For Newlyweds Only - Let's Wear our Gown's Again!!!!!

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Let's Wear our Gown's Again!!!!!

Jola Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:23 PM+

Jola MEMBER SINCE: 8/03 TOTAL POSTS : 3365 WEDDING DATE: May 28, 2004

Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:23 PM

Re: Let's Wear our Gown's Again!!!!!

That would be fantastic if you could find the article. Maybe it will help us plan our GTG

dandj Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:29 PM+

dandj MEMBER SINCE: 1/02 TOTAL POSTS : 1955 WEDDING DATE: Jul 28, 2002

Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:29 PM

Re: Let's Wear our Gown's Again!!!!!

I found it!!!

FIELD NOTES; Wedding Day Nostalgia For That Same Old Dress
By KATIE HAFNER
Published: February 23, 2003, Sunday

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SAN FRANCISCO -- GIVEN the startling amount of hand-wringing and expense that goes into wedding gowns, some marvel that the relevant life span of those silk and tulle confections seems only slightly longer than that of the foam atop a cappuccino.
Social convention dictates that the gowns are never to be seen again on the original wearer, a notion that grated against the romantic and practical sensibilities of a group of married San Francisco women. They put on their old wedding dresses and wore them to the Ritz-Carlton hotel on Nob Hill on Feb. 8 for what they billed as their first annual ''Wear It Again'' party.

The 12 women, ranging in age from 26 to 58, arrived in the opulent, marble-lined lobby clutching cellphones instead of bouquets, hoping to share stories and advice about love and marriage. And as they tugged at their bustles and gingerly touched their hair, they had also come to share the thrill inherent in just fitting into their old gowns.

As the brides filed in, petticoats swishing, the hotel's famous tea lounge, with its stern Victorian furnishings and live harp music, was transformed into something reminiscent of the mass marriage ceremonies of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon.

''I thought it was a group wedding,'' an onlooker taking tea said at a nearby table. Another, wearing a look of confusion, uttered: ''Congratulations. You girls look beautiful.''

All the ''wear it again'' brides said they were striving for a slightly different look this time.

''I just want to be saucier,'' said Jennifer Serr, an organizer of the event and a wedding gown designer (in Oakland, Calif.), who arrived in her wedding dress, an Empire-waist of her own creation, which successfully hid evidence of her pregnancy.

Weight -- both gained and lost -- was a topic of no small importance.

Debby Reed, a slender, gamine 26-year-old, was in the classic ivory silk satin gown with a tight-fitting bodice and princess-style skirt she had worn at her wedding six years earlier. Mrs. Reed soon allowed that she had added a bustier to her undergarments this time around, ''just to help a little bit,'' she said.

Married two years, and toting her 5-month-old son, Marvel, Barbara Liu McDowell, 37, decided against her wedding gown in favor of a one-piece blue stretch jersey dress. She made the switch in favor of her ''honeymoon dress,'' she said, because it allowed her to breast-feed Marvel, who drank his lunch contentedly, then napped.

Between bites of smoked salmon sandwiches and miniature muffins, talk drifted to the topic of everyday life with a husband and the necessary ''communications adjustments,'' as one bride said.

Mrs. Reed had been married the longest, and she spoke sagely, with a twinkle in her eye, about the challenge of ''staying in love.''

''Setting aside time to make it special,'' Mrs. Reed said. ''Not taking each other for granted. It's easy if you make the effort.''

It's also easy, all agreed, to get caught up in, even bicker over, the daily thrum of dishes and laundry and trash removal.

Reality intruded when Marvel awoke and grew so cranky his wails were difficult to ignore. The brides took turns trying to console him.

Reliving a bit of wedding day magic was also one of the goals of the ''wear it again'' tea, said Christina Shook, also an organizer of the event.

Cheryl Olinger, 35, a merchandising manager at the Gap who has been married four years and has a 3-year-old son, happily recounted the departure from her ceremony on the back of her husband's motorcycle, wedding gown trailing behind.

Several brides said that as they were putting on their dresses that morning (this time with the aid of husbands), they felt the frisson of their wedding day all over again.

Nicole Wintermeyer, 26, who has been married for seven months, said her husband, Sam, went out to the couple's garden that morning and gathered daisies. As he arranged them in her hair he grew sentimental. ''He told me he was feeling sad,'' Ms. Wintermeyer said. ''I said, 'Why?' and he said, 'Just seeing you in the dress again.' ''

As the gathering drew to a close, Ms. Shook, a photographer, spoke of tripling the size of next year's gathering and suggested that the participants bring in photos of their wedding days.

''But we might change a few things,'' she added, as Marvel, still inconsolable, cried out. ''No babies!''

Published: 02 - 23 - 2003 , Late Edition - Final , Section 9 , Column 3 , Page 14

FeliciaDA Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:36 PM+

FeliciaDA MEMBER SINCE: 12/03 TOTAL POSTS : 11583 WEDDING DATE: Jul 25, 2004

Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:36 PM

Re: Let's Wear our Gown's Again!!!!!

OMG this sounds like the best idea for a GTG yet!!

I was married in July and still haven't gotten my dress cleaned

so if noone were to get offended I would come with my dirty hem

I'm halfway there , though.. I still sometimes put on my tiara and even my veil for no reason other than to sit around the living room, eating ice cream and watching TV .. I wait until DH notices and gives me one of these

And i've definitely gained weight since the wedding

but I think I could probably squeeze into my dress .. only because of the fact that my Maggie corest back is sooo forgiving for those extra lbs

bluegrl24ny Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:36 PM+

bluegrl24ny MEMBER SINCE: 4/02 TOTAL POSTS : 1863 WEDDING DATE: Mar 28, 2004

Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:36 PM

Re: Let's Wear our Gown's Again!!!!!

wow - that sounds like a dream! :)

I'm SO ready to wear my dress again now!!!

wc0143 Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:42 PM+

wc0143 MEMBER SINCE: 8/03 TOTAL POSTS : 14841 WEDDING DATE: May 01, 2004

Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:42 PM

Re: Let's Wear our Gown's Again!!!!!

Posted by FeliciaDA

And i've definitely gained weight since the wedding but I think I could probably squeeze into my dress .. only because of the fact that my Maggie corest back is sooo forgiving for those extra lbs

It's the only reason I was able to fit back in mine ...

Jola Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:43 PM+

Jola MEMBER SINCE: 8/03 TOTAL POSTS : 3365 WEDDING DATE: May 28, 2004

Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:43 PM

Re: Let's Wear our Gown's Again!!!!!

Hey dandj where their any pictures to that article?

wc0143 Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:45 PM+

wc0143 MEMBER SINCE: 8/03 TOTAL POSTS : 14841 WEDDING DATE: May 01, 2004

Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:45 PM

Re: Let's Wear our Gown's Again!!!!!

Posted by dandj

I don't know if DH would be into something like this...but I would definitely be into wearing it again!

Oh, the men too?

He would divorce me before he'd go for this ... (I'm lucky he still married me after forcing him to go to Ron & Liz's *wedding*

)

bluegrl24ny Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:46 PM+

bluegrl24ny MEMBER SINCE: 4/02 TOTAL POSTS : 1863 WEDDING DATE: Mar 28, 2004

Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:46 PM

Re: Let's Wear our Gown's Again!!!!!

okay, I am WAY too self-absorbed with this whole wedding obsession thing, bc it didn't even cross my mind that DH might be invited to this too!!

Oh yeah, my husband!

Jola Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:48 PM+

Jola MEMBER SINCE: 8/03 TOTAL POSTS : 3365 WEDDING DATE: May 28, 2004

Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:48 PM

Re: Let's Wear our Gown's Again!!!!!

We should discuss this, should we have the DH's or just the girls

I'm fine either way. My husband will be there anyway's taking pictures of us

mrswask Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:48 PM+

mrswask MEMBER SINCE: 9/03 TOTAL POSTS : 5832 WEDDING DATE: Aug 01, 2004 WEDDING LOCATION: Bronx

Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:48 PM

Re: Let's Wear our Gown's Again!!!!!

I'm in - but DH would SO not go for this!!

eroxgirl Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:57 PM+

eroxgirl MEMBER SINCE: 11/02 TOTAL POSTS : 6593 WEDDING DATE: Jun 19, 2004

Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:57 PM

Re: Let's Wear our Gown's Again!!!!!

There is NO WAY I'd be able to zip up my gown now - I barely got it zipped the day of the wedding!

but I think its a great idea!!

dandj Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:58 PM+

dandj MEMBER SINCE: 1/02 TOTAL POSTS : 1955 WEDDING DATE: Jul 28, 2002

Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:58 PM

Re: Let's Wear our Gown's Again!!!!!

sorry no pictures...i think because the article is so old...

i do think it should just be the girls!!

bluegrl24ny Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:58 PM+

bluegrl24ny MEMBER SINCE: 4/02 TOTAL POSTS : 1863 WEDDING DATE: Mar 28, 2004

Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:58 PM

Re: Let's Wear our Gown's Again!!!!!

I'm totally in - but DH is a big NO - One wedding day was enough for him, and besides - we'd have to go to NJ again for his kilt rental!

jillnbrad Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:59 PM+

jillnbrad MEMBER SINCE: 7/03 TOTAL POSTS : 1406 WEDDING DATE: Sep 10, 2004

Posted: Oct 20, 2004 04:59 PM

Re: Let's Wear our Gown's Again!!!!!

Posted by PrincessRose

I am ALL for that. And my dress isn't clean either. But can you imagine a room full of Brides?!

It's just like that episode of Friends!

I DO!!!!!!!!

Love this episode!!!!!!!

jillnbrad Posted: Oct 20, 2004 05:01 PM+

jillnbrad MEMBER SINCE: 7/03 TOTAL POSTS : 1406 WEDDING DATE: Sep 10, 2004

Posted: Oct 20, 2004 05:01 PM