Suit, ring and dress down - It's all coming together with 34 days left!

It's all coming together, with 34 days and 3 hours to go (thanks to a countdown one of my brothers thought of).

Recently we went to Perth for a week, during this time we found a very nice suit and ring for Ricky, as with getting the alterations done to the dress then picking it up. The suit was bought from Brittons Formalwear with the help from the great staff there, if you are looking for a really good suit and don't mind spending some money I recommend them. We bought a suit (jacket and pants), shirt, cuff-links and tie for $450, that was including the pants being taken up as a service by the store and personal help when fitting and trying the items on.

After walking into many jewellery stores, Ricky found some rings he liked in Koro Fine Australian Jewellery. The ring Ricky is getting made is made out of titanium and white gold, and fits smack in the budget, being $400. I must commend the staff at Koro, compared to the other jewellery shops in Perth, they were the only ones who seemed to understand that Ricky may not choose the design he asked to see or try on. Many others seemed to give off a different attitude as soon as you said that you were unsure on the design still.

The alterations to the dress came to a total of $165, with the bustle for two layers being made and matched so we can hook it up, and taking in the side seams to fit after being laced up. Dion for Brides were a great help from start to finish with the dress shopping process, for anyone who plans to shop there later Shirley was the one that helped me choose which dress and she is great to work with. The lady who did the alterations, Felicia, was also very nice and was a great help in understanding the dress.

While in Perth we also went to IKEA for the first time, we would of gotten more if we hadn't already filled the car with a suit and dress, though we managed to get the napkins and tealight candles for the night.

Most of the invitations have been sent out, and with help from Mum the caterer is booked. The bouquets which were mentioned in the last post have long since arrived and look absolutely gorgeous thanks to Margaret at Special Occasions.

Recently I had the make-up and hair trial at Hot Locs Hair Body & Soul. The make-up will be slightly different, as with the hair, though here are some pictures that we took (with the image from the back brightened to see the curls in the lighting):

Make-Up and Hair by Hot Locs Hair Body & Soul

Make-Up and Hair by Hot Locs Hair Body & Soul

Bridal Dresses Chosen!

Last Thursday and Friday we visited a selection of bridal shops. During the fittings my sister (bridesmaid) and Ricky (fiancé) were the voices of opinion, with the ever helpful sale ladies.

We went to Brides Selection first, after taking at least one wrong turn to get there. Here I found out that dresses can be really heavy, and hot for that matter! After trying on many of the beautiful selection of gowns they have, I walked out of the appointment with two possible dresses that I liked from the salon.

Not yet convinced on either of them we proceeded to have a look at their bridesmaid selection before getting some lunch. My sister tried on a couple of dresses and found Courtney by Mr K, which looks absolutely gorgeous on her. After debating the colour choice, being either Regal (sister's choice) or Purple (my choice), we chose purple. Just hoping it looks as beautiful on her as the Cosmos did.

Courtney by Mr K

After some lunch we headed over to Dion for Brides and had a look through their selection. Dion for Brides was a lot more formal in their store layout, as with their attitude towards the dresses, though the staff were helpful and understanding.

We had a look through their style book and discussed with the staff what type of dresses I was interested in, even though the style book dresses were out of our budget. After trying on another selection of dresses, during which finding some really beautiful gowns. One of the last dresses I tried on I absolutely loved, with everyone complimenting me and the dress!

Not wanting to buy anything without having time to think on it, and having one more bridal salon to visit the next day, we took down the name of the dress and headed back to our accommodation. That night all I could think and talk about was the dress at Dion for Brides.

On Friday we visited Bridal by Aubrey Rose, who had some beautiful dresses, though none that I felt topped the one from the afternoon beforehand. I tried on approximately five dresses, and spent roughly fifteen minutes at the salon. Feeling bad for spending the sale consultants time, we bid farewell and revisited Dion for Brides.

Upon revisiting I tried on the dress again to ensure it is what I remembered it to be. As soon as I looked in the mirror I knew it was what I definitely wanted and the bridal party agreed. Before leaving I also chose a veil and even a tiara! With my sister's help of course.

I never understood the whole "feel like a princess" in a beautiful dress, until I tried on that dress. Now I can't wait to spend most of a day in it!

Searching for the Bride's dress

The Bride's dress, also known as the wedding dress has got to be the most difficult clothing to decide on. Considering I change my mind on style quite a lot, it makes it harder for me to find something I like. An example of this is when Ricky and I were looking at engagement rings; originally I didn't like the princess cut, then one day that is all I wanted. When making choices a person has to take into account that their taste of style will change over time, you want something that you won't regret buying or wearing down the track.

When I started looking, the first site I found with many resources was The Knot. The Knot has many planning ideas and tips, as well as a gallery called Dresses & Fashion. This gallery has all different types of wedding dress shapes, from A-line to Princess. A business I found that also helped me when choosing the dress designs was Australian Designer Bridal and Formal.

Going through many different styles I have decided that the A-line and Ball Gown are more what I see myself wearing. While searching, I discovered my hatred for lace on dresses, it makes me think that the person is wearing a curtain, and the train, all I see it as is a way for your dress to be ruined by the ground. Though not all is bad, as I discovered my love for ruffles.

Australian Made Wedding Gown (Source: Unknown)

Above: I love the way the dress bunches up to the clip at the hip and the detail the breast has. The embroidery with the criss-cross material makes it seem elegant. The only modification I would have is to make sure it is lace up and remove the train.

Below: I love the colour contrast, though if I used this style I am thinking of getting the colour of the material up the top as white. The lace would be removed and the butterfly embroidery is currently undecided on. I love the ruffles they have incorporated in with the gown and the way it melds together. The detail over the gown and the flowers also adds to the appeal.

These were, unfortunately, the best photos of the dress I could find. One of the photos had a watermark on which someone has tried to remove it and did so badly, there are no original copies of it that I could find.

Lilac and White Dress (Source: Unknown)

Lilac and White Dress Back (Source: Unknown)

With these styles in mind as my current choices, I am still yet to try on any dresses. With the wedding planned for 2014, I want to try on the dresses early/mid next year and order it then. I will keep this updated with the decision I choose on the dress.