Friday, February 22, 2008

My own 27 dresses

Okay, so not 27 but 6. Last month, while the wee one was at Spouse's Day Out I went for a mani/pedi & to see "27 dresses". Cute chick flick & anyone who has been a bridesmaid can totally relate to this movie!

My 6 dresses:

1) Horrific mauve polyester number with a lace yoke circa 1984. I was a bridesmaid in my brother Todd's wedding. If the dress wasn't bad enough I was forced to wear a full length strapless slip. That chose to FALL DOWN to under my underdeveloped 16 yr old bustline during the ceremony. I remember walking down the aisle at the end of the wedding trying to make it w/out the slip winding up in a pool around my feet. The usher I walked with was a friend of my brother's & laughed at me the whole way. Sadly, I dont have any pictures of Todd's wedding with me--they must all be at Mom & Dad's house.





2) Mauve reigns again in 1985 when my brother Michael got married. Our dresses were an off the shoulder mauve (AGAIN!) satin. The pic of me walking down the aisle is one of my favorites. In fact, it's my "goal" picture for my weight loss. Do you love my "totally awesome" 80's bi level hair cut & tan lines?










3) Chintz anyone? In 1989 my best friend from high school got married to her college sweetheart & our dresses were pastel floral numbers. The colors were pretty on everyone but when I saw PJ (the bridesmaid who had gone dress hunting w/ Marilee) in hers I realized how good it looked on her. Lesson learned: ALWAYS volunteer to go dress shopping. You're guaranteed a dress that looks good on YOU!











4) 1990--My friend Brenda got married to her hubby John & we wore iridescent navy blue taffeta. Possibly one of the prettiest dresses ever chosen for bridesmaids. Sadly, no pictures exist (in my possession anyway) of me in this dress. I could point you to the video (online) of their wedding but you'd think I spent the reception sober which wasn't the case!






5) 1993--Heather got married & as maid of honor I got to go dress shopping! AND choose the color! Muahahahhahahah VICTORY IS MINE!! Heather gave me a choice of red or black. Um, I have fair skin, brunette--RED! YES! 2 piece dress reminescent of Julie McCoy on the Love Boat but good God, the color was BEAUTIFUL! My skirt was ripped while I was dancing with the best man---he dipped me & stepped on my hem. My leg went up & rrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiipppppppppppppppp! It was mended & worn to a military ball!



6) 1993 again! My friend Ellen married her boyfriend Jay who was my high school beau (we dated very briefly). In fact, she wouldn't go on a 1st date w/ him unless my then-boyfriend & I went with them! Interestingly enough I wasn't invited on the honeymoon! Hunter green velvet was the dress choice (fall wedding). And keeping with the torn dress trend of '93---my dress was torn by the best man. At least he drove me home to change & then to the groom's parents house for the after party. While I loved the dress, the picture of me in it, posing prom style w/ the best man, the groom's sister (another bridesmaid) cousin (usher) is SO horrible & I am feeling vain so you'll just have to imagine it on me. OR if you were there, say "No Laurie, you looked adorable!"

I have to admit, I loved my gown from my 1st wedding. It was a beautiful ivory silk gown ---think Scarlett O'Hara's when she married Charles Hamilton. Seriously. Same poofy sleeves (mine were less ornate), same fitted bodice, full skirt etc. I had a beaded headband with a Cathedral length veil. My hair was short (chin length curly bob) & my ex's niece proclaimed that I looked like Snow White. The pictures are somewhere at my parents house.

When Hunter & I got married it was by the Justice of the Peace & as you can see I wore a black suit. The joke was it was the "un-wedding" as we'd both been down the big wedding road before & that just didn't work out. So a simple black suit did the trick. Sometimes it's the simplest of things that work! Although I do wish I'd had the idea to have my friends wear the dresses I'd worn in their weddings when they were my bridesmaids!!

6 comments:

PhDCow said...

I love your "un-wedding" pic best of all!

NH Knitting Mama said...

I love your JP pic.

Ursula said...

Only two dresses for me, but they seem to mirror two of yours! I wore a pale pink homemade thing with an itchy lace yoke of sorts, probably 1984ish in my cousin's wedding.

Two years after your hunter green bridesmaid dress I was lucky enough to wear one too although velvet must have gone out of style ;) I love the bride to death but she actually thought we'd wear our dresses again. "Um, no, I'm sorry. But I really like the dress, Jac!"

Thanks for sharing the pics! I have to agree your un-wedding pic is certainly the best :)

Shawnee said...

You are TOO FUNNY! What great pictures, and love your smile best in your "un-wedding". Hugs!!

Knittin' Diva said...

Love this!! Almost gives me the inspiration to dig out all of my bridesmaids dresses. When my father remarried, I had to wear a hot pink, off the shoulder number with a pink freakin' bow, on big round butt. Blech!!!

Good for you doing it simple the 2nd time. The 2nd one is a charm, isn't it? I too, am on my 2nd marriage, and although we did do it somewhat formal, it was only 35 people....and the time of my life!

Laura said...

Those dresses were too funny! I'm 34, so I am old enough to remember the giant puffed sleeved floral numbers of the time! My youngest sister is getting married in May - I'm the maid of honor, my daughter is a junior bridesmaid, and my son is the ringbearer. I think the dresses are beautiful, but hopefully I won't look back at them 15 years from now and say, "What were we thinking???", LOL!

I'm glad to hear your husband is coming home soon!