The Dress

I never knew I could fall in love with an article of clothing like I fell in love with this dress! The color is considered "Ivory/Champagne" from Mori Lee and the two tone is absolutely stunning. It has a beaded bodice with a sheer upper half. The bottom half of the dress is made with elegant horsehair which adds to the fairy tale look. I was worried about the movement constrictions of a trumpet/mermaid style gown, but I was able to wear it the entire evening (2:30pm - 10pm) without feeling uncomfortable. The beaded, dual spaghetti straps have a fabric appliqué on them as well which alleviated the pressure I would normally feel from such thin straps holding up a heavy gown. The fabric does not have much to any stretch, so sitting down in a chair was the only semi challenge. However, there is an easy workaround by pulling the gown up a couple inches at the hips before sitting and the problem is solved.
This dress was only worn for the wedding day in an outside venue. It has been professionally dry cleaned and is in like new condition! The most noticeable wear is at the bottom of the dress to the fabric only visible on the inside (from walking on gravel and a garden with soil). The dry cleaning removed most of the discoloration and it really is in great condition.

Alterations

My seamstress added a bustle to the dress so after the ceremony the beautiful trail doesn't drag along the ground. The straps were shortened to provide better support. Since the top half of the bodice is sheer additional fabric was added to the cups outer sides for more coverage. Also to note, I bought this dress through a boutique. They ordered the gown from the designer and had it was shipped back to the store I bought it. After it arrived from the designer, and I had my tailor look it over, she noticed that the designer's tag was removed and replaced with a tag from the boutique, "Samillas". However, this dress is 100% an authentic Mori Lee Marciela gown.