Bridesmaid help
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Category: General Chat
Forum Name: General Chat
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URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=20729
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Topic: Bridesmaid help
Posted By: peanut butter
Subject: Bridesmaid help
Date Posted: 07 September 2008 at 7:44pm
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Hi, I am going to be a bridesmaid in April next year, so 3 and a bit months after Peppercorn is born. My friend's other BM is also due in Jan so we will both be in the same situation.
Does anyone have any cunning ideas on how to organise our dresses. The bride has rung around some bridal shops and they say it takes at least 12 weeks to have a dress made and therefore we would need to order prebaby...when REALLY fat.
Buying off the rack at Stax isnt great as I am broad across the back and find that I struggle to fit anything in the bust there. I thought a talented dressmaker should be able to rustle something up pretty quickly but she has been advised against that. I cant imagine why?
So she is stuck for ideas. Any suggestions? Also how do we go about breastfeeding etc. |
Replies:
Posted By: lovingmummyhood
Date Posted: 07 September 2008 at 7:49pm
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Hmmmm, no ideas on the breastfeeding part sorry. But what about some dressmakers? If you (or your friend) supply the fabric and the pattern they'd be able to do it fairly easily I would imagine - and probably cheaper than a bridal shop would! (Somehow as soon as you say 'wedding' things double in price lol)
One of my bridesmaids came over from London 3 weeks before our wedding and we had her dress made. A friend of mine did it and worked REALLY hard but it wasn't too much of an issue. 12 weeks is ages I would have thought. Good luck! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 07 September 2008 at 8:18pm
| I hired my BM dresses and am so glad that I did because one of my BM wasn't preggers when I asked but ended up being 5 months by the time my wedding came around. We chose a dress style that looked great on my BM who wasn't preg but could accomodate extra for the one that was. I also made sure that I chose a style to hire that had a size either side of what size we thought she would be and they were happy to adjust the straps etc with a few hidden stitches to make sure it fitted nicely. So maybe something like that might work? |
Posted By: myfullhouse
Date Posted: 07 September 2008 at 8:33pm
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I used a dressmaker for my wedding for my dress and my BM, my SIL used the same dressmaker for her wedding where I was a BM and about 6.5mth pg. The dressmaker started my dress but left room for adjustments and didn't finish it till a few days before the wedding. So it can be done quickly!
My suggestion would be ask around for recommendations for dressmakers in your area. Go and explain the situation. the dressmaker should be able to start with some of it as some measurements shouldn't change i.e. height and may even work off your pre-pg size plus a size or 2. They may even come up with ideas for bf, maybe something similar to breastfeeding singlets ------------- Lindsey 
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Posted By: kiwisj
Date Posted: 07 September 2008 at 8:35pm
I would try getting recommendations for a good dressmaker in your area (sorry, can't help there!). I had my wedding dress made here and it took less than 12 weeks .. so would have thought a bridesmaid's dress is definitely possible 
If you get your design ideas sorted so all that needs to be done is your measurements once peppercorn arrives (or maybe a few weeks after), then I don't see how they will take 12 weeks from that point? Hiring is probably another good option if you find something you all like - we hired my flowergirls' dresses and they did the measurements and alterations about 2 weeks prior to the wedding. ------------- SJ Callum - Dec 2008 Daniel - Oct 2010 |
Posted By: mummy_becks
Date Posted: 07 September 2008 at 8:38pm
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My mum isn't a dressmaker but a damn good sewer and made my BM dresses for 2 very different shaped girls. So it can be done. But what about Pagini?? They have dresses in there and me at a 14-16 can get into them fine and they look good. For BF you would probably be best to go for a skirt and top, to easily feed. These were my 2 BM's (with the rest of the weddding party) but you can tell 2 different body shapes and tops and a skirt to suit each one.
------------- I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived! |
Posted By: Peanut
Date Posted: 07 September 2008 at 9:07pm
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I would ask friends for recommendation. BM dresses are basically formal dresses and I always had my school ball dresses made up the week or two before the actual ball.
I think the wedding shops are usally swaped with booking hence the longer wait time. If its in ChCh, I know an awesome dress maker who made my BM dresses and all my ball dresses. She was so good she even got all the girls together for the final fit so she could put all there hems in the same place as they were 3/4 length and she wanted them exact! -------------  
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Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 08 September 2008 at 1:59am
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My mum made my BM's dresses (3 of them) and she made them in the 3 weeks before the wedding once the girls showed up to get measured, because they were spread all over the country until then. (She was a school teacher on school holidays, so had time). I'd agree with trying different dress makers - surely someone can do it in that time? Or what about getting a style that laces up (corset style) at the back, so there is a bit of room for fluctuating size? ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: nikkitheknitter
Date Posted: 08 September 2008 at 8:36am
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Sorry i didn't read the other posts but 12 weeks to make a dress? Seems like an extraordinarily long time!
Can you find someone else to make them? |
Posted By: IVFGirl1111
Date Posted: 08 September 2008 at 8:38am
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Sorry havent read all the posts, but I would suggest having the dresses made by an independent dressmaker.
Thats what we did - one of my bridesmaids had her dress made 2 weeks before the wedding as she only just flew into New Zealand! My wedding dress probably only took about 6 weeks! The dressmaker I used is in Belfast if you want her number. ------------- TTC 6 years IVF it is IVF/ICSI round one 10 eggs, 8 mature, 3 fertilised BFN IVF/ICSI #2 = 22 eggs! 20 mature, 15 fertilised, 1 fresh transfer and 2 frosties BFN 2 Frosties still in freezer thank god |
Posted By: MummyFreckle
Date Posted: 08 September 2008 at 12:24pm
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It sounds like everyone has given you some great suggestions re dressmakers. My bridesmaid had just had her baby (she was 6 weeks old) when we got married, and I was really worried about finding something for her that she would be comfortable in. I ended up buying a really lovely formal top and matching skirt from Max, so maybe something like that is an option. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: clover
Date Posted: 08 September 2008 at 12:27pm
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Otherwise go for an empire line dress that only really needs to fit around the bust and will accomodate and disguise any baby belly left. Not sure how that would go with bf though. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: febbabe
Date Posted: 08 September 2008 at 2:16pm
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I would also suggest empire line. One of my bridesmaid had a baby 8 weeks before the wedding we weren't even in the same city just to make things even more difficult. The dressmaker did so much to the dress then sent the dress up to her to try on.My bridesmaid then sent it back for the dressmaker to do a bit more to it. Her last fitting was the day before the wedding as she only flew down on the Friday morning. It looked great. I'm not sure how the dress was for breastfeeding (wasn't really on my list of things to think about on the day!!) but she didn't complain and just expressed at the reception. |
Posted By: Aprilfools
Date Posted: 08 September 2008 at 2:25pm
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OMG, I'm having the exact same problem. My best friend is getting married in the middle of March....In Australia. God knows how we're gonna make it work but hopefully we'll manage.
Good luck. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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