Swatch Switch

Guys, I was freaking out.

My MIL sent me a swatch in the mail of my BM's dresses. Very generous thing of her to do, I was grateful and so happy because no shops out here would let me order one. ('What? Why aren't you ordering the dresses through us?' they say. 'Because my BM's live in a another state' I say. 'Well, TOO BAD, Missy!' they say. Click.)

So I awaited the arrival of my little moss green (which Bari Jay calls Olive, but it's completely moss) taffeta swatch with so much eagerness...
And then I got it.
It was *not* the right color. It was so... to use Tanner's term 'olive drab'. I was so depressed. I had my heart set on moss green. I had searched for months for the perfect dress in the perfect shade. Sure there were lots of beautiful red dresses, pretty peach dresses... lovely blues but I really yearned for moss green. I couldn't put my girls in this! And yet I already had! I'd forced them to don moss green's old sad loveless uncle, pity green. It was not cheerful or bright or shiny or... hey it's not shiny! It's not even taffeta!! Perhaps...

So I called up the shop Conni & Franc in Morgantown, WV and was completely impressed by some top notch customer service. She even remembered my order! By *my* name. Genius. So I told her my woes and (with my fingers crossed) explained to her my hope that maybe somehow I was sent the wrong swatch..?

Indeed!! Glorious second chance!! I had been sent a swatch of olive satin and not olive taffeta!! And she offered to send me a sample of the taffeta (that she assured me the dresses were ordered in) free of charge! I was both floored by the offer (again, no one else would give me the time of day) and blissfully happy. I gave her my address and faced the world with new hope.

Well ladies, yesterday I got my swatch. And it is perfect. There is no other word to describe it. It is absolutely without a doubt the exact color and texture I was hoping for. I was so excited I was bouncing around, calling my mother, hugging my fella. I cannot wait to see my BM's in this most perfect shade of green. Sigh.


The one on the right is the satin, the left is the actual taffeta. You can't tell the difference in the photo as much as in person, but the satin is matte and much darker. The taffeta is shimmery and iridescent and gorgeous and makes me happy.

The fanciest dress I've ever owned.

This is possibly my favorite part.
My wedding gown is gorgeous. Right now it's with the alterations lady and I miss it dearly. It took me one afternoon to find it, and I only went to one shop. That is, of course, ridiculous because it took me months to find my prom dress. But as soon as I put this one on I thought what all brides hope to think when they see "the" dress:
"Man, I look good in this."
So when my mother and aunt (who came out here to shop with me, bless 'em) all agreed we bought the thing and went out for pizza.
It would have been enough that the dress was gorgeous and perfect but it was also half price. Oh yes, this was the only way I could have afforded it. After taxes and buying the big garment bag to hang it in my total came to around $400. For me, that price was as perfect as the dress. And I got it for half because the shop, Deedy's Bridal, was redoing its inventory and getting rid of a lot of sample gowns. Man, how lucky can you be?? So ladies, pay attention and ask around, you may strike gold.
I'd be more descriptive of the gown but Hubs reads this :) And thankfully all he knows about it is that 'it looks huge in the bag' Hah.