After attending one too many bridal shows, I was pretty fed up with the dresses. None of them felt like me and I was not about to just pick any dress to have a dress. And, for those of you who may not remember, this was right before Alfred Angelo stores closed (literally a week after me seeing their dresses at a bridal show!).
I had been on Pinterest quite a bit peeking around to see what style of dress I really liked. Since I knew I was getting married in the spring, I knew that narrowed down dress options a bit. But, it gave me a lot of options to still choose from. As I knew I was having an outdoor wedding on bricks, I wanted a dress that was not too heavy in weight, as there is a slight chance of having abnormally warm weather here in late April.
I had found a few wedding dress shops in the area and so it was time to head out to shop for one. I had set up appointments to go. Each saturday, I walked in, telling the ladies what I had envisioned and liked, as well as my price range, and allowed them the creativity to give me a lot of different options. I took their suggestions, even at dresses I would not have originally selected by just looking at them, but none of them were the one. Store after store I went to visit with my MOH and without much luck I was about to give up. Until my last dress shop in the area.
The dress shop is a wedding dress consignment shop and had been highly rated by fellow brides who had not found much luck as I had. I was not so optimistic as I had not found anything I had like thus far and was afraid I would still be in search for a dress. I told the lady about my spring wedding, showed her photos of what i liked, and told her what I was looking for. She asked me to go around the shop and pick out any of the dresses that stood out to me. And, I did. I brought them back and i went to try them on. Some I liked, others I didn't. For the ones I didn't like, she asked me why and was very attentive to what I said. As I was taking off a dress, she went out and selected other dresses based on my feedback. Until, it was the end of the appointment and I was still not feeling any of the dresses. Then, one of the ladies brought out a dress that had recently come into the store. She walked over, grabbed it from the woman, looked at the size, and told me to try it out. And, that became my dress.
While being fitted for various dresses, the woman who does wedding dress alterations next door (and who they suggest visiting) was there that day and walked me through the process of when to schedule my alteration appointments as well as what she would be doing to make the dress fit me. It was a great experience to have that day.
My dress is 100% silk organza, a-line and a slight sweetheart neckline with detailing at the bottice. It was designer. It was not exactly what I had envisioned walking in, but my perception of dresses changed when I began trying them out. Styles I liked did not suit me as well as I had hoped. But, I was open to suggestions and I am glad I was. I had my aunt and my MOH with me that day and the moment they saw me in the dress, they lit up as I did. I asked to try it on with a veil and I knew. It was my dress. I paid for it in full that moment. It took me 6+ trips to finally get my dress but I am happy with my selection.
My tip for other brides-to-be is to have a few photos with you, like I did, and explain elements of the dresses that you are drawn to. Maybe its the fit of the dress or the detailing of the neckline. Maybe you like a fuller skirt or a simpler look. Bring as many examples as you can and be 100% honest with the stylist on what you like and do not like. It will not hurt their feelings if you do not like a particular dress they select. They are there to help you find what you want and it may take a few tries. That is okay. You will be surprised at what you may find. And, if you do not 100% love the dress, shop around. It sometimes takes a few stops to find the perfect dress. Do not stress out over it as you will find one that fits you.
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