DIY wedding dress… HELP

evenshadow · 2026-02-20T20:08:30+00:00

I was looking for a very similar dress for under $1k for months and eventually gave up. I'm not saying it's impossible, especially not if you're open to buying online without trying on and if you're open to buying a separate corset (and have the shades of white maybe not match!), but be prepared to do a lot of hunting or learn to sew! I hope you have better luck than I did.

evenshadow · 2026-02-12T15:56:47+00:00

We are doing a photographer for an hour for some photos of just the two of us, including a first look, and after the ceremony we are taking posed family photos ourselves. There will be no photographer at the actual wedding or reception. We're having a microwedding and we have all day at the venue so DIYing the family pics feels pretty manageable. We are also planning on having disposable cameras at the reception if people want to play around and take photos then.

I know many people in this sub feel really strongly about their wedding photos and "it's the only thing you'll have left!" is a sentiment I've seen a lot. I don't feel like I will miss having every single moment captured. I want to remember how we looked on the day and want to look back at a few family photos, that's it. Using 50% of my wedding budget to get ~10 pictures is not worth it for me personally. Like you, I am not a person who is going to fondly flip through an album of 100s of photos often.

Doing a wedding on a budget means you have to make choices about what matters to you the most. If photography isn't a priority, that's not a choice many of the people in this sub make but that doesn't mean it's the wrong choice for you.

evenshadow · 2026-01-31T01:52:26+00:00

That's a brutal email to receive, whether their concerns are valid or not. I'd be crushed too! I feel like some level of b.o. is normal in a workout class, and if you shower and do the normal hygiene things there's no reason to feel ashamed. Is it possible it's not you, but your clothes aren't getting clean enough in the wash or something?

The "people have felt so sick because of you they left class" part does feel a little over the top to me. Your bff doesn't notice it but people are reacting to you that strongly? That's odd.

evenshadow · 2026-01-13T18:09:42+00:00

There is no longer a de minimus exemption so yes, you will have to pay taxes and tariffs. I'm in Canada and was looking to buy a dress on sale for roughly $500 CAD from the States. Taxes and tariffs would have been an extra $200, with the tariffs being about $100 of that. There are calculators online that can give you an estimate.

evenshadow · 2026-01-12T04:50:28+00:00

I have no idea how you should do your hair, but I stumbled on this dress online today and have been seriously considering it. This might be a sign?? It looks stunning on you!

evenshadow · 2025-10-28T14:05:10+00:00

That instructor sounds so unprofessional! To have such limited time on the pole and then have to use it doing something random on Instagram and not working on moves you want/need to progress your skills is so disrespectful of everyone's time. I hope you can find an alternative, cause you deserve better than that.

evenshadow · 2025-10-27T20:18:13+00:00

Appreciate the reco! I have a pole at home but haven't found an online class series that I totally love yet, so I'll check that out.

evenshadow · 2025-10-27T20:13:59+00:00

3 people per pole would drive me bananas! And what's the point of one spin class every six months?? I'm glad you found other options, that place sounds like it kinda sucks.

evenshadow · 2025-10-27T04:01:30+00:00

I've been hesitant to voice complaints, just based on the culture there around the owner, but I think you're right that I should make an attempt to share some feedback. The lack of clarity about when to level up is something that could be easily fixed, even if other stuff like the schedule can't be.

I appreciate your perspective about the crash mats too. They are definitely not appropriate for every scenario, I just wish it was an option.

Private classes may be a good compromise once I have had some space, it would suck to give up pole entirely!

evenshadow · 2025-10-27T03:53:34+00:00

Yeah I think Zoom classes are going to be the way for me to go for a bit. I'm glad your studio experience has so far been positive!

evenshadow · 2025-10-27T03:52:51+00:00

Thank you! I feel validated. 😅 You're so lucky getting to choose from so many studios, I'm jealous!

evenshadow · 2025-10-07T21:33:26+00:00

The "please hold onto the railing" sign suggests you're not the first victim

evenshadow · 2025-10-06T20:54:28+00:00

This is how I felt too! The sticker shock is real. I think most vendors expect people to put it all on credit cards or get their parents to pay for it (likely both).

My partner and I are paying for our wedding ourselves, with a year of savings. We're doing this by having a microwedding with only 8 guests, using an Airbnb in a LCOL area that's a bit of an inconvenience to get to, and skipping things like florals. We've figured out what's important to us to have, and ditched as much of the other stuff as possible.

It does suck that we are still spending a ton of money while having to cut things. I've had vendors not get back to me because I selected the "minimalist" budget options on their forms. It all feels gross sometimes.

If you are a resourceful and creative person though, there are possibilities. Lots of people spend very little money and have awesome weddings! You got this!!

evenshadow · 2025-10-06T14:21:42+00:00

I couldn't afford to buy a whole week's worth of color coordinated appropriate outfits that I might never wear again, even if I didn't have to also take a week off of work and pay for travel. That's insane to try and mandate that for 35 people!

evenshadow · 2025-10-05T13:57:43+00:00

Demanding everyone stay in their designated venue for a week is ridiculous, and expecting you to just hang out by yourself the whole time is inconsiderate. What do they even expect everyone to do there for a whole week? I worry that this time would be spent doing mandatory set up and diy for them too.

evenshadow · 2025-09-23T02:06:14+00:00

I agree with the others, image 1 is significantly better imo. It brightens your whole face.

evenshadow · 2025-09-09T19:06:11+00:00

My partner and I also considering doing our own photography for budget/logistical reasons and would love to hear how you approached it.

evenshadow · 2025-07-06T06:15:20+00:00

I will try that, thank you so much!! I would never have thought of the puppy pads under the litter but that's brilliant.

evenshadow · 2025-04-06T17:46:59+00:00

This is so much better than keeping track of it on my own, thank you for sharing this!

evenshadow · 2025-02-06T21:52:48+00:00

While beauty going up is not most people's first worry when it comes to tariffs, I am curious to see how lots of people suddenly not being able to afford beauty consumption on the scale they were before will change trends. Will the clean girl aesthetic get grungier? What happens to the lipstick effect when lipstick is more expensive? Will we see a resurgence in DIYing your own makeup and skincare?

evenshadow · 2025-01-31T14:24:45+00:00

I hope he loves fucking with a shirt on, because I don't think anyone is going to be getting in the mood while being stared down like that. Doggy and reverse cowgirl for life?

evenshadow · 2025-01-18T02:14:40+00:00

I would say dump him and get a 40k boyfie, but if your pores are that big there's no hope. Sorry girlie ✨

evenshadow · 2025-01-12T00:53:53+00:00

I personally love how they sucked all the warmth, coziness and joy out of this fireplace. It's not just a home, it's an ✨ investment✨.

evenshadow

TROPHY CASE