Wannabe Wasteless Wedding- The Dress
Carly and her Maine Man are getting married!
Planning any celebratory event means compromises, and weddings are no exception. It can be especially challenging if you want your event to be zero or low waste.
Our general advice is to do the best you can, don't be too hard on yourself for mistakes and remember every action- no matter how small is better than nothing.
When thinking about a special occasion outfit it's important to think long term. Whatever you decide to wear you should feel beautiful and comfortable. Look for a style that is timeless and has room for body changes. You know a year or two later- you might have gained or lost a few pounds. You want that outfit to still look and feel good.
I have a dress I bought years ago. I wore it often to fancy work events. I could change the look with jewelry. And I don't think it's necessary to always have a new outfit. The dress is lovely but the design is quite simple. I also use it for Halloween as it made a great "Evil Queen" when I was a primary teacher. Now with a few quick changes I can rock a mermaid at my October markets. It's comfortable enough to set up and sell and that's important because you want to get milage out of an outfit.
For Carly's wedding because we both like to sew we originally thought of making a dress. We spent hours looking a fabric and patterns but honestly I was a bit worried about the actual sewing. I love to sew but my skills are a bit random. Last June, we were at the Old Port Festival in downtown Portland, ME and around the corner was an Anthropologie. This brought back some sweet memories.
Many years ago, Carly was a science teacher in Texas and I worked overseas. I was visiting her and she told me she found the "perfect wedding dress" at Anthropologie. It was such a beautiful dress and it was on sale. We actually debated whether she should buy it. At the time she was single without a significant other and wondering what to do with her life. We decided it was a bit premature.
During the market we joked about going in and seeing if this shop had her wedding dress- and they did. She wanted something simple that was easy to embellish. Another important factor was the dress needed to be useful after the wedding. Neither one of us wanted to spend money on a single occasion dress.
Her dress has a bit of Marilyn Monroe flare which is perfect for her figure. She is busy embroidery a circle that she can attach to the dress. The only problem is- it's white. That's the traditional color for wedding dresses but so easy to stain. I figure she has two choices, she can dye it after the wedding to make it a soft neutral but not white color. Or every time it gets a stain add a bit of pizzaz with a piece of embroidery.
Some tips for a sustainable special occasion outfit-
Buy something that makes you look and feel beautiful
Look for a style that allows for body changes, gaining or loosing weight.
Shop thrift, resell or vintage either locally or online.
Support an indie business and hire someone to make a one of a kind outfit.
Make your own.
What are your tips for finding the perfect wannabe wasteless outfit?