Happy. Sexy. Beautiful.

The Beverlywood (sans sleeves).  That's my dress.
This model is gorgeous, but the photo doesn't
do the bust line justice.  It has a slight curve
as it travels towards the shoulder.  So pretty.
dollycouture.com

It was almost too easy.
I was expecting a dramatic, tear-filled whirlwind of events, complete with several trips around southern California and countless disappointing moments consisting of dresses that didn't fit and price tags I couldn't afford.
Instead, after searching for months and months on the net (I guess that was the hard part), I found my way to Dolly Couture in Tarzana.  It was the first bridal salon I visited to try on dresses, and it will be my last, because I found my dress!
Making an appointment was easy.  Trying on the dresses was easy.  (In fact, though I'm a size 18 jean size, I was swimming in the size 18 dresses because I'm considerably smaller in the waist than I am in the hip.  What a treat for this plus size girl! )  My consultant, Nicky, was sweet, knowledgable and knew exactly what dress to put me in - a dress I would've never chosen myself because it has sleeves, and since we're getting married at the end of summer I was looking for a sleeveless or strapless gown.  Turns out, you can customize any of the dresses at Dolly Couture.  So, I'm going with the Beverlywood, an ivory, taffeta, cocktail dress with tulle and protruding lace  - no sleeves, with an a-line waste (instead of ball gown) and a truly flattering neckline.  I'm also adding Chinese buttons over the zipper in the back. I've had a rack since I was ten, but my girls have never, ever, ever looked this good in a dress.  Really.  It's kind of ridiculous.
I asked Adam a few weeks ago to give me three adjectives to describe what he'd like me to look like as I make my way down the aisle.  His first adjective was "happy", which is pretty sweet, if you ask me.  His second was "sexy".  (Men.  Tee hee.)  And his last was "beautiful".  I think the Beverlywood gives both Adam and I just what we're looking for.

But, as they say, a woman's work is never done.

The one I thought I wanted.  I was wrong.
dollycouture.com

Now that I've found the dress I spend a good hour a day searching for the perfect shoes, jewelry and veil.  I don't fancy myself a girly-girl. I own about a dozen pairs of shoes, of which I cycle through three on any given day: the sandal, the sneaker, and the fancy sneaker (read: black, low-top Converse).  But I've been lusting after heels the last few days.  Particularly the Dreamer by Kate Spade and Frilly by Charles David.  I have no intention on paying for shoes that are as expensive as these - especially since I tend to last about ten minutes in a pair of heels before I throw a feminist fist in the air and declare them sexist tools created by a patriarchal society determined to distract women from ruling the world by physically disabling them... but I can still drool over them, right?

The Dreamer: the kind of shoe you want to marry.

Frilly: the kind of shoe you want to take home and well, you know.

Hooray for finding things!

Next week: DIY napkins.
~ the green/green bride