This dress was perfect and made me feel like a princess. Or, more appropriately, Kate Middleton.
Like many brides, I found this dress after what felt like a very long search. Every dress that I tried on had something missing or too much of something else. I wanted something elegant yet simple, classic yet not boring. Something that would allow me to feel beautiful yet that wouldn't overwhelm me.
When I was in the Alfred Angelo Salon, I was trying on dress after dress, looking for the right combination of elements. The sales associate, probably exasperated at this point, handed me a catalog for me to go through and see if there was anything I had missed. I flipped through it and pointed to two dresses and said, "I like this one because it's simple and this one because of the beautiful lace and the collar." The associate looked at me and said, "Those are the same dress with a removable jacket! And I was about to show you that one!"
When I put it on, I had nothing critical to say. It was elegant and simple, classic yet not boring, and it had POCKETS. Did I mention that? It has pockets.
The dress itself is actually a color that the manufacturer calls "pearl." It's an iridescent satin with a touch of cool grey that's super soft and smooth, and there's a layer of tulle underneath to give it volume. The Alfred Angelo salon suggested wearing a slip with a little more tulle to make the dress even more of a ballgown, but I decided to not pursue that because I was worried about being too warm for my June wedding. The neckline is a scooped neckline... sort of a a middle ground between straight and sweetheart. The cut emphasized my waist beautifully, and the dress was in no danger of falling down at any point. The jacket is an ivory lace with beading and a few sequins to make it shimmer in the sunlight. I was worried about anything that could potentially irritate my super sensitive skin, but nothing caused a problem. The jacket buttons up the back to mimic the buttons down the back and train of the dress.
The veil is a drop veil and isn't included with the dress, but if you're interested or want to see more photos of the veil, let me know and we can maybe work something out.