The Dress

This dress was designed by combining 2 dresses into 1. I used the top of the 'Alyssa" dress and paired it with the "Victoria" skirt. The top of the dress (both front and back) is covered in a vine like beading which also flows down onto the top of the skirt section of the dress. Both dresses are a part of the Bella Bridal Australia range.

The bottom of the dress has 1 layer of tulle over the top only, the rest is a strong quality fabric (sorry I don't know the name of it). There is a thin belt attached which can easily be detached if wanted (simply held on by few single stitches) which I also had beading added to. The front v and also the v's under the arms have a skin coloured mesh in place to provide slight coverage however keep the illusion of skin in a classy way.

I am a size 12DD bra and a standard size 12, with a slightly broader back. The dress was ordered in a size 14 to ensure enough space around my waist however the following alterations were made to the original dress:

- shoulders of the dress were lifted at the front to help lift up cup area
- boning was inserted to the outside of the cup area on both sides to help support boobs and help create a better shape
- the top was taken in under both cups to create a more 'cupped' look to again, help support boobs and create a better shape
- the waist was brought down slightly on the back of the dress
- a bustle was added to the back (for both the under layer and also the tulle layer on top)

I have a slightly longer torso so the waist band sits just under my ribs and above my belly button. I am about 167cm tall and I wore heels that were 10.5cm. The dress was hemmed to reach the floor when I had my heels on.

The photo of the under layer is to show it is completely clean. I got married in December 2022 and the dress was professionally dry cleaned and boxed in January 2023.

I felt absolutely amazing in my dress on my wedding day! I was always worried about how my stomach would look in a fitted dress and this style made me feel totally at ease and so much more comfortable on my wedding day, knowing I wasn't going to have to worry about any bumps appearing my in photos. I was also able to eat and drink to my heart's content on my wedding day!

The top of the dress is VERY supportive for your boobs. I felt so secure in the dress, even when I was dancing my heart out during the night. I never had to worry about 1 thing all day/night with my dress! The only reason I am selling my dress is because I hope someone else is able to feel as amazing as I did in my dress on their special day who may not be able to afford the full price.

My dress was $3,500 + $900 in alterations = $4400 in total.

Alterations

- shoulders of the dress were lifted at the front to help lift up cup area
- boning was inserted to the outside of the cup area on both sides to help support boobs and help create a better shape
- the top was taken in under both cups to create a more 'cupped' look to again, help support boobs and create a better shape
- the waist was brought down slightly on the back of the dress
- a bustle was added to the back (for both the under layer and also the tulle layer on top)