Pilar and Carl held their one-stop wedding in Baja, Mexico. What could be more sensational than a beautiful sunset, cushiony sand, and perfect weather? A stunning and super-affordable wedding dress, of course! Pilar, who owns her own green events company
Gorgeous and Green Events in San Francisco, created this one-of-a-kind frock, with its stellar pop of turquoise, for about $350. “I was infatuated with Pronovias and would spend hours looking at their website, but the prices were way over the top and I couldn't see the point in spending so much for a dress that I would only wear one day,” says Pilar. But she was determined and finally found her dream look on ebay.com. “It was a gently used, older style—probably probably 3 or 4 years old—but it had the foundation I was looking for: mermaid shape and long back end with a nice ruffle around the bottom,” she continues. The dress’s original bodice was a camisole covered in lace, but Pilar transformed it into a bustier top with a lower backline that included a few recycled buttons she purchased at
SCRAP in San Francisco. She played with the design of the dress’s bottom, as well. “The skirt had layers of lace all over it, so I took half of that off to simplify it,” she adds. For the finishing touch, Pilar created two separate sashes: soothing baby blue for the ceremony and vibrant turquoise for the reception. Though reworking a preloved dress is not for the faint of heart or time-crunched, the process, as Pilar will attest, is one of the most emotionally and monetarily rewarding ways to personalize a wedding.
Photos by
Erin Beach.
