If you're looking for a stunning, "red carpet" style gown for your wedding, then this is it. I purchased this from Ever After boutique in Coconut Grove, Florida in February 2011. It's made by designer Ines di Santo who is known for capturing the essence of sophisticated glamour and luxury. To give you some idea, I'm anything but typical, so I knew didn't want a "typical" wedding dress. I walked into the store and expressed my style, likes and dislikes. I saw a few dresses, but this one caught my eye almost instantly. It wasn't like anything else I had ever seen on or off a bride. It was elegant, glamorous, different! It was out of my budget, but I had to have it. I tried it on and added a short and flirty veil to give it that designer look.
I'm 5'2.5" tall, and I was a size 2/4 (more like a 4) at the time I purchased the gown. If I remember correctly, the gown was a 6/8. I had it slightly altered to hug my body. If you're a street-size 0-2-4, this dress should fit fine and/or you can have it altered a tiny bit down. Keep in mind I had/have pretty average measurements excpet for my behind - that's always been a bit larger. I'd say I was a 34/35 bust, 28 waist and 38 around the hips total. Also, very important... I wore 5" heels!
The gown is NOT white; it's a light champagne color. The one strap around the arm is for style, as it doesn't hold anything. The dress itself is a bit like a bustier and fits down into a mermaid. The back of the dress reaches mid back, and it has a beautiful trace of buttons with loops. Don't worry: the gown zips up; the bottoms close over the zipper. The dress itself has ruching all over so it's totally and utterly flattering. As for the fabric, it's a gorgeous, thick satin-type fabric that holds its shape very well. (Forgive me, but I don't recall the exact fabric.) The dress is layered underneath to give it that oomph.
I married September of 2011 and had the gown cleaned and preserved immediately following the wedding. I wore it for a few hours only, and did NOT dance in it. Instead, I wore it for the ceremony and toured around it for a bit taking pictures about town, but changed into a cocktail dress for my reception. Prestige Preservation cleans and preserves wedding dresses by inspecting for stains, pretreating and hand-spotting them, and then cleaning the gown using a gentle process. Finally, the dress is placed in a special, sealed, acid-free preservation box that protects it from contaminants and oxidation, often with a window so the dress can be viewed. And that's how it has been since then - untouched, hermetically sealed and carrying a certificate of warranty.
You will have lots of options to choose from. But if you want to stand out, if you want to look like a glamorous goddess - a movie star - and not a typical bride, then this is the style and dress for you. It cost me a mint, but it was worth every penny! When you know, you know...
