I don't have a problem with the bride trying to generally set a tone for the wedding...especially these days when weddings can vary so much, I think it helps the guests understand what to expect. (My yoga teacher's daughter got married last week in a national park and the formal wedding pics were being taken in the middle of a river!) But I would have a problem if she told us all to dress as Dr. Seuss characters or some such thing.

Thanks, Nini! I like it too.. it just makes me happy. Sorry, Mtn! Missed your recommendation for the blue. I do like them-- but here's the thing, it's not a color i wear much so I won't get much use of them outside the wedding. Also, discovered i wear a 10.5 in the Miller sandal... oops. Ruby, I love the metallic but i think it would need to be silver.. the problem is, I already have dark gray patent leather. I shouldn't get two colors so similar but wow. I think I really like the silver. WDYT?? I think i am down to nude, ivory/white or silver.

annie, you are right about the meger selection in the department stores at the moment. I saw that when I went to buy my 9 year old grandson a few new garments, at Kohls. I swear that there were no more than about six racks or shelves of anything, at all in that section. And, most of it was the same old, same old stuff on every one of them. All of it was awful synthetic stuff. I walked out empty handed and havent been back to Kohls since. The womens clohtes were just as limited and just as awful. Online purchasing is becoming more necessary when the stores are declining so very much. With online ordering you never know what it feels like, or where any element is going to rest on your figure. I simply cannot do it or be bothered with all of that shipping back and forth. So glad that I can sew, although about the only thing that I can find to sew with anymore is linen that I do order online. The quality of this vendor is consistent and reliable and there are no fitting issues involved with the ordering. I am convinced that many of these fashion photos are altered to make the models legs look so absurdly long! I have seen some that are so exaggerated that it is almost laughable. Shopping for just about anything has become a chore.

My mother's wedding dress was also crumbling after 65+ years. Before our last moved, cut the lace tiers from the satin skirt and framed pieces for me and DD2. DD1 took her piece of lace. I already had a lot of my grandmothers' handkerchiefs framed between two pieces of glass. So I removed one and replaced it with lace. (top right, last house). DD2 sent me a photo of what she wanted. Smaller piece on top of crumpled brown paper in a frame she already owned. I tossed the skirt but kept the bodice. Once we moved, I removed its pieces of lace with beading on top, and also kept the satin covered buttons (up each arm and back) that were not coming apart.