It was love at first sight…when Natalie laid eyes on her gorgeous Pricilla of Boston gown. And I must admit, I’ve fallen in love with it, too! The beautiful beading at the bust and down the sides makes this dress exquisite. The satin fabric and A-line style are so flattering on Natalie. Her elegant gown was in perfect keeping with the rest of her wedding style; a black and white classic color scheme and simple chic décor make this Real Wedding a winner. Enjoy!
Natalie + John | August 27, 2011 | San Francisco, California
The ceremony
The ceremony was held at Our Lady of Angels in nearby Burlingame. Our Lady of Angels is the church John grew up going to so he always wanted to get married there. I had no problem choosing it because of its beauty. I love the high ceilings, bright colors of the stained glass windows and the feeling of elegance in the space. Our bridal party consisted of eleven bridesmaids and eleven groomsmen, friends of ours from preschool, high school and college. My bridesmaids wore Priscilla of Boston floor length black strapless satin dresses with small belts adorned with roses. I chose the dresses for their simple elegance. The bridesmaids held bouquets of white roses with black feathers and I carried a bouquet with white roses and gardenias and accented with white feathers and crystals.
The reception
Our reception was held at The United Irish Cultural Center in San Francisco. We had 325 guests. I wanted an elegant, romantic, modern style and we achieved this with our black and white color palette, with damask accents throughout. We tented and draped the reception hall and hung strings of lights from the ceiling to give a feeling of romance. We had damask tablecloths and black chargers with a damask, black and white four-tiered cake. The stage was lined with candles and small bouquets of freesias, callalilies and roses. The centerpieces were a combination of tall arrangements in thin black trumpet cases filled with flowers in white and small black cubes filled with white flowers and black coque feathers. The tall arrangements were accented with black and white pheasant feathers, which tied in nicely with our black and white theme and damask tablecloths. The ceiling and dance floor were lit with a specially made damask lighting design to help tie in our theme and set the mood of the night. The night went perfectly and it was exactly what I envisioned for our wedding.
How Natalie found her dream dress
Several months before I was ready to start shopping for my dress I was browsing through a bridal magazine and I saw a picture of this Priscilla of Boston dress. I immediately fell in love and just knew that this was the dress that I wanted. I tore the ad out and put it in my wallet. When the time came to make my bridal appointment I only called one salon, Priscilla of Boston. At my appointment I sat down with my consultant, pulled out the picture from my wallet and told her “This is the dress I want, this exact dress”. She pulled the dress and I tried it on and I was not disappointed. It was amazing. The detailing was exquisite and it epitomized everything I wanted in my dress and my wedding.
The way Natalie felt in her wedding dress
Elegant, beautiful, graceful
Why she decided to sell her wedding dress
There is this small part of me that hopes that someday my daughter would want to wear my wedding dress, but realistically I know that probably won’t happen, so if someone can get use out of it now and feel the way I felt in it, then I feel that is a much better use of it than it sitting in my closet for years and years.
Natalie’s wedding dress: Pricilla of Boston
Photographer: Terra Tabbytosavit
