wedding wednesday: the dress

i have a confession to make. i didn't try on a single dress when shopping for a wedding dress. not a one. unfortunately for my mother, there were no traditional mother-daughter trips to bridal salons. we never set foot in one during the entire planning phase.  the reason for this would be the gorgeous reem acra dress you see the lovely olivia wilde wearing below. the day she wore this dress to the 2008 emmys was the day i found my wedding dress. i didn't even know husband at the time, but i knew that whoever that man was would see me in this dress. i know this sounds like crazy talk, and it is. especially if you know me. i am not the girl that has been planning her wedding since the ripe old age of five.

there was however, a small problem. this dress cost about 5,000 dollars more than what i would have liked it to.  i was unwilling to spend that kind of dough. my solution...find a dress that has the same look and feel with a reasonable price tag. my route...the good ol internet. i scoured dress sites for days and finally, with great luck found an option at light in the box. the kicker is that this dress cost only 150 smackers. a deal you can't pass up, if you ask me. 

i snatched it up and a week later the dress arrived. i was shocked upon its arrival. the dress was of great quality and fit me like a glove, as they say. the only thing was that the sleeves left much to be desired. a plan was devised and it included a sleeve redo. i took off all of the beads on the sleeves and was left with mesh cap sleeves. my task was to recreate a similar beaded look from the original reem acra dress. i bought supplies and my beading adventure began.

i have to admit, this task was quite the undertaking. i spent many a day and night on the couch pricking fingers and cursing myself for taking on this challenge. in the end, i probably spent well over 80 hours rebeading the sleeves of my dress. when the last bead was sewn, it was as if i had climbed mt. everest. to say i was relieved would be the world's greatest understatement. i was elated to be done. i had my dress and it was even more special because i put my sweat and tears into it.

other than the fact that i am a crazy person, you can maybe take a little something from this. your dress is out there and it just might not be in that bridal salon. through my search, i have found amazing dresses at antique stores, on etsy, and in countries you wouldn't come to expect. don't be afraid to put on your diy cap and have at it. you might surprise yourself.

happy hunting all you brides to be.

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