The Dress

This dress is like nothing else I’ve ever seen at any wedding I’ve been to. I loved it from the moment I saw it - it is SO sparkly and catches the light in the most beautiful way. I’ve tried to add some photos which show it sparkling but there really is nothing like seeing it in real life! It’s understated but really elegant and I swished and sparkled around in it all day - on both wedding days I had this year!

The colour is called ‘champagne’ - this is the colour of the underskirt, and the fabric over the top is a sheer fabric which has thousands of beads hand-sewn onto it which is why it’s so sparkly. The sleeves are long and fitted, and it’s backless down to the waist with an easy zip fastening on the skirt. It was so easy and comfortable to wear all day (twice!) and I would love for it to go to a good home and get another outing.

The underskirt is a thick jersey-style fabric which is so comfortable and flattering to wear, and the bodice has just some really light boning which you can’t feel at all, meaning I was able to eat my whole wedding breakfast without feeling restricted and uncomfortable. It’s quite heavy due to all the beading, but feels so beautiful to wear.

It’s in really really good condition, was dry cleaned and fixed up by Terrington Burchett immediately after both times I wore it (highly recommend them, they did an amazing job) and is now stored in a dress bag in a box. I received it back from them just last week.

In terms of sizing - I am a size 12 on top and 14 on bottom, with big hips, a tummy, and a smaller waist. The dress could definitely handle someone with bigger boobs than me (I am 34D), and has plenty of room at the bottom, but the waist is definitely pulled in.

Alterations

1. The sleeves have been tightened as they were quite loose, and shortened as they were too long so they now sit just above the wrist.

2. The bodice has been shortened so it sits on the waist, it was a bit too long for me, and some very soft boning has been added to give it a little structure but I was adamant not to have stiff uncomfortable boning, so you can’t feel it at all.

3. A tie has been added to the shoulders which is made from fabric leftover from the hem. I found that where the dress is backless and also a v-neck at the front, the shoulders kept falling down and I needed the support of a tie which can be seen in the photos.

4. A small strip of fabric from the hem has been added across the V of the V-neck bust area. I found due to the dress being backless I couldn’t wear a supportive-enough bra to feel comfortable with the deep V-neck, so we added a small strip of fabric here which could easily be removed if not needed.

5. A few inches were removed from the hem to make it the right length for me - I am 5’6” and wore 3” heels.