Hey Y'all! Welcome back! It's Wedding Wednesday and since i've not been posting about this subject like I planned, there's a lot to share. About a month and a half ago I finally went to try on wedding dresses for the first time. One Thursday night I hopped on theknot.com, looked up local boutiques, none of which are in my county, called the first one I found and booked an appointment for the very next morning. I was absolutely shocked because I thought that it would take a week or more to book an appointment. Since it was for 11 a.m. on Friday I couldn't take any of me bridesmaids with me because they were at work. Luckily my Mom & Grandma were available and more than happy to go with me. I didn't really plan on finding "the dress" this day since it was my first time so I didn't feel too bad about not having my girls with me. I figured I'd try some on, get an idea of what I liked and take them back with me the next day or weekend. Only it didn't work out that way.
I had a really good idea of what I wanted in a dress and had even spent an hour (a whole hour!) the night before looking on line and snapping pics on my iPad of dresses I liked. They were all the same shape (I can't tell you too much because the Mr. will read this and he doesn't want to know anything about the dress) even still, I wasn't 100% sure what I would fall in love with because it depended on what looked good on me. When we went to the Bridal Shop the next morning I showed my lovely consultant all the pics I had saved and even said to her "i'm open to trying on anything because I just don't know." She listened to me and helped me pick out dresses based on what I had shown her but there was one that she wanted me to try on because, in her words "this is a brand new dress, by a brand new designer & I just want to see it on someone. You don't have to love it and you don't have to get it but will you just try it on?" Of course I obliged because it was the polite thing to do & I was open to anything + the dress was gorgeous.
I tried on her recommendation first because I really was drawn to it even though I'd never have picked it out on my own. After that one I tried on about 6 more dresses. Some were maybes while others were flat out nos. What I loved about my consultant is that she was 100% honest with me. She was in the dressing room with me, helping me navigate my way in and out of those massive, sparkly dresses so she saw me before my Mom and Grandma did. The dresses that were nos were ones we both agreed on. I'd scrunch my nose and say "it's pretty" and she'd finish with "but it's a no." I showed every dress to my Grandma and my Mom while it was on me and they'd both say no, too. The maybe's (there were two) were all in agreeance, too. My crew is so easy and knows me so well. Once we got to the last dress, as i'm standing in front of the mirror and one that clearly was a no, Felicia, my consultant said "I think we know which one it is." Felicia already knew me so well! I asked to try it on again and of course she obliged. As I put it on, everything in me said this is it. I walked back out to the main area and stood in front of the mirrors as everyone oohhed and aahhed, it was then I started to cry tears of happiness. My Grandma hugged me and everything in me was happier than I've ever been. That was it! I found my dream dress, that I didn't even know was my dream dress.
With that being said here's what I learned about trying on wedding dresses.
1. Take whomever you want to share the experience with you from the very first time you go.
2. Spend some time looking at dresses that you like. You'll find a style you like, most likely.
3. Go to the Bridal Boutique's web site and see what brands they carry then look on that designer's
website. Take pics on your phone, iPad or print them out to take to your consultant so she'll
have a good idea of what you're looking for. She'll be appreciative and it'll make the process
so much smoother.
4. Keep an open mind. If I hadn't I wouldn't have found my dream dress.
5. Know that you might not find your dress the first time. I have a friend who
had 3 dresses before she got married.
6. Just because a boutique offers cookies and punch doesn't mean they're the best.
My boutique didn't and they're the bomb.
7. Don't be afraid to ask questions.
8. Know that some boutiques don't do in store altering.
Again, mine doesn't. My dress comes straight from the factory so yes, it might take
longer but it's worth it in the long run. If it's important to you that your dress is
altered in store then ask it's important to know and ask before making the purchase.
And in other wedding news...
My Mom, Dad, Fiance, Son and I have been working hard on getting out invites made. Yes, we're hand making them! I'm so excited about them.
And i'll leave you with a few pictures from a friend's wedding we attended last weekend.
My handsome honey & I
