The Dress

Lela Rose Wedding Gown - The Augustine - Fall 2021 - Magnolia A-line Gown with Draped Neckline and Scooped Back. Used for August 2022 wedding.

Color: Soft White

Size: 14

Height: 5’9” and I wore 2-inch block heels at wedding.

Regular/non-bridal size: My regular clothing size is a 10 and bra size a 36C. Exact body measurements during the final fitting were as follows: Bust 39.5”, Waist 32”, Hip 41.5”.

Custom changes made by Lela Rose during production:
- Raised center back 3 inches to 0 at sides, keeping same shape.

Alterations made by Mark Ingram’s Alteration Atelier (specifically Debbie who is amazing and has her own website called Deb Nations):
- Hemmed gown length for my height (5’9” with two-inch heels)
- Removed thin spaghetti straps to create 1/4”-thick straps (using the same fabric as the gown, which was leftover from hemming the length)
- French bustle (and I have written directions and a video to show how this bustle works)

Purchased from Mark Ingram Atelier and worked with Lela Rose for customizations in NYC for our August 2022 wedding. As mentioned above, I asked Lela Rose to customize the gown by raising the back of the gown by 3 inches, while maintaining the shape of the gown. This customization was done by Lela Rose during manufacturing/production and cost an additional $500. All other alterations were done by Mark Ingram’s Alteration Atelier which cost an additional $1,200 - this includes the length of the dress, the straps and the French bustle. I thought that the original thin spaghetti straps were uncomfortable, so Mark Ingram’s Alteration Atelier created a quarter-inch thick straps for comfort, using the excess fabric from other alterations. I chose to have a French Wedding bustle after the ceremony - I can provide written instructions and a video showing how to tie the bustle ribbons which have been neatly pre-numbered/labeled for ease. Most comfortable gown. Very lightweight. Dry cleaned and preserved right away. Retail price was $5,990, and then I paid an additional $1,700 for customizations/alterations - total cost $7,690.

Alterations

Customization/Alterations as shown in the photos and explained above: Raised center back 3 inches to 0 at sides keeping same shape. Removed the thin spaghetti straps to create 1/4”-thick straps using the same fabric. Hemmed dress for my height (5’9” with two-inch block heels). French bustle.