The Dress

I purchased this gown in January 2017 at Vera Wang in NYC.  The retail price before tax was $9,395 (totaling $10,320 including the veil and sashes - see below).  For sizing purposes, I am between street-size 2-4.  I am 5’6” and wore 4 inch heels for the wedding.  The hemline of the gown is full, unaltered length (and quite forgiving due to the uneven edge) so it should easily fit anyone under 5’11” including heels.  This gown is truly the most beautiful garment I have ever worn and I would love for someone else to be able to wear it.  I tried on dresses at over a dozen of NYC’s most reputable bridal houses and the Fawn stopped me in my tracks.   Vera Wang is truly in a league of her own in terms of craftsmanship, and the level of detail and quality of fabric in the Fawn are unmatched.

I purchased two Vera Wang ribbon sashes (prices below) but then was lucky enough to have Vera make me a custom organza sash, which I wore for the wedding.  I wore it in the signature one-loop “Vera bow,” but it is long enough to be tied in a traditional two-loop bow if you would prefer.  For my veil, I wore the fingertip-length Vera Wang Veil Rect with rounded edges.  As with all Vera Wang materials, the quality of the fabric is truly unmatched, it is soft and simply floats around you unlike any other veil that I tried on.  If you are interested in these accessories, just let me know, they have all been preserved along with the dress.  I also have the Vera Wang embroidered hanging garment bags for the dress and veil which you can have (and are perfect for transporting the dress to your wedding).

- Vera Wang Veil Rect, fingertip length with rounded edges, including comb (purchased for $375)

- Custom Vera Wang Organza Tri-Pleat Sash (purchased for $350)

- Vera Wang 2" Ribbon Sash, unworn (purchased for $300)

- Vera Wang 1.5" Ribbon Sash, unworn (purchased for $275)

The gown and accessories have been professionally cleaned by J. Scheer & Co., the premier bridal gown cleaner and preserver recommended by Vera Wang

From Very Wang: Everything about Fawn is so soft and so delicate it’s almost floating.  Fawn is a gown with a clearly luxurious sensibility, but you can see there’s also a youthfulness to it that’s so classically feminine, even girly.  I always love when a crumbcatcher frames the bride’s body at just the right degree.  With this gown I’ve used multiple layers of organza to create a delicacy that suggests the romance and the fragility of a ballerina. Fawn stands out in the collection as perhaps the most delicate, the most girlish of all.  It’s a fantasy of lightness and beautiful texture that’s so traditional, but I’ve added cascading layers of Chantilly lace applique flow that into textures like blossoms over the organza, which gives the gown an updated sophistication that’s modern and intriguing.  I’m always very concerned with the exit a bride will make. She should look just as beautiful for the attendees as on her entrance, and in this gown the lace blossom presents a gorgeous vision as delicate as falling snow. With Fawn, the lightness, fragility and delicacy of my Spring collection reaches its peak in this reinvention of a timeless ivory gown.

Alterations

All alterations were done at Vera Wang in NYC.  The gown fit me unusually well as constructed (my Vera Wang seamstress joked that she almost had no job with me) so very minimal fit alterations were needed.  The bust was taken in slightly (to 33.5 inches) and subtle push-up cups were added.  The waist, hips and length were not altered.  As stylistic alterations, I had the "love knots" on the back removed (I kept these) and one layer of crinoline was added under the skirt for a little extra fullness.  In my opinion, these alterations highlight the flattering lines and gorgeous lace and layered organza (my seamstress admitted that she preferred the gown styled this way) but these are easily reversible if you so choose.  A standard three-point bustle was added (see photos), which is quite secure and makes dancing a breeze.