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THE TO HAVE AND TO HOLD FOUR DAYS OR EIGHT colorblock dress (retail $1,795) for $275. Confused about sizing? Don't be. Two sizes will be sent to you, just in case you guessed wrong. The renttherunway.com buyers purchase wide and deep, so even if you have a party of 10, you'll likely find all the dresses you need for the weekend you desire. They're sent to you clean, steamed and readyto-go; when the proverbial clock strikes midnight, just pack it back into the prepaid envelope and deposit it in any blue post office mailbox. Could it be any easier? Dress rentals from $40, accessory rentals from $10, at renttherunway.com. Moschino Cheap & Chic GOING TO THE CHAPEL One can rent Rolls-Royces, diamonds and even gowns for that picture-perfect day. Now chapels and sanctuaries have joined those leasable ranks via the Web site rentmychurch.com. The Dallas-based site boasts a savvy, mightily detailed search engine for brides and grooms seeking the holiest of ceremony and reception venues. There are even checkboxes for those with discerning requirements. Alcohol allowed? Check. Outside minister permitted? Check. Outdoor space and catering on hand? Check and check. As for the Rolodex of churches listed for hire, they range from as far away as Anchorage, Alaska, to as close as our own Memorial Drive. All that's left to say is 'I do.' rentmychurch.com. Christina Geyer BIG JENNY ANTILL Ladies, it's time to face the cold, hard truth: No matter how hard you look or how much money you spend on a bridesmaid dress, you will never wear it again. Short of buying yet another dress destined to gather dust, what are you to do? Rent it. Yes, renttherunway.com — the brainchild of two Harvard MBAs (women, naturally) — is essentially the Netflix of dress renting. The site allows you to choose an outfit for any occasion from more than 150 top international designers. We think the online concept lends itself best to bridesmaid dresses. For example, you can up the design ante and rent a Roksanda Ilincic silk column gown (retail: $2,300) for just $300 for four days. Or perhaps the bride would like to see you in a little Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti cocktail dress (retail $895), renting for $125, or an elegant Narciso Rodriguez linen It's the costliest dress many women will ever invest in. Joan Pillow, owner of the bridal salon in Highland Village that bears her name, takes the task of shopping for wedding gowns very, very seriously. A regular front-row guest at the most notable bridal runway shows each season, she says we'll be seeing more floaty, romantic, light dresses with inventive layers Joan Pillow of tulle this year. Vera Wang brought a whimsical look to the Fall 2012 runway, marching models in black and blush dresses (which will turn up in stores translated to ivory tonalities) with fabrics ingeniously utilized. For example, Wang layers Chantilly lace with sheer layers of tulle — far from the puffy ballerina skirts we'd seen in decades past. Always a trendsetter, Wang has brought back the plunging halter-neck cut with another tulle-layered gown. Monique Lhuillier recognizes that while sometimes a strapless dress is preferred, it's not always the most suitable cut for a bride or her religious circumstances. For Fall 2012, Lhuillier uses a stretch tulle around the shoulders to essentially cover a strapless dress. In another instance, she creates a shrug with three-quarter sleeves, also in tulle but studded with scattered beading, to wear as a cardigan or bodice cover with myriad dress styles. Lhuillier, among others, is also using loads and loads of lace in the most modern of ways. Designer Jenny Lee, a Monique Lhuillier Joan Pillow exclusive in Houston, has gone back through her archives to refabricate her most-sought-after silhouettes from past seasons, with lower prices, for Fall 2012. Finally, Charles Bunstine, the former president of Barneys New York who's head designer for Anna Maier~Ulla-Maija, is all about using lace in the most ethereal of ways. See it all on the racks of Joan Pillow Bridal Salon, Highland Village. WHITE DRESS Vera Wang