A bride traded in her traditional wedding dress for a gown with a more colorful skirt
Samantha Grindell
![A bride traded in her traditional wedding dress for a gown with a more colorful skirt](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstaticbiassets.in%2Fthumb%2Fmsid-82005874%2Cwidth-700%2Cheight-525%2Cimgsize-213335%2Fa-bride-traded-in-her-traditional-wedding-dress-for-a-gown-with-a-more-colorful-skirt.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
- Casey and Mike Buckley got married in Cape Cod in 2015.
- After initially buying a traditional dress, Casey fell in love with a unique Carolina Herrera gown.
- She ended up wearing the second dress, which had mosaic flowers on the skirt.
Casey Buckley met her husband Mike when she was just 17 years old.
![Casey Buckley met her husband Mike when she was just 17 years old.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-82006053,width-700,height-525,imgsize-246613/casey-buckley-met-her-husband-mike-when-she-was-just-17-years-old-.jpg)
Casey, 31, grew up in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. In the summer of 2006, Mike, 36, came to the Cape to play in a baseball league.
While he was playing, he worked as a golf caddie at the country club Casey's family frequented, and he and Casey got to know each other.
They kept in touch, and when Mike moved from Chicago to New York a few years later, they started dating — and have been together ever since.
Mike proposed in 2014.
The couple decided to get married at Casey's parents' house in Cape Cod in 2015.
![The couple decided to get married at Casey](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-82006051,width-700,height-525,imgsize-263354/the-couple-decided-to-get-married-at-caseyaposs-parentsapos-house-in-cape-cod-in-2015-.jpg)
As they started planning the wedding, Casey was really excited about finding a wedding dress. She had been carrying around a photo of her ideal wedding dress in her wallet since she was 15.
The gown in the photo had a high neckline, cap sleeves, and it was covered in lace. She imagined herself wearing something traditional, and she wasn't a fan of strapless looks or ball gowns.
A few days after she got engaged, Casey went wedding dress shopping. She ended up buying a $7,000 Carolina Herrera gown.
Casey liked the dress she bought, but a different dress from Carolina Herrera that she had seen in a magazine was still on her mind.
When Casey had the opportunity to try on the other Carolina Herrera gown, she knew she had to take it.
![When Casey had the opportunity to try on the other Carolina Herrera gown, she knew she had to take it.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-82006049,width-700,height-525,imgsize-475229/when-casey-had-the-opportunity-to-try-on-the-other-carolina-herrera-gown-she-knew-she-had-to-take-it-.jpg)
The dress became available to try on at a Neiman Marcus in Boston around seven months after Casey bought her wedding gown.
"I was like, 'Oh my God, this is a sign,'" she said.
Casey and her mom went to the store so she could try it on.
The strapless dress had an architectural top that flowed into a full skirt, and a mosaic skirt with a flower painted onto it made the dress stand out.
Although she didn't initially want a strapless gown, Casey was drawn to the dress' neckline.
![Although she didn](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-82006045,width-700,height-525,imgsize-166072/although-she-didnapost-initially-want-a-strapless-gown-casey-was-drawn-to-the-dressapos-neckline-.jpg)
The gown did have a strapless neckline, but it wasn't a typical sweetheart style.
Three panels of fabric covered the top at angles, creating a crisscross pattern that was both modern and architectural.
Casey said the unique design also made the dress more comfortable.
"It wasn't tight and it had room, so I didn't feel like I had to be conscious of my body," she said.
The skirt was the standout element of the dress thanks to its mosaic design.
![The skirt was the standout element of the dress thanks to its mosaic design.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-82006041,width-700,height-525,imgsize-249239/the-skirt-was-the-standout-element-of-the-dress-thanks-to-its-mosaic-design-.jpg)
The base of the skirt was tulle, which was then covered in foam-like mosaic fabric. Certain pieces were spray-painted to create a flower on the front and back of the dress.
"Each piece of foam was knit into the tulle," Casey said. She liked that the tulle made the dress really light.
The skirt drew her to dress because it was such a unique look.
Casey ultimately decided to buy the second dress for her wedding.
![Casey ultimately decided to buy the second dress for her wedding.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-82006034,width-700,height-525,imgsize-446060/casey-ultimately-decided-to-buy-the-second-dress-for-her-wedding-.jpg)
"There was just something about this dress that spoke to me," she said. "It was really different."
She added that the mosaic pattern is what really sold her on the look.
The gown cost around $12,000. Casey sold her original dress online, and though she wasn't able to get the full $7,000 back, she did manage to make some money off the never-worn garment.
Casey paired the dress with a mid-length veil.
![Casey paired the dress with a mid-length veil.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-82006030,width-700,height-525,imgsize-1128970/casey-paired-the-dress-with-a-mid-length-veil-.jpg)
The simple veil clipped to the back of Casey's head, so her face wasn't covered during her ceremony.
The sheer fabric didn't cover the bottom of her skirt, so the flower on the back of the dress was visible when Casey walked down the aisle.
The dress originally had a longer train, which Casey had removed. She also created a sweetheart-style back of the gown, had it taken in, and added a ribbon to the back of the dress that she could hook to her wrist when she danced.
Casey tied her look together with light-pink shoes.
![Casey tied her look together with light-pink shoes.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-82006023,width-700,height-525,imgsize-334817/casey-tied-her-look-together-with-light-pink-shoes-.jpg)
Casey worked at M. Gemi, an Italian shoe company, at the time she got married. She wanted to incorporate a pair of shoes from the designer into her wedding look.
She ended up choosing a pair of light-pink heels that had a simple ankle strap. Casey told Insider she's reworn the shoes many times since the wedding.
"It was definitely my favorite part of my wedding," Casey told Insider of her dress.
!["It was definitely my favorite part of my wedding," Casey told Insider of her dress.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-82006019,width-700,height-525,imgsize-787860/quotit-was-definitely-my-favorite-part-of-my-weddingquot-casey-told-insider-of-her-dress-.jpg)
"I felt very confident," she said, adding that the dress made her feel "amazing."
"It wasn't like anything I had seen before," she said of her look.
Casey doesn't regret buying two dresses.
![Casey doesn](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-82006015,width-700,height-525,imgsize-571344/casey-doesnapost-regret-buying-two-dresses-.jpg)
She told Insider it wasn't out of character for her to change her mind about her look, as she often chooses multiple items before making a decision.
"None of my friends were surprised when I told them I got a new dress," she said.
However, she does recommend other brides stop looking after they find their gowns.
"You can look forever for a dress," she said. "As soon as you find something that you really love, just buy it and be done with it because you could just go on and on and on. You'll just drive yourself crazy."
Casey and Mike said their vows in a tent in her parents' yard.
![Casey and Mike said their vows in a tent in her parents](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-82006008,width-700,height-525,imgsize-1150760/casey-and-mike-said-their-vows-in-a-tent-in-her-parentsapos-yard-.jpg)
The couple wanted to get married at Casey's parents' home both because it was beautiful and because they met nearby.
The ceremony was filled with flowers from Winston Flowers Events.
Renowned photographer Jose Villa documented the event, which 284weddings planned.
Casey's dog made a surprise appearance during the ceremony.
![Casey](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-82006003,width-700,height-525,imgsize-373353/caseyaposs-dog-made-a-surprise-appearance-during-the-ceremony-.jpg)
"He walked down the aisle, and it was completely unplanned," Casey told Insider."He was just walking around the property, but then he followed my sister down the aisle."
"It was definitely a highlight," she added.
The couple's reception took place in a glass tent.
![The couple](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-82006000,width-700,height-525,imgsize-149138/the-coupleaposs-reception-took-place-in-a-glass-tent-.jpg)
Thanks to the glass, the guests could enjoy the ambiance of Cape Cod while they celebrated.
The space had rentals from Peak Event Services and lighting from Suzanne B. Lowell.
Music played a big role in the couple's celebration.
![Music played a big role in the couple](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-82005995,width-700,height-525,imgsize-231515/music-played-a-big-role-in-the-coupleaposs-celebration-.jpg)
A bluegrass band played during their ceremony, and a second, larger band played during the reception.
"The wedding itself kind of turned into a concert," Casey said. "We begged the band to stay for 10 more songs. People were just having a blast."
Casey and Mike have been married for almost six years now.
![Casey and Mike have been married for almost six years now.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-82005990,width-700,height-525,imgsize-835893/casey-and-mike-have-been-married-for-almost-six-years-now-.jpg)
The couple lives in Boston today, and they've had two children since they got married.
Mike is an entrepreneur, while Casey is a stay-at-home mom.
Their oldest child is 3 and their youngest is 1.
"First and foremost, he's a great dad," Casey said of why she loves Mike.
!["First and foremost, he](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-82005988,width-700,height-525,imgsize-762728/quotfirst-and-foremost-heaposs-a-great-dadquot-casey-said-of-why-she-loves-mike-.jpg)
"I always knew that he would be," she said.
"We had a long friendship and a long relationship before we got married," she added of why their partnership works. "So there's a lot of foundation there. We just know each other really well."
Though they've been together for over a decade, their relationship has stayed the same, according to Casey.
![Though they](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-82005984,width-700,height-525,imgsize-822183/though-theyaposve-been-together-for-over-a-decade-their-relationship-has-stayed-the-same-according-to-casey-.jpg)
"It's evolved for sure, but it's the same as it always was," Casey told Insider of her marriage. "We're on the same page about most stuff."
"We're very lucky," she added.
You can see more of Villa's work here.
If you are in the process of shopping for your wedding dress or have photos from when you shopped and want to talk to Insider for a story, get in touch at sgrindell@insider.com.
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