Despite many engaged couples eschewing the traditional wedding costumes, for some, the white dress is still a key part of the celebrations. However, the search is not always straightforward.
In a video posted to her TikTok account, jewelry brand owner Greta Louise Tomé spoke about the story behind her second wedding dress, which needed some altering “for obvious reasons.” This refers to the garment that Tomé wore to the beginning of the reception, not the ceremony. In the video, which has been viewed over 10.2 million times, Tomé can be seen trying on a Kim Kassas Couture wedding dress with a unique design.
The average cost of an entire wedding in 2022 was $30,000, up about $2,000 from 2021, according to The Knot Real Weddings Study.
The dress, which Tomé says in the video is one-of-a-kind is called the ‘Ava’, is an off-the-shoulder design from the Spring 2023 line. It has silk taffeta and French lace with “a chiffon and taffeta overskirt that reveals elegant lace,” according to Brides magazine.
The “obvious” issue is that the lace skirt meets the bodice quite high on Tomé’s torso, revealing her underwear. Despite this, she says in the clip that the dress “fit her like a glove” and barely needed any alterations.
To fix the underwear issue, the people at Kim Kassas put in a lace underskirt that coordinated with the existing lace. An ‘after’ shot shows that the store staff also included lace gloves, “which they designed just for me,” said Tomé. She added: “I literally felt like the whole experience of planning my wedding was so magical.”
We can assume that Tomé’s wedding cost slightly more than the 2022 average of $30,000. California-based bridal store Kinsley James says that its Kim Kassas dresses retail at $7,000 to $9,000.
Once purchased, many brides go to great lengths not to be seen by their fiancé before the wedding. This is a tradition that has its origins in pre-18th-century customs, when arranged marriages were rife. The idea that it was ‘unlucky’ for the bride and groom to meet before the wedding was actually ploy to make sure neither backed out before the ceremony took place.
“Because of this tradition, it’s now considered to be bad luck for a groom to see a bride in their dress before the wedding,” Zoe Burke, leading wedding expert at Hitched.co.uk, told Newsweek. “But, just because something is a tradition, doesn’t mean you have to do it. Though, it is really nice to have that jaw-drop moment when they see each other more dressed up than ever before as they head down the aisle, don’t you think?
“Nothing bad will happen if you involve your partner in your outfit choices. You might even be able to create a more coordinated look between the both of you—and avoid any ‘popcorn ceiling’ comments of your own,” added Burke.
“If they have a lot of opinions, ask yourself if you think they’re valid—if you don’t, you might need to have a conversation about why they think and feel the way they do about your outfit choice. Ideally, they’ll love whatever you feel happy and confident in—whether they’ve seen it ahead of time or not.”
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“I was so scared that the underwear hanging out was the final look,” commented one user under the video. “This is the most gorgeous wedding dress ever omg [oh my god],” posted another.
Newsweek has reached out to Tomé and a Kim Kassas spokesperson via email for comment.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.