WARNING: Four Letter Words Ahead . . Read at Your Own Risk!

About twelve years ago, a friend of Mariah's was getting married. As usual, there was a budget that needed to be adhered to. Many pitched in and the reception was great fun. But first, there was the DRESS. I had actually forgotten about this one, when we were talking about the dresses from hell (oh come on, it is in the Bible after all) the other day. I'm not sure where the bride got it, but adjusting it wasn't included, so I said sure, I'll take care of it for you. Several inches later, by stealing the fabric from where it wouldn't be missed, taking it in here, letting it out there, figuring out the bustle so that it would look nice and I don't remember what all, it fit like a glove and looked lovely, if I may say so myself.

Fast forward a few years . . . Mariah is getting married. The girl has her priorities:

1. The right man.
2. Marry in the right place.
3. Great pictures.
4. Good food.

Number three would become the problem, you HAVE to be wearing the right get up to get that one, right? We shopped until we both were about to drop, all over here and the valley. Every thing she tried on that she liked, except . . . all I seemed to hear was, "Mom, could you . . . .?" Sometimes it would work, sometimes, it would have been ridiculous to even try. What was a little worrisome, almost every shop that heard us discussing what could or couldn't work, tried to hire me for doing alterations for them . . hm-m-m-m without ever seeing my work? That could be a nightmare for some poor bride!

We finally ended up finding the only pattern that even I thought would work and then try to find fabric. That was an experience, YUK! Until I finally found some that would be just right, on the internet. A little scary, but we took the chance and it ended up making a gorgeous veil as well, with a little work, OK a lot of work. That was, of course, just the beginning of the nightmare trying to make sure that my daughter would be left with happy memories of her special day. Even though it had very simple princess lines and the fabric had a embroidered border, etc, it amazed me how many little things our little bride could come up with!

Over the next couple of years, there were a few more dresses. I managed to survive them all. One had been dry cleaned, pressed, improperly, and all the sequins on the bodice had been flattened so they no longer reflected the light. I just couldn't leave it. So it was time to remove them all, along with the little pearl in the middle of each and replace them. It was worth it when it was done. This bride had been one of my very favorite little primary girls and then I worked with her again when she was in mutual, so it was a joy to help her out. She had long dark hair and so I also made a veil that had the same sequin/pearl scattered on it. It was beautiful laying over her hair.

This was about the time that Rob got engaged. I asked if I could alter her dress because I had seen so many strange things come out of the bridal shops, and had even fixed some of them. I didn't want my new daughter-in-law to have that happen to her dream dress. She had ordered extra satin and lace when she ordered the dress, so there was not the worry of photographs showing mismatched fabric. It took some doing to bring up the neckline, a lot, and keep the pretty curve to it. Filling in the back was not too bad, once I finally realized that it was stretchy fabric so I had to make a floating lining so that it would lay flat when she put it on.

By this time I had done several bustles and had them lay nicely so that they looked pretty in the pictures when the brides were dancing in them, etc. Brianna's train was very lo-o-o-ong and wide. There were a lot of lace appliques on it too. I bustled it all around, even on the sides so that nothing would be dragging. Two and a half times later, I finally gave up and we took it over to the shop she had gotten it at. The gal yanked it up, stuck in some safety pins and looked pleased with herself. I guess that is all you can do with such big trains. When Brianna went to change back out of it, the lady asked me who had done the filling in, etc. I told her I had and she asked if I would come work for them. HA! I asked her if she remembered someone calling and trying to get hold of some of the French clear sequins for a dress from there. She did, and I told her it was me and there was no way I would work where they wouldn't supply something so simple for a dress that had been purchased there. She asked me a second time before we left, harumph. I finally told her no one could pay me enough to alter wedding dresses, I only did it for love. Her expression was pretty funny!

During this time, Mariah was watching me working, sweating and muttering all over the dress, as I always did over wedding dresses. One day she asked me how long she had to wait until she got to tell Brianna that "Her wedding dress was the damn dress from hell". Sarah happened to be standing there and I just couldn't resist. I turned to her and asked, "How long do we have to wait until we tell Mariah that her dress was the original damn dress from hell?" We still laugh at her expression!

Why am I thinking about this? I just altered another dress from , you got it, from-you-know-where. The bride brought it down, we tried it on, I tried to make it fit without adding to the hips, it didn't work and she was leaving the next morning to go back up north and wouldn't be returning until the day before the wedding . . . YIKES! I was trying to get over a cold or something that had gone on for weeks. No one wanted the gussets and I was losing sleep over it. I finally stole fabric from the dress, installed gussets. When she came home on Wednesday night, it fit her like a glove, with the little gussets. I also tucked in the waist line a little and it sculpted her beautifully! I think that was when I told her mom the story of the "Dresses from you-know-from-where"! And then went home and slept like a baby for the first time in a couple of weeks . . . and that is why they all become the dresses from you-know-where.

I don't know why I do this, I guess it has always been someone that I know and love. I want them to all feel as beautiful as they look. We live in a culture that is so fixated on a certain look and these poor girls are trying to live up to something that is not real. I just want to help them all that I can, to have wonderful memories of the day that, let's be honest, we all dream of!

Once again, I am swearing off dresses from you-know-where, until Sarah gets married. My hands and wrists are pretty painful and I worry that I won't be able to make her dress when the time comes, but then again, I seem to be a bit of a masochist, so I would manage.

LIZ 'S COMMENT --- Just had to share this with you . . we've done a few weddings together . . . brutal fun?!?!?---

I'm with you on wedding dress altering! I HATE HATE HATE it! I don't like anything about it. They are heavy, bulky and each one has their own issues. Each of my girls had narrow shoulders. I had to remove the sleeves and take in the shoulders and blah blah blah. Crystal's had the bustle from HELL, there I said it and I don't care, :) , and it still looked horrible from behind. we tried everything and finally settled. Then there is making them Temple ready...yep not fun. Your right we want their day to be perfect for them so we just do it. I don't want to do it ever again! I know how you feel I have one daughter left (2 sons but praying their mommas pull through) and I don't think I will have another dress left in me. Your right they couldn't PAY us enough money to alter wedding gowns! Sewing them from scratch isn't that much better either. What I can see of the gown it does fit like a glove...good job! Your so kind and always willing to serve and as always such a good example.

I had some pictures of that night but can't find them, look below to see the picture in the last post, the one that I ripped off from Danette, thanks!