No, the bows atop the gown were for giftwrapping the boobs.

One day I was in a local department store where they were having a trunk show/look book. One model was walking around in a cream (with slight blush undertones) formal evening gown. Backless....some seed pearls...lace...simply gorgeous. No train. (My daughters think trains are tacky.) I asked the designer who was there (there is a partnership) what the difference was between this evening gown and one of his bridal gowns.

"A veil and $8,000."

My girls would have chosen the evening gown in a second.

One of the most beautiful wedding gowns I've ever seen was the same color, with soft pink and green embroidery around the neckline, sleeves (it had longer cap sleeves), and hem. Magnificent! Her veil was the same color, with a head band with the same embroidery. I've yet to see anything like it. The only problem with it was that there were no hooks or buttons to lift the train.

It was also the most expensive wedding (I'm fairly certain) I've ever attended. The reception was at Club 66 (?) in the former Sears Tower with two bands. Oh, the cake replicated the dress, too.

I was laughing more at how Keisha was so blatantly slobbering over the potential sale. Her eyes got really big and she couldn't help but form this huge smile when she said, "It's a $21,000 dress!!!"

Depending on how much they make for commission, it is a huge sale. Even at 5% commission Keisha would pull in a little over 1,000. But I'm sure, since Keisha has worked there pretty long, that she is making a higher commission.

Honeychile: That dress sounds GORGEOUS. I will say that my girls would have lopped that train off. But that's just them. And two bands? Whoa. In Los Angeles (we recently attended a wedding so I am up to speed on wedding costs since that was all I heard about from our friends) a good band with a singer was $12.000 for the evening....times two...omg!

Oh, for the days of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah circuit with the DJ and four dancers. That wasn't inexpensive, but at $1,000 vastly more affordable. Although, that was 7 and 8 years ago when we last we on that circuit.

Especially over those store bought implants. Yecch.

When my daughter went shopping for her dress, she took no one but me. And we had a wonderful experience. I can't help but shake my head at all these people who bring in the entire clan to shop. Kleinfeld's may have more of these folks since it seems that many are coming from outside the NYC area, but still, the brides who troop in with eight people amaze me.

You would think they'd want to surprise the family on the wedding day. Am I wrong or out of touch?

I am so glad that you two had a good time! That's the most importent thing: no stress, just a wonderful day.

Are you wrong or out of touch? No. You did what was right for you. No one complained or was offended. Your daughter was happy. You were happy. I say that it was a perfect purchase.

That wedding was in Chicago - one of the bands was "the" band for Oktoberfest in Milwaukee! Truly amazing!

In one of those weird twists, I was just about to leave the ladies room when
the bride came in to take care of her gown. I ended up helping her take up the train with some safety pins. The guys tease that I was "intimate" with her! Oh, and I was seated next to a Tri-Sigma! They gave the magnificantly huge centerpieces away to the person with a sticker on their plate & it was me. Knowing I couldn't take it on the plane, I gave them to the Tri-Sigma. She was thrilled!

I really like the idea of giving away elaborate centerpieces. What else are you going to do with 15 or more of them?
And if someone really doesn't want it, they don't feel emotional about getting rid of it bc it wasn't their wedding.

All the weddings I go to, the guests usually grab the centerpieces and take them home towards the end of the night.

In Los Angeles no one gets the flowers anymore. (boo hoo) Out here the bride rents the vase/urn/whatever and it, and the flowers go back to the florist at the end of the evening. (Can you hear the reuse?). One of our friends had a wedding with gorgeous urns...the centerpieces were $1,200 each...orchids, Tiffany roses...I so wanted those flowers. Not happening they went back to the florist.

I think the idea is to have a Sunday wedding: the flowers still look fresh and maybe you can take them.

Oh, and the Ellebud girls know that I am not spending that kind of money of flowers for their wedding.

watching right now...this girl just tried on a $24,000 dress:eek:

I'm silently listing in my head all the different kinds of cars I could buy with that.

OMG! I could see stabbings happening over that in this area. NOTHING DOING! lol! If someone paid keeping money for it, they're gonna do what they want. If they're renting, they're going to pay rental money or get mad and tell the florist where they can go.