The Dress

From the Justin Alexander website:
Fall in love with this strapless fit and flare gown that adds confidence to your shape. Features scattered lace throughout the dress and a lined illusion bodice.

Hi future brides :) I hope you are trying to enjoy every stressful minute of wedding planning, because once it's over, it's over, and it really does go by as fast as they say! After much deliberation, I decided it's too beautiful to sit my closet forever. I'm not looking to make my money back on this dress, it's listed for a quarter of what I paid with alterations, I just want it to go to a good home to a bride that otherwise couldn't afford it. My wedding was September 2019. I ended up going way over my budget for this dress but I love how it photographs. Photos are everything to me. It just felt like "the one" for me, and it feels very secure thanks to the boning and the added straps. If you are familiar with Justin Alexander, their Signature line starts at $3000.

When picking my wedding dress, I knew I wanted to:
- Show my figure, most dresses I tried on did not
- Have a flattering sweetheart neckline
- Lacey and feminine
- Boning in the waist was a must
- Look like a really beautiful bride without it being a "sexy" dress\
-

Worn for 2 only hours for the couple's photos before the ceremony and the ceremony itself. I wore a short white dress for the reception. It has not been dry-cleaned, so there is some (washable) tanning product on the inside of the straps and the armpit. I dropped the price significantly to cover dry cleaning costs if you wish to go that route, but to be completely honest, you are probably going to do some kind of airbrushing and makeup anyway, and it won't even show up in the photos, so save the cash, girl! There's an absurd amount of room shorten the dress to whichever heel you're wearing. My now-husband is 6'6 so I had to wear 5.5 inch platform heels so we wouldn't have a massive height discrepancy in the photos. When I was shopping for a dress I was so focused on spending around $3000, but looking back on it, that was such a stupid mentality. I didn't have to bustle the dress while walking around at all either. I wish I hadn't paid the extra cost to add it but it's there if you need it! Ready to ship anytime!

Alterations

$1400 in alterations from a 5 star rated tailor:
- Strong, thick silk/satin spaghetti straps added (can be removed)
I added the strap for that extra push-up effect. I almost opted for off-shoulder lace sleeves, but with my A-cups, the strap was desperately needed :p
- Double cup size cups (can be removed) I do not have boobs - A cups - this gave me a much more womanly figure and made me feel a lot better about myself.
- 5 point french bustle
- Reduction in label size to a size 2
- Shortened a few inches
- Extra clasp in the back underneath the buttons just in case (factory clasps are known to be flimsy - a tip I saw online)
- The inner lining was altered to fit my body as well so I'd look a little skinnier, when the inner lining is baggy it makes your butt/bottom half of your body