27 Dresses… OK only 1!

SPOILER ALERT: The cutest kid EVER is at the end of this blog… keep reading!

 Professional Flower Girl

I feel like I just found out my favorite love song was written by a sandwich.” –Jane, 27 Dresses

You know that beginning scene of Bride Wars were baby versions of Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway are planning their weddings? They spend their childhood planning out their BIG days and dream of being a bride. I know you all desperately want this to be me, but I’ve got news for you. I never dreamed of being the bride… I dreamed of being the MAID OF HONOR! (I conveniently prefer Katherine Heigl too!)

Now growing up in the industry, matched with being a PROFESSIONAL flower girl when I was younger, left me with a resume well suited for the most prestigious position of MOH.

professional flower girl

(I petitioned for my brother to be my matching Ring Bearer, also this is only 1 of 5 weddings we did.)

 

Sister Sister

“Did you ever know that you’re my hero, and everything I would like to be?” – Bette Midler, Wind Beneath my Wings

I’ve had many dreams for my life, including but not limited to: Making Celine Dion my honorary second mom, meeting Bette Midler, being a MOH, convincing my mom to have another child that would be scientifically forced into being a girl and joining a Sorority in college. While some of these have yet to make my list of accomplishments, I did indeed go through rush in the Fall of 2008 and pledged Pi Beta Phi! While I never convinced my mom that it was necessary to scientifically have another daughter, my sorority gave me what my mom never could… A BIG SISTER!

I know its super cliché and everyone says, ‘my Big Sister is the best, blah blah blah’, but you are all wrong. I have the BEST big sister in the entire world and her name is Ashley Baylor Smith (aka Baylor, Bay, or Bay Bay)! At this point I have started referring to her as my actual sister. But to be fair, she has helped pay the rent, picked me up while stranded in the middle of the highway, wiped my tears over boys and taught me how to curl my hair properly, so in all accounts she really is my big sister from another mister!

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 This was a picture taken in my first apartment EVER that I shared with Bay. It was a one bedroom. We were broke. I lived in the living room all summer. To this day, that is my FAVORITE apartment I ever lived in.

baylor7 My sissy and I, blissfully ignoring the fact that we could hardly pay rent that summer. Circa Summer 2009.

When she got engaged to her now husband Clayton, I CRIED, SCREAMED AND YELLED!!! Loud enough for her to hear me all the way from Lubbock to Dallas. But when she asked me to be her Maid of Honor, I practically had to be resuscitated back to life. THIS. WAS. MY. MOMENT.

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You know I couldn’t tell a sorority story without at least one really great themed RUSH pic… 

Personal Slaves aka Bridesmaids

“I’m sorry. I won’t apologize. I’m not confident which end that came out of.” – Megan, Bridesmaids

 

Of course y’all know we had to do it BIG! Baylor decided that she wanted all of us to have something a little different about our dresses. Everything we looked for just wasn’t up to par with our big expectations, so we took it to the drawing board and decided to create exactly what we wanted. We choose Silk Dupoini as the material for our gowns. We decided that each girl would have the same ball gown skirt, but each girl would get the chance to design and pick exactly what they wanted their top to look like! And, if this wasn’t enough, we enlisted a dear friend of mine named Tamara Crosson, to make us each custom brooch belts. As an additional surprise the day of the wedding, Baylor gave each of us a custom hand made necklace that matched our gowns perfectly! Now while I don’t have any comparisons for other weddings, I have to say I was really digging how much care and precision Baylor took to make sure each one of us looked FAB-U-LOUS!

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  Bay Bay and I with her other “lil sis”, Charlene …. I TOTES the favorite (Love ya Char Char!)

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All the bridesmaids with our BEAUTIFUL bride!

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Mom called this color taupe. Baylor preferred to call it “Pretty Dirt.”

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Typical Bridesmaid Selfies.

 

Double Duty

“Love to! Love the bag, love the shoes, love everything. Love to!” – My Best Friends Wedding

 

When it came time to customize Baylor’s dress, you know Altered for the Altar was ready for the job. Baylor decided that she wanted to custom make not only sleeves, but also a veil. She was lucky enough to be able to order the lace from her wedding gown from the designer. Then we went to work creating the perfect sleeves to adorn her dress and designing the perfect veil to accessorize it! The results were absolutely breathtaking!

 

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How pretty does she look?! I mean seriously!!! 

As gorgeous as Baylor’s bridal portraits were, when it came time to prep the gown for the wedding, Baylor decided she wanted to change the look of the dress. (Side note: this is why I will ALWAYS promote bridal portraits. They are the only “Dress Rehearsal” you can have before the most important day of your life. They offer you a chance to see exactly how everything is going to look and make any necessary adjustments). So, we went back to the drawing board and recreated the dress for her wedding day.

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Dad walking his little girl down the aisle.

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My sister is prettier than yours!

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Weddings are exhausting!

My Best friend’s Wedding

“I’ve got moves you’ve never seen.” – Julianna Potter, My Best Friends Wedding

 

So, what is the lesson here my friends? Even your BEST Friend and Big Sister can be a total diva and change her mind at the last minute…. Did I say that out loud?! (Just kidding Bay Bay I love you and I didn’t mean it….) But, seriously. We always enjoy customizing a dress (even if we need to do it twice) and making a dress beautiful, but sometimes you run into a situation like I did yesterday when a bride told me, ‘The dress is pretty but it’s just not me.’ Your dress should be two things: Beautiful and YOU! So, our goal is to give you a showstopper of a dress that not only looks amazing, but also compliments your personality.

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Mom and I enjoying Baylor’s Beautiful Wedding!!!

 

 

 

 

I rarely get to show you what happened after they got married…. Ladies and Gentleman, meet HUDSON CLAYTON SMITH!

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The Smith’s!

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And they lived Happily Ever After!

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(Side note: When I’m not busy claiming Baylor as my sister, I like to use my time claiming Hudson as my God Son… He’s not Catholic and neither am I. But I love him, so sue me.)

 

Adios,

Nina Esclava

#ConfessionsofNinaEsclava

 

P.S. SPECIAL SHOUT OUT to my Momma!! It is her Birthday today!! I truly do NOT know what I would do without this woman!! I love you SO MUCH! She IS he definition of SUPER MOM!! (As a courtesy I will not tell you how old she is. But, I will turn 25 this year…. and she was 26 when she had me!) — I kept my promise!

Diving into Watters

Wannabe

‘Playing dress-up begins at the age of five and never truly ends.” –Kate Spade

So, as you all know, I am NOT a dress designer by any means, but that doesn’t mean I’ve never tried. I spent many a day constantly doodling in class, at home, and practically while I was sleeping— I’m not kidding. Every dress I ever wore to a high school function (i.e. Homecoming, Prom, Graduation, etc.), started out in my agenda (or on the nearest napkin). Now, while I really only ever drew gowns and clothing for personal use, that doesn’t mean I did any less doodling.

​By the time I reached my senior homecoming, my doodles were at an all-time high. I was spending the weekends working at Lulu’s Bridal Boutique, so I was constantly surrounded by inspiration. Silk dupioni was all the rage around this time frame (circa 2007). For homecoming, being that it’s a little more casual than prom, I found my inspiration coming from Bridesmaid gowns. Specifically, I still remember the silk dupioni bridesmaid gowns Watters had out that season. The bright colors, mixed with the raw silk and clean a palette were mesmerizing to my 17 year old self!

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Vintage Watters aka my 17 year old OBSESSION!… Wait am I old enough to have lived through vintage attire?!?!

 This inspiration overload left me feeling ready to doodle and design 24/7! I clearly remember the day my Physics teacher walked up to me and said, “You have to stop doodling! It’s not going to get you anywhere.” I went on to fail that class and have to repeat it (of course HATING every second of it). But jokes on you Physics teacher! I now spend my days using all of my doodle inspiration for my J.O.B. Not a day goes by that I think, ‘man if only I had paid more attention in physics…’

 Homecoming Sketch

My attempt at a sketch…. HEY I never said I was a professional. — I think this started out as a piece of paper for homework….

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My final piece. Homecoming 2007.

 

Who’s that Girl

“I don’t design clothes. I design dreams.” –Ralph Lauren

​So now onto the actual designer in this story, Vattana Watters. Watters started out over 29 years ago in her garage making bridesmaid dresses! Watters has since become an international, well-known, treasured bridal empire! And, like I stated before, she was the inspiration behind many of my doodles and dresses. Last week, I got the great pleasure of being able to tour the Watters headquarters! Basically, my 17 year old self screamed, freaked out, and almost had to be silenced via tranquilizers upon being asked to go on the tour. Vanessa Stone, one of the account managers for Watters, aka my DREAM MAKER, toured me around the entire office. I literally touched Vatanna’s door to her office… I’m hyperventilating again just thinking about it!! (But I was totally professional while I was there, I SWEAR!)

​So, newly engaged friends, who is Watters you ask?! I’ll sum it up by saying they’ve most likely designed or were the inspiration behind every single pin on your “Future Wedding” Board on Pinterest. Watters is currently epitomizing the Boho Chic, ‘I woke up like this’, effortlessly perfect look! (I am totally bipolar with my looks but I usually land on wearing something boho. Thank god my profession doesn’t require suits!). So again, when I tell you walking around, seeing their patterns in the making, and a showroom full of gowns that have yet to meet the runway, was my ultimate dream, I am NOT playing around with y’all! I unfortunately had to swear not to take any pictures of the new pieces, but I totally stalked them and trust me, you are going to die to have a Watters dress on your big day!!

Since I still can’t form full sentences after being star struck, I am going to sum it up with Vanessa’s words, “Watters is high quality fabrics. We love to use silks and simple clean palettes. We make it so that you can use the right accessories to make it your own look and at a friendly price point!” (Vanessa Stone, aka #GIRLBOSS & MY PERSONAL DREAM MAKER).

 

MORE SWATCHES

Millions of little hand cut swatches. Watters offers to send a client FREE swatches to brides for color checks. Vattana Watters’ MOM literally personally hand cuts each one of those FOR YOU! #AMAZING

Millions of Swatches

MOREEEEE SWATCHES, Because Watters LOVES YOU!

Order Prep

Orders waiting to be shipped out. I literally stalked EVERY inch of this place.

Bolt being rolled out

Bolts of fabric waiting to be turned into GORGEOUS Gowns!

Sewing Room

Designs being made! Super top secret! I had to silence another panic attack while in this room.

Pattern maker

Oh just another day in the world of a Watters employee, hand making those beautiful gowns for YOU!

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A picture of naked forms since I can’t show y’all the new designs… but trust me the new stuff is THEBOMB.COM! I gave some direct feedback on some designs… because my opinion TOTALLY matters, DUH!

 

What Watters has to Offer YOU 

“Don’t’ be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way to live.” –Gianni Versace

On top of the AMAZING Watters Bridal Collection, Watters and Watters Inc. also provides FIVE other lines of dresses for YOU! I thought I would save you the time and I’ve have broken down the five lines in easy to read detail!

 

WATTERS

The Crème de la Crème! This top of the line collection includes the best of the BEST in Bridal couture. The pictures below explain it ALL! (Sold here in Dallas at Stardust Celebrations, plus size samples also available at A Curvy Bride)

cinzia Gown Watters WWCinzia Gown, Watters Bridal Collection 

WTOO

This budget friendly but still totally killer line includes the works: Bridal Gowns, Curve Plus Bridal, Bridesmaids and Bridal Accessories! (Sold here in Dallas at Stardust Celebrations, plus size samples also available at A Curvy Bride.)

Francine Gown WTOO BHLDN

Francine Gown, WTOO Collection

LOVE MARLEY

The website has a better description than me… “Whether you’re dreaming about a beach wedding, garden ceremony, modern wedding or fabulous wedding reception in a barn, Love Marley is the perfect fit.” AKA you’re ENTIRE Pinterest board, equipped with actual style numbers. YOU’RE WELCOME! (Sold here in Dallas at Stardust Celebrations)

Love Marley Penelope WW

Penelope Gown, Love Marley Collection

ENCORE

This line is my new fave! So basically you know how you think you only have to buy one dress?! Yeah you’re wrong. And I don’t know if any of you have tried, but buying a white cocktail dress in Winter is impossible! THIS IS YOUR SOLUTION! The modern bride now needs an entire bridal wardrobe equipped with outfits for Engagement Parties, Bridal Showers, Rehearsal Dinners, Honeymoon dresses and of course engagement photos! As my now BFF Vanessa explained to me, “It’s all about the bridal gown. You think you can just go shopping for a white dress but you really need to build a bridal wardrobe from the beginning.” (To my fellow procrastinators: BHLDN.com is now selling pieces of this line with as fast as 1-2 Business Day Shipping, and standard shipping is only 5-7 business days. Can I get an AMEN?!) (ALSO Sold here in Dallas for you to try on at Stardust Celebrations)

Encore WW GUAVA Dress

Guava Dress, Encore Collection

C20 

Please don’t be that person that doesn’t remember this is a big day for your MOM TOO! She deserves an amazing dress just as much as you and this is the line for HER! (Sold here in Dallas at Stardust Celebrations)

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Style 72257, C20 Collection

Seahorse Girls

This is the line for all the mini me’s! Cute dresses for the little girls in your party! I don’t know about you, but I just love tiny bride look a likes! (Sold here in Dallas at Stardust Celebrations)Seahorse OPAL WW

Opal Dress, Seahorse Collection 

Basically when it comes to getting the girls of the party dressed, Watters is BAE! 

 

Styled to YOU

“People will stare. Make it worth their while.” – Harry Winston

I am still super stoked that I was able to go behind the scenes to one of my favorite designers, and I am SO glad I am able to share it with y’all. My favorite thing about Watters is exactly what Vanessa told me, “You can accessorize every dress to be unique to the bride.” I have seen many brides wearing Watters collections and it is always fun to see how they are going to wear it. And a little secret: Anthropologie’s wedding store, BLHDN, now carries pieces of the Watters family. Aside from it being the collaboration of two of my most favorite places on Earth, I have really enjoyed seeing the different styling done by both companies. The two websites are pure proof of how Watters gowns can be completely transformed into the personality of the bride that wears it and how versatile the gowns are!

Ok, so to showcase the versatility of the gowns, I decided to showcase a few comparisons. The gowns below are the pictures from both Watters.com and BHLDN.com. Both companies have styled each gown differently. I enjoyed looking at the comparisons and I hope you do to!

 Priya Skirt (Kian Corset) Watters WW Priya Skirt BHLDN Watters- Maelin Corset WTOO

Left, Watters.com: Priya Skirt (Watters Collection), Kian Corset (Watters Collection)

Right, BHLDN.com: Priya Skirt (Watters Collection), Maelin Corset (WTOO)

 

Barletta Dress Encore WW Barletta Dress BHLDN Encore

Left, Watters.com: Barletta Dress (Encore Collection)

Right, BHLDN.com: Barletta Dress (Encore Collection)

(I’m kind of D-Y-I-N-G that this doesn’t come in colors *cough Xay cough* I would totally buy it out!!)

 

Messina Gown Encore WW Messina Gown BHLDN Encore

Left, Watters.com: Messina Gown (Encore Collection)

Right, BHLDN.com: Messina Gown (Encore Collection)

 

 AHSAN WWBHLDN Ahsan Skirt and Carina Corset Watters

Left, Watters.com: Ahsan Skirt & Carina Corset (Watters Bridal)

Right, BHLDN.com: Ahsan Skirt & Carina Corset (Watters Bridal)

 

Amelie Dress Love Marley WW Amelie Gown BHLDN Love Marley

Left, Watters.com: Amelie Dress (Love Marley)

Right, BHLDN.com: Amelie Dress (Love Marley)

 

As I have come to learn, Watters is a family full of highly talented individuals. These women are REAL people making gowns for REAL women. These women are the ones you should trust with the most important purchase of your life– YOUR WEDDING GOWN! Vattana and her team understand what WE want, and they understand we want to be able to individualize as well.

 

Vanessa and I

THE #GIRLBOSS Vanessa Stone herself! THANK YOU VANESSA STONE for making my DREAMS A REALITY!!

 

P.S. WATTER’S DID NOT SPONSOR THIS MESSAGE. Girl, please. Would you trust my big mouth with an AD?!?!

P.P.S.  However, I will TOTALLY accept an autograph picture of Ms.Vatana #GIRLBOSS Watters herself. (Definitely pushing my luck. I mean really, she’s probably not going to read this, but hey never say never!!).

P.P.P.S. I will also accept a COMPLETE wardrobe designed by Xay Vongphachanh aka the Designer behind many of these treasured Watters looks! I trust her with a wardrobe for many reasons but mainly because she willingly posted a double chin, “Ugly Snapshot to BFF,” on Facebook AND made it her profile picture. Now, I would officially would trust her with my life.

 

Now, I have officially made the most OBSURD request of all times. I have to STOP…

 

Maybe.

 

Or I could also ask for…

 

Adios,

 

Niña Esclava

#ConfessionsofNiñaEsclava

A DREAM is a Wish Your Heart Makes

My Fairy Godmother aka my Momma

“Bippity-boppity-boo” …or something like that!

 

You should find it as NO shock that by the age of two, I was demanding a very distinct wardrobe. At the age of five, when I was about to go to kindergarten, my mom bought me my first pair of pants. I, of course, proceeded to cry uncontrollably for a week. My mom still insists that not throwing me a Quinceañera was a horrible mistake. And I agree! I’m sorry, but is it a crime to LOVE big sparkly dresses?!?!

By the time high school dances rolled around, my obsession with perfect dresses paired with my Type A personality, was leading me to make some pretty strong wardrobe demands.

 

For prom, I spent weeks drafting my perfect look. I used Pronovias Bridal as my inspiration for patterns. I became obsessed with Pronovias at 18 and I’m still in love with Spanish influenced gowns today. I am not going to bore you with every single detail, but dying lace is not an exact science and the custom construction of a dress is an evolution of stages rather than a straight forward solution. So, I had a meltdown the week of prom and told my mom that the dress was not presentable enough to wear! I know, I know–Overly dramatic teen party of EVERYONE! (You know you’ve had teenage wardrobe meltdowns too). But, my mom can literally transform unrefined, dirty high school kid, Mia Thermopolis, into a QUEEN! – The kind that run a country… So I was left with countless options.

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The moment I died and went to heaven, circa 1998. Why did my brother have to photobomb?!?!

 

So after I let the fabric mold to my body how it needed to, the results were beyond anything I could have ever wanted! The gown hugged every curve right where it needed to — however, I did enter the limo sideways since tight dresses make bending over difficult… Beauty is pain my friend! My mom, my Fairy Godmother, stitched me a dress even Cinderella would have been jealous of. All I had to do was let go and let my mom make all of my prom dress dreams come true! (I know it sounds like a total cliché, but my dress was absolutely perfect in every way, at least to me).

 

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I was TOTALLY boho chic before it was a thing. All of my friends were still obsessed with trying to duplicate Kate Hudson’s yellow dress from “How to Lose a Guy in 10 days.”

 

The Adventures of Ally Cat and Wiley Coyote

“A life without love, is no life at all.” –A Cinderella Story

 

In the spirit of bippity-boppity-boo, I need to introduce you to our next bride Ally, or Ally Cat. The first and only time I ever got in trouble with a teacher was because of Ally in 1st grade, and we’ve been friends ever since. (My mother refuses to let me tell the whole story, but you can Facebook message me if you really want to know. I’ve already written it all down!!) Ally and I have also endured MANY fatal wardrobe phases of life together, including this one…

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Ally Cat & Wiley Coyote circa 2001

 

When Ally got engaged our senior year of college (my first senior year because there may or may not have been two…), I was SO EXCITED! She was my first childhood friend to walk down the aisle, so my mom and I were ecstatic to be able to take part in her bridal experience.

 

She said “YES” to the dress, but NOT to that?!?!

“Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner” – Dirty Dancing

 

When Ally’s wedding dress finally arrived she could not have been more excited! She immediately drove all the way down from Lubbock to try it on. (Shout out: GUNS UP! … never gets old!) She placed the beautifully made gown onto her body and as she was zipping it up she thought, “What is THAT?!” When Ally purchased her gown she didn’t recall there being a large and in charge flower on the bodice of it. Needless to say, she didn’t like it at all! In her defense, it’s really difficult to remember every detail of the gown you ordered six months earlier, especially if those months included your senior year of college and a bachelorette trip… But luckily for Ally, the Fairy Godmother was there to save the day!

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Busy forgetting what the dress looked like.

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 Removing the unnecessary flower.

 

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Serious Bling deliberation

 

We quickly went to work making the gown Ally had envisioned become a reality. First, we ditched the flower for some sparkle! Ruth created a custom embellishment to adorn the top of Ally’s gown.

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The beginning construction of a custom applique piece.

 

When the gown was done Ally was more than relieved– she was ecstatic! The gown had turned out even better than she had dreamed. ‘Nobody puts baby in the corner’ and we make sure nobody walks down the aisle in a dress that isn’t the stuff of fairy tales.

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Ally And David’s Engagement photos… Yes, they pulled off the “Dirty Dancing” move. **Cue Life-long Jealousy**

 

A Dreamy Reality

“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” –Dr. Seuss

On the day of Ally’s wedding, we were so excited to watch her walk down the aisle. And Ally did NOT disappoint; she was an absolute show stopper! The gown hugged all the right places, and once again, we were able to create a look that was unique to its owner and that truly characterized Ally.

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This is my FAVORITE picture from Ally’s portraits. 

(Photo credit: Tara Hobgood)

 

It is always so exciting to be a part of someone’s big day! And it’s even more amazing getting to share this moment with lifelong friends. It is our goal to always keep the clients best interest in mind when altering and customizing a gown. Whether we have known you for 20 years or 20 minutes, we treat everyone around here like family! And as family, we will make sure the gown you wear down the aisle is better than your wildest dreams!

mom and i at allys wedding

Mom and I at Ally and David’s FABULOUS Reception!

 

Adios,

Niña Esclava

#ConfessionsofNiñaEsclava

Something Borrowed

Strike a Pose

“The most cherished heirlooms are the sweet memories of our family that we pass down to our children” -Anonymous

When Ruth decided to marry that crazy kid with the permed hair (also known as Rodney), she resorted back to her old ways of repurposing other people’s clothes. Ok, fine— I guess she chose to be sentimental and wear her mother’s gown.

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My grandmother on her wedding day, September 1, 1955.    

ruth wedding Mom on her wedding day, February 16, 1985.

Many years later, my mom decided she wanted a way to preserve the wedding gown for me. Since I am my mother’s only daughter, she wanted a chance for me to get to wear the gown, even if it wasn’t for my wedding day.

rylee wedding gown

Go ahead Ohhh and Aww. I was cute, but this is still debatably a total American Horror Story future promo pic…

In all seriousness, my mom and I have always found great inspiration and beauty in vintage pieces. There is something about the history and beauty of a vintage garment that cannot be replicated (side note: My family heirloom is a gown from the 50’s, which is totally cool again — Thanks Mad Men. However, if your family arsenal is loaded with puffy sleeves and headbands, no worries! We can beautify even the most disastrous 80’s garments.)

Lifelong Friendship

“To enjoy the journey is to leap into people’s lives. To enjoy the journey is to give until the stretch is a sacrifice. The question always is: what is it in life that will pull you out of your seat to be brave, risk and serve?” -Janie Jasin

Kathleen and I have been friends since before everyone was chanting “hit me baby one more time”… yeah no need to calculate, it’s been a while. So when Kathleen called asking for help with her wedding gown, of course we were more than thrilled for the opportunity to help!

kathleen kid

Excuse the rough state of my face. We grew up in a generation that was not yet concerned about selfies. Kathleen is on the end, and I’m next to her.

It’s always fun when you get to that point in life when all of your friends start getting married. Altered for the Altar has given us the opportunity to take part in so many of our friends and neighbors big days! This time as we were playing dress up it wasn’t just for our school talent show or to “play” bride. This was real and it was way MORE EXCITING than our five year old selves ever dreamed it would be.

 

A Piece of History

“Being family means you are part of something very wonderful. It means you will love and be loved for the rest of your life. No matter what.”

When Kathleen came to us wanting to wear her moms wedding gown, we were ‘over the moon’ excited! This is the kind of project that really gets us pumped up. Kathleen was fortunate that her mom’s gown was from 1977, so it was not in need of a puffy sleeve overhaul — Thank God.

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This is Kathleen’s mom, Mrs. Mindy Busch, October 29,1977, on her wedding day!

 

Down the aisle

“Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed and Something Blue and a penny in her shoe” — old tale

Now armed with a fabulous vintage piece and a story to lean on, we rolled up our sleeves and started planning. There were basic alterations that needed to be done, but we also wanted to make it Kathleen’s own – a perfect combination of old and new.

 

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Photo Credit: Diana Busch Photography     

http://dbsuchphoto.com

The bodice of Kathleen’s gown was completely remade. We gave her a little more skin to help modernize the gown while still maintaining the integrity of the original design. The results were breathtaking.

garter

A little something extra added to honor the two brides that adorned this gown.

We were lucky enough to be able to attend the wedding. And on that day, Kathleen was absolutely breathtaking. The warm February afternoon was a perfect stage for her (and her gown) to shine. The gown was completely unique and 100% original, which is the main goal for every client. We could not be happier for our beautiful bride, and I know it truly meant the world to Kathleen’s mom to see her daughter wear her dress on such a special day.

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Kathleen and her mom on the BIG DAY!

Vintage pieces are rare, but if you are lucky enough to have a garment preserved from a family member, I strongly encourage you to find place for it within your wedding. If you have something but have NO idea how it could ever work for you, don’t fret. Just pick up your phone and give us a call! There is nothing we LOVE more than a borrowed piece.

Adios,

Niña Esclava

Aka Rylee Calvert

#confessionsofNiñaEsclava

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