Bridesmaid Hell

[MareQ]

just curious, did you have fishnet stockings too?
stunning

Nope - all that was missing were fishnets and my fruit hat...

 

[mvazul]

Hmmmm....

I also have a cousin who is getting married in about 6 weeks. She also lives in NY and I think her colors are also lavendar. She just had her shower a couple weeks ago. Could we be related to the same cousin???

I didn't go to the shower, but my sister did. She said the bride received an entire bathroom set of shamrock themed items. She also said there were at least 65 people there and it lasted over 4 hours with most of it just to open gifts!!!

Good luck with your dress situation. I hope it all turns out well!

 

[PhotobearSam]

I so did not want to be that BRIDE.

I bought 3 complimenting materials and my 3 bridesmaids picked their own style. The colour was a frosty Blue/Slate and they loved it. Each of them had someone in their family (Mom, MIL, Cousin) that could make their dress and the most it cost them was $50. They wore their own shoes and thankfully they all had similar tastes. One of them had a lot of formal jewelery as she sings at weddings so they shared. My mom paid for the hairstylist and make-up artist for the wedding day.

We had a blast, everyone was happy and 4 people wanted to know what store we used for dresses... We must have looked good.

I designed my own invitations, flowers, hall and dress for me and my 2 nieces also. It was classy, comfortable and inexpensive. It was so much fun.

I never would have made it that they needed to spend $1500, that is 2 months mortage on my house(I know, not much left to pay )

I hope all works out and I can send you lighter fluid for that dress as soon as it is over.

 

[froglady]

The bridesmaids at the last couple of weddings I attended wore two piece gowns in the same color, but with different top styles. That way, no one had to wear a strapless or revealing top if she didn't want to do so. I chose one in ivory for my vow renewal last year.

I was never comfortable wearing a strapless top, even when I was only 18 and a size 3. I was always afraid it would slip, and strapless bras were either uncomfortable (I was almost a D cup at 100 lbs) or they flattened things.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

are we suppose to laugh AT you or WITH you?

Seriously, I am so very sorry. When I got married, I told all of my bridesmaids "Being a bridesmaid will not cost you anything for your clothes."

I paid for all of their dresses and shoes and hose and earrings......

It was great. I felt good that they did not have to spend $1500 and we all sat down and looked at dresses together. I had a wide assortment of body shapes and we got something that everyone agreed they WOULD wear again. I told them if you won't wear this dress again, let's keep looking. I know all too well how it feels to spend so much money on a dress that hangs in the closet for years!

 

[Mickey527]

I know how you feel, I had a dress meant for halloween. My SIL made us wear kelly green satin with lace on top. It came to the knee in front and tea length in back. It had a low cut neckline and NO back. Her sisters are size 1 and 3. I wore size 16. Back before the mastectomy those puppies were 40D. And they had no holster!
I made all the girls dresses for my wedding. They cost about $15 each. I know the girls liked them because they all wore them again for other functions. My entire dress, veil and train cost me $34. That was in 1974.
Can you see if the seamstress can sew on those clear plastic straps so even though the dress is strapless you have them to hold it up? I have seen some dresses with them and they are almost invisible.

 

[mrsltg]

Thank you all for your support and funny stories! It's nice to know most of us have been abused at some point in our lives by a bride (we need a Bridezilla smilie!!!)

As far as the invisible straps - I'd put money down that my cousin would have a flaming fit if I did that. Instead I will get the bra sewn into the dress so it's all one piece - it should help.

I am seriously considering carrying beer steins instead of flowers - then I can be the St. Paulie's girl!!!

 

[meandtheguys2]

I am seriously considering carrying beer steins instead of flowers - then I can be the St. Paulie's girl!!!

Double dog dare you... A lovely sport, a good cousin, and a sense of humor to boot

 

[momof3disneyholics]

At least you don't have a BUTT BOW on top of the bustle...or do you?

OMG I was just thinking that!

 

[pyrxtc]

here's a website for all of you..........

http://www.etiquettehell.com/content/eh_misc/misc/dressincinerator.shtml

browse the site, you'll find it very interesting.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

DD (in my signature who will be 21 next month) is going to be in her cousin's wedding in October.

(She and her brother both play in their college marching band and DH and I have season tickets. Of course the wedding in the day of a home football game so the kids have to make up for the missed performance and we lose our tickets.) But I disgress.

Her dress is lavender and strapless, and she doesn't wear strapless but I guess will learn. I too am paying extra for the bra cups to be sewn in. The bride wants everyone to have their hair "Professionally" done. I asked what syle, and she didn't know but it had to be "professionally" done to the tune of $70 at her stylist. As the parent of 2 college students, we don't have this kind of $$ laying around. And she wants her make up done. To this we said NO. DD's light coloring would make her look like a "hooker" (her words) with make up on. Can't wait to hear the word on the shoes. And DD misses the fitting with all the other bridesmaid because it is the one Saturday this spring when she has 2 band performances at school that she can't miss. So she was fitted on her spring break. We just kind of do as we are told to maintain family peace.

 

[Regina]

You brought back the suppressed memory of a lavender bridesmaid gown with puffy sleeves, empire waist, ruffled hem and a Scarlett O'Hara picture hat that didn't fit my big head.

To this day my sister still loves the flowered bridesmaid dresses she made us wear. We looked like bedspreads.

My fave bride is the coworker who's bridesmaids had tea length dresses. She not only insisted on matching shoes, they also had to use the same nailpolish. Well, one of her girls had the misfortune of breaking her big toe. She wanted her to paint a fake toenail on the bandage with the polish.

If your wedding is in Dutchess County, let me know. I'd be tempted to stop at the church to see these lovely lavender frocks.

 

[pennst8r]

The last wedding I was in, we had floor length, seafoam green, very poofy dresses. In June. In a church with no air conditioning.

My friend and I could only take so much, so we went into a side room, ripped out most of the tulle (? the stuff making it poofy!) and stuffed it behind a desk. We were much cooler, altho I'm sure the bride wondered why our dresses were flat.

I don't even know if we ever told her....I think I'll go email her now.

 

[mrsltg]

If your wedding is in Dutchess County, let me know. I'd be tempted to stop at the church to see these lovely lavender frocks.

Oh, to bad!!! It's in Nassau but one of the bridesmaids lives in Duchess (Poughkeepsie.) I can give you her address and you can swing by and take a look!!!

 

[freakylick]

Eek no comments from my post so i guess my girls dresses were horrible.
Renee

 

[FINFAN]

I just read the op first post ( not the whole thread so forgive me) but the first image that popped into my head is the candy easter eggs that you look in, y'know, they are hollow and there is a little frosing scene or animal inthe middle? They are all sugary andusually pink, yellow, pastel purple, and have white icing trim...except for the bustle. Lordy lordy....perhaps you can paint your toenails a lovely shade to "compliment" your ensemble...which reminds me of this story.... I just had a flashback to a wedding DH was in, the girls were SO disgusted with the satin "shrimp" colored frocks they had to wear ( yes, the actual swatch name for the color was shrimp ) they nabbed the grooms shoes and painted "help me " on the bottom in white nail polish ( the bride requested they all wear white polish as to not clash with the shrimp color or her white bridal gown) anyway, when they knelt at the alter, there you go ...HELP ME staring at us all in the pews..OMG...it was freaking hilarious! The Maid of Honor tried pulling the brides dress over to cover the grooms shoes, which just made it even worse...it was serious pay back from the Bridal party...as the Groomsmen were not too happy wearing white tuxes with 'SHRIMP' shirts...DH looked like an ice cream truck driver. I was tickled pink, er shrimp, that I escaped being asked to stand up in the wedding. The bride was also from NY...is it a geographical thing? Glad you can keep a sense of humor about it all, you are really going to need it, and a few trips to the bar at the reception!
I would carry the beer stein, but I am afraid the bride might add crocheted matching gloves so the mug doesn't slip...you don't want to give her any MORE ideas!

Pam

 

[SandraVB79]

I need to know: what is a bustle?
And can we PLEASE get pictures? Not only of OP's dress, but from all the dresses talked about?

 

[debster812]

I need to know: what is a bustle?
And can we PLEASE get pictures? Not only of OP's dress, but from all the dresses talked about?

Sandra--let me try to explain:

These bridesmaid's dresses have a train on them much like a formal wedding gown. A bustle is something created by a seamstress that sort of 'tucks' up the train onto the back of the dress, so you are not forever tripping over the train. There are usually small thread loops sewn to the back of the dress, and small buttons on the inside seam of the dress, and the buttons go into the loops. Sadly, the bustle oftentimes just serves to make your butt HUGE.

Hopefully that helps, or someone else can explain better.

 

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

Oh, to bad!!! It's in Nassau but one of the bridesmaids lives in Duchess (Poughkeepsie.) I can give you her address and you can swing by and take a look!!!

In Nassau huh? Now you might have to give me a heads-up so I can swing by and take a look. I like lavendar and all but from what you describe...blech!
Oh and FINFAN: I was thinking of those easter eggs too!

And she wants her make up done. To this we said NO. DD's light coloring would make her look like a "hooker" (her words) with make up on.

She doesn't have to look like a "hooker". I too am very fair skinned, light blue eyes, and strawberry blonde hair. I know choosing makeup for us fair skinned women isn't easy, trust me. It took me awhile to figure out what looked good and what didn't. If any makeup counter is worth their weight in gold, they will know how to make her glow without going overboard.

 

[barkley]

when my best friend was married back in the 80's she made us bridesmaids wear these awful teal dresses with HUGE black roses printed on them. not just a rose blossom, the entire roses with long stems, leaves and thorns. the dresses were made out of that thin, textured polyester that was popular in disco type dresses of the era so if there was the slightest amount of static electricity in the air they stuck to and around your legs (knee length). sure enough it was a warm, dry day and our dresses just clung to us such that every curve and outline below the waist was clearly accentuated

i think the worst dress/color combo i ever saw was one in which the colors were orange and brown-and it was held in a church that had redone the entire flooring in hunter green carpeting. when the bridesmaids came up the aisle in these round poofy dresses with ruffles at the top and bottom, carrying bouquets made of mostly greenery and long curled ribbons you wanted to scream 'it's the great pumpkin charlie brown'