A while ago Katrina posted a picture of her baby bump while wearing her wedding dress, which reminded me that hey, I've still got my wedding dress and should totally try it on!
(Yes, I was the one who searched for "Katrina pregnant in a wedding dress")
After all, I actually weigh *less* now than I did when we were married (a few months before the wedding I finished school and thus no longer had the 2+ mile walks every day that kept me trim... Hello, 10+ pounds!). And even though my measurements are significantly different, it's got a corset back, so I figured it would fit.
Many months later, I was cleaning out the closet and saw that laaaarge article of clothing just hanging there so innocently in the back. So I had Andrew lace me up (a FEAT, let me tell you, particularly considering the state of undress that he was faced with as I asked him to lace the dress) and tada! The dress still fits!
And let me say, this nursing mom's "assets" certainly fill out the dress more than on our wedding day... This was the one picture that didn't emphasize how much my "cups" runneth over!
So now what do I do with it? I saw somewhere that some moms use their wedding dress to make first communion dresses for their daughters. Think I have enough material for 2 dresses? I'd hate to make one for Cecilia and then make either Elizabeth or Mary Claire have to wear something different when their time comes...
But before then, maybe we'll find a time to do wedding picture re-dos, like Mandi? On our wedding day we went out to the lake after the ceremony and it subsequently started HAILING! So we stood there huddled on a bridge under a couple of umbrellas for nearly an hour, and consequently got very few pictures together...
Buuuut if we did a re-do session it would have to wait until the twins are weaned. Because let's imagine the state of my "assets" from the beginning to the end of a shoot... INCHES of cleavage would be added, I warn you!
So for now it goes back in the closet, but I must say I LOVE how a corset feels and fits, and do wish it were a type of undergarment that were more commonly worn!
You look great! What a beautiful dress! When I did our recent anniversary shoot in my dress it was SO tight, definitely hope it still fits after 4 children!
ReplyDeleteI just now noticed that you linked to me! Thanks! I guess I didn't read through that very well!
DeleteYou look terrific! What a beautiful figure you have, after four children!
ReplyDeleteThanks! The corset certainly helps :)
DeleteAnd here's my two cents on cutting up that beauty and making First Holy Communion dresses with it: my husband's four sisters ALL got married in their mother's wedding dress. I'm not trying to discourage you from re-purposing yours, but just thought I'd throw that out. It's so beautiful and classic, they might want to honor you by wearing it. :)
DeleteDefinitely save it for 1st Communion Dresses. Dang it, I wish I had thought of that this year. My friend made baptismal gowns out of the skirt of her wedding dress - so far unique ones for each of her four children. I think she's out of fabric though......
ReplyDeleteMy mom saved her dress in hopes one of her daughters could wear it. Unfortunately, she bore tall, bigger built girls that tower over her 5'3 frame.... Her dress fit me...when I was 12.
Yeah if I had had time to learn to sew before John Paul was born, I would have loved to make baptismal gowns! But we've got 2 now, so I don't think we'll need any more :P
DeleteI fit into my mom's dress when I was about 12, too! She's taller than me but she always had the tiniest ribcage, plus our style is totally different. So while it would be lovely for one of them to wear it, I think it probably makes more sense to connect the sacraments, as someone suggested below!
That dress is gorgeous! You look fab, too.
ReplyDeleteAlso, my mom wore her mother's dress. Then my sister wore it. It was a lot like yours, but with lace sleeves. Classic. I would have loved to have worn out, but genetics went haywire with me and I have an extra 4 inches and 20 pounds on my female relatives.
ReplyDeleteI think you could save your dress for a daughter!
Gorgeous both you and the dress!
ReplyDeleteIf you are worried you could integrate the dress into 2 communion dresses.
We converted my mom's into our Confirmation dress (I'm one of three sisters), haven't decided yet weather to convert mine or leave intact incase one of my girls would want to wear it for their wedding.
I vote you do both! You could always have the bodice of the first communion dresses be from your dress and then have tulle skirts or something. That's what I would like to do with mine one day! I like the idea of saving it for my daughters to wear in their own weddings, but I'm afraid they wouldn't want to. And my husband is a foot taller than me so I have no idea where they'll end up in terms of height. Plus, I want to take them wedding dress shopping! That's really weird to think about though...
ReplyDeleteNow I want to go and try mine on...
ReplyDeleteI too am wondering what to do with mine. seems such a waste to only wear it one day! My mom still fits in hers and she has worn it for their 25th and now 40th anniversary parties, so I guess it doesn't necessarily have to be for just one day!
How fun! I've gotta say, if we have huge parties for big anniversaries, I'm totally going to want to buy a new dress that's not white :P
DeleteAwesome! I believe I would fit my dress as well. But I haven't removed it from the "preservation" box since I got it back from the cleaners that did it. I should get it out and try it on!!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of an anniversary shoot in our wedding get-up, but I have had mixed reactions to the idea (because I have thought about having the kids in the pics, too!)
Wow, what a pretty dress! How fun to try it on again! My mom's dress got ruined by not being properly preserved, so I had mine cleaned and boxed up. It seems ridiculous to store that big box, but I couldn't possibly get rid of it. Maybe if I have a daughter someday she will want it. We will see...
ReplyDeleteI never got mine cleaned and felt bad about it but I got it out and there's practically no damage! A few loose beads, a little stain on the hem, some sweat... Nothing too noticeable for pictures, and once I take the plunge and make it into first communion dresses, I can cut out those parts :)
DeleteMy mom & I made a baptismal gown from the train of my wedding dress: http://findingformerglory.blogspot.com/2012/08/just-add-baby.html
ReplyDeleteIt was scary to make the first cut (you keep thinking "shouldn't I save this in case my daughter wants to wear this??) but I think it's so meaningful to have that connection between the Sacraments (even if it's just via fabric!) I think you could say a lot about the theological symbolism of our kids' Sacraments growing from the Sacrament of Marriage...
Does your dress have a train? If so, I'd bet you could definitely cut two Communion dresses from it. If not, you could probably still make it work, even if you had to add in some store-bought satin.
Fabulous!!! I think that's such a great idea about the connection between the Sacraments, and I bet I could save some lace from the dress for the girls to wrap their bouquets with when they get married.
DeleteThe train's not very long, but you're right that I could certainly make most of it work and if I need to add other fabric, so be it!
I wore the same wedding dress that my mother and grandmother wore....and it's still preserved just waiting for one of my daughters if they want it (If they don't it's fine, of course). I actually pulled it out the other day to try it on, but then didn't want to mess with the preservation, so I didn't.
ReplyDeleteYou look great...beautiful dress!
You look great Rosie! I don't think there's any way I would fit in my wedding dress! It's preserved and stored at my parents' house. Obviously we didn't use it for Frances' First Communion, s maybe it will get saved until she gets married. Or there's always Confirmation...
ReplyDeleteWow, I am impressed! You look great. :) I was too scared to try mine on before this pregnancy ... I did try to wear the dress I wore to our rehearsal dinner, and it wouldn't zip around my ribcage. Not my breasts ... my *ribcage*. I'm afraid my ribs expanded permanently during my first pregnancy ... so I don't have high hopes for my wedding dress. :( Also I spilled champagne on it in the hotel room and am afraid to see if that left a horrible stain, so it's been sitting in the back of the closet for about two years now!
ReplyDeleteYou look fabulous! Andrew, you are lucky ... after FOUR kids your wife still fits in her dress! And I love the search ;) Girl, you are funny.
ReplyDeleteI think I'll keep my dress for our hypothetical daughters (hey baby in my belly ... are you a boy or a girl?). I don't know if they will wear it, but maybe they will want to sew a bit of it inside their dress or something!
I had twins a month ago, and your post just gave me hope that some day I may lose this weight! :)
ReplyDeleteYou are gorgeous, and the dress, too! I didn't read the comments, but I am assuming someone suggested using the material of this as an accent material, thus having enough to make two?
ReplyDeleteSeriously. I think we have the SAME dress.
ReplyDeleteI'm kind of scared to try mine on, but I would love the idea of an anniversary photo shoot!
ReplyDeleteI know, if mine had zipped there's NO way it would have fit!
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