The Dress

Absolutely beautiful customised ivory gown from Hera Bridal in 100% pure silk chiffon. Off the shelf dress embellished details to give it a vintage flavour with a bit of european flair to complement the romantic french themed wedding (and our love of Argentine tango). Dress was only given a slight release on hipline but otherwise a perfect fit at UK 14 (said this was a NZ 10, however I was a NZ size 12-14 at time), no length alterations. Embellishments included a dettachable bolero jacket in "passionflower" french guipure lace that forms the keyhole at back. Some covered buttons to work well with the slightly lowered back. A "passion flower" in same lace as bolero was added to the bust bodice. The birdcage veil was created to match, using the same passion flower lace as well as couple of small feathers. Note that the dress can be worn as a strapless sweetheart without the bolero if you wish. The price includes dress, bolero, shoes, birdcage veil, diamante comb and ivory ring cushion (although the retail price mentioned is just what I paid for dress, not accessories). It felt incredibly glamourous to wear. The dress has been dry cleaned at cost of $450 at well-regarded Regal Drycleaners in Newmarket and due to the delicate nature of the fabric, there are some small pulls on the train of the dress, although not terribly noticeable unless someone is getting on floor to look at it! Wedding took place in January 2015.