This weekend we were thrilled to watch our youngest daughter marry the man of her dreams. Thirteen years in the making, their relationship has grown and matured from a junior high crush to their marriage Saturday. I’ll share more of the celebration in a future post. I’m still gathering and sorting through myriad photos taken by friends and family. Aren’t cell phones the best?!
What’s a little easier to share is what I wore. I had a dress ready to go until I ran it by the bride-to-be. It was a very pretty beaded black number that hit below the knee. My daughter was concerned I would regret not opting for a floor-length gown like everyone else in the wedding party. She made a good point so I researched other options.
The dress I chose as the mother of the bride is one I would most likely wear only once, so I looked into Rent the Runway (RTR). What a fabulous concept! Similar to a tuxedo rental, you rent your gown for an event, then return it via UPS. In most cases there isn’t a showroom to visit; everything is delivered to your doorstep and returned through your local UPS store.
We never know for certain that a certain dress will fit us, do we? RTR knows this. I chose my gown and was able to choose an additional size as a back up. I was also given the option to choose a back up dress in case my first choice wasn’t as flattering as I hoped.
Ordering so close to the holidays, I almsot didn’t get the size I needed. Keep this in mind if you’re choosing your dress ahead of a major formal season. As it turned out, my first choice size fit well, but the back up size was the one I went with. I knew I’d be dancing all night and I wanted something with a little “give.” I also wanted to leave a little room for dinner. 🙂
The dress above was the one I wore to the wedding. The dress below, my “back up,” bore some resemblence to my daughter’s wedding dress, and was a tempting option. I was concerned the lace and beading detail wouldn’t shpw up in photographs. Had I taken these photos beforehand, I might have changed my mind. As you can see, the detail shows very well – much more than in real life.
Some thoughts on Rent the Runway – although I used it for a formal event, RTR offers a lot more than gowns. From vacation-wear to sunglasses, rompers to earrings, RTR carries a much larger variety of rentals than I realized. There are also rental options: per piece or a monthly fee for unlimited rentals. For your next event, RTR might be a good option!
Marchesa Notte Gown, similar here, here, here and here | My back-up option: Marchesa Notte Gown, other options here, here and here | Valentino Rockstud Pumps, also here | Christian Louboutin Pumps others here and here | Nordstrom Glitter Clutch , other options here and here