Went to meet our DRESSMAKER this afternoon. Was a bit nervous...the whole 'chose-
the-biggest-add-from-the-yellow-pages' thing. I mean, aren't you supposed
to get word of mouth advice on this kind of thing? We were freaking out
that she was some old lady who sews as a hobby and we were going to be
a hideous experiment for her. HA!
We walked into her house and her whole downstairs is dressmaking central.
It was very comforting to see a whole wall rack of wedding dresses,
three dressmakers' dummies, a workbench big as a car, a changing room,
...and, best of ALL... an INDUSTRIAL sewing machine!
That's what really impressed us the most to start with. Then she started
talking and took about 20,000 measurements of us and began arranging a date
for our first fitting! This woman is GOOD :)
Embarrassingly, she asked us for a deposit and we hadn't even THOUGHT of that.
Luckily Melliss had $50 to give her. We told her we'd bring more money when we
drop off the fabric that's being ordered in.
Saturday 3rd April...
ONLY 11 WEEKS TO GO!!!...*HUGE GRIN*
Up early on the prowl for the printer cartridges, for our deskjet. The first
couple of shops didn't have any type that we could use so we went for the
refill ink thing. What a total disaster that turned out to be!!! Mel got totally
pissed cause it still wasn't printing and poor Julie didn't know what the hell
to do.
In the end we were both pissed and there was ink everywhere except for the
paper. It was dripping inside the printer, all over our hands and the last piece
of paper towel in the house.
Now we have to wait until Tuesday to find a *NEW* cartridge...No more refills in
this house!!! Lots of sulking today...neither of us got what we wanted.... :(
Tuesday 6th April...
Mel went to Big W first thing to get that damn cartridge and there was actually
one there!!! Just as she was coming through the door at home, the fabric store called,
to say that our gorgeous gold 'n' shimmering fabric has arrived...3 weeks early.
Mel spent most of the afternoon printing the programs.
Wednesday 7th April...
Mel picked up the gold 'n' shimmering fabric and had a look around at some shoes
for Julie, as we need to take them with us for our next dress fitting.
We received a phone call from out of the blue tonight, it was from the womin who introduced us, Dannii. She rang to let us know that she is coming to the wedding and that she can't wait to see us again. Hopefully we can spend some more time with her unlike the last time we were together...heehee.
Thursday 8th April...
Julie had a day off work and Mel really wanted to go shoe shopping, but Julie
had other ideas for *her* day off. She slept until lunchtime and *then* we went
shopping.
We both wanted to have some new clothes for our honeymoon. We found some great
shirts and jeans and promptly put them on lay-by. Next stop...shoes.
Mel has decided to wear her black heeled boots.
Julie is freaking out from the pressure of needing to find shoes today!!! When
Mel wants something done it has to be done NOW even though our next fitting
is at the end of the month.
All the shoe shops had winter boots and chunky black things, where as
Julie envisioned a Cinderella slipper type thing...Princess Shoes.
Of course Julie couldn't find anything that was perfect.
We wandered into a op shop looking for some more shirts when Julie spied a pair of
mules. For those who don't know what a mule is they are Cinderella slipper type
thing...*LOL*...ok they are a court shoe without a back...kinda.
We decided not to invest the $4, as they were a bit scruffy looking and Mel
was totally horrified that Julie would even think about wearing someone else's
shoes...*giggle*
For some bizzare reason we went to more op shops and you won't believe it, but
we found the EXACT same shoes in much better nick and color. We lashed out the
extra $1 for them. Julie loves the shoes and thinks they have lots of *potential*
We went out for dinner tonight, just us two at chinese, then came home and decided to put together the wedding programs. We sat huddled over the new table, folding and sticking and being so proud of the fabulous job we'd done.
Friday 9th April...
Phone calls galore this morning. Mel rang Chapel Hill, make-up artist, hairdresser
and the Womin only Bed & Breakfast where we will be staying for a few days after
the wedding. Mel basically called the make-up artist and hairdresser to confirm final
details.
Mel rang Chapel Hill to change her mothers accommodation from the big house to
the 3 person cottage, but it has already been booked by the "boys". Mel discovered
that her mother's friend Allan has booked a single room, which suggests
that his wife, Lyn, will not be attending. She sure is going to miss out on a very
very special day.
Helen's Hideaway is a Womin only Bed & Breakfast a few minutes walk from Oxford
Street which is famous for the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras parade each
February. There is going to be 5 of us staying for a few days after the wedding
to take our U.S. and interstate friends sightseeing.
We have stayed at Helen's many times since we met. It's our official home away
from home when we are in Sydney. This is the first place that Mel whispered those
3 little words, "I love you" to Julie.
Two doors down from Helen's at the end of the street there is a magical
little garden, with a chair for two. We use to sneak out there to have dirty
cigarettes (we don't smoke now), and watch the city lights. This was once
a sad place for us but we changed all that last April when we drank champange,
exchanged our engagement rings and declared our love for each other.
The evening after the wedding we will be having a private handfasting ritual
at this quiet, peaceful and enchanted place in a bustling city of 3 million
people. It is a night of the new moon which is very auspicious for new beginnings,
perfect for starting married life together.
Julie has decided to find out about having her wedding slippers covered with the cream satin we are getting the dresses made out of. This will surely hike up the price of the op shop shoes now. We went and got 3 quotes which ranged from "I'm not sure?" to $55. Looks like a good option.
Mel still has to decide about a headpiece/veil, and her mum suggested going to a
hire place and trying them on. Mel is NOT wearing a veil or headpiece!!! We both
just looked in the mirror and we didn't even need to speak, everything looked
too much. It's pretty hard to add something to short curly hair. The thought now
is a light spraying of gold glitter in Mel's hair.
Julie found THE most lovely little tiara, even Mel liked it. It was gold
and pretty and delicate and sweet and princess-y.
Do I want this?
Or the Hat?
SO many decisions. Mel's still all for the hat. Even the sales assistant was on
her side, "Everyone wears tiaras, a hat is different".
Later, back at home, Julie was sitting at the table and admiring our fabulous wedding programs when she shrieked and almost passed out. Mel yelled, "What's Wrong???"...then Jules told her that on the cover of the program *gasp* the DATE is wrong! We wrote, June, 19, 1998...instead of 1999.
Shit, shit, shit!
We both just looked at the program stunned...unable to speak. We have re-read that damn piece of paper so many bloody times. Julie has been obsessive about checking it for spelling mistakes and we've done the lay-out at least a hundred times. How could one little itsy-bitsy number manage to make the whole document obselete?
*aarrrgghghhhh*
Mel was more philosophical about it all, "I'm just so happy you found that NOW, and not on our wedding day...We'll just have to re-do them".
Saturday 10th April...
We needed to find some more paper for the programs that we stuffed up. Mel went
to Officeworks first but they had nothing like it. So she came home and rang
a card making shop, they had the paper. We picked it up and thought that was
too easy as we had bought the original paper on the Gold Coast.
We came home and started to print out the program fronts *again* and
realized that the new paper was much thinner. This meant that the image
was coming out blurred.
Shit Shit Shit!!!
We just knew it was too easy...looks like we are off to the Gold Coast tomorrow.
Julie has just opened one of the disposable cameras and found that it is actually a wedding camera. You know...the camera box is printed for weddings. What a bonus!!!
Sunday 11th April...
On the way to the coast Julie started writing down some of the things
that still have to be done. Both of us didn't realize just how much is
left to be organised, but we are sure it will be perfect on the day. *grin*
We got to the Gold Coast just as the store was opening and to our relief
they still had the original paper!!! We also bought some thin purple
organza ribbon for the bombonniere boxes.
The store had a wedding display, we have decided to use one of their
ideas and wrap the chocolates in tulle seeing as we have about 15
metres of the stuff...remember the failed purple tulle attempt???
Monday 12th April...
For the *third* time Mel printed out the program fronts and at last there
was no real dramas. We sat down after dinner and put the programs
together. We had just about finished when we ran out of ribbon *sigh*.
We just hope that we can still get the same ribbon tomorrow.
Wednesday 13th April...
Mel went and bought the ribbon for the programs today. Yeah, there was
still some there!!! While Mel was out she decided to buy the chocolates
that are going to be included in the bombonniere boxes. Julie wants the
job of wrapping them with the *lavender* tulle and gold cord.
Great one less thing for Mel to do. Which reminds us she needs to get
started on Raechelle's bridesmaid dress...*NOW*!!!
Saturday 17th April...
ONLY 9 WEEKS TO GO!!!
Down to single figures.
Sunday 18th April...
Mel's mother bought her mother-of-the-bride outfit yesterday. It is a very
beautiful skirt and jacket suit in the most gorgeous plum colour. She is
going to look lovely. Bev (Mel's mum) seems to be getting into wedding
mode...finally. She has been looking around the shops for things to buy
such as engraved glasses and also thinking about a head piece for Mel.
At the moment Bev and Mel have an idea for a head piece that Mel can
actually make herself...We'll let you know how it goes.
Mel is thinking of getting our dressmaker to also make Raechelle's
dress as she doesn't think she will have enough time to do it and her
sewing machine needs to be fixed.
Monday 19th April...
A customer came into Mel's business this morning and congratulated her on
the up-coming wedding. She had seen Mel's step-father and he had told her
about it.
Mel wasn't real sure what this womin had been told and just said
thank you for the wishes. When Bev arrived at work Mel asked, "Is
Alan (Mel's step-father) outing me?" It seems that Alan is very proud and
telling *everyone* that Mel is gay and getting married!!!
Mel rang the dressmaker to make an appointment for our next fitting and inquired about having Raechelle's dress made. Mel now knows what her next job is going to be...a dressmaker!!! We were shocked to discover that Raechelles dress would cost the same as ours $280. It has been decided that Mel *will* make the dress.
Tuesday 20th April...
Julie has a late shift today, so Mel dragged Julie to the shops...again.
We bought the bits & pieces for Mel's headpiece. She has made one
a few years ago and is hoping it will all come back to her.
Next stop was the sewing machince repair place. They will let us know in a few days the cost and time for the repair.
With our sexy foundation garments and shoes we were off to the
dressmakers. This is our first fitting and we are way excited. As usual
Julie volunteered Mel to go first. Esther only had the top part of Mel's
dress ready.
Most of Julie's dress was completed just had to fit the shoulders and
side seams. We will be doing the lengths at the next fitting hopefully
next week. The overlay material came in early and we got see what it will
all look like together. Julie is now paranoid that we are going to look tan
rather than gold. Mel knows that we are going to look gorgeous together.
We grabbed some off cuts from the satin for Julie's shoes. Our worries
about the dressmaker vanished completely yesterday. This womin really
knows what she is doing and we think well worth the money.
Saturday 24th April...
Firstly we went back to the fabric shop to get more ribbon for Mel's
headpiece. Picked up the sewing machine which is already to go tomorrow.
Sunday 25th April...
It has been a *huge* wedding day today. Mel came home from work and got
stuck into making Raechelle's dress. She has decided to leave sewing the purple
mesh until the very last....too much stress involved.
Julie has been wrapping chocolates in the *almost* purple tulle and gold
cord. When she did the first one we started to have second thoughts
about using the tulle. Julie made up a few more and they started to grow
on us, so they are staying.
Julie covered the scrapbook that we bought for the wedding acceptance
cards and wedding day cards. Then she started playing around with the
front of the bombonniere boxes. We are going to use the 2 brides graphic
along with some background color which will probably be the same purple
card we've used for the programs.
By the end of the day Mel had the bodice and skirt sewn together for
Raechelle's fitting tomorrow. It didn't take as long as she thought
and there was no unpicking!!!
Monday 26th April...
High stress morning for Mel, she cut out the mesh for Raechelle's dress.
The nylon mesh is very stretchy and pulls out of shape easily. It seemed
to take forever, but cutting the mesh worked out ok. Next problem was
how the hell do you sew this stuff!!!
We rang Nikki (Julie's mum), she seemed to remember something about
using greaseproof paper. Mel decided to have a look on the net. To
our amazement we found instructions very very easily. Nikki was right
about the paper. Mel would grab some from the shop tomorrow.
Raechelle came over for her fitting today and this is when Mel realised
that there would have to be some unpicking to be done. Raechelle has put
on a little weight and the bodice no longer fitted. Luckily Mel had only
basted the side seams and had there was enough in the seams to let them
out.
Tuesday 27th April...
The sewing of the mesh went well..much easier and less stress then we
first anticipated. Mel adjusted the side seams, then sewed it altogether.
Finally we had a dress!!! All that is left to do now is the hem and sew
the satin ribbon to the bottom of the mesh.
Friday 30th April...
Julie rang her mum this morning and got some wonderful news. Julie's
(only invited) aunt
is going to try and come to the wedding if she can get the time off work.
Apparently she already knew Julie was gay and a wedding invitation, while a little
surprising, didn't totally freak her out.
Also Nikki's oldest and dearest friend called her and asked what 'the kids'
had been up to lately. Nikki told her I was getting married, to a woman,
in June and that everyone was looking forward to the wedding.
Her friend,
Carolyn, then shocked Nikki by asking if she could attend. Nikki explained
quite plainly that it was a LESBIAN wedding, and most likely there would be a lot
of GAY MEN and LESBIANS attending....and that perhaps Carolyn's husband
would be uncomfortable with that.
She laughed at the suggestion and insisted that she and her husband
would like nothing more than seeing her 'jules-girl' get married. So, after
mum told me I headed straight upstairs and wrote her out an invitation.
It's a funny thing, homophobia. I think as lesbians we always expect a
backlash and often hide parts of ourselves or don't give people to opportunity
to embrace us or reject us as they choose. Our family and friends
may unconciously do the same thing. By assuming another person's level of 'comfort'
with lesbianism, people may be expressing internalised homophobia that is
communicated to others by excluding them from family events, such as a wedding.
I guess what I'm trying to say here is that we invited one couple, expecting them to
join us...and another couple we didn't invite cause we thought they'd be
freaked out about it. The total opposite was true. You can never judge which
person will have prejudices and who will be 'straight but not narrow'.
If you're planning a wedding
DO let people make their own decisions and give THEM the opportunity to share your
day, or choose not to.
We talked a lot today about how our wedding plans
have helped both of our mothers become more open and honest when talking
about our relationship with their friends.
Resources/ Two Brides/ Photos/ Wedding Announcements
