things!

Foxy Pops, getting his flower on!

Now that the boys were all flowered up, Foxy was smiling, I was practically glued to my dress, and the ladies had their bouquets and a fresh coat of lipstick, we were all just about ready to walk to down the aisle!

(Cue: heart beating at a million miles a minute.)

Miss a recap? Catch yourself up!

• It’s Wedding Week! – The week of the wedding started out pretty hectic, but we made it through (relatively) unscathed.
• We’re Cool People (who had to deal with a slight change of plans) – On Friday, we made our way to the venue, had a relatable moment on the radio, and learned about some last minute changes that we made an effort to take in stride.
• Practice Makes Perfect…And Crabs Don’t Hurt, Either – After most everyone was settled in on Friday evening, we had our rehearsal followed by the best dinner ever—a Maryland crab feast!
• Rise and Shine! – Wedding morning was soon upon us, and I woke up at the crack of dawn ready to get prettified.
• Pretty Women – Over the course of the next several hours, the girls and I hung out, got our hair and makeup done, had a photo shoot, and drank champagne.
• Dressing Up – Soon enough, it was time for me to slip into my dress!
• Dapper Dudes – At the same time, Foxy and his guys were ironing and getting into their suits—and Foxy was opening his wedding-day gift!
• The First of Many Looks – We had our first look, and both felt so much better after being able to see each other for the first time that day.
• A School Bus Photo Shoot – Our vehicle of choice for the day was a school bus, which we turned into a photo-op both inside and out!
• Smiles and Sun – The photos continued by the lighthouse and pier…with sunglasses and a few funny stories along the way.
• ALL the Family – We then met up with family at the lock house for even more pictures, and I started getting a bit antsy and having problems with my dress.
• And Then There’s Us – I kinda-sorta-maybe forgot all about couple and bridal pictures. Thank goodness for our amazing photog reminding us!