Wedding Wednesday: Was that a Vintage Wedding Dress?

I have a small confession to make today about my wedding dress. I knew it was a beautiful gown, but I had no idea everyone would love my dress so much and want to know so many details about it. I can’t count the number of times people have approached me and said “Your wedding was beautiful, and oh my gosh, that dress!” I was stunned when my mom told me several people had asked her if my gown was vintage. (Sorry everyone, it wasn’t.) Earlier this week I shared a full gallery of photos from the wedding and promised the launch of “Wedding Wednesday.” Since there was so much interest in my bridal gown, it seemed like the perfect place to start.

The fact that everyone was in awe of my dress was truly a happy accident. When Rob and I set the date for June 12 and planned an outdoor tented reception for our Michigan wedding, I had one agenda for my dress: it needed to be comfortable and lightweight. I knew I was going to be outside for most of the day. I vividly recalled hearing my friends complain about their heavy dresses and the boning digging into them during their own wedding festivities.

As you probably know by now, I am a practical girl and nothing sounded worse than dragging around a heavy billowing dress that squeezed me like a corset during an 80 degree June afternoon. So I went to three local bridal shops looking for the perfect affordable lightweight wedding gown. As luck would have it, I purchased my dress from the very first store I visited: Piera’s Bridal Couture in Shelby Township, Michigan.

I did not know that it was “the dress” right away. Like all smart shoppers, I visited a few stores and this one dress was stuck in my head. After trying on several other dresses at nearby bridal shops, my mom and I returned to Piera’s bridal to show Rob’s mom, Jackie, the dress . My future mother in law teared up instantly when she saw me wearing the lightweight lace gown and that’s when I decided it was certainly the dress for me. The combination of a champagne slip dress with an ivory lace overlay was the perfect look for my vintage theme wedding.

All by itself, the dress was a little too simple and it needed a belt to give it some spark. I tried on several slim beaded belts and none of them provided the wow factor that my plain little dress needed. There was one big, crazy belt at the shop that we had initially joked about because it had a huge flower made of ribbon and lots of rhinestones. I’m sure you have already figured out that it was the belt I wore as an accent piece on my wedding day.

The belt came with a long ribbon that was intended to be tied as a bow, but I wanted the belt to look like it was actually a part of my gown. When I went in for my dress fitting, the seamstress cut the long ribbon strands and brought the edges of the belt right up to the line of buttons up the back. It was exactly the clean, elegant look I was hoping for.

Even the bustle of the dress was easy to manage. The entire bustle was held up with one clear button sewn onto the back of my dress. It was simple and elegant to see and best of all, it took approximately 30 seconds to bustle. In keeping the the theme of casual elegance, my dress was bustled for almost the entire day. The only time we let the bustle down was during the ceremony.

The dress was breathtaking to see from every angle. Casual elegance at it’s finest.

I was overjoyed to hear that my wedding dress fit the theme and atmosphere of our vintage wedding so well that many people wondered if it actually was a period piece. The best part was that felt completely comfortable in my lightweight gown, which made the day even more enjoyable for me. I didn’t want a single moment to be tainted by discomfort from my wedding attire.

The freshly dry-cleaned dress now hangs in our extra bedroom closet. It breaks my heart that I was only able to wear such a beautiful garment for one day and I would love to find an alternate use for it. If you have any ideas for how to repurpose my dress, I would love to hear them!

Bridal Dress: Sincerity by Justin Alexander
Belt: Diana Belt by Enzoani
Purchased at: Piera’s Bridal Couture

For a complete list of vendors and a full gallery of photos from the wedding, be sure to check out my wedding day blog post. I will be sharing some of my favorite vendors and wedding details in the coming weeks. If you or someone you know is planning a vintage wedding, you do not want to miss our “Wedding Wednesday” blog series!

Check Out More of Our Wedding

Want to see how we made our dream wedding a reality? Be sure to check out the posts below. They are filled with our happiest memories from our big day.