The Dress...and the Occasion...

So I guess I should start this blog by introducing myself...

I'm Thespoena McLaughlin and I'm a blog-o-holic. I've started many blogs over the years, a few of them are still going strong and you can find links to them in my sidebar if you are interested in visiting. 

I'm also a 39 year old mother of three and I've been married for 19 years.

When the hubby and I got married we lived in an apartment in a college town, having both lost our jobs our wedding was about the cheapest you could get married short of standing in front of a justice of the peace. My dress came off the clearance rack at  
Dillard's and the wedding was at a small but cute little place with fake flowers down the isles etc. it was an outdoor wedding and it was about 100 degrees at 7pm. My mom put a lot of work into our reception which was at her house and afterward we whisked off to a local hotel for a few hours. The next morning we whisked back to our apartment and proceeded to move out for the next 8 hours (I know, WOW what a honeymoon) 

I wish I could say that rocky start got better fast but pretty much more of the same for a few years, plus or minus a job here and there, add 3 kids, move a few more times etc. 

We always planned to go on a honeymoon at 10 years, but yeah...kids. Lol.

So here we are creeping up to our 20 year wedding mark in 2015 and we are determined to have the honeymoon we never got to take. 

So next year we are planning on renewing our vows in Las Vegas. 

I am going to be researching airfair, hotels, dining, and even wedding venues in Vegas over the next year trying to get the best experience we can get for our very small budget, so if anyone has any tips I'm all about hearing them. :) 

So without further ado I'll share the before pics of My Thrifted Wedding Dress...

  above: My wedding dress...being about a year and a half before our trip I wasn't really looking to buy a wedding dress just yet, but I saw this one at a charity thrift store and it was my size so naturally I had to try it on...*wink*.... it couldn't fit me any better if I had it made custom for me. I love the beading around the top, sides and back. It's really a pretty gown in it's own right but I want a more romantic, off white, layered style with lots of texture. Think tattered elegance and you'll come close to the style I like. So I plan to alter this one and hopefully get what I'm looking for.

above: medium length train, may be removed due to the "street style" "wedding" we'll be doing in Vegas.

 

above: I love that the beading goes all the way round to the back.

So this is the dress and we'll just have to wait and see what happens. Right now I'm gathering inspiration photos on my Pinterest boards and I'll share those as I come across them. :)