Nuptial dressing

I thought finding the perfect dress for BA was going to be a long haul. We've been surfing bridal websites all week, (Amanda Wakeley was looking good), and had next weekend pencilled in for some preliminary trying on sessions at Bergdorfs & various salons uptown.

The wedding date isn't fixed yet (maybe October) but, given that BA is returning to England in the near future and her bridesmaids are in NYC, and the long lead times for ordering bridal dresses and the length of time it usually takes to make appointments and try on frocks, we thought there was no harm in getting started.

Then on Wednesday, as I barrelled along East 9th on my bike on my way to Soho House for drinks on the roof, I caught sight of a dress that looked similar to the shapes BA likes in the window of a store. I pulled a drastic braking manouevre (not so easy in four inch wedges I'll have you know), and pressed my nose up against what turned out to be the window of Selia Yang, a tiny one room bridal salon in the heart of the East Village.

I persuaded BA up there after closing time on Thursday for a squint through the security shutters and, we later made an appointment for this afternoon.

Turns out that although the East Village location may be a one room wonder, Selia Yang is a very highly regarded New York wedding dress designer with anoher showroom in Tribeca. And about to be in the public eye too, as one frock in the current collection is the wedding dress featured in the upcoming Patrick Dempsey & Michelle Monaghan vehicle Made of Honour.

So, to this afternoon. Susan, the salon manager, picked out five or so frocks. The dress from the window was second in. And bingo. Dress search over. She looks utterly ravishing. The dress is pure distilled essence of BA. She couldn't look more beautiful. Now we've just got to find three bridesmaid's frocks for three girls with different bodies & colouring that work with the dress. Piece of cake.