Yes I know
it seems forever since I posted but I do possibly have the best excuse ever….well
I kinda got married! Yup a little out there I know but I guess I’ve kind of got
ahead of the game when it comes to the very recent trend of frugal weddings’
which seem to have sky rocketed since Keira Knightly’s recent nuptials.
Well it was
a cold and shoddy January when my other half had just returned from Switzerland
on business when he announced he needed to take a trip to Las Vegas for the
annual NAB show in April and thought it would be cool if we made it into a bit
of a holiday. Well whoopee! I was one
excited girlfriend.
Maybe it was
because it was cold, maybe it’s cause we were sat in our local and the fire was
roaring whilst the rain and sleet and the sky was trying to snow where we
thought ‘fuck it’ let’s just get married. We've been together a while, nearly a
decade in fact and whilst the idea of marriage was sometimes discussed we never
took it too seriously as we never really had the money to put on some
spectacular show. We were in quite a fortunate position due to the fact my
partners work were paying for hotels/food/drinks etc etc so a wedding could
possibly be at least financially on the cards. Telling family was another
thing, disappointment echoed (I was actually quite offended by all this considering
it was our day) no traditional church, no Dad to walk me down the aisle but
what we had instead was no muss no fuss, glorious sunshine and each other.
The Dress
First I
needed a dress something that was easy to wear in the blistering heat,
something tasteful (I can’t do strapless), something with vintage elements and
something that was simple and something that wasn't going to crease in my
suitcase. I didn't have a large budget in fact I didn't have any budget, Mum
had kindly decided to pay for this one. Her chosen designer for this special occasion
was Oleg Cassini a French born but American designer whose style was sophisticated
and timeless. He was designer to Jackie O the first lady where is signature looks
included Empire Strapless, Sheath and the A-Line he was once engaged to Grace
Kelly and married the beautiful Gene Tierney. His designs were worn by the Hollywood
elite including Jayne Mansfield, Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth and Natalie
Wood. The glamour of this period appealed to me and I liked the fact ladies
natural curves and beauty of this era were celebrated which would be the
perfect complement to my pear figure. The colour was Ivory and made of a
delicious silky feeling fabric (even though it was polyester) which was
virtually creaseless. It had a paneled waste which was extremely flattering
and ruched bust with some slight beading on the sleeve nothing too extravagant.
If you love simple and classic designs I urge you to check out some of his
designs for your big day some of them are incredibly reasonable our thriftiness
in this matter went further when my dress was at my favourite discount designer
store TK Maxx (or TJ) if you are reading from the states.
I was also
given a beautiful vintage engagement ring from my husband to be that was worn
by his Grandma when she married in 1945 (along with the band) that was fully
engraved. The style of the time was a gold band set with 3 simple diamonds. My
something old boxes were definitely well and truly ticked.
The Venue
We had chosen
the most famous of the chapels ‘The Little White’ and had decided on a time when
the sun on the strip was just setting and glistened against the many ‘trip the
light fantastic’ bulbs in the mass of casinos that littered the way. Our nerves
were palpable yet nothing that couldn't be cured with a glass or two of Moet
& Chandon Rose as we helped each other (yes that’s right) get ready in the
hotel room before our limo driver summoned us for our short journey. A simple
ceremony a simple wedding I couldn’t have asked for anything better. We then
went for Steak at Morton’s, Champagne underneath the Eiffel Tower at Paris (with
a little gambling along the way) and people beeped their horns and offered
their Congrats as we watched the fountains at the Bellagio what an amazing
day!!!! One I shall treasure with the fondest of memories…
