Story Time: Top Secret Wedding Dress Project
Ok so B and I have started planning our wedding. We’re going to elope to a fire lookout tower fall of next year and then throw a reception afterward to celebrate with friends/fam. We’re trying to be as fiscally and environmentally responsible as possible, so we're thrifting/diying everything (cake to decor) and my parents are generously allowing us to use their back/side yards to host. I’ve been visiting goodwill every weekend and monitoring FB marketplace like a hawk. Last month, I found a dress. I’m keeping the design a secret from B so Tumblr is going to be my outlet for sharing the slow makeover process.
My end goal is a fitted, floral-embroidered bodice and a big ballroom skirt with a long train. Heart neckline, possibly with mesh straps/sleeves for additional embroidery to spill over.
I found a dress with the perfect silhouette on fb marketplace for $150 (even though it was over $1k new!). The top was a bit big in the bust/straps but otherwise fit me perfectly. I wasn't a fan of the belt or neckline, and it had several stains from being bustled, but I loved it the minute I tried it on (it also has pockets!!).
Here are pics from the fb listing:
The first day I tried it on, and after removing the belt:
Over the last month I removed the belt, padded cups, and underskirt (I’ll replace the underskirt at the end, but cleaning with it attached would have been a nightmare), washed it, slowly got almost all the stains out, and pinned the top into the shape (ish) I was looking for. I also picked up some stretchy organza and some embroidered panels I’m planning to hand paint, as well as some dye and fabric paint.
This week, I tea-dyed the dress ivory (it doesn't look much different in pictures, but it's no longer bright white in person) and I painted some of the embroidered bits. I'll touch it up next Friday, but I'm really happy with the way it looks so far. Still haven't decided if I'm going to go with sleeves or no sleeves. Planning to make the actual bodice adjustments over Thanksgiving break :)
My mother had the brilliant idea to take the scalloped edge of the belt I removed and use it to camouflage the parts I cut on the back. She did an immaculate job and the back is now done! I also pinned the rest of the embroidered panels to the back to get an idea of what it will look like. Next up, we’ll need to take in the bust a bit because the woman I bought the dress from has Victoria's Secret model proportions. But then the structural changes will be complete and I’ll just be painting and sewing embroidery for several months, lol.
It's nearly finished! All the embroidery is painted and pinned and we are now sewing things in place. This is good, because the elopement is in less than 2 months 😬
I realized I never posted a final update:
The dress turned out gorgeous, I made matching flower crown/pocket square flowers for B and I, and despite significant hiking in Rainier National Park, the dress and all accessories came through unscathed. 10/10 do recommend eloping in a dress of your own making. :)
