This lovely tea-length dress was purchased second-hand from the lovely Sarah Darcy, of Classic Bride, in 2009. The dress is a strapless, tea-length style and is made of ivory Alençon lace {a lace with a floral design on a sheer net background}. The lace is hand-beaded with pearls, clear glass beads and clear sequins. The dress has a natural waist with a satin belt and the skirt is lined with 8 layers of tulle. It is a true size 4 and the style is no longer available in bridal salons. The bolero jacket is a custom-made piece. It was constructed by a hired seamstress and features a scalloped neck and three-quarter length sleeves. It was lovingly and heavily hand-beaded by Sarah's very talented mother who spent over 2,500 hours hand-beading pearls, glass beads and sequins in extremely intricate patterns to achieve the couture look that we couldn't find in the southeast. The beading on the bolero is beyond stunning in person and matches the dress to a tee. A truly exquisite piece. There are also clear clasps {making them invisible} on both the bolero and the dress to secure the bolero in place. They worked perfectly on my wedding day.
You can see her photos of the dress when it was for sale here:
You can also the photos of me in the dress here: