With hair and makeup done, the next part of our wedding day was getting dressed. My mom and I left the salon where I had gotten my hair and makeup done and drove out to Winterchill Farm, where Chris and I were staying, munching on peanut butter and jam sandwiches, nuts, and grapes that my dad had packed for us. Out at Winterchill, our wedding planner Tobey Nelson stopped by for a quick check-in and to drop off my bouquet and instruct me in how to pin on Chris’s boutonniere. Meanwhile our photographer Jen Lee was scoping out spots for photos around the cute cottage at Winterchill.
Next was the fun part–trying on dresses! I am so lucky to have two beautiful grandmothers, who both had beautiful wedding gowns. I had tried both of them on in the months after Chris and I got engaged. They are both gorgeous and very different from each other, and very different from my dress. I thought briefly about wearing one of them for my wedding, but although they are amazing, neither one felt quite like me. So instead of wearing them for the wedding itself I came up with a plan to do photos in the dresses before putting on my dress for the wedding. With no bridal party, I had some extra time to spare, and doing a photo shoot in wedding dresses with my mom was a fantastic way to spend the time.
We started with Grandma Danner’s dress. My grandma, Darlene, married my grandpa Edward, in 1957. Her dress was made of white lace and tulle, with long lace sleeves, buttons up the back, and a full skirt that just barely brushes the ground. My Mom helped my into the dress, buttoning up the delicate back and sleeves. Putting on the dress, the family resemblance was obvious–it fit me like it was made for me. Even though Grandma passed away when I was 11, I felt so connected to her at that moment. With Jen in tow and my mom looking on, I took a few barefoot laps through the grassy field outside the Winterchill cottage, breathing deeply and enjoying this chance to remember my grandma and have some fun in a gorgeous lacy gown.
Next was Grandma Nowadnick’s dress. My grandma, Phyllis, married my grandpa George, in 1952. My mom, Gail, married my dad, Gerald, in 1984 in the same dress. The dress is made of ivory slipper satin, with long sleeves, a tiered wide neckline, and a train. It was a bit harder to get into this dress than the first one because it had to go over my head, which risked upsetting the beautiful work that my hairstylist Leah had done. But my mom and I navigated through the drapes of fabric without issue. With the dress against my skin, the fabric felt rich and buttery, with a substantial weight and glowing sheen. The Nowadnick dress also fit well, although both my mom and grandma were larger busted than me, so the top was a bit loose. Jen gleefully posed me for some seated portraits on the cottage porch, and we borrowed the farm’s dog for a few more photos. Then I got to play on a little grassy knoll with the train, swirling and twirling barefoot on the grass.
Finally, it was time to put on my dress. My dress has a fitted, sleeveless bodice, delicate sweetheart neckline, and a lacy tiered mermaid bottom with lace train. Again, my mom helped me into it, clasping, zipping and buttoning. With the alterations that the bridal shop had done, it fit perfectly in every way and made me feel instantly gorgeous. My mom had to help me into my shoes too, because with that perfect fit, I couldn’t bend all the way down. The shoes were a gorgeous pair of nude AGL sandals with a chunky heel and pearl details that my mom had helped me pick out. I also put on my earrings, which had been a Christmas present from Chris, but no other jewelry. [Chris had told me firmly that I should not wear a necklace…so I could “show off my neck”…hmmmmm]
With my dress on, took a few more wandering laps around the field outside the cottage as Jen snapped photos. My mom had put on her dress too, so we got a great one of the two of us too. Then, before too long, it was time for the next part of the day – the first look..