Wedding Dress Photos -- ONENITEDRIVE, DON'T LOOK HERE!

[Fate Flyer]

Finally, I took the time to upload the photos from my cell phone! Please note: All photos are kept at their original sizes, which are fairly large, so that you can better see the details of the dresses. However, they were all taken with my cell phone, so the quality isn't as wonderful as I would have liked.


Last weekend, my fiancé Tony/onenitedrive and I went back home (the Quad Cities area in Illinois) to do some more weddingish things. In addition to figuring out our bouquets, my maid of honor (Estefany) and I also went to David's Bridal to look at wedding dresses. I had absolutely no expectations whatsoever, in the sense that I didn't expect to buy a dress that day or to not buy a dress. (Mostly, I was just overjoyed to be spending time with my old best friend from high school that I hadn't seen in a long time! XD)

I tried on at least 8 or so dresses (though my crazy mother insists it was more like 15, but she was just being antsy and impatient, and in reality, it was no where near that amount lol). Prior to arriving at David's Bridal, I had gotten online on their website to try and find the dress that I had fallen in love with before, so that I could print it out to show them. I couldn't find it though for some reason, but I did find another beautiful dress that was similar.

So, once at David's Bridal, I first tried on the dress that I had printed out that morning. We'll call this dress the mermaid dress, since that's what it reminded me of. I really liked that dress a lot. Here are photos of it.

This is a full-body pic of me in the mermaid dress.
Here's a picture of the dress from the neck down.

A few dresses later, I still loved the first one most. However, after going through their catalog at the store, I just happened to come across the very dress that I had originally fallen in love with online (but couldn't find on their site that morning). I was really thrilled that I happened to find it, so I got to try that one on as well. Here are pictures of the first dress that I liked. We'll call it the sparkling dress, because of all the beaded accents on the top.

Here's a picture of the sparkling dress from the neck down.
This is a picture of me with a veil on while in the sparkling dress.

After trying on this dress, I no longer liked the first one as much, and I loved the sparkling dress, which was the one that I originally had liked on their website.

So then, I tried on a couple different veils, and we decided to go with just a medium-sized veil for me, since I thought it looked nicer than the super long one.

This is me in the sparkling dress wearing a veil.
Here's the top part of it.

Well, I tried on a few more, but I still really liked the sparkling dress. Then, the lady that was helping me (basically getting me into and out of all these dresses) said she knew of a dress that was, essentially, a combination of the two dresses that I liked. Intrigued, I humored her by trying it on. Low and behold, that dress was THE dress.

Here's a neck down shot of me in THE dress.
And here's another.
Here is what the back looks like.

Here is the dress from their website.
Here is the bridesmaids dress we went with in cornflower blue.

Everyone -- my mom, my maid of honor, and the ladies working there -- all said they liked this dress most on me. They also seemed to agree that it was the most flattering for me as well. Looking back at all the other dresses now, I feel the same way. So, this was it! This was the one. :]

I originally was just planning on getting the dress in white, but from the advice of others, I concluded that I did look awfully pale in a bright white dress. (I have a very porcelain-white skin tone.) The lady that was helping me recommended that I wear ivory, which is just a hint of a shade darker than white, and it's not really noticable that it isn't white, since it's not off-white. So, I tried on my dress in ivory, and it did make me look less washed out, and the color seemed to also go good with me hair color, in addition. Everyone seemed to really prefer the ivory, so that's what I went with! They actually had the right dress size for me in and it was in ivory, so my mom purchased it for me that day. We'll have to return in the beginning of next year though for alterations (since the dress is a bit too long, and I'm hoping I'll lose some weight by then too, so they may have to take it in), but we have that now, along with the veil, the slip and bra, and the shoes, which were all purchased there. I was so thrilled and excited! ^^

Something that I noticed though throughout all this, was that I really found myself liking almost every single dress I tried on. When it came to the end, I was really torn between the sparkling dress and the one I ultimately went with, and what really helped me to decide was the comments of others. I was happy with them all! I always heard though that when you find "the one," you'll just know it, and you'll fall in love immediately. I confessed this to my fiancé Tony, and he said something that really helped to explain this and was pretty true. He said that, unlike a lot of girls, I don't find myself getting overly attached to material things. I thought that was sweet of him, and it helped me to feel much better about it. :]

So, there you have it! What do you think of the dresses and, most importantly, the one I chose?

[Inerio]

3
You look so pretty in all of them Fate! :tear: Fate is all growed up. :c
The last dress looks AMAZING on you though.

[Mur]

FATE!! TT_TT
Oh, I wish I could be there in person, but my appearance would probably startle the guests in any case. *imagines self showing up all decrepit and in jeans and my biker boots*
No, a wedding is no place for a zombie. You look absolutely amazing, loff. You and onenitedrive are very lucky to have one another, and I hope you guys are happy now and forever.
Fifty cheers for the FOG mother,
And that FOG Father too~
...*coughcoughHACKcough* Yeah, no. I don't sing. T_T
I sang two lines for you though. That should be well enough. Congrats, nonetheless!
(That was a popular song everybody! Let's hear of it fifty times more!)
...*axin' it up*

[Mezrin]

What the hell, Fate? What's wrong with you? Or you stupid!? How could you not make ME the maid of honor?! I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS!

Oh, and Mermaid dress is best, imho.

[Sighlent]

I absolutely loved the dress you went with. As my wedding was more of a shot gun thing, I didn't get to do all of the things you're doing...

But I love your taste! I did get like a cream dress as me and Jimmy do plan on later having like a big full detail wedding (when we can actually afford it and hopefully once he's out of the Navy) as kinda of like a beginning to the third stage of our life together - and I want a white dress for that one. I'm so excited for you and Tony though it like makes me want to squeal like a little girl! Lol.

Where are you two getting married at?

[Fate Flyer]

Inerio -- Yay! ^_^ Aww. *tear* I's growed up fast. Hehe aw, thank you so much, hun! <3

Mur -- I got Mur to sing...a bit! Sweet. Thanks, my zombie friend! Thank you so much, as well, for the well wishes. :] I'll be sure to pass them along to onenitedrive (since he can't look in here lol).

Mezrin -- Hun, if you buy your bridesmaid dress and pay for shipping, you can dress up in it all you like and take pictures for us to see. Do you like the mermaid one? When it was between just the mermaid dress and the sparkling one, I actually preferred the original one I had loved online, which was the sparkling dress. Ah, different tastes!

Sighlent -- Do you? Thanks! Aww, I'm sorry that you didn't get to do this stuff yourself. :< *hugs* I'm sure your wedding was a beautiful day thought for the both of you.

Oh, and thank you so much! :] That's neat that you liked a cream dress as well. Having a big, fully wedding later on will be really cool! That's something neat to look forward to. ^^ But yeah, definitely will need to save up again for it and for a new dress. (Luckily, my parents are paying for everything, otherwise this unemployed student would be bawling in a sea of debt! XD) Lol aw, yay! *squeals with you* =D

We'll be getting married at a place near my parent's house called Lavender Crest. It's actually a winery, but they do a lot of weddings and receptions there, and so we'll not only be getting married there, but will also be there for the reception, so it works out, and we don't have to have everyone drive to a different location. :] Tony and I got to go there with my family and see it a little while back when we booked the date (July 17, 2010), and they have this beautiful gazebo outside, which we will be getting married under (weather permitting!).

So, were you nervous about anything for your wedding, Sighlent?

Mainly, I'm just concerned about the day going well. I want everyone to have a good time (and I wondering how my mom will affect the day, since she's pretty high strung, haha).

[Igraine]

Though all the dresses you chose are just lovely Fate, I definitely agree that the last, the one you went with, is the most stunning. I love the subtle folds and that less-than-ostentatious bit of beading on the front. The whole dress is as elegant and classy as it gets, and I cannot wait to see the pictures of you in it on your wedding day, make up and hair and all that done up. Stunning, I'll bet, without a doubt.

And let me just say - another class act? You didn't choose the gosh awful-est ugly brides maid dresses in the place. I give you HUGE props for making sure the women who walk with you down the aisle have something on they don't have to daydream about ditching and burning as soon as the reception is over. Those dresses are just gorgeous too, and so

[Fate Flyer]

Aw, thats so sweet. :] Thank you so much, Igraine. I also love those details that you pointed out. I can't wait for all the pictures too with my hair all done up and everything. I hope that Tony and I get some really romantic and great pictures together. ^^

Lol! My best friend was joking that she wanted the most horrible, puffy, hot pink bridesmaid dress to wear! I had looked online also at a few different bridesmaid dresses, and the one that we went with turned out the actually be the one that she liked most, and it was really beautifully flattering on her. ^_^ Lol thank you!

[Kalon Ordona II]

You aren't squealing right. On Gaia, the flowergirl teaches you how to squee.
So I have experience. I shall demonstrate. ^_^

SQUEEE!!!



All those dresses look great, but I also agree that the last one looks best on you. If I was a girl, it's probably the one I'd pick, out of those three in the pictures.
The sparkly bit at the top is better than the sparkly dress's setup, I think, because it's simpler and therefore makes a stronger statement, while at the same time blending well with the rest of the dress. Also, the foldy bits are better, as well, I would say, because there are more of them and it's consistent throughout the dress.

The mermaid dress is still cool, but it wouldn't be in the running next to the sparkly dress, and the sparkly dress definitely loses out to THE dress. So yay! Success!

[Fate Flyer]

Oh, oh, like this!?
SQUEEEEEEEEE!!!



Lol aw, I'm so happy that you also like the dress that I went with, Kalon. ^^ Thanks so much! You guys definitely made me feel even better about my choice! <3

[Sighlent]

It was definitely very emotional for the both of us. I can say that!

And I don't remember why but at the beginning we were both hysterically giggly. Like I remember I thought I was going to choke to death because I started laughing and just couldn't stop! Then our JP made us do this cutesy little hands thing! I actually still have the copy she gave us so I'm going to type it out below - this is when we started getting all teary eyed.


-----

The Hands Ceremony

Jimmy and Jennifer please face each other and take each other's hands, so that you may see the gift that they are to you.

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever.

These are the hands that will work along side yours as together you build your future.

These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch will comfort you like no other.

These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief temporarily comes your way.

These are the hands that will countless times wipe away the tears from your eyes: tears of sorrow and tears of joy.

These are the hands that tenderly hold your children.

These are the hands that will give you support and encouragement to chase down your dreams.

These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times.

These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.

These are the hands that will life your chin and brush your cheek as they raise your face to look into eyes that are filled with overwhelming love for you.

And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.

[Fate Flyer]

Lol that's so cute!

Aww, and I never even knew about or heard about the hand thing before, but taht's so beautiful!! I could definitely see getting teary eyed over that. Aw.

[Kalon Ordona II]

That's a very beautiful hands ceremony.
What Fate said.

Small weddings are nice.
Of course, larger weddings are nice, too.
Hmm, which would I prefer...?

I guess sort-of on the small side of medium-sized. Mostly close family and close friends.

[Silvan Arrow]

Wow, you look AMAZING in your wedding dress! The mermaid dress creates a lovely silhouette, but it doesn't have enough sparkle for my personal tastes (What can I say? I like shiny things XP). The sparkling dress is a close second, but the one you chose definitely tops them both. I like how the sparkling parts in your dress are more asymmetrical and artsy, and the subtle pleating on top is a lovely detail.

And I must agree with Igraine in congratulating you on your choice of bridesmaid dresses. The design and color are both stunning! Has anyone ever seen the movie 27 Dresses? My gosh, there are some freakishly ugly bridesmaid dresses in that one! I was my cousin's bridesmaid a long time ago, but I don't remember that the dress looked like. Apparently, my other cousin, who was also a bridesmaid, said it was so ugly that she literally went and burned it after the wedding. I don't think you'll have to worry about that with your bridesmaids.

But yeah, congratulations on the engagement, the wedding plans, and now on finding the right dress! Best of luck to you in the rest of the planning! I'm sure you and your guests will have an amazing time!

[Fate Flyer]

I definitely agree with you, Kalon, on wanting a small wedding. I really like the intimacy of a small wedding, and both my fiancé and I aren't too big into family gatherings for some reason, lol. One of the bad things about that though (which my mom is constantly telling me!) is that if you have a small wedding, then you won't get as many wedding gifts. (Since my parents are paying for everything, including our honeymoon, my mom is hoping that we'll receive enough money from our wedding to afford to move to a different state together, which we'll be doing right after we get married.) XD

Silvan -- You had just the right terminology that I couldn't recall. I do really love the asymmetrical look of the mid-section, along with the pleading, like you said. :] I'm so very thrilled that you love that dress too! ^_^ That really makes me all the more confident that Tony (my fiancé) will like it as well! I can't wait to see his face when he first sees me in my dress. (Since my mom decided we should take pictures before the wedding, so that everyone attending, especially the little kids, won't have to wait until 7:00 or 8:00 to eat dinner at the reception, because they'd have to wait after the wedding for pictures normally. I'm fine with that though, since we aren't superstitious or anything, and if we get to eat at a more reasonable time, then great! Lol.)

I've never seen 27 Dress, but it sounds bad! That's so sweet that you got to experience being a bridesmaid. Oh, man. Your other cousin actually burned their dress?? Lol, that had to be pretty bad! Thanks - I'm happy that the bridesmaid dress we chose is likable enough, hehe.

Thanks so much! I really appreciate it!

[Kathryn Lacey]

Aww! Fate! You're beautiful!

I'm not actually a fan of mermaid style dresses ((which is actually what the term is for dresses that hug the top and thighs and spread out a bunch at the knee and lower)), but you pull them off well. I don't actually like the sparkly dress on you. I think it takes away your curves and fills out your midsection too much.

I think the last dress is definitely the most flattering on you because it follows your natural curves without making them exaggerated or plump-looking. I think the beading on it actually reminds me of your beachy theme for some reason. It's definitely the best pick. The veil will also go nicely with it.

I like the bridesmaids dresses, too. They're definitely a great choice.

I have a suggestion. I don't know if you do or don't already know about this, but when you're in your dress for your wedding and pictures are being taken, be sure to stand at your full height, back straight, and shoulders back. It makes you look for confident, and it gives you a better figure. It can actually make you look thinner, too- not that you need that.

I just thought I'd let you know because in the pictures that were taken with your cell-phone, it didn't look like your shoulders were back in a couple of the pictures, and I wanted to make sure you'll have the best wedding photos you possibly can. I know if it was my wedding, I would definitely use the advice.

[Fate Flyer]

Aww, thank you so much, Kathryn!

I don't think I'm a huge fan of the mermaid dresses either. (I didn't realize that was really what they were called! :]) That's sweet though.

Really? I'm glad that the dress I picked somehow reminded you of the beach a bit. Thank you! I'm so happy that you like it.

Thanks for that suggestion! I was trying to stand a little like that for these pictures, but for some reason, when I stand with my shoulders back (my mom, growing up, would always remind me to stand that way xD) it doesn't look very much like I am. I remember one occasion where I was buying some clothes with my maid of honor Estefany, she was telling me to stand more that way, and when I did, she didn't think that I really was, so she came over to me and pushed on my back and pulled on my shoulders to try and position me right, but it just didn't look as elegant as it should have. :< I think it may have something to do with the mild scoliosis I have had since I was a child. My backbone is curved slightly. It's nothing major, since I never had to wear a back brace or anything (thank God!), but it might have misshapen me a little lol. I definitely will be keeping that suggestion in the front of my mind though! Thanks for the reminder. I need those a lot, in truth haha.

I definitely want to look my best for photos on the big day, so I really appreciate the advice. I probably wasn't trying my best either in some of those photos, so I'll need to not forget on our wedding day.

[Kathryn Lacey]

Aww. That sucks that you had mild scoliosis. That could definitely be part of why it doesn't always look like you're standing with your shoulders back. One way to tell if you're really standing with your shoulders back is by having someone feel if your shoulder blades are sticking out. If they are, you should probably hold them back more, but with the curve of your spine, it may be a lot more difficult to succeed.

[Fate Flyer]

Yeah, do you think? Sometimes, Tony says he can notice that my back seems different. (My mom is the one to constantly remind me of it though. "Jeanette! Don't you lift anything. Just tell them you have scoliosis!" "But mom, I'm fine." "Jeanette, you have scoliosis!" xD Tony and I laugh. It's not that big of a deal.) That's a good idea, to have someone feel my shoulder blades. I'll have Tony help me with that so I can determine how I should stand.

[Kathryn Lacey]

I'm sure it will help if you find out early in the game so you can practice standing straight with your shoulders back. The more practice you have, the easier it will be to accomplish it when you need it most- like for pictures.

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