Thursday 11 April 2013

Green Day

I bought the frock that I'm wearing today in a charity shop on Peckham High Street a couple of weeks before I got married in 1998. I had planned on getting hitched in it but three days before the big day I found another frock in the same shop that felt more right for a December wedding & one that looked better with hubby's kilt and pirate shirt ensemble.
I remember getting my fishnets tangled up in my boot zip when I was trying the dress on in the charity shop and spending what felt like hours in the changing booth trying to untangle them but to no avail. In the end I had to shamefacedly shuffle up to the counter to borrow a pair of scissors & cut myself free.
Something similar happened to me whilst travelling to The Dandy with all my gear last Saturday. I was wearing layered tights and the bleeding nets got tangled up in my camera bag zip, don't ask me how?! No scissors to hand so I ripped the buggers and removed them once I got to The Oxford, thankfully I had a pair of opaques underneath.
I'm not into the formulaic White Wedding, I've been to a few and it's really not my bag.
After a quick thirty minute "Will you?...I do" session at the Southwark register office, we went for a pub crawl with our guests. People could come and go as they pleased, no sit down dinner (with awkward table partners), no tedious speeches, no unwrapping of yet another frigging toaster, just a bunch of our favourite peeps getting together and having a hoot and a half!
My beloved mum who came over to attend our nuptials and "wedding crawl " insisted that I'd have my hair cut before my special day. Me being a complete skintoid even when it comes to spending other peoples money went down to the "blind barbers" and had my hair absolutely butchered, so my wedding hairdo was an interesting Spock-esque bowl cut. I didn't care though, I was getting married to the loveliest man I had ever met and that blew anything else out of the water. If I would have had to get married dressed in a hessian sack & as bald as a coot, I would have still felt like the luckiest girl in the world that day. 
Vintage 70s maxi dress, 70s suede jacket, 70s boots, Ankh earrings, retro sunnies & plethora of brass bangles.
How about you?!
Did you have a traditional white wedding or did you go with something completely different?
Do you still have your wedding dress and if so have you ever worn it since your big day?
I know that quite a few of you have chosen not to go down the 'getting hitched' road but do you still have an item of clothing from when you first got together with your partner or X, something that you could never part with?

Today's tune is my favourite by Green Day...it simply had to be, enjoy ;)
Loads of love,
Jennie
xXx


16 comments:

thorne garnet said...

we when to Nevada on our days off and got married by the justice of the peace of Washoe county. The cost of the wedding: $40. The ring: $4. It was 1979, it must have been a good idea.

Becky said...

I loved my wedding to pieces, but the perfect dress eluded me! I did end up in a white one, but I searched and tried a range of styles and colors... I felt like my wedding was perfect anyway, even w/o the perfect dress.
Becky :)

Connie said...

You look so pretty! My husband and I eloped to city hall in New York City. I wore a vintage 40's suit that I tailored (badly) myself. The we went off just the two of us and got snockered on champagne at the Algonquin Hotel! Almost as romantic as your crawl. Cheers!

Olga Rani said...

I didn't have a traditional white wedding dress. Instead I wore one in dark purple colour with white flowers print. I like your positive way of thinking. I know for so many brides it would be a tragedy to get their hair butchered just before the big day. :)

Connie Staccato said...

Aaaaaw!

My wedding dress was navy blue, my ring was found on a counter, and we got married at the courthouse by a judge. Went to my cousin's house after and drank champagne. Thirty-two years ago.

Krista said...

This would have also made made a sweet choice for your big day? I love the ruffles! The story of your fish nets and zippers had me laughing and feeling for ya.

I went with a pale pink and ivory dress and looked like a fairy princess!
Xxoooo

Kafka's wife said...

Wow what a beautiful dress, you look gorgeous in it with the reddish hair!

Unknown said...

Not married -yet, but will never ever wear a white traditional wedding dress! No Way...
Thanks for the story and i love your green dress!

Trees said...

I absolutely love this green frock - especially the frill at the bottom and thanks for sharing your wedding day story with us. It sounded like you had a blast and that's what matters - to hell with tradition & enjoy yourself I say!

Vix said...

Green suits you so much and that dress is a dream. The fishnets and zip on boots fiasco, the shame! I usually wear over-the knee socks over leggings underneath my maxis, hardly sexy but much more practical!

I'm totally anti-wedding, be it a white, pink or blue. Something I've never wanted, even as a little girl. It was lovely to know Curtise and Tania have always felt the same, too! xxx

Louise Mc said...

That's a beautiful dress.

I had a white wedding dress, but not the big show of a white wedding, in fact my day sounds similar to yours. Hubby wore a kilt, we got married in a registry office in Edinburgh, there were 13 people at the wedding including us. After our vows we had a meal and then went on a pub crawl. I had punk Dr. Martens on under my wedding dress. I wouldn't change it for the world.

I still have my dress, it doesn't fit now.

Xx

Curtise said...

That dress is lovely, it would have been a great choice for your wedding, love the colour and the lace.
No wedding for me, never wanted one, still don't! xxxx

Unknown said...

I had a very (very) small white wedding, in my parents living room. Very traditional and we didn't bother with long drawn out dinners. Married, some cake and we jetted. Would you hate me if you I told you I have only been to my wedding and no others? And I'm OK with that!! I think weddings have become some of the craziest waste of money ever. At least in America. Did you know brides are now buying a second dress for the receptionist and when I say second dress I mean like a wedding dress but a little bit more casual. Insanity!

Idee Fixe said...

Beautiful dress, and gorgeous on you! I guess my wedding was fairly untraditional -- it was on Halloween 22.5 years ago, married at an inn by a justice of the peace. I had a dress made from a 50s strapless sheath dress pattern, but shortened to mini, with a little bolero jacket to go over (it was Halloween with an outdoor ceremony, so weather could've gone cold!) I wore vintage silk stockings, and white & gold spectator style stilettos from the 50s. I got my biker husband into a suit, and while I love him any way he wants to look, must say he looks damn good in a suit -- a tux even better! It wound up being about 80 degrees, the sun shining & we had just close friends and relatives. A week later we threw a wild party for everyone who we couldn't invite and had a blast! We didn't do a lot of traditional wedding stuff, but I had to acquiesce a little to my mother who insisted on certain things, but in the end I mostly got my way. And nope have never worn the dress again -- sadly I no longer have an 18 inch waist after having a baby at 40! I love your story, what lovely memories! XXX

Miss Simmonds Says said...

Weddings give me the fear, though I would love a chance to try on a load of weding dresses and pose about. Yours is lovely. Such a beautiful colour! xxx

Vanessa said...

I'm not married, but I do have a bottle of perfume from when I first started dating my boyfriend of nine years. I would wear it every day of that first magical summer we spent together. There's only a dribble left in the bottle, but I can't bring myself to throw it out, because just a whiff brings back so many precious memories.