Thanks for the smile over this happy, happy post! Off to find your dress.....

Best wishes to you both, beautiful dress!

Look at sites like Pre-owned Wedding Dresses if you are really set on that style and manufacturer. You might get lucky! Those are mostly designer gowns on that site. Of course, they are specific to height and size.

I was an "older" first-time bride (10 year anniversary in 2016) and there are a lot of good dresses out there that are not strapless ball gowns geared towards 20-somethings. I had a halter A-line with ruching. My dress was not expensive--I had a Casblanca. You can also look at David's Bridal, but I wasn't that happy with their selection.

Couple of manufacturers to check out that were very popular on a wedding planning board I used:

Casablanca

Maggie Sottero

Congratulations and Good luck! It's so exciting!

There are lots of sites that will do a save the date magnet. I actually made our own with a funny photoshop DH's grandma did of us. I printed them on our inkjet printer, but that was probably not cost effective because of the ink. There is magnetic paper for the inkjet.

https://www.google.com/search?q=second+bridal+gowns&client=safari&hl=en-us&prmd=simvn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiKktyWtJ_RAhUl8IMKHfPfDk4Q_AUICCgC&biw=1024&bih=672#q=second+bridal+gowns&hl=en-us&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg:CWyu5_1HAoJkSIqABqVsmdQaN-wNnzFNmL6z0k_1xrft67058mQyn1utcCrjDSP2lBkizqxXyT_1MhAa7wTQAlp2G3uL77fObTq2ozJI52X0Lx4aI7cc7PiJ7EC_1DA_1Pgu19slOulFcxwTkZvLXJW2nPOtScfcu2SwRuVjb8xKsEA_1d5CSk3NkpG50CF4WsaRb-i5bRuBGHikFW_1tXUb2dMKU7m1SLrHpnbfKVSSyoSCalbJnUGjfsDESR9hRT5uOx0KhIJZ8xTZi-s9JMRxALUDw6Iy1sqEgn8a37eu9OfJhHHxOTvcSafOioSCUMp9brXAq4wEUY8E-XHO9LDKhIJ0j9pQZIs6sURTmfXFI8djRYqEgl8k_1zIQGu8ExFe8Pa3JuW6pCoSCUAJadht7i--Ed7yDaFT8qAgKhIJ3zm06tqMySMRfx5QlmXbYCAqEgmdl9C8eGiO3BHcHEYQsbmJXSoSCXOz4iexAvwwEbQhE40HavUHKhIJPz4LtfbJTroRoXxBbKZzIV4qEglRXMcE5Gby1xGvf9c0EzfGoyoSCSVtpzzrUnH3ER2JHJV6KwdiKhIJLtksEblY2_1MRd0c40lAVF2QqEgkSrBAP3eQkpBFGLnJr4gDliioSCdzZKRudAheFEXwzhnBqJFFGKhIJrGkW_1ouW0bgRzFjTKIWDjrkqEgkRh4pBVv7V1BGSPwUo4yQMPCoSCW9nTClO5tUiEaTCDWNd78mKKhIJ6x6Z23ylUksRQHJsI3Vsl4U%3D

goodness, that's a long link. There are lots here

Yes, there are so many beautiful dresses, but like my mother had to remind me, you have to find the dress that makes YOU shine. It's not about the dress; it's about how you look in the dress. :)

How fun and exciting!! That's a beautiful dress. Wow - if I was getting married these days I would certainly buy a used dress - quite a bargain for beautiful gowns compared to what I hear my friends daughters are spending.

I love the bridal collection from Anthropologie...

http://www.bhldn.com/shop-the-bride-wedding-dresses/natalia-gown/productOptionIDS/fbcaeb8b-b90b-4e9a-9313-32da085940dd

http://www.bhldn.com/shop-the-bride-wedding-dresses/jolie-gown/productOptionIDS/fbcaeb8b-b90b-4e9a-9313-32da085940dd

http://www.bhldn.com/shop-the-bride-wedding-dresses/naomi-gown/productOptionIDS/fbcaeb8b-b90b-4e9a-9313-32da085940dd

These are just a few but there are so many to choose from. I haven't seen any in person though but they look amazing on the site.

Good luck and congratulations!!!

Congratulations!!! I hope you find the perfect dress. HERE is Chandler on preowned wedding dresses.

Can you wear a size 4? Here is the dress, used, for $2,750.

https://www.preownedweddingdresses.com/dresses/view/167555/Monique-Lhuillier-Chandler-Size-4.html

Or here is a size 6 (actual, label says 8?). It is Canadian dollars, which looks like about $2,900ish in US dollars.

https://www.stillwhite.ca/30844-monique-lhuillier

Congratulations, Jojo! That's a lovely dress. Good luck in your search!

Donna

Congratulations! What fun to plan a wedding and include us. V-neck, beaded...off to look :)

Congratulations and felicitations! You have the time to find your ideal dress. Previously-worn is a great idea -- 49 years ago, that's what I did. It was in a trunk up in my parents' attic, my great-grandmother's two-piece silk gown, with double train (not long, as both of us were under five feet tall!). Unique and charming. I loved it! Still have the gown -- and the husband, lol...

When I got married I found a $3,600 Reem Acra for $450 on eBay. Found a really nice bridesmaids dress too. Also found my shoes, purse, a shall and broach for bridesmaid and probably a bunch of other stuff too. There are a ton of Monique Lullier on there too.

We spent 75%+ of our budget on food and wine.

What fun to be included in your special day! The dress is beautiful...hope you find it or one similar you love.

Congratulations jojo!

The dress is very pretty, but with one like that with the V in the front and the back, I always wonder, what keeps the straps from slipping off the shoulders like when you're dancing and such....that'd make me very nervous. And the last thing I want on a wedding day is to worry about anything like that.

Annie,

The dress can attach to a wrap-around bra designed for low backs.

Wow, thank you all for the great ideas and leads. I've looked at all of your suggestions ( and the rabbit hole that is pinterest) and I am now completely overwhelmed by the sheer volume of dresses out there. Probably won't find the chandler in my size, and I'm not sure I want/can pay thousands for it anyway. But I now know what style I love so that's a great first step. I'm thinking I should search for beaded white evening gowns too?

My guy and I kicked up our heels last night at a fabulous restaurant in my village (mtn, it was the Krebs). Lots of fun dancing, but I'm shot today from staying up til one. No googling today. New Year's Eve is not for the faint of heart!

thank you all for your warm wishes and for your enthusiasm to help. it really means a lot .

Jo

My niece was married in Nov. Her dress and the bridesmaids dresses came from BHLDN. Similar to the Carson. Absolutely stunning I think it's a great option From the link Mtn posted, it looks like they change styles frequently

https://www.couturecandy.com/sue-wong-n5174-dress-in-peach-dress/

Sue Wong dresses are coming up a lot. She seems to love designing Gatsby-ish sheaths. Some are similar but they are more beaded/glitzy than that lovely, subtle gown you chose.

One more -

https://www.tradesy.com/dresses/sue-wong-dress-ivorywhite-5096890/?tref=category&t=ger_decrof

Heres something on eBay.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/Monique-Lhuillier-Beige-Chantilly-Lace-Sleeveless-Deep-V-Gown-Size-10-Sample-/172449056201?nav=WATCHING_ACTIVE

Another on eBay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Gorgeous-Authentic-White-Beaded-Demetrios-Wedding-Reception-Dress-Rare-Find-/251788596414?hash=item3a9fc514be:g:geUAAOSwa39UsfPl

ETA - The Chandler is a very hard act to follow. To me, it's just perfection.

Look at the fourth and fifth dresses down on this page. One isn't a v neck but the detailing seems more similar to Chandler. The other is v neck but the detailing isn't as pretty IMO.

http://www.beautilicious40bride.co.uk/phase-eight-wedding-boutique/

Ok, I'm done, sorry for the overload!

Congratulations on your engagement! I also love some of those BHLDN gowns. Make sure you also check under the sale tab, as there are always different selections there.

I also found some gowns at Theia Bridal which have similar silhouettes. Not quite the same beading but some unique styles and textures. Make sure you look under their blog tab too ( Real Weddings) or pinterest page, as you can get a better idea of how intricate some of the beading is. There were some gowns I didn't even realize were beaded until I saw them there.

Some of the gowns were available at shopbop.com to give you a general idea of
price, but they seem to run between 1k to 2K new, so may be able to find
a great deal on sale or preowned, depending on your budget.

Theia Bridal: http://theiacouture.com/collections/bridal

Shopbop: https://www.shopbop.com/theia/br/v=1/2534374302206650.htm?all

Good luck on the search and all the best on the upcoming nuptials!

Oops forgot to add this link earlier but The Knot has a great site too for searching for different gowns https://www.theknot.com/fashion/wedding-dresses

Congratulations! I hope you find the perfect dress!

How exciting!! And congratulations too!! The dress you're looking for is stunning~hope you find it for a lot less. I'm with you on putting your $$$ into food and wine. Guests seem to remember what was served more than they do the bride's gown, if that's any consolation.

Jojoco,

When I came across this it reminded me of your quest ... fwiw

http://www.blackhalo.com/store/the-dress/view-all/sequined-jackie-o-gown?color=natural-white

Thanks, mtn. That dress is gorgeous!

I took your earlier advice and revisited BHLDN 2 days ago. I found a dress that reminds me of my $7500 inspiration dress that happened to be on sale for $400. Here is my inspiration one:

I'm really thrilled-- it is my kind of dress!

That's really beautiful. Congrats. Quite the score!

OOh, that is just gorgeous! You will be a beautiful bride.

It's lovely...and I like it MUCH better than the more expensive one! It's SO important for "the bride to wear the dress, not the dress to wear the bride"!

Just beautiful!

Beautiful dress. Very elegant.

I love it.

Absolutely stunning!

What a lovely gown! Great find!

Oh, perfect choice. Happy for you. It will look just gorgeous on you.