We all know that in Math, multiplying a + with a - results in a -.  This also rings true to some real life dilemmas as well.

I found my Dress.  I did.  It was the first and only time  I didn’t want to try on “just one more” dress afterwards.  As I was slowly undressing, relishing each detail of its exquisite design the sales associate started pulling another dress off its hanger for me to try on.  I said to her, “STOP” with so much conviction I surprised myself.  This dress is definitely The One.  It’s all business in the front but party in the back, just like me and our wedding (that will be held in a traditional Roman Catholic cathedral in Chicago followed by a party at a very unconventional factory/loft space.

The only problem is, I can’t afford it.  It’s not very far off my budget, but far enough to make me stop.  Even if we found a way to make it work, and my mother promised me we can, it just doesn’t rest well with me that a dress I will wear one time costs as much as my band or photographer or my band and photographer and cake combined.  Believe me, I have on impulse bought many overpriced quality items and designer duds, but only because I use them for over and over again for many years to come.  This  - wearing the dress one-time only thing -  seriously restrains my inner shopaholic.

This is the dress however, and I will get it.

I am giving myself until August 2009 (10 months before my wedding) to try to find the dress on sample racks or online at half the cost.  If I don’t find it by then, I will suck it up and purchase the dress withe the 10% trunk show discount.

I’ve already started looking on used dress websites like www.preownedweddingdresses.com and www.oncewed.com.  I found my dress three times, 2 times already sold and one time two sizes too small.  I will continue to search for it religiously.

In addition to online, I plan on going to all the sample and off the rack salons in NYC and am preparing for Filene’s infamous Running of the Brides this summer in July, hoping to find this dress for only $699 or even less - wouldn’t that be dreamy?

It’s a lot more work, but since I have the time I cannot justify biting the bait so soon.  Do any of you know other online sites or have any ideas on where to get popular designer wedding dresses for less?

People often ask me what I do all winter during the off-season, imagining me eating ice cream all day and watching soap operas aplenty. In actuality, the winter has turned out to be a very busy period, filled with networking, marketing, album designing, some portrait and boudoir sessions and copious consultations. While I was hoping to be able to take a bit of a vacation this winter, my schedule, as well as a desire to be a bit more prudent with my finances, made me rethink that policy. I recently went away to Milwaukee, Wisc., a city conveniently located just about two hours from Chicago, for a “minication.” We were able to have a lovely little weekend vacation for an incredibly affordable price just hours from home, and I returned feeling like I had been away for much longer and been much farther away.

The Milwaukee Art Museum is such a stunning structure, designed by Santiago Calatrava.

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I’m so excited about guest blogging this week for EAD. I’ve been reading since I was first engaged, last December - I know I’ve cribbed some inspiration along the way.

DJ and I are planning a smallish wedding next September for 80 or so people, with the reception to be held in a renovated barn. The barn itself is very cool. Prior to its current life as an event space, it had been an actual working barn. It was on the verge of being donated as a firefighting training exercise when it was rescued by a local historian. After being transported piece by piece and rebuilt, it now has beautiful wood floors and white walls showcasing the original timbers, with a staircase up to the hayloft.

(Photo: Prairie Crossing)

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Our next library sponsor is Aletha from Pearls Events.  She is a Beetle driving, dog loving, newlywed who just happens to be a fabulous event planner in Grand Rapids, Michigan. To say she’s been a big support of EAD is an understatement.  She gives faithful encouragement to both E and I!  Aletha also puts out solid and useful content on her wedding blog.

We asked Aletha why she loves what she does:

My job gives me a sense of joy that no other job has. I leave each meeting, vendor appointment and wedding with a smile on my face, knowing what I do makes a difference in the day the couple will remember forever.

Aletha started out as a Knottie, and some of her very first test clients were fellow Knotties in need of day of coordination.  It has been awesome seeing Pearls Events grow into a successful business.

Enjoy,

A.