Wedding Memories: The dress we won

Yes, we won my wedding dress.

Back in October 2011 I had been wedding dress shopping 4 times. I found stunning beautiful dresses but not one shouted "I am YOUR WEDDING DRESS". The ones that were whispering "Maybe I could be your dress" were just beyond budget. Money was playing a big role in my wedding dress choice.

Until one Saturday afternoon, I spotted a little advert on Facebook - "Win your dream wedding dress".

I clicked on the link

I noticed it was being hosted by a bridal shop I had been to where I found a dress I liked but which had since been sold.

So I uploaded a photo of MrB and me (it had to be a couple one)

I sent a few close friends who were attending the wedding the link and asked them to vote.

The following week we were in 3rd place with 2 weeks to go.

I told MrB.

He shared the link and in turn a few of his friends/family shared the link

Suddenly we were in second

I shared the link

We were in 1st. A few days later, we were back to 2nd.

So it began...we posted requests for votes almost hourly. Friends of friends of friends voted. 

The day before closing we were switching between 1st and 2nd place every 30minutes.

The day the comp closed we went mad. We stalked people. Colleagues phoned friends to vote. Friends went to coffee shops to get random strangers to vote. At 5pm the page shutdown. 

Monday 13h00 we were announced as the winners - by 3 LIKES. True story.

My mom joined me in a search one afternoon in late November. When I walked out with the dress to show my mom she cried and I knew that this was the one. A few weeks later we found the pretty floral broach in my late gran's jewellery collection. This was the perfect finish to the dress.

One the day, when we went off to have our couple photos taken, the first thing MrB said to me was "Look at what we won". 

Because we won the dress, we splurged on a live band. Because we won the dress, we decided to do a trash the dress shoot. Because we won the dress we will be donating it to charity as soon as I have it in Joburg and have had it cleaned.

Slipping in to the dress

Veil and alterations were included

The dress in a field of flowers

Taken during our "drown the gown" shoot

Ready to be put on

THE broach!