Help-- Wedding Dress

[Voyager]

I'm mostly a lurker here. Havent posted in quite a while. I am getting married in November and not sure what kind of dress/gown I should buy.

I'm 41 and this is a second marriage for me. My fiance wants to wear a tux. The wedding and reception is at a upscale resturant here in town. The wedding will be on a Friday evening.

Help! I dont know what to get. Some of the dresses (wedding) are too foo foo for a second wedding (my opinion only) and some of the gowns that I was looking at dont seem to be foo foo enough-- if that makes scence.

Does any one have any sites that they can share? Suggestions? Ideas?

Keeping with the topic of this board, we will be leaving for a cruise on the Voyager the following day. (I may actually change it to the Explorer so we can leave on a Sunday, giving us a day to recoup after the wedding).

I should also add that we live on the gulf coast of florida, so the weather will not be harsh at that time of year.

Help !

 

Happy sails to you until we meet again!

 

Sovereign Of the Seas 1994

Grandeur Of the Seas 1996

Voyager Of The Seas 2000

Majesty Of The Seas 2001

Enchantment Of The Seas 2001

Majesty Of The Seas 2002

Majesty Of The Seas 2003

Brilliance Of The Seas 2003

[Laura4cruise]

I'm guessing that a big, glittery ball gown is too frou-frou? But I'm not sure what's not frou-frou enough. Every bride has her own ideas about that sort of thing.

 

Off the top of my head, I know that Eden Bridals has informal bridal dresses (www.edenbridals.com) that are simple but have small amounts of beading or dramatic sleeves or something to make the dresses stand out a bit. But lots of designers have simpler styles. If you go to www.theknot.com you can look at a gazillion styles, if you haven't been to that site before. Also, you could try looking for bridesmaid dresses in white; there are lots of them that don't go too overboard but are very beautiful. Or have a dressmaker come up with something totally unique.

[lszu]

I think you can even have some bridesmaids gowns made in white if you find a style that you like. Not sure if that's true for all bridesmaids gowns, but worth asking.

 

 

Not sure if you have a David's Bridal down there - they are on-line too. They have a large selection.

 

lszu

Sovereign 7/99

Monarch 7/00

Vision 9/01

Voyager 9/02

Adventure 9/03

[mstewart]

Almost all wedding gown designers have a range of formal to informal dresses. Just look at the more informal ones. From what I've seen, dresses for second weddings tend to be shorter (tea length or knee length) and usually not pure white (off white, cream, or even a pretty color). Good luck!

 

First cruise on Serenade of the Seas, 5/30/04!

[seagulls]

I looked at some of the dresses on the above sites and I think they are just lovely. If it were me I would stay away from white and if I didn't want a color I would go for cream.

[pamyla]

Hi, congrats on your wedding! I just got married last summer and had a beach wedding. Have you checked out the site www.ultimatewedding.com? The boards there are wonderful. Make sure to check out the Destination wedding section, there are lots of people who get married on cruises.

 

I see someone already mentioned Eden Bridals, that's actually the designer I went with. They make gorgeous dresses, and I think there styles are a little less poofy. In case you're interested here's my dress -

http://www.edenbridals.com/product_info.php?products_id=104

 

As for the white vs. ivory dilemna, I think that all depends on your skin tone. I always thought I wanted white, until I realized that white made me look washed out. So, I ended up ordering my dress in ivory.

 

hth, Pam

[Laura4cruise]

Pamyla, your comment reminded me of when I was bridal-gown-shopping. Some of the samples I tried on were ivory and since I'm so pale (and live in Ohio), I almost matched the dress colors; some gowns were even darker than my skin! Looks great on a dark-skinned bride, but not on a really really white girl like me! I definitely had to wear white. I went with a Jim Hjelm gown; it was great, and I definitely recommend that designer.

 

I read that the rule for 2nd weddings is to not wear a veil and a long train, but white is okay to wear. I don't know who made that one up or why. I personally could care less, but some people worry about those things.

 

[This message was edited by Laura4cruise on 04-20-04 at 03:17 PM.]

 

[This message was edited by Laura4cruise on 04-20-04 at 03:20 PM.]

[zimmerjulie]

voyager,

looks like there are some good recommendations for websites here!

 

My recommendation would be that, no matter what other factors may want to influence your decision (convention, practicality, weather, frugality) do not settle for less than your dream dress. This day, above all others, should be your day to perfectly suit yourself. I love wedding dresses and wish I had been less practical when choosing mine! Can't do anything about it now except WARN OTHERS not to make the same mistake .

 

Good luck!

Julie

[tannise]

I used to be a wedding coordinator - so this is right up my alley!!

 

Since the groom will wear a tux - look for a long dress, simple, elegant - just no veil over the face.

 

Try The Knot, or Wedding Channel.com..

 

Both of these website allow you to search for a gown and use several criteria as filters - so you can look for the silhouette, length, type neckline, etc.

 

You're right - some designers go overboard with sequins, beading, lace and bows. Look for silk instead of satin or taffeta.

 

If you can't find a dress you like - search for a long skirted silk suit in white or ivory.

 

Hope those websites help - they have literally thousands of dresses to choose from. Best of luck!

[melissa76]

Hi,

 

I'm getting married on the Navigator this June,and I had the same problem. I wanted a wedding dress, but nothing too fancy. Mostly, I didn't want a train. I wound up going with Jessica McClintock. They have some fancy dresses and most have no train

 

Good Luck,

Melissa

[Mysteryreader]

I have a dear friend who was widowed at 29. She remarried two yrs later. She wore a white all-lace wedding dress, train bustled (wasn't an extra-long train so it didn't look overwhelming), and flowers in her hair. They had an informal (not casual) garden wedding. When she first showed me a picture of her gown, I thought it looked too formal for the occasion. I was wrong. It was absolutely perfect. The all-lace look was ideal--better than a smooth satin etc. would be. It was a contemporary style, but there was an Edwardian feel to the lace in the garden setting.

 

Best wishes. Remember: this is your wedding. If you want it, it can't be wrong.

[Happy ks]

On a Friday night, upscale restaurant, fiance in a tux, I would do a long, sexy gown. You have already done the sweet young bride thing. Color would not be so important to me, what you feel the best in would work.

 

Kathy