I found my dream wedding dress four months before the wedding. Time has a wonderful way of showing us what we’re meant for.
And if you didn’t know, it takes at least a minimum of 5-6 months to create, taylor and finish a couture gown, hence why the bride should give herself at least 9 -10 months allowance when it comes to selecting her dress. If you’re an ex-bride, you most likely smh-ed at this bridal misconduct.
I tried 5 dresses. It took one look to find the dress. I wanted something old but new. Something sexy but conservative. Something put together but messy. Something to reflect, me.
The second I tried her on, it was as if every stitch, every lace piece, each hem and knot were all waiting for me to arrive all these years. It felt so right. At that second, we took a moment. then a breath. Then smiled. We’ve arrived.
I made the decision to, unlike many brides, not have an entourage come with, during my dress selection and fittings. I had my maid of honor and one of my best friends come one at a time, limiting it to one guest. I felt that this helped me make the best and clearest of decisions without a clouded mind. A lot of the time, your judgement, even at its best, tends to get influenced when there are too many opinions in the room. The dress was such an important aspect of the wedding for me, that I decided to be completely and fully hands on, alone.
The element of surprise for everyone worked out since no one entirely knew how my dress looked. Not even my own mother.
I’ve spent countless years daydreaming about my wedding dress at an early age of 8 or so. I was so sure of a mermaid silhouette. Until I became a bride 20 years later and realized, my dream dress wasn’t meant to be a mermaid cut, but a fit and flare, created only by the best wedding couture brand in the industry: Galia Lahav.
Intricate Ivory Italian Lace and a cascading tulle silk skirt and train to match the sea foam on the shores, she created my dress to embody a victorian yet modern day shipwreck. The fitted lace bodice that hugged like a glove, ended right underneath my knees and the silk skirt flared to hug the ground I was to walk in, beneath that. Oh and shoes, there were no allowed. A lot the time women waste so much money on shoes that only get covered by their gorgeous dresses. My bridesmaids and I hand sewed Indian lace and made anklet as our accessory!
We opted for only two layers of tulle to create a light and less “put-together”, wrinkled look. Galia Lahav and I worked together to also customize the dress to be a 2-in-1 where I was able to clip off the tulle skirt just in time to party on the shores of Bali after the ceremony. It was pure genius. This way, I get to wear her again in the future. A lot brides would say it’s a no-no to wear a shorter second dress for the reception. I am not like a lot of the brides, I guess.
Galia Lahav surprised me with a custom made veil decorated with swarovski crystals to reflect against Bali’s sunsets and added in my initials using mother of pearls.
Finding your dress is almost like getting married to it. You are committing to this dress as this is the dress of all dresses you are about to wear. No pressure and I mean that whole heartedly. Because the second you find her, you truly do know, as they say. And trust me when I say this.