Finally I'm writing the last post about Diana's wedding!
One of Diana and Alex's rules about the wedding ceremony was that there were to be NO cell phones or camera use by guests. And I was so happy to see that everyone complied! The photographer took great pictures, so the event is well-documented. Here are some pictures so you can see just how lovely the whole day was!
In the "dressing room" (really just a classroom), the photographer took some pictures of the dresses and coats waiting to be worn.
On the left was the Matron of Honor's dress; my only part in that was adding straps to it so she would feel more secure. The wedding dress is next, followed by the Matron of Honor's coat (the wearable muslin of the final coat), and Diana's coat.
Closeup of the neck detail:
Closeup of the button detail:
The funny thing was that Diana and I searched for the right buttons in New York and came up empty; I found these at my local Joanns and they were perfect! This was also the first time I had attempted bound buttonholes, which was nerve wracking.
Detail of the embroidery on the facing:
There are things about the coat I'm not happy with, but Diana was thrilled and that's what mattered.
Then it was time to dress the Bride.
I think this is one of my favorite pictures. I'm wearing a blue wool dress I finished the day before the wedding (in the rush to get her stuff done, I kind of forgot that I had to have something to wear as well).
The cummerbund sash at the waist presented a bit of a problem; when it was fastened, the end of the band tended to stick out, which Diana didn't like. She wanted it to lay completely smooth. So rather than fuss with moving the skirt fastener that held it together, I just took out needle and thread and sewed the end down.
(I did clip the stitches before the happy couple left!)
Then it was time to head down for the ceremony! Here's the Parents of the Bride walking towards the pagoda where the ceremony was held.
I'm wearing a coat made from the same pattern as the one for both Diana and her Matron of Honor. In the interest of speed, I omitted buttons and just had a sash, and also had patch pockets. The lining was fabric I had bought as a fallback for the coat, in case we didn't find the right fabric in December. But we did, so I had extra. The light blue wool was a Mark Jacobs wool given to me by a friend; it was so luscious to work with! My dress was a wool from my stash.
She carried a bouquet of heather, along with Bob's mother's handkerchief and my mother's wedding gloves. And, thanks to the generosity of a dear friend, she also had a Lucky Sixpence in her shoe!
The ceremony itself:
At the left, you can see the MoH, Alyxzandra. The officiant was a dear friend of ours who has known us since Diana was maybe four years old. At the right is the Best Man, Cameron, who is Alyxzandra's husband.
Part of the ceremony was a traditional Handfasting. Guess where the term "tied the knot" came from?
A few more pictures from after the ceremony and at the reception:
The coat had the proper amount of swirl.
Brookside Gardens was such a lovely backdrop for these romantic pictures.
Cameron being Cameron.
It actually wasn't bitterly cold out by the time the ceremony was over (maybe 38-40 degrees), so they were able to get pictures without her coat on. But not many!
And finally, Diana's godmother gives her a paddling at the reception. Diana called this picture "testament to my mother's skills as a seamstress," as there was absolutely no gapping at the neckline, even when her new husband hoisted her over his shoulder.
And that, my friends, is the end of the Saga of the Wedding Dress! I hope you enjoyed it! I'm just glad everything came out the way it should; the happy couple is off to a wonderful life together.
NOTE: All photographs are by Exposed Branches Photography.
One of Diana and Alex's rules about the wedding ceremony was that there were to be NO cell phones or camera use by guests. And I was so happy to see that everyone complied! The photographer took great pictures, so the event is well-documented. Here are some pictures so you can see just how lovely the whole day was!
Getting Ready
Since the ceremony started at sunrise (7 a.m.), we all had to be at the venue (Brookside Gardens) while it was still pitch dark out. I had the dress and coat with me so Diana wouldn't have to worry about transporting it.In the "dressing room" (really just a classroom), the photographer took some pictures of the dresses and coats waiting to be worn.
On the left was the Matron of Honor's dress; my only part in that was adding straps to it so she would feel more secure. The wedding dress is next, followed by the Matron of Honor's coat (the wearable muslin of the final coat), and Diana's coat.
Closeup of the neck detail:
Closeup of the button detail:
The funny thing was that Diana and I searched for the right buttons in New York and came up empty; I found these at my local Joanns and they were perfect! This was also the first time I had attempted bound buttonholes, which was nerve wracking.
Detail of the embroidery on the facing:
There are things about the coat I'm not happy with, but Diana was thrilled and that's what mattered.
Then it was time to dress the Bride.
I think this is one of my favorite pictures. I'm wearing a blue wool dress I finished the day before the wedding (in the rush to get her stuff done, I kind of forgot that I had to have something to wear as well).
The cummerbund sash at the waist presented a bit of a problem; when it was fastened, the end of the band tended to stick out, which Diana didn't like. She wanted it to lay completely smooth. So rather than fuss with moving the skirt fastener that held it together, I just took out needle and thread and sewed the end down.
(I did clip the stitches before the happy couple left!)
Then it was time to head down for the ceremony! Here's the Parents of the Bride walking towards the pagoda where the ceremony was held.
I'm wearing a coat made from the same pattern as the one for both Diana and her Matron of Honor. In the interest of speed, I omitted buttons and just had a sash, and also had patch pockets. The lining was fabric I had bought as a fallback for the coat, in case we didn't find the right fabric in December. But we did, so I had extra. The light blue wool was a Mark Jacobs wool given to me by a friend; it was so luscious to work with! My dress was a wool from my stash.
Here Comes the Bride!
She carried a bouquet of heather, along with Bob's mother's handkerchief and my mother's wedding gloves. And, thanks to the generosity of a dear friend, she also had a Lucky Sixpence in her shoe!
The ceremony itself:
At the left, you can see the MoH, Alyxzandra. The officiant was a dear friend of ours who has known us since Diana was maybe four years old. At the right is the Best Man, Cameron, who is Alyxzandra's husband.
Part of the ceremony was a traditional Handfasting. Guess where the term "tied the knot" came from?
A few more pictures from after the ceremony and at the reception:
The coat had the proper amount of swirl.
Brookside Gardens was such a lovely backdrop for these romantic pictures.
Cameron being Cameron.
It actually wasn't bitterly cold out by the time the ceremony was over (maybe 38-40 degrees), so they were able to get pictures without her coat on. But not many!
And finally, Diana's godmother gives her a paddling at the reception. Diana called this picture "testament to my mother's skills as a seamstress," as there was absolutely no gapping at the neckline, even when her new husband hoisted her over his shoulder.
And that, my friends, is the end of the Saga of the Wedding Dress! I hope you enjoyed it! I'm just glad everything came out the way it should; the happy couple is off to a wonderful life together.
NOTE: All photographs are by Exposed Branches Photography.
I like how the names are stitched on there, and wool? Nice :)
ReplyDeleteHi Welmoed, I really enjoyed looking at your pictures and seeing the progress! I LOVE the bridal coat! Is it trimmed in faux fur? I make wedding custom gowns, and alter ready-made gowns. I appreciate your work.
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