Kaala’s maid of honor did a lot of legwork for Kaala. She searched me out from the Bridal Page on Facebook. She asked lots of questions, showed me pictures of the dress Kaala had already purchased and the one the wished she could incorporate. There was a lot going on!!! After a few months I finally met Kaala and Cassie at my Home Boutique and evaluated what she wanted to keep and what she desired to change on this (non-refundable) gown. I recommended that the Handkerchief (with wide Horsehair braided hemline) skirt was going to be a little too much considering that the bodice was beautifully and FULLY beaded with rhinestones and pearls. Kaala wanted the lace-up back to be more open so that meant that it needed to be re-designed and re-looped. No small task.
It turned out that the slightly dropped waist was also on the “too snug” side. To fix it, I had to cut open the beaded border, add soft tulle inserts, and re-bead about 6 scalloped sections, in a matching beaded pattern. Kaala eventually agreed that the Handkerchief style skirt would be too busy, so she settled on a layer of ‘Sparkle Tulle’ added under the existing top layer. I ‘cream-puffed’ the lower hem (Belle style gathers) to add a little more PRINCESS PIZAZZ as well as another layer of thick, gathered crinoline - because Princess Gowns need to be Ball-Gown FULL. The overall length needed hemming – usually 4 - 6 layers by the time you do each one. I also made a new lace for the lace-up back, as the original lace wasn’t long enough to do the job. To top it off I made Kaala a custom veil with a lace that she selected. It was stunning. The final touch was a borrowed high-quality rhinestone vintage brooch (my aunts) that was carefully placed at the bottom of the lace-up. It tied the fully beaded bodice and skirt together in absolute unique perfection!!
It turned out amazingly well. Kaala was truly a gorgeous princess on her wedding day. In her Mom’s own words – “I know that I am biased, but that was the most beautiful wedding I have ever been to, and Kaala was stunning!!!” This alteration took me approximately 25 hours to complete. The challenges were well worth the effort. There’s nothing as satisfying as a bride who is delighted more than she ever imagined she would be.
