Emerald Bridal specializes in fairly run-of-the-mill wedding gowns*. My favorite thing about the company has to be the photographs they use to advertise their frocks…model brides do their best to appear natural in a mansion utterly devoid of furniture, they pout in front of bales of hay topped with shirtless cowboys, and they scowl at us from back alleys.
But this…this is hot. Maybe even too hot for a wedding, depending on the wedding. The New York Times asserts that tight, slinky, barely-there gowns are what brides in the know are wearing, but I just can’t wrap my head around the trend. I was taught that the really sexy stuff goes under the frock. Maybe it’s because everyone I know — including me — wore a fairly traditional wedding dress?
My verdict: I would love to wear this saucy sequined dress to a party, but while I’d certainly applaud any gal with the cajones to wear it as she tied the knot, I still think I’d hate it on a real-life bride. What do you think?
I definitely share your lack of enthusiasm with the sequins, I do love the cut of the dress. However, I happen to love fit and flare/mermaid style gowns. For my own wedding, my ceremony dress is a sweetheart necklined fit and flare gown. It has crystals and beadings all over the dress and all down the chapel length train. The cut, in it’s own nature and right, lends to being very sexy. My reception gown is of a similar cut (fit and flare) but the neckline is different and the material is different so it obviously gives off a more relaxed and sexy vibe.
I consider my dresses, actually, all four of my dresses (it’s a long ceremony and a cultural one at that), to be fairly traditional. I didn’t buy a big, poofy dress or even an A-Line dress. I chose the one that made me look the best. A-Line made me look like I had something to hide, bias cut was just a hell-no, and a ballgown with crinoline made me cringe just thinking about it. More importantly, I’m not wearing my hair down and in loose curls. I’m wearing it in a chignon set low on the back of my head, my make up is very natural and mild and I’ll have minimal jewelry on. I think how you do everything else along with a fit and flare gown lends it to being “sexy” in a sophisticated way vs. “sexy” in a slutty way.
Let me throw out that when I say the cut of the dress is “sexy” in nature, I mean that it hugs curves very nicely. My fiance appreciates it very much because he’s a hips and thighs man (and he loves big hips because he’s hell bent on having at least five or six kids). My parents always rave about how curvy I am and it’s one of the things most people compliment me about. I don’t feel like my dresses make me appeal to others in the sensual-sexy way. I believe it’s sexy because it shows off curves that can be appreciated by most.
I will say that yes, most of my friends with the “I’m a princess” route, tiara and all, but I think that’s fine. It’s what they wanted and it matched their personalities and body type so they went for it. I can definitely appreciate and respect that, but it’s not my route. Since as long as I could remember, I wanted a fit and flare gown that sparkled in the dim lighting.
I’m rambling. sorry. I like the cut of the dress but i hate the sequins. Period.
I’ve see worse – at least this is somewhat tasteful. I’ve been trying to find a picture of Dolores O’Riordan’s wedding outfit, but no joy.
I think it all depends on the flavor of the wedding. For a summer, outdoors, late afternoonish wedding, I can see it. Especially if it was a second wedding! But in any place of worship? Eh….
Hey, if you’ve got the body for it, why not? I think it’s great for an urban loft-type wedding, and if you’re the sort of person who goes to fancy cocktail parties, you could actually wear it again.
I dunno – I feel like I’ve seen sluttier dresses. With the clean silouette and minimal adornment (I know – it’s covered in sparklies, but it’s covered EVERYWHERE rather than in little designs with embroidery, pearls, sparkles, and ruffles) it’s actually pretty classy and sophisticated – even though it is strapless and form fitting.
I like this dress. Like Leah, I have seen dresses that are much more risque. The dress is sexy, but not in an inappropriate way.
Wow. She really does have a Jessica Rabbit look going on. I like it though. While very VERY glittery, if you have the gusto to pull it off I say go for it.
Not for a church wedding, or really any day wedding. But if you’re having an evening wedding and want to look slinky and glamorous…why not?
I’d actually totally hate this on a bride. It’s a lovely dress, and the model looks great, but it’s just too aggressively sexy for a wedding. Save that stuff for later, says I.
(And btw, the first link in the footnote was the funniest thing I’ve seen today.)
Personally, I think that the sequins might be a little much for me for, say, a daytime wedding, but if someone loves a dress, regardless of the nail-biting-fist-clenching-Emily-Post rules, I think they should be able to wear it.
I went all out for my dress and am really happy about it because I feel really strong and confident in it. I think a bride wearing something she loves and feels good in, regardless of what it looks like, is the prettiest kind of bride there is. 🙂
This is the perfect dress for the last act of a Broadway musical, for the moment when the young lovers (kept apart by fate and misunderstanding throughout Acts I and II) are finally reconciled. The bride appears, wearing this dress, and belts out the final song (assisted by the secondary characters) – everyone cheers, and the curtain falls. Sutton Foster, for example, would look superfantastic as she did this.
For the real-life, non-singing and -dancing bride, this would be more difficult to pull off. If she has the perfect figure, then fine. But only just. And it will still be difficult.
On the perfect woman in the perfect setting, it might work. It’s definitely not for daytime, church, or a woman who isn’t absolutely and completely comfortable with her body. It’s also not for the lady who has any figure flaws.
I could see it as a reception dress for a very nightclubby feeling reception. I fear, however, that I would keep expecting the bride to drape herself across a piano and belt out torch songs. Then again, the sort of woman who would wear this dress successfully for any occasion just might do that anyway.
Also, I think the Annalucia has nailed it as the wedding gown for the big finale of a Broadway musical.