islandbride317

Today, my friends, I joined you in becoming a MAGGIE BRIDE! Everyone's dresses are gorgeous, and now I'll have a Maggie of my very own! Originally, I had gotten a very simple, classic a-line dress at David's Bridal, but I kept having regrets that it wasn't "The ONE", so I decided to keep looking. I had seen a few other dresses that I really liked at DB, but I thought, "If I am really going to get a different dress, I am not going to let cost be the major factor. I wanna try on some Maggies!" (which are still reasonably priced with high quality material and construction). And I have found the gown of my DREAMS! Even my mom loves it and she and I have varying taste in most everything! The dress is actually Sottero & Midgley RSM1038 and I positively HAD to atleast try it on, and I'm so glad I did! Because it was not already in stock at the bridal salon, I had to pay $50 to have a loaner/sample dress bought in specifically for me to try on at Simone's Unlimited in Hanover, PA (one of the retailers the website recommends) and boy, was it ever worth the wait! Even the veil and the hair accessory match the dress perfectly -- so exciting! Here is a pic of the dress on the model: And here are a few pics of me in the sample dress. (Please bear in mind that the sample was a size 6, and I am a street size 10/12, so it's a little snug and the corset isn't laced as it will be when I have the proper size...but I loved it anyway, and ordered an 8!) The dramatic back of the dress! ....and the Maggie hair accessory to match! I don't think it's possible to be more excited than I am right now! Waiting 4 months for my dress to come in is going to be so hard....and waiting until May to wear it for my wedding is going to be even worse!

WOW - You look AMAZING! Your dresses fit you perfectly, and the color and "sassy-ness" of the reception dress is to die for! L.O.V.E. it

I think you should absolutely stick with dress #1! The other dresses are beautiful, and look amazing on that great figure of yours, but I think #1 is more "bridal" and appropriate for an event like a wedding. The other dresses just don't looks as much like wedding gowns as #1 does, in my opinion. But I can see why you are having a hard time deciding -- everything looks incredible on you! Good luck, and I'm sure you'll find the right dress for you!

YOU, my dear, are an absolute VISION! The photography is stunning, and I love how it looks completely different than any other photo style I've seen so far... remarkable. The pic in your siggy is the most magnificent idea I've seen on BDW yet! At first glance, I thought, "Wow! What a FABULOUS idea for a photo; really represents the two of you freely coming together to join your lives as one. Just beautiful. Congrats, Mrs.! Enjoy your newlywed bliss...and make it last a lifetime!

It's beautiful....and maybe you want to call around to seamstresses and explain the issue to get an idea of what sort of alteration fees you would be looking at. I think if you still love the dress, but just want it to fit, that would be the best way to go -- good luck!

CONGRATULATIONS to Desiree, the NEW MRS.! I am psyched to see your pics and read your review...we were all thinking of you and hoping everything was just as you had dreamed and worked so hard for! Savor your newlywed status, and I'll be on the lookout for your review!

Congrats...and welcome to BDW! You will absolutely LOVE this site - there are so many great members and you'll get lots of tips on things you never even thought of. Sorry I can't recommed anywhere in the Dominican, but maybe you could look up reviews on TripAdvisor or something to get an idea of other's opinions (if you have a few hotels in mind). Good luck!

Congrats! They're so vibrant and tropical looking...so they will be PERFECT for Jamaica! Everyone will be convinced they are real

Drumroll, please.......and the winner is....... DRESS #1 by a landslide!!! (The crowd goes wild!!!!!!) CONGRATULATIONS, LADY! I for one think you made a fabulous decision; your gown is so sophisticated, so glam, so uber-amazing, I don't know whatelse to say! And you look so completely thrilled in your pics with the designer -- but, how wouldn't you be?! He's customizing your dress to fit your body exactly, and even threw in shoes...what a sweetheart! Again, another round of applause for the winner, DRESS #1!

It's lovely, Adelaide! And how sweet of you to mention in advance that you plan on selling it to another bride for her TTD; that is what I am thinking of doing with my $75 eBay TTD-specific gown, too! I think the lower prices we'll be able to offer our fellow BDWers might allow a few people to do a TTD that might otherwise not have been able to afford it -- Paying it forward!

Way to go, girls! You're both awesome, and super-deserving...CONGRATS!

Thanks for the props, Tammy! (Good to see you, girl!) And I've come up with another one that might be a contender: Congratulations to the Bride and the Groom, Get a little wet n' wild, and go "back to your room"! Amy was right when she said her mind was churning with ideas...now I can't seem to get mine to stop!

Ooooh, Steph! This is such naughty, delicious fun, and your FI is a genius for putting a bit of a provocative twist on the idea! And as usual, the other girls have outdone themselves (kudos to you all for your creativity)! Here's my offering: "On this most magical of days, Surely more than water will be sprayed!" Still suggestive, but somewhat tasteful, 'eh? Or here's another one I thought of that's just a wee bit more, um, (clears throat) blatant: We've got sun, the sea and the sand, Now squeeze and jerk what's in your hand! Just a thought! I think you should take the suggestions everyone's given, and post a poll to see how the votes shake out! Or maybe just present them to your FI, and see which one he's diggin' the most? Whatever you decide on, it'll be an unexpected surprise and a GIANT hit with your guests for certain!

I say personalize them; I know for myself, I'll grab whatever travel mug is in the cupboard (regardless of what's printed on it) when I am rushing to grab a cup of coffee and head out the door to work! Plus, that will be a fun story for your guests to tell about the fantastic DW they attended whenever anyone asks about it...or if they're having a tough time during icy cold winter months, they can just close their eyes, take a sip of whatever yummy hot beverage they've got in the mug and sigh, thinking back on the beautiful beaches and warm weather of the tropical location in which they spent a few days with great family and friends. That'll warm the body and the soul!

Yeah, I need the answer to this question too, so don't feel bad! I am most likely only going to need to have a small number of them in the end after all the RSVPs come back, and I don't want to spend a fortune getting mugs actually printed with our logo, so I'm in the same boat as you. To Ashley -- I wanted to ask: if you haven't already printed them, I was curious about whether or not you've thought about what type of ink you're going to use, or do you think standard printer in going to work? Therein lies my dilemma; I'm afraid we are going to run into issues with ink smudging or not adhering to the sticker. Please give us a head's up if you can help!

Yep, keep your paint brush in hand girl, because they look waaayyy past good -- they look AMAZING! I had to re-read the part about you doubting what an insanely awesome job you've done...they look totally professionally done to me! And what's more is the fact that you can be so proud of yourself when you give them to your guests, knowing that your time and energy went into doing something personal, by hand, for the people that are coming to share your special day. What can be better than that, right? They're gonna love 'em!

Ooohh, Grace! How dapper is your darling going to look in that incredible tux, right?! You couldn't have found something more precisely suited for France -- it's PERFECT! Congratulations in advance, as well; September is just around the corner!

Uh-oh, Amy! Sunday, or D-Day (Decision Day!) has arrived...we'll need a drumroll when you announce which gorgeous gown has gotten YOUR vote! Can't wait to see which one has made it's way out of your bridal-gown-dreams and will be the dress you wear in reality for your BIG DAY!

Amber -- looks like you might have some potential buyers now, but if you end up not selling it, I think it's a fantastic TTD gown! The neckline and bodice detailing are stunning...good luck with whatever happens, whether you sell it, or wear it in the sea!

Ah, the TTD-dilemma...I know it well! I'll go on record as saying that I also did not know of the concept before joining BDW, and at first I thought it was a little crazy, but THEN, I saw the TTD pics posted by the other wonderful ladies of this forum that had done them and I was sold! How INCREDIBLE the photos look, with the stark contrast of a white dress against the turquoise waters and lush surroundings of tropical locations -- and it's a chance to be silly, or sexy, or express however you feel when you're celebrating your newlywed status! I think we will all have more than enough "posed" pictures, that to have something so completely different will be refreshing when looking through your photo-memories for years to come. I also came up against some adverse reactions when I initially told my Mom and my sister what I intended to do. They'd never heard of it, and thought I'd lost my ever-lovin' mind, so to keep the peace, I purchased a gown for $75 on eBay and now everyone will be happy! My dress for the ceremony will remain unscathed, and I can literally "trash" or throw away my cheapie TTD dress when I'm done with it if I want to! I say to put your mind at ease, just get something inexpensive that you can roll around in the surf and sand without worry, and have a blast! Years from now, you'll be glad you did.

Classic and sophisticated...what a beautiful gown! And what's better, is you look so sublimely happy in it, too -- a fine example of how a dress doesn't make the bride, the bride makes the dress!

Woo-hoo! Let's hear it for SCUBA, everybody, and the wonderful decision she has made! Let me just tell you, I know I am a little late on seeing this thread, but as I was reading through everyone's posts, I was hoping to see that you had decided to go with dress #1 -- it's magnificent! I'll join everyone else in saying that it looks positively BRILLIANT on your figure, and I think the flowing nature of the material will look like a dream when the wind catches it...your pics are going to be phenomenal! The whole thing just "works" on you -- the cinching in your midsection make your waist look itty-bitty, the beadwork is divine, the train - love it!, and the corset back couldn't look better. Hey, I even like it WITH the straps, if you want me to be honest, but it'll still be smashing if you go without! Congrats on sticking with your inital purchase; hands down, I say you made the best decision in the end!

Lisa, they're wonderful! I love your color choices, and they have such a polished look to them -- I'm sure you're just thrilled, and you have every right to be! Well done!

WOW, Carmen! They look wonderful! Incorporating the real peacock feathers is a whimsical, interesting touch, and I am sure everyone was delighted to see such a creative twist on your invitations. Personally, I've received a great many wedding invites before and have never seen anything like that, so well done!

#2 is definitely my favorite -- I have yet to see one like it, and I think it's really got an interesting flair! The only thing I might suggest is to adjust it so that the text with your location and date are all on the blue part of the island, since the white text in "2009" is blending with the lighter background a bit....but it still looks awesome even if you don't change it!