After receiving a note from today’s featured bride describing her experience selling her Monique Lhuillier gown, we thought why not share with you the really special weddings of ‘Peony’ and her day of ‘I Do’s with Susan in North Carolina and then Cassie just last week in the small town of Williams, Oregon! Susan explains: “The woman who bought this dress is a total sweetheart and LOVES the gown…She just got married on September 21st, 2013.” Keep reading to hear all about Susan and Cassie’s Real Wedding experiences with the very same gown. Enjoy!
Susan + Brian | May 18, 2013 | North Carolina and then, the gown was passed to
Cassie + Jamie | September 21, 2013 | Williams, Oregon
PART I: Susan + Brian
The Ceremony
Our ceremony small & intimate – on a veranda outside the Inn on the Biltmore Estate overlooking the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.
The Reception
In keeping with the ceremony, our reception was also intimate, just parents. Dinner in the private dining room at the Inn. We actually had a big family reception in Boston on September 14, 2013 but I did not wear my Monique Lhuillier wedding gown.
Susan’s Dress Search
After seeing the photos from JFK & Carolyn Bessette’s wedding, I decided on an intimate wedding followed by a candlelight dinner. For 15 years I planned on a bias cut dress. Then I tried one on and they are not meant for women with curves! I had never tried on a wedding dress before. I wanted to wait until I was finally engaged and wait I did – I was 44 when we got engaged, the dress I bought was the first one I tried on the day we went shopping. I tried on 14 more that day but none could compare to the $5500 gown (of course!)
How Susan Felt in Her Wedding Dress
Beautiful, Serene, Happy
Why Susan Decided to Sell Her Wedding Dress
The only way I could rationalize spending so much on a gown was knowing I would sell it afterwards. I was crazy careful with it on my wedding day for that reason. The woman who bought it is a total sweetheart and LOVES the gown; I have tons of photos of it being packed and shipped. She’s getting married on September 21, 2013!
Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier ‘Peony’ | Photography: Suzie Guerrant with Jen Yuson Photography | Ceremony + Reception Venue: Inn on the Biltmore Estate | Floral Design: Merrimon Florist, Asheville NC | Cake: Inn on the Biltmore Estate
PART II: Cassie + Jamie
The Ceremony
We moved to the small town of Williams, Oregon about a year ago and decided to set down roots. And as part of that, we wanted our wedding ceremony to be at our new home. The thought of future generations saying, “mom and dad” or “grandma and grandpa were married here” made us both want to invest those memories here. Our ceremony was intimate, held on our front field with my father presiding over it. Jamie’s parents did the readings along with my mother and my nephew – he is read The Velveteen Rabbit “What is real.” My beautiful nieces (5 & 7) were our flower girls. We wrote our own vows to make it even more special to us.
The Reception
The reception was held next the house under the huge Ponderosa pines and oak trees. Since we met at the St. Paul Rodeo and given I am from Wyoming, naturally we had to have a country theme. We are had a Johnny Cash cover band, roping games, and laid back BBQ menu.
Cassie’s Dress Search
My search for the dress started with numerous pictures and ideas- but it was when I was able to try on this dress that I fell in love with it and knew it was the one! I knew I wanted to spend more of our budget on our family and friends visiting than my dress but the dresses that I tried on in my price range just didn’t give me that same feeling so I turned to finding a used dress.
Why Cassie Decided to Purchase a Pre Owned Wedding Dress
I loved the idea of wearing the dress of my dreams and not having the worry about spending too much. And when I was finished with my dream come true, I could pass it on to the next lucky bride. I guess I was just frustrated in how weddings have become so much of a business – it amazed me the average spending for a wedding is $26,000! Getting my dress used and with the plan of selling it afterwards was my way of not “giving in” to the “wedding hype” but instead keep the focus on our marriage and the people we are celebrating with.
When I found this dress I knew it was going to be perfect. Susan was great! We had a Facetime session and she was very honest and genuine. Honestly, that helped to ease my worries. It can be a scary thing ordering a dress you haven’t been able to actually try on in person but she was so willing to work with me that it made it an easy decision. Even when the dress came, she made sure it was everything that I wanted. And the fact the dress was part of her happy occasion and would be part of mine, was a warming thought. I look forward to passing on the dress and the warm memories.
Photography: Nikita Lee Photography
