Jessie S. answered the phone at the Lela Rose retail store in Dallas.
Lela Rose, unlike many bridal designers (except the biggies Monique, Oscar, Vera etc.) don’t usually have retail stores.
Their store in Dallas has Bridal and Ready To Wear (RTW= every day clothing).
Jessie was so warm, and within a few minutes, I knew she was a California gal.
She also happened to be head of their bridal department at their retail store in Dallas.
I told her my situation.
Wedding. Postponed. Cancelled. Rebrand. Backyard. Carolyn Bissette/Royal vibes.
“Typically to create a dress, it takes six months.”
I had 2.5 months before the wedding.
She said she would talk to their NY team and get back to me.
Then, one day she called and said, “I spoke to Haley. Who spoke to Lela. They are going to make the dress for you.”
This was 7/15.
The wedding was 9/12.
I was thrilled. THRILLED.
“I need your measurements ASAP.”
Gulp.
All of that bread, wine, and banana bread.
I could give her my measurements from my OG wedding dress, but things had already gone so awry, and I could not have my new royal wedding dress too tight.
I went to my local dry cleaners to get my measurements which stayed the same except a size up in the hips.
As I stood outside post measurements I thought, “Damn you bee sting pizza from Roberta’s. Damn you Felix pasta kits. Damn you Toscana espresso martinis in mason jars!!
Did I gain 10 pounds?…maybe. Did I feel like I gained 20 pounds? 100%.
After the dress was confirmed, I was motivated, however, that did not stop my quarantine habits….
The dress arrived 12 days before the wedding.
Let me tell you, trying it on in my guest room which was a wasteland for misc. furniture/packages/storage area/litter box was quite bizarre.
I sort of started to panic because of how big it was and reflected on the fact of how I had tried on this dress for 2 minutes a year ago.
There was no turning back, and I knew that as soon as I got that puppy tailored, a spray tan, and lived the Sakara Life for the next few days, it would be perfect.
I was referred to Mara the tailor by my wedding planner. She works at a few of the big bridal salons in town as their on site tailor. You guys, when I say she she was my fairy godmother. She made the dress fit like a glove.
Definitely a different experience than my OG wedding dress fitting where I was sipping champagne and sucking in with a fiddle tree and pink walls as the ambiance.
Instead I was wearing a mask in late August, in a house, with a chihuahua named Pinky judging me.
Mara the tailor worked magic.
If you are a bride in Southern California, ONLY GO TO HER. She really was my COVID fairy godmother and I really don’t know how I’ll be able to thank her.
gigglesbyjones 