Wedding Guide: Two weddings, one dress - Greenville Daily News

Posted: 28 Apr 2020 07:54 PM PDT

Diane Jones found her dream wedding dress on a shopping trip to Steketee's Department Store in Grand Rapids. Her resourceful mother, Marcella, created a sketch, purchased fabric and was able to create the dress.Diane Jones found her dream wedding dress on a shopping trip to Steketee's Department Store in Grand Rapids. Her resourceful mother, Marcella, created a sketch, purchased fabric and was able to create the dress. Submitted photos

Diane's story

It was spring of 1958, and I was head-over-heels in love with the most handsome boy, Bill, whom I had met over the summer at Little Whitefish Lake. Tanned with flashing white teeth, an impish grin and a twinkle in his eye, he took my breath away. After a year-long romance, we were engaged to be married the following summer. My mother and I planned the wedding, while Bill and I wrote letters over a long winter, as he had enlisted in the Air Force and was stationed in Clovis, New Mexico.

When it came time to select my wedding dress, we went to Steketees' Department Store. My mother Marcella, a talented artist and seamstress, planned to make my dress. Once we found the perfect gown, my mom took out her pad and sketched the dress, including intricate details of the neckline, waist and train. We then proceeded to the fabric department for tulle, organza with a tiny flower pattern and notions. Over the next few months, my mother crafted my wedding dress starting with a hand-drawn pattern, transforming the fabrics into a timeless wedding gown.

Beautiful in its simplicity, the full-length ivory dress featured a v-neckline, capped sleeves and an antebellum waistline with piping.

On Flag Day, June 14, 1958, William Nathaniel Jones Jr. and I were married at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Grand Rapids. The bridesmaids included my sister Barbara Ann and three good friends, all of whom wore a short version of the wedding dress in pastel colors, also made by my mother.

After the wedding, my dress was packed away in my cedar chest where it stayed for over 30 years. Fast forward 32 years. In 1989, my oldest daughter Teena was involved in a long-distance romance as well. Having met her soulmate while traveling for work, Teena and Jeff dated long distance between Lansing, Michigan, and Newport, Rhode Island, for a year before deciding to tie the knot. Being independent adults, Teena and Jeff planned to pay for their wedding and agreed to let me buy Teena's wedding dress.

In the late fall of 1989, I joined my daughters in Ann Arbor to look for the perfect wedding dress. Teena's sole attendant was her sister Barbara Sue, named after my sister Barbara Ann. I was so excited to be part of the tradition of shopping for my daughter's wedding dress. Though I was up early and anxious to get started, the girls dilly-dallied around until I was ready to pull my hair out. Perhaps they didn't know that finding just the right dress takes time? The bride gets to decide, so when Teena elected to start with breakfast because "you can't shop on an empty stomach," I didn't argue. We finally made it to the first bridal shop where the girls tried on dresses, giggled and modeled for me. Then off to more stores, more dresses and more laughter, but no perfect dress. While we had fun, we were nowhere near close to finding the right dress at the end of the day. Discouraged and weary, we returned to Barbara's house. As we prepared to leave for dinner, Teena waltzed out of the bedroom with a grin and announced: "I've found my perfect wedding dress!" There she stood wearing my wedding dress, crafted with love over 32 years earlier by my mother.

Teena's story

Diane's daughter, Teena, needed to find her perfect dress and did so by digging through her mother's cedar chest and putting on the 41-year-old dress, which fit as though it was tailored for her.

This story wouldn't be complete without a few humorous details. My mother's wedding dress came out of the cedar chest where it had been stuffed for over 30 years. I don't believe the dress was ever cleaned after the wedding because there was a small mustard stain on the front. I also believe this to be the reason why the dress was in perfect condition (although a wrinkly mess).

My mother was just shy of 18 years old when she married my father. She was a very nervous bride and lost weight before the wedding. In wedding pictures, the dress is slightly loose around her waist.

I was 28 years old when I married Jeff Hiebner in the Chapel-By-The-Sea overlooking Narragansett Bay in Newport, Rhode Island, on a beautiful, sunny day in April. The dress fit me as if my grandmother had made it for me. No alterations were necessary, just a visit to a local wedding boutique where they took care of cleaning the dress; which brings me to the last humorous detail. My sister Barbara was charged with picking up the dress from the wedding store the day before the wedding. At the rehearsal dinner, I asked Barbara if she remembered to pick up the dress. She had forgotten. The photographer was scheduled for 9 a.m., the wedding at 11 a.m., and the store opened at 10 a.m. Thankfully Newport, Rhode Island, is a very small community. I'm not sure how many people called the local police that night to find out the name of the boutique owner, but I had my dress at 8 a.m. on the day of my wedding.

I was blessed to know my grandparents well. Wearing my mother's wedding dress crafted by my grandmother, was a beautiful beginning to my marriage which will reach 30 years this year.

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7 Chic Dress and Sandal Trends I'm Thrilled About - Who What Wear

Posted: 28 Apr 2020 02:34 AM PDT

More than ever, I'm excited about fashion's ability to boost my mood and provide a respite from the doom-and-gloom that dominates the news cycle. Maybe it's the Libra in me, but my clothing purchases right now are very optimistic. I'm buying fun summer dresses and sandals that have me hoping for occasions to wear them in the future, but for now, I'll settle on walking my dog in my new dress.

I know it's certainly not a new trend, but I think the selection of puff-sleeve dresses right now is better than ever. Our favorite affordable retailers like H&M, Topshop, and & Other Stories sure know how to make mean puff sleeves on everything from midis to maxis. As for sandals, I have my eye on the pastel and buckle trends, which are luckily available at a range of different prices. Scroll down to shop my favorite dress and sandal trends for summer 2020.