1983 - Venturing into a Bridal Shop!

I spent all of my high school years so obsessed with weddings my friends hated it.  I wasn't really dating anyone special (there was a guy that moved out of state...He wanted to get engaged even!) But I was planning my dream wedding to someone else - probably Steve Perry from Journey.  Of course the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana in July of 1981 didn't help!  That 25 foot train on her gown was magnificent.  (I have since seen her actual gown in person in the traveling Princess Diana exhibit.  It was absolutely stunning!)  Right after Christmas of my senior year my friend Mary and I went to the mall one Sunday afternoon.  I am sure we ate at Big Al's.  That was our favorite place to eat back then.  And some how we ended up in a bridal shop.  I think she told the sales lady that I was getting married that summer and we picked out one dress and I put it on.  I was so scared and nervous but they walked me out to the little step up with the mirrors all around and fluffed out that train and I thought I was Princess Diana!  That train was huge!  The sleeves were sheer and poofy with a slit that showed lace details and the fabric was chiffon over satin or taffeta.  They put a simple veil on and I was transformed from a homely little chubby school girl to a beautiful -but fake- bride.  They wrote the info down on a business card for me, which I still have in my Senior memory book.  I think the dress was under $200.  And we made an excuse about bringing my mom in to see it and we went on our way.  We walked around some more and ended up at the magazine rack in a store and I picked up my first Brides Magazine.  It was $3!  That was a couple hours of baby sitting money but I splurged anyway.  (I recently got that exact magazine off of Ebay!  I was so excited!!!)

That night I started looking through the magazine and low and behold there it was!  My Princess Diana gown!  I was so excited!  I showed my mom and my dad and my little brother.  I called Mary.  I took the magazine to school with me, you'd have thought I was getting married!!

Look at that 80's gown and tell me I didn't look just like Diana?  Yeah, well, now that I know all about trains and such I know this is just a very short chapel train but that first time in a gown, it sure felt like I had on a 25 foot train!  By comparison - here is a real 25 foot train...

25 foot train

Definitely not a 25 foot train!!

But I was 17 what did I know?  I knew that I would forever love weddings and the sheer poofy sleeves were my very favorite!  I soon learned that my favorite designers were Michele Piccione, Mori Lee and Eve of Milady.  They had such gorgeous gowns in my magazine.

These type of bishop sleeves quickly became my favorite and to this day I still like them the very best of all!

This one may be more like that first dress I saw in 1981!

The lace and the ruffles and the sequins and the pearls.  Oh how I loved it all!  And drove everyone crazy too!  Remember, I was only 17 and had no steady boyfriend so this was just a phase...or so they all thought.  More on that next time!  Till then keep pinning gorgeous vintage gowns on Pinterest!