All photos by Bliss Imagery
A Yacht Wedding in Orange County
Saturday, December 12, 2009 | by Newlywed | Labels: photography, real weddings | 1 comments
Just wanted to share a wedding shot by our photographers at Bliss Imagery. I love the soft, almost dreamlike quality of the photos. Peggy and Alee chose shades of pink as their colors and I think the photos brought out those colors very well. Gorgeous! I'm very excited to have the guys at Bliss Imagery shoot our wedding!
Our Engagement Story
Friday, December 11, 2009 | by Newlywed | Labels: musings, web site, wedding bands | 0 comments
Our Web site offers a feature where we can tell a story in our own words. Both bride and groom each have a page to tell a different story. I chose to tell how he proposed to me and my fiance gets to tell how we got together. Can't wait to read how he sees it (he swears I pursued him when we all know it's the other way around!) But here's my side of the story! Enjoy! *My fiance's name is taken out for the blog version. Sorry, still keepin' our identities on the downlow for now!*
Taken right after he slipped the ring on my finger!
"We were in San Clemente, a small beach town in Orange County, Calif., for a weekend. (My fiance) suggested that we take a walk to the beach after breakfast, so I was dressed as you would normally dress to the beach -- in shorts and flip flops! On our way, My fiance wanted to take a detour to Casa Romantica, a historic house overlooking a gorgeous view of San Clemente State Beach.
We wandered over to the garden where I started taking pictures of the view. My fiance kept asking me if I liked one spot more than the other. I kept saying the views are beautiful no matter where you look!
Then we walked over to another spot with a perfect view of the pier and miles of ocean blue. My fiance asked, "How about this spot?"
"It's perfect!" I said. As I was taking photos of the scenery, My fiance started fumbling around with something in his pocket.
He said he wanted to read me a poem he wrote...yep, I knew this was a biggie! My fiance...wrote...A POEM!
In a nervous voice, he read me the poem. The details of what he shared with me will always be between the two of us, but it was so sweet and heartfelt that, yes, it made me cry (awww!).
Then he did it, he got down on one knee and pulled out The Ring. I don't remember what happened next but all I remember was being so excited and pulling him back up so I can kiss and hug him. I must have forgotten to say yes because he asked, "So...does this mean this is a yes?"
"Yes! Of course, yes!" I said and hugged him for what seemed to be an eternity.
Was it what I always dreamed it to be? No...
It much sweeter than I can ever have imagined!"
A $75 Watters Dress?
Yes, I found one...only it was four sizes too big! This is actually a delayed post, but I figured people should know about this little gem in LA's downtown. I visited FIDM's Scholarship Store on Ninth and Grand (this was before I bought my dress). Spurred by Broke Ass Bride's unbelievable find, I had to check it out.
The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (or FIDM) Scholarship Store receives cast-offs from other stores and boutiques (mostly from Forever 21). Some are overstock, others are damaged or made with slight imperfections. The money the store raises is used to fund scholarship programs for students of the school. Now, finding a $20 dress that actually isn't falling apart is rare, you really have to be there on a lucky day and time as they receive new shipments daily.
The day I went, I didn't find a great selection of bridal wear. But I found this beautiful Watters dress for a sweet $150.
But get this, everything over $50 is HALF OFF! Meaning that this dress was only $75!
So why didn't I jump at this? Well...it was a size 12. I'm a size 8 and I feared alteration costs would put me back in the range of a normal dress...perhaps even far more than my budget. I didn't think I loved it that much to risk it. So I put it back. Perhaps some other lucky bride has scooped it up!
Then there was this Tadashi gown...
and this one...
both for $25! Perfect for a much more laidback, informal wedding, or perhaps a rehearsal dinner! But alas...no sizes in 8. They were either much to big or too small!
There were tons of evening dresses, styles and colors at even more crazy prices.
But, yes, have a discerning eye, look hard, or make multiple visits, and you just might find a treasure!
The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (or FIDM) Scholarship Store receives cast-offs from other stores and boutiques (mostly from Forever 21). Some are overstock, others are damaged or made with slight imperfections. The money the store raises is used to fund scholarship programs for students of the school. Now, finding a $20 dress that actually isn't falling apart is rare, you really have to be there on a lucky day and time as they receive new shipments daily.
The day I went, I didn't find a great selection of bridal wear. But I found this beautiful Watters dress for a sweet $150.
So why didn't I jump at this? Well...it was a size 12. I'm a size 8 and I feared alteration costs would put me back in the range of a normal dress...perhaps even far more than my budget. I didn't think I loved it that much to risk it. So I put it back. Perhaps some other lucky bride has scooped it up!
Then there was this Tadashi gown...
and this one...
both for $25! Perfect for a much more laidback, informal wedding, or perhaps a rehearsal dinner! But alas...no sizes in 8. They were either much to big or too small!
There were tons of evening dresses, styles and colors at even more crazy prices.
Bridesmaid dresses: LA Fashion District
Tuesday, December 8, 2009 | by Newlywed | Labels: Bridesmaids | 2 comments
Ahhh, LA's Fashion District. The place where your haggling skills are honed. The place to find cheap clothing of questionable authenticity. You can either find a great deal or get ripped off. But be a savvy shopper and you can find a true gem.
I was lured to LA's Fashion District with hopes of finding great bargains for bridesmaids dresses. There is a particular corner where a lot of the wedding stores are (Olympic and Santee). I visited this intersection with my MOH, but unfortunately found few options in our color. Head to Trendy Too in this intersection and you'll find evening/prom/bridesmaid dresses for as cheap as $29!
We found one dress in plum:
It's $55 (if I buy four), but if I wanted my bridesmaids to try on the dress, they would all need to come in on a weekday. The store carries only samples and if they don't have the size, they will need to get it from their warehouse which is not open on the weekend. Also, they switch out styles each season, and they may stop carrying this dress after December. It's a nice dress and a good deal, but I'm positive I can't get all my ladies to LA on a weekday. I don't want to risk it.
So, the Fashion District probably won't work out for me considering not all of my bridesmaids live in the LA area. I would prefer they to try on the dress before we decide to buy. But you can find great deals there. There were stores full of styles and colors for about $50-$90. Also, you can probably haggle your price down especially if you're buying more than one.
So we're moving on. I think I'll poke into an Alfred Angelo and see what they have.
I was lured to LA's Fashion District with hopes of finding great bargains for bridesmaids dresses. There is a particular corner where a lot of the wedding stores are (Olympic and Santee). I visited this intersection with my MOH, but unfortunately found few options in our color. Head to Trendy Too in this intersection and you'll find evening/prom/bridesmaid dresses for as cheap as $29!
We found one dress in plum:
The dress was $60 but I thought we could keep looking.
Then we found Christie's Collection. While there weren't any tea-length dresses in plum on their racks, I was told they can make dresses in any length, color and material. They charged $85 to $95 for each custom-made dress.
But just when I was about to email my bridesmaids to tell them of my find, I found this Yelp review giving the place 1 star!
I know it's one review, but it's the only review and I can't take my chances. I think I'm moving on.
Discouraged by our first visit to the Fashion District without finding our bargain, a co-worker told me I didn't look hard enough. Go further south on Santee, he said, that's where all the bargains are.
So I went back with my fiance and walked further down on Santee toward the freeway and we found Sweeties and this chiffon and satin dress:
It's $55 (if I buy four), but if I wanted my bridesmaids to try on the dress, they would all need to come in on a weekday. The store carries only samples and if they don't have the size, they will need to get it from their warehouse which is not open on the weekend. Also, they switch out styles each season, and they may stop carrying this dress after December. It's a nice dress and a good deal, but I'm positive I can't get all my ladies to LA on a weekday. I don't want to risk it.
So, the Fashion District probably won't work out for me considering not all of my bridesmaids live in the LA area. I would prefer they to try on the dress before we decide to buy. But you can find great deals there. There were stores full of styles and colors for about $50-$90. Also, you can probably haggle your price down especially if you're buying more than one.
So we're moving on. I think I'll poke into an Alfred Angelo and see what they have.
And the hits keep coming!
Monday, December 7, 2009 | by Newlywed | Labels: Attire, DIY, musings, planning, wedding cake, wedding dress | 0 comments
As I started my research into this insane world of weddings, I was warned of the emotional roller coaster once embarked on this journey -- fits of tears, rage, insecurities, anxiety and, yes, joy and excitement. At first, I thought only pathetic,crazy bridezillas who dreamed every second of their lives for this moment experienced these phases of bipolar neurosis. But I think I now know what it all means. I have experienced extreme highs and lows so far, and this weekend has been a great example of this this crazy emotional ride.
Where do I begin? The fiance and I took advantage of a free Friday for the both of us and crossed off a few items on our December to-do list. Friday started off with a great high. We decided to explore the LA Flower mart to scope out prices, materials and inspiration for our DIY centerpieces and bouquets. We walked through rows and rows of all types of flowers at reasonable to cheap, "are-you-fricken-kidding-me?" prices (a review and thoughts about this floral wonderland later). We found gorgeous potted orchids at reasonable bulk prices. We found dozens of carnations and roses at insanely low prices to make beautiful bridesmaids bouquets. We thought, 'Hey, we can do this! Doing our own flowers can't be that scary!'
Then we wandered a few blocks over to the Fashion District where we discovered stylish plum prettiness for our bridesmaids at great deals (that is, under $100! More on this in another post).
We also went to Chinatown for decoration ideas for our Asian/Polynesian-inspired decor. We found mini-bamboo in bundles of 10 for just $3, parasols for $5-$6, string lanterns for a few bucks. My fiance found pocket knives for $5 that would make cool gifts for his groomsmen. We saw the possibilities, the opportunities to create our own wedding ourselves at a price we can afford. Yes!
The excitement and optimism spilled over onto Saturday when we decided to order a small wedding cake. Well, wedding prop more like it. We really don't need a cake. Our restaurant serves cake (chocolate mousse cake far better than any wedding cake I've had), so who needs another slice? But, we gotta cut a cake! ( we don't really, but it's our "splurge" I guess). So we purchased a small, 10 inch round vanilla cake with custard and strawberry filling and buttercream frosting from Ninong's Pastries. Just a simple cake--our baker is going to wrap the base with a purple ribbon (provided by us) and we'll top it with flowers. Put this on an elegant cake stand and we have our cake! The cake itself will cost us only $41.
After our cake tasting, my MOH called me with great news. A friend of hers is breaking into wedding and event planning and offered to help plan our wedding pro bono (in exchange for experience and references, of course). Day-of coordinator issue solved!
Alas, I guess what comes up, must come down. Sunday, we decided to try our luck at the Monique Lhuillier sample sale in LA. Now I know I have my inexpensive Mori Lee gown that is perfectly in our budget. But...it's Monique Lhuillier, yo! We waited for three hours in the cold just to go through the depleted racks of still-overpriced gowns. I love Monique Lhuillier. But these dresses were nowhere to be found.
All were left were dresses ripped to shreds, very simple slip gowns with a $700 label, or dresses that were indeed pretty but not pretty enough to justify the $1900 price tag (at least for myself). I thought perhaps I can find a few bridesmaids dresses in the ready to wear selection, but it didn't offer much selection at all. We left empty-handed. Sure, it was a long shot to find anything considering folks lined up at 4 a.m., but that's 3 hours of my life I won't get back.
Later that evening some family members asked us how our wedding planning was going. With enthusiasm, we described our experience at the flower mart, our plan to DIY our flowers, the potted orchid centerpieces, our DIY bouquets, the mini bamboo favors, the one-tier 10-inch round cake...
The whole time we can see their faces freeze in horror.
What? No florist? Your going to do your own flowers? What? You're just going to have that tiny little Mickey Mouse cake? What? Do you need more money? Get yourself a real cake! You don't want a mediocre wedding!
Ouch! A mediocre wedding? Because we don't care for a cake that reaches the ceiling? I didn't know the value of our wedding was based on a mound of flour, sugar and icing. And...did you call our cake Mickey Mouse?! Oh but wait, the hits keep coming!
Do you want us to get you a real wedding planner? We'll pay for it. Stop messing around and do this the right way. You're only married once, you know.
I take a deep breath, trying to keep my head exploding with:
Messing around? What do you think we've been doing the past three months? Picking our noses? C'mon, finding deals that work for us and people willing to help us didn't fall magical into our laps!
But before I risk deterriorating my good and happy relationship with family, I say through through a pleasant smile:
Thank you for the offer, we really appreciate it. We've put a lot of thought into this and please trust us when we say it's not all about what we can afford but what we truly want...and this is what we want.
We let them put in their two cents: you're making a big mistake, you don't know what you're doing, you're going to embarrass the family....
But that's all we can do. Let them talk and keep doing what we've been doing all along, even if we don't have all the emotional support we'd like. I can't take it all to heart...but I do. I wish I can say I'm a kick-ass, unconventional, I don't care-what-the-eff anyone-says kind of gal like this awesome bride, but I have my insecurities. I can be come up with an idea, be really jazzed about it, and then become easily insecure at one disapproving look or slight pause of hesitation. For two days we had one big accomplishment after another, but it nearly lost much of its shine after people close to us actually said our wedding embarrassed them. I can take other people's BS, but our families...geez, it's not like it's my goal to embarrass family.
The practical side of me knows all of their fears and concerns are complete rubbish. I know they just want us to have a nice wedding, but they're basing it all on superficial standards. But the other side of me -- self-concious, emotional side--just wants to impress. I loved our cake idea and thought it can look really cute. But damn, I don't want people thinking I've got a Mickey Mouse cake!
In the end, I know what side should prevail in this situation. We have the wedding we want, not what anyone says we should want. We like our potted orchid idea, so take that! We're going to DIY our flowers, so take that! We like our Mickey Mouse cake, so take that! In the end, there will be no regrets (ok, hopefully few) but it will be a wedding that feels comfortable for us, a wedding we're proud of, a wedding that didn't scream years of more debt. Because, you know, you're only married once!
Where do I begin? The fiance and I took advantage of a free Friday for the both of us and crossed off a few items on our December to-do list. Friday started off with a great high. We decided to explore the LA Flower mart to scope out prices, materials and inspiration for our DIY centerpieces and bouquets. We walked through rows and rows of all types of flowers at reasonable to cheap, "are-you-fricken-kidding-me?" prices (a review and thoughts about this floral wonderland later). We found gorgeous potted orchids at reasonable bulk prices. We found dozens of carnations and roses at insanely low prices to make beautiful bridesmaids bouquets. We thought, 'Hey, we can do this! Doing our own flowers can't be that scary!'
Then we wandered a few blocks over to the Fashion District where we discovered stylish plum prettiness for our bridesmaids at great deals (that is, under $100! More on this in another post).
We also went to Chinatown for decoration ideas for our Asian/Polynesian-inspired decor. We found mini-bamboo in bundles of 10 for just $3, parasols for $5-$6, string lanterns for a few bucks. My fiance found pocket knives for $5 that would make cool gifts for his groomsmen. We saw the possibilities, the opportunities to create our own wedding ourselves at a price we can afford. Yes!
The excitement and optimism spilled over onto Saturday when we decided to order a small wedding cake. Well, wedding prop more like it. We really don't need a cake. Our restaurant serves cake (chocolate mousse cake far better than any wedding cake I've had), so who needs another slice? But, we gotta cut a cake! ( we don't really, but it's our "splurge" I guess). So we purchased a small, 10 inch round vanilla cake with custard and strawberry filling and buttercream frosting from Ninong's Pastries. Just a simple cake--our baker is going to wrap the base with a purple ribbon (provided by us) and we'll top it with flowers. Put this on an elegant cake stand and we have our cake! The cake itself will cost us only $41.
After our cake tasting, my MOH called me with great news. A friend of hers is breaking into wedding and event planning and offered to help plan our wedding pro bono (in exchange for experience and references, of course). Day-of coordinator issue solved!
Alas, I guess what comes up, must come down. Sunday, we decided to try our luck at the Monique Lhuillier sample sale in LA. Now I know I have my inexpensive Mori Lee gown that is perfectly in our budget. But...it's Monique Lhuillier, yo! We waited for three hours in the cold just to go through the depleted racks of still-overpriced gowns. I love Monique Lhuillier. But these dresses were nowhere to be found.
Later that evening some family members asked us how our wedding planning was going. With enthusiasm, we described our experience at the flower mart, our plan to DIY our flowers, the potted orchid centerpieces, our DIY bouquets, the mini bamboo favors, the one-tier 10-inch round cake...
The whole time we can see their faces freeze in horror.
What? No florist? Your going to do your own flowers? What? You're just going to have that tiny little Mickey Mouse cake? What? Do you need more money? Get yourself a real cake! You don't want a mediocre wedding!
Ouch! A mediocre wedding? Because we don't care for a cake that reaches the ceiling? I didn't know the value of our wedding was based on a mound of flour, sugar and icing. And...did you call our cake Mickey Mouse?! Oh but wait, the hits keep coming!
Do you want us to get you a real wedding planner? We'll pay for it. Stop messing around and do this the right way. You're only married once, you know.
I take a deep breath, trying to keep my head exploding with:
Messing around? What do you think we've been doing the past three months? Picking our noses? C'mon, finding deals that work for us and people willing to help us didn't fall magical into our laps!
But before I risk deterriorating my good and happy relationship with family, I say through through a pleasant smile:
Thank you for the offer, we really appreciate it. We've put a lot of thought into this and please trust us when we say it's not all about what we can afford but what we truly want...and this is what we want.
We let them put in their two cents: you're making a big mistake, you don't know what you're doing, you're going to embarrass the family....
But that's all we can do. Let them talk and keep doing what we've been doing all along, even if we don't have all the emotional support we'd like. I can't take it all to heart...but I do. I wish I can say I'm a kick-ass, unconventional, I don't care-what-the-eff anyone-says kind of gal like this awesome bride, but I have my insecurities. I can be come up with an idea, be really jazzed about it, and then become easily insecure at one disapproving look or slight pause of hesitation. For two days we had one big accomplishment after another, but it nearly lost much of its shine after people close to us actually said our wedding embarrassed them. I can take other people's BS, but our families...geez, it's not like it's my goal to embarrass family.
The practical side of me knows all of their fears and concerns are complete rubbish. I know they just want us to have a nice wedding, but they're basing it all on superficial standards. But the other side of me -- self-concious, emotional side--just wants to impress. I loved our cake idea and thought it can look really cute. But damn, I don't want people thinking I've got a Mickey Mouse cake!
In the end, I know what side should prevail in this situation. We have the wedding we want, not what anyone says we should want. We like our potted orchid idea, so take that! We're going to DIY our flowers, so take that! We like our Mickey Mouse cake, so take that! In the end, there will be no regrets (ok, hopefully few) but it will be a wedding that feels comfortable for us, a wedding we're proud of, a wedding that didn't scream years of more debt. Because, you know, you're only married once!
December to-do's
Friday, December 4, 2009 | by Newlywed | Labels: musings, planning | 0 comments
December is a crazy month every year. Try throwing in a long list of wedding to-do's on top of holiday shopping, parties and get-togethers. December is our 9-month mark. Seems like we have a whole lot of time...to a procrastinator like me at least. But I'm trying to plan this wedding the right way, and suffocating through anxiety attacks because I have a zillion things to do is not where I want to be a week before the wedding. I'm acting as my own wedding coordinator right now so I have to make sure we stay on track and on budget.
So here's our December list of things to-do!
1. Pay the deposit to our photographer.
2. Finalize menu and reception budget. (We already had our tasting so we already know what we're serving. Mmmm...Chocolate Mousse Cake...drool)
3. Search for a baker. (We're not serving a large wedding cake since our menu already comes with cake, but we want a smaller one. We're looking for a 10" round cake that would probably just feed the wedding party. Kinda like a prop for the photo. This was a compromise we can live with especially since it saves us hundreds dollars on just flour and sugar.)
4. Confirm DJ - My cousin offered to DJ for us at a discounted price. We just need to confirm the price and the details with him.
5. Bridesmaid dresses and Groomsmens' tux - More on this later
6. Invitation wording - We have our DIY invitation kits from Michaels. Now it's time to decide on our invitation wording.
7. Florist - So we've decided to do our own centerpieces and bridesmaids' bouquet. I've contemplated doing my own bouquet, but I have a vision of the kind of bouquet I want. I don't know if I can pull it off with my limited crafting skills, so I thought I'd research how much my tropical/Asian inspired bouquet would cost me.
8. Print Save the Dates - Our STD's our done! My friend finished retouching them and now they're ready for the printers (another comp. favor from friends)
9. Gather addresses from our guests.
10. Book retreat - Catholic churches require a form of marriage preparation called Pre-Cana. While some churches require a series of classes, St. Elizabeth requests that we participate in a weekend retreat.
11. See financial advisor - It can be a touchy subject, especially since our financial situation is pretty meager right now. But it has to be done, especially for our future.
12. Finish website - we decided to go with Justproposed.com. Love the slideshow and music background. Looks professional and fun!
13. Ideas for centerpieces and decorations - My fiance and I are headed to the LA flowermart and chinatown for inspiration on our DIY projects. Exciting!
14. Look into hotel rates and transportation - We're looking into a renting weeklong accommodations for the Pasadena area. My fiance lives in the area, but he doesn't have extra space and we have folks in our wedding party who are coming in from out of town. As for transportation, no limo service or fancy car for us. Well, my mom and dad own a mercedes. That's as fancy as we're gonna get. otherwise, We're renting a minivan. It's helpful for transporting materials.
15. Honeymoon - What are the cheapest deals to St. Thomas?
16.Hair/Makeup - I do have a connection to the Paul Mitchell School...while I might be able to get a great deal, there's a drawback. The stylists will be students and you won't know who you're going to get until the day of. So no hair or makeup trial. Not a good thing, especially since we're running on a tight schedule the day of.
So here's our December list of things to-do!
1. Pay the deposit to our photographer.
2. Finalize menu and reception budget. (We already had our tasting so we already know what we're serving. Mmmm...Chocolate Mousse Cake...drool)
3. Search for a baker. (We're not serving a large wedding cake since our menu already comes with cake, but we want a smaller one. We're looking for a 10" round cake that would probably just feed the wedding party. Kinda like a prop for the photo. This was a compromise we can live with especially since it saves us hundreds dollars on just flour and sugar.)
4. Confirm DJ - My cousin offered to DJ for us at a discounted price. We just need to confirm the price and the details with him.
5. Bridesmaid dresses and Groomsmens' tux - More on this later
6. Invitation wording - We have our DIY invitation kits from Michaels. Now it's time to decide on our invitation wording.
7. Florist - So we've decided to do our own centerpieces and bridesmaids' bouquet. I've contemplated doing my own bouquet, but I have a vision of the kind of bouquet I want. I don't know if I can pull it off with my limited crafting skills, so I thought I'd research how much my tropical/Asian inspired bouquet would cost me.
8. Print Save the Dates - Our STD's our done! My friend finished retouching them and now they're ready for the printers (another comp. favor from friends)
9. Gather addresses from our guests.
10. Book retreat - Catholic churches require a form of marriage preparation called Pre-Cana. While some churches require a series of classes, St. Elizabeth requests that we participate in a weekend retreat.
11. See financial advisor - It can be a touchy subject, especially since our financial situation is pretty meager right now. But it has to be done, especially for our future.
12. Finish website - we decided to go with Justproposed.com. Love the slideshow and music background. Looks professional and fun!
13. Ideas for centerpieces and decorations - My fiance and I are headed to the LA flowermart and chinatown for inspiration on our DIY projects. Exciting!
14. Look into hotel rates and transportation - We're looking into a renting weeklong accommodations for the Pasadena area. My fiance lives in the area, but he doesn't have extra space and we have folks in our wedding party who are coming in from out of town. As for transportation, no limo service or fancy car for us. Well, my mom and dad own a mercedes. That's as fancy as we're gonna get. otherwise, We're renting a minivan. It's helpful for transporting materials.
15. Honeymoon - What are the cheapest deals to St. Thomas?
16.Hair/Makeup - I do have a connection to the Paul Mitchell School...while I might be able to get a great deal, there's a drawback. The stylists will be students and you won't know who you're going to get until the day of. So no hair or makeup trial. Not a good thing, especially since we're running on a tight schedule the day of.
The emergency lipstick remover
Sunday, November 29, 2009 | by Newlywed | Labels: tips, wedding dress | 0 comments
One of the cautionary tales people will tell you about buying your dress off the rack or at a sample sale is the amount of money you'll spend on removing stains and alterations. When everything's said and done, you can spend hundreds more dollars on a dress that was initially a steal. Personally, I think the dress can still be a huge deal depending how much you purchased the dress. A new dress can still need alterations, and if you're careful with your purchase you'll spot expensive stains or alterations before buying the dress.
Well, here is where I may have made a rash mistake. I purchased my Mori Lee gown for a cheap $175 during a sample sale at a bridal expo. It was well within my budget of $250 and a style I'm very happy with - white, A-line with an elegant train. I still need the top tightened a bit (my aunt used to be a seamstress and she offered to make the alterations), but I noticed a small lipstick stain under the armpit -- a stain I think I accidently made while trying on the dress. I figured I would easily get the dress dry-cleaned. How much would that cost, right? Well, dry-cleaning a wedding dress can cost upwards of $100.
While I initially thought I would spend the money to get the dress cleaned, I thought, 'It's just one stain. Can I remove it myself?' I googled, "removing lipstick stains," and I found these tips: Try removing the stain with a delicate wash cloth soaked in warm water. If that doesn't work, use a little bit of liquid dish washing soap. Since lipstick is an oil-based stain, dish washing soap might help remove the stain, if not lighten it until it's barely noticeable.
Sure enough, it worked! The lip stick stain is no longer there and the dress looks brand new! No need for the extra cash in getting the dress dry-cleaned! Now, it's time to get the dress altered...
* Note: You might not want to attempt this on large, very noticeable stains. I say, if it's larger than a dime and the stain has been there awhile, get it drycleaned!
Well, here is where I may have made a rash mistake. I purchased my Mori Lee gown for a cheap $175 during a sample sale at a bridal expo. It was well within my budget of $250 and a style I'm very happy with - white, A-line with an elegant train. I still need the top tightened a bit (my aunt used to be a seamstress and she offered to make the alterations), but I noticed a small lipstick stain under the armpit -- a stain I think I accidently made while trying on the dress. I figured I would easily get the dress dry-cleaned. How much would that cost, right? Well, dry-cleaning a wedding dress can cost upwards of $100.
While I initially thought I would spend the money to get the dress cleaned, I thought, 'It's just one stain. Can I remove it myself?' I googled, "removing lipstick stains," and I found these tips: Try removing the stain with a delicate wash cloth soaked in warm water. If that doesn't work, use a little bit of liquid dish washing soap. Since lipstick is an oil-based stain, dish washing soap might help remove the stain, if not lighten it until it's barely noticeable.
Sure enough, it worked! The lip stick stain is no longer there and the dress looks brand new! No need for the extra cash in getting the dress dry-cleaned! Now, it's time to get the dress altered...
* Note: You might not want to attempt this on large, very noticeable stains. I say, if it's larger than a dime and the stain has been there awhile, get it drycleaned!
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