Bridal Lingerie: Shopping for My Wedding & Honeymoon, pt. 1
Alek Wek for As If Magazine
I'm getting married in 10 weeks. And I've only just begun to think about my wedding lingerie.
If you've been reading the blog for longer than a year or so, you might remember my engagement announcement from last March. Wedding planning has moved steadily along since then... though I've been reluctant to talk about it much here since I didn't want to bore all of you with the mundane details. Suffice to say, I am very happy and very excited. And now that there's a bit of post-holiday calm right now (and a ton of brand Spring/Summer pieces arriving in stores), this seems like the perfect time to sit down and seriously plan my trousseau. By which I mean my lingerie... I was just looking for a reason to say trousseau. ;-)
Ell & Cee Bridal
Before I get started (warning: this post is very stream of consciousness), I feel like I should go ahead and say I won't be posting the actual items I've purchased until after the honeymoon. It'd seem a bit... odd for the entire internet to view my honeymoon lingerie before my soon-to-be husband does, and I'd like to keep the whole shopping experience as professional-blogger-free as possible (which, in so many words, means I'm not accepting wedding lingerie "sponsors" or "advertisers" or what have you). Mostly, I just want to share the whole new experience of shopping for my wedding lingerie with you... an experience I've never had before and intend to never have again.
To me, my wedding is a wonderfully perfect excuse to pick up a few of those pieces I've lusted after for years, but never felt I had a good enough reason to buy (or the funds to buy, for that matter). Even though I've been engaged since March of last year, I haven't yet purchased a single piece for the wedding or honeymoon. And while that does mean I may have missed out on a one or two items (Marjolaine *sob*), I really wanted to save up my lingerie allowance, and purchase only a few special things. Pieces that were crafted with love and care by some of the very best brands in the world.
Marika Vera Bridal
It may surprise you (well, probably not, if you're a longtime reader) to hear I'm not doing all this just for my fiance. As I've mentioned a few times before, he doesn't have much use for lingerie. It's not that he's opposed to it; he's just not particularly a fan of it either. Sheer and lacy pieces tend to get his attention, but beyond that, it's just "fabric that's in the way." Instead, I view the entire wedding lingerie buying experience as a special gift to myself (and, because I'll be feeling gorgeous and beautiful and sexy, a gift-by-proxy to my fiance as well). I'm looking forward to having these pieces, not just for the wedding day and honeymoon, but for years to come afterwards. And to be reminded of this incredibly special time in my life every time I wear them.
My everyday lingerie tends to be a lot of black. Black stretch lace boyshorts and black microfiber demi bras, to be specific. A bit like a lingerie uniform. But I'm looking to expand my color palette into a much more romantic direction for the honeymoon. Think peach, cream, apricot, ivory, rose, and tea. Maybe some metallic edges or trims, and, if I'm feeling especially adventurous, a hot pink set (I've recently become smitten with the color) but definitely "no" to reds, yellows, oranges, most greens, and a very strong aversion to black. For fabrics, think silk... lots and lots of silk. Sinfully luxurious silk satins. Whisper soft silk chiffons. And comfy, cozy silk jerseys. Oh, and lace! I can't forget lace. Preferably Chantilly style lace. Because it's the prettiest. Everyday of my honeymoon is going to be special, and I want to start everyday with appropriately special lingerie.
Brulee Bridal
When it comes to the actual items, I'd like to move beyond the basic bra and panty sets to robes, loungewear, chemises, and maybe even a teddy. I'm not interested in overly fancy or complicated pieces (nothing strappy or bondagey, for example, and a big "no" to anything that requires assistance with zipping, fastening, buttoning, or pinning). I also don't want anything overly constricting or binding (bye-bye corsets and girdles). And, of course, nothing fussy (GTFO, marabou feathers). And finally, nothing kitschy (no crotchless, no edible, no costumes, etc.) Kitschy has its place, of course...just not on my honeymoon.
Saying all that out loud just reminded me I actually do have a budget, and while it is more generous than what I generally allow for monthly purchases, I still wouldn't call it extravagant (especially once you start throwing out pricey words like silk and lace). But I'm remembering to focus on quality over quantity. I want to purchase the kind of heirloom pieces I'll be proud to pass along to my daughter... because they'll be so beautiful I couldn't imagine her not having them.
Marjolaine Bridal
I just noticed I've spent a lot of time talking about my honeymoon lingerie, but not very much on my lingerie for the day of ceremony. And that sounds like a great place to start for Installment 2. So stay tuned... my feelings on wedding day lingerie (an always popular subject in the lingerie community!) may surprise you.
