I finally sat down to write this thing about my reception dress cause I kept getting DMs from people asking about it. Honestly I’m not a blogger or anything so this is gonna be all over the place but here goes.

So we got married at Locanda Wine Bar – cute place, fairy lights, wooden beams, you know the vibe. Very casual. My ceremony dress was this massive ballgown with a train and I swear I almost tripped walking down the aisle in it. There was no way I was wearing that thing to dinner. Like, how do you eat spaghetti and take shots in a floor-length gown? You don't. So I started looking for something short and cheap cause I already spent way too much on the first dress.

I found this little white satin strapless mini on Kemedress. I was super skeptical cause you never know with online dresses. Some reviews said it ran small, some said big, so I ordered two sizes just in case. The one that fit was actually the smaller size which surprised me cause I usually wear a 6 and this was a 4. But okay, whatever. It fit fine around the waist but the bust was a tiny bit loose even with the grip tape stuff. I had to use fashion tape to keep it from slipping down during dinner. Not a huge deal but annoying.

The color – it said pearl white but when I opened the package it looked almost ivory? Or maybe it was just the lighting in my apartment. Under the wine bar lights it looked beautiful, creamy and soft, but in the daytime outdoor photos it looked a little more bright white than I wanted. Still pretty though. And the satin had that nice sheen, not cheap-looking. But the wrinkles oh my god. It came folded in this tiny plastic bag and the creases were insane. I read somewhere to steam it but I forgot until like two hours before the reception. I panicked and used a hair straightener on low heat – don't tell anyone – and it actually worked okay but there were still some stubborn lines near the hem. If you get this dress, definately steam it the night before, don't be like me.

I wore it with my engagement ring and some tiny earrings, nothing else. No necklace cause the strapless neckline is simple enough. For the outdoor part I threw on these white cowboy boots I got from a thrift store – they were scuffed and not even real leather but they looked cute in photos.

My bridesmaids wore floral and one had a yellow jumpsuit and I thought the white would stand out too much but it actually blended nicely. The skirt is A-line so it flares out a bit which is flattering but also when I sat down it rode up more than I expected. I had to keep pulling it down during dinner. Also the fabric is not super stretchy so after eating I felt a little bloated but that's my own fault for eating too much bread.

For the family group photos, my mom kept saying "are you sure that's long enough?" and my grandma gave me a look but whatever. I think it looked fine. The short hem made my legs look longer which I appreciated cause I'm only 5'2. But honestly in some of the pics you can see the crease lines still there if you zoom in. I was too lazy to fix it.

One thing I didn't love – the lining is soft and opaque but the satin outer is kinda delicate. I snagged it on a chair at one point and there's a tiny pulled thread near the bottom. Not noticable unless you're looking but still. And the shipping took forever. I ordered with ship in 48 hours and it said two days but came like four days later. I was stressed.

Overall I'm happy with it cause it let me move around and hug people and not trip. I even danced a little even though I suck at dancing. Would I buy it again? Probably yeah, for the price it was worth it. But it's not perfect. If you're a bride looking for something easy and cheap and you don't mind a few flaws, go for it. Just steam it early, order a size up and down to test, and maybe bring a backup safety pin. I didn't have one and I was fine but still.

Anyways I'm glad I didn't wear my big dress. This little thing did the job and I got alot of compliments even though I kept adjusting the top.

Oh and I totally forgot to mention the grip tape – it's there but it didn't stick great on my skin cause I had body oil on. So that was a fail. Next time I'd skip the oil.