Weddingbee boards

I'm going to keep a little diary of my wedding dress progress.

I had my first proper fitting for the first layer of my dress today. I'm having a version of Dita von Teese's wedding dress in gold silk with a corset underneath (as with the original) and a shorter skirt to change into in the evening.

A picture of the original for reference.

Here's a picture of the first corset fitting today (ignore the silly face, please).

I also had a wee play with some veils and came to the conclusion that I definitely don't want a blusher on my veil and that a lace edge definitely wouldn't work with the dress.

Staring at the corset, I'm increasingly worrying that it's too tight on the bust and I'll look flat from the side. I was hoping that the gores would give me a more natural shape.

@SugerPlum: Gores give it a cup-like shape. They're little extra triangles of fabric. Cups don't really work with a steel-boned corset. She's doing a little bit of alteration which I'm hoping sorts it out and the boning will all be in there next time.

That said, I don't want to worry that I'm going to fall out when I'm dancing!

Here's me in my other gored-bust corset.

@Phofe2774: I'm wearing a single tier, cathedral length veil with heavy beading for the day-time and a tricorne hat with birdcage veil in the evening.

Here's the beading on the sample veil (it'll be dark red rather than silver).

@Phofe2774: Thanks. :-D

@SugerPlum: I've emailed my dressmaker expressing my concern about it being too tight. It may be that once the busk and extra boning is in that it'll be fine.

@SugerPlum: I don't think that it helps that she measured my bust at 40" in a bad bra whereas it's usually measured at 42-43".

I had another fitting yesterday. The dress is really starting to come together.

The crinoline starting to come together. There's only one hoop in at the moment but there are channels for another 10-15 to be added at which point the skirt will look rather bigger. 

The corset was let out a bit on the bust and is getting closer to being right but still needs a few alterations (and boning) so I was falling out a bit (hence the hands).

Then we started pinning over the toile!

Here it is in our first toile. The crinoline will make it a lot fuller (it was folding in a bit at the back at the moment as it's not finished) and there will be a ruched off the shoulder bodice. 

I'm really pleased with how it's coming together.

This dress is coming along beautifully, I can't wait to see further progress of it! It looks beautiful and so unique!

Looking back at the pictures, the gathers on the skirt should probably just be to one side, but then we were just playing around with the gathers. 

Thank you all! I'm really pleased with the progress. It's scary seeing how small the skirt looks at the moment but I know it'll be bigger with all the hoops.

I got to see 2m of the silk too and it's just plain stunning. The bodice will be boned right down the front in an 18th century style (we were having a good giggle about the 19th century corset and crinoline, with the 18th century bodice, 20th century skirt for evening and 21st century knickers).

I can't wait for my next fitting in two weeks' time!

@barbie86: Awww! Thanks! As soon as we're started on the other skirts I'll put them up. The pencil skirt will be last as it's just being knocked up out of leftovers. 

I had the first fitting in the actual fabric of the dress today. Here are a few pictures.

I'm slightly worried that the skirt isn't big enough, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that once the hoop skirt is finished that it will be the right size.

I'm feeling quite mixed about it at the moment. I love the fabric and the dress and I can see it looking gorgeous once it's done, but I'm worried that the skirt is going to end up being slimmer than I want it to be.

I've sent her an email. I'm sure it'll be fine.

I'm just extra stressed because we also lose one of my antique earrings and, while I got them as a total bargain on eBay, to replace them I'm looking at about $150-200!

@KristenGotMarried: They weren't sitting quite right, and were edging on making the skirt too short as is, so we'd changed it to just having pleats inside pleats inside pleats. Maybe we should add them back in. I really shouldn't listen to my mum!

@Charlahdooz: Awww! Thank you! I'm just stressing out at the moment.

ETA - Even though I emailed at 11:46pm, she's just emailed back (after midnight) reassuring me that it'll look much bigger with the crinoline filled out.

I'm wondering if I should see if the "sleeves" can have some sort of structure in them so they support themselves.

Any new pics ? :) 

@maudemaisha: The next fitting is on the 21st of January. No new pics 'til then, sorry.

@SpecialSundae: nothing to be sorry about :) Just looking forward to seeing more of it ! :) 

@SpecialSundae: Gourgeous, simply gourgeous.