Flora Bridal, Josephin

This dress was my dream wedding gown, though I never had the chance to wear it. Our 2020 wedding was canceled when Covid-19 hit. The world felt like it was crumbling under the weight of the pandemic, but we did what we always do—we held on to each other, lifted each other up, and made the best of it. In the end, we were able to tune out the chaos and share an intimate, unforgettable day. We got married in our backyard, wearing simple clothes pulled from our closets. I didn’t get to wear the dress I had chosen, but my hope is that it becomes a dream dress for someone else.

The Flora Bridal Josephin Gown (also known as Josephine or Josephina) is a romantic, vintage-inspired A-line gown featuring intricate floral lace and a full, flowing skirt with a delicate lace hem. It has a timeless, dream-like quality with beautiful texture and detail. It features subtle shimmer illuminating from sequin detail throughout the lace on the bodice and a lovely beaded belt detail. A seamstress added the sweetest little cap sleeves for me, as well as sewn-in cups for comfortable support without a bra. I completed one round of alterations before the shop closed to stay safe during the pandemic. At the time, I was a size 0 and 5'3". I picked up the dress once they reopened, and it has been safely stored in its bag in my smoke-free, pet-free home ever since.

*The last photo shows the original dress when I first tried it on and when my bridal consultant held up fabric to show me how it would look with cap sleeves. All other photos show how lovely the sleeves turned out!