Second Dress or Not?

I'm seriously debating whether to get a second dress to wear at the reception (after the first dance and all).  I hadn't originally planned on changing - it's tradition in modern Chinese weddings for the bride to have up to five dresses - but the more I think about it, the more I think that I should have a party dress for dancing later on in the evening, something easier to move around in.  There are plenty of affordable white dresses on J.Crew's website...

What do you think?

Less than five months to go!!!

Can't believe it's almost here. We've officially ordered our invitations will be getting them in a couple of weeks. What else do we have to do?

• Finalize registry
• Dress fittings
• Mail out invites
• Dance lessons!!!!
• Seating plan
• Pay installments for photog, videography, DJ, etc...
• Get licence (can't do that until late May or later - you have to get it no earlier than 90 days before the wedding)
• Meet with officiant

I hope I'm not leaving anything out!

Flowergirl Dresses....

Why, oh, why are they so expensive? One of the dresses I liked was about the same cost as many bridesmaid dresses! I have to admit that I'm being a little more picky, because my flower girl is NOT going to wear white (she will be wearing lavendar, since darker purple can look harsh on a four year old), but still, a kid's dress shouldn't be like $175!

In other news, we pretty much have all our vendors in place as we signed our florist this week. Next step? Menu tastings!

First Dress Appointments!

I went to my first two appointments today! You wouldn't believe how many poofy dresses bridal salons have. They were all so heavy, too. Definitely something I'm not going to consider. Despite not wanting anything strapless, I did try a few and may actually consider them (though they're still not on the top of my list). I've also figured out a silhouette that I like - think slinky, old Hollywood. The lighter the material, the better, too.

Stay tuned for more updates on dresses and so forth!

Dresses.....

(NOT a dress the poster will be getting)

I have not started to look for my dress yet. I mean, I've looked around various wedding websites for styles I like, but I have not booked an appointment with any store to try dresses on. I have a rough idea of what I want. I don't want a strapless dress, since every that seems to be what every single bride has been wearing for the past ten years. I am definitely getting at least some straps, no matter what other brides have been telling me (every girl who has married has said that I'll change my mind about going strap - I am out to prove them wrong). I don't want to be the bride who is constasntly pulling on her gown (this can happen, even with good lingerie and alterations) I also want to be different. In addition to strapless, it's also not going to be a princess-like ball gown. I'm approximately 5'2" and less than 100 lb. There's NO WAY dresses like that will work on me! Or, do you think I'll end up going strapless like everyone else?

Tradition! Tradition! (Part One)

People have been asking me whether I'm going to have more than one dress - it is, after all, modern Chinese tradition to change at least once (most brides of Chinese descent I know wear white for the ceremony, change to a red one mid-way through the reception and end the evening in an evening gown). I don't know when this tradition started, but it's been around for at least a few decades - my mom and dad married in the 1970s and she changed. There are others who have asked me why I'm bothering to wear white at all, since it is a colour of mourning in many eastern traditions.

It's interesting who these people are - mostly are older people, who don't have much exposure to Chinese culture, beyond books and PBS documentaries. They're often overtly politically correct and abhor the fact that you are eroding your "own" culture by "adapting" what's around you, even if it's the culture you've grown up with OR something that even your parents did. I have also experienced this with people who're immigrants themselves, or sometimes, even KIDS OF IMMIGRANTS (a little odd, IMHO). When you tell them, there's a confused look on their face (this is a true story: A woman who worked in an admin position at my grad school told me how "sad" she was when she saw a bride of Asian descent wear white. She was like "I hope you don't do that." WTF? I repeat, WTF???!!!!!!

Anyway, back to the dress thing. I'm just not going to bother to change. I don't want to haul several outfits with me, since it's so much to take along. In any case, it's a wedding, not a fashion show. If I *WERE* to change, it'll only be one outfit - to a Chinese gown. I don't want to make a big spectacle out of clothing. It's just not my cup of tea.