I am calling this update #1 since, long story short, I did not purchase a dress while home for the holidays. So there will have to be an update #2 (and maybe a #3 and #4…).
Although shopping was fun, after visiting three different wedding dress stores, I found the process COMPLETELY overwhelming. I really thought I was going to be a lot more decisive and just know more immediately whether I loved or hated a dress. Of course there were a few dresses that I put on and knew immediately that it was not THE dress. But those were the exceptions. For the most part I felt every dress I tried on was very pretty, and I could be happy in it on my wedding day. Thrilled? Maybe not. But happy – sure.
I think after watching WAY too many episodes of “Say Yes to the Dress” I really thought I would have that moment where I would look in the mirror and feel butterflies in my stomach. I would look over at my sister and my mom and they would be pulling out the tissues. The consultant would look at me and say, “Is this your dress?” I would then respond emphatically “YES!” without a single doubt in my mind that this was the dress I was meant to walk down the aisle in.
Well, that didn’t happen.
But I did come out of this experience with some concrete learnings. Namely, I need to listen to my gut. There was one dress I tried on that my family loved – and I did too. But there was something telling me it wasn’t the one. Finally, after a second visit to the store to talk to the seamstress about the dress, I randomly found out that a high school friend wore it to her wedding, which immediately ruled it out for me. After making the decision not to buy it, the biggest sense of relief washed over me. It wasn’t THE dress and I knew it and I should have listened to my gut from the beginning.
Anyway, I am going to take a couple weeks off to cleanse my palate. Next week I am going with a friend to look at a dress that she has her eye on for her wedding. Maybe that will reignite a desire to look for my dress. But for now, I need a break!
Anyone else experience something similar? Were you expecting a “Say Yes to the Dress” moment, but it didn’t exactly turn out that way? I would love to hear about it!
P.S. Sorry for the not so great pictures – we were trying to be covert!
Okay, so, I’m going to admit it. I am a bride-to-be that has never, and I mean never, watched one reality show about getting married or planning a wedding. “Whoa! No way, she must be kidding! Not even two minutes of ‘Say Yes to the Dress???’” Nope. Never. And to be honest, I was never one of those girls growing up who put a Kleenex in their headband and daydreamed about their future wedding. (I was more into SheRa and Rainbowbrite.) But, I will say that ever since Vinnie proposed to me in our dining room on September 12, 2011 I have not been able to stop daydreaming and imagining our wedding day. This whole experience has been magical (minus the venue hunt…. future blog post about that coming soon).
When it comes to “The Dress,” I started my search innocently on Pinterest, and by googling “wedding dresses.” I browsed the internet searching for inspiration, as I had no freak’n clue what style I liked, what would look good on me, and what any of the styles meant. After all that, I kept coming back to lace! When I saw photos like the ones I have posted below, I got swept away into a daydream of becoming some Old Hollywood starlet, with some swooning Dean Martin song playing in the background, like “Aint that a kick in the head.”
A little fact about me: I worked retail for a long time, and from those years at Nordstrom, I developed an eye for fashion… and the common sense to NOT pay retail. So, when it came to finding the most important dress of my life, I promised myself that I would find something either couture-looking and a knock-off, or a couture gown on sale.
Well, here’s what went down… My mom flew down from SF to LA to spend the weekend with me. We planned on casually looking at wedding dresses and attending the bridal expo (which was AWFUL! Great people watching, but CHEESEY! future post coming soon). We started our day with the idea of “no pressure! We don’t have to find THE dress. Let’s just have fun. We have plenty of time.” We just wanted to have that mother-daughter experience.
Anywho, I asked my friends on facebook where to shop for a gown that was chic and cheap. Numerous replies came back saying, ‘go to GLAMOUR CLOSET.’ Word to the wise: they do not take appointments! I recommend going 15 minutes before they open. There are only 2 fitting rooms, and often times there’s a wait. But it’s totally worth it! Here are some photos of my experience. NOTE: these are photos of the dresses I did not get…. obviously ;-) and that dress with me making an ‘oh’ face? it’s a $10K Monique Lhuilliere over 50% off!
After trying on a number of couture gowns, I ended up falling in love with the FIRST dress I tried on. CRAZY, right? Well, I may be a decisive lady, but I couldn’t just buy it right then and there. Later that afternoon we went to Judy Lee Bridal in Beverly Hills. Had a great experience there and I highly recommend considering her, but I just didn’t get the mushy ‘this is it’ feeling when I tried on her dresses. After that I went to Winnie Couture in Beverly Hills… I didn’t find anything. That evening I called Glamour Closet to see if my dress was still there…. it was! I asked the woman to put it aside and that I’d be in first thing in the morning to make my final decision. The following morning my mother, maid of honor and I went back. I tried on 4 more dresses, then “my dress.” At that moment it was a no-brainer; I had found my wedding dress.
From this experience I have learned that you don’t have to live by anyone’s rules. Who cares if you find your wedding dress before you lock down your venue and date ;-) There’s no right way of planning your wedding day. Everyone carves their own path, and there’s no manual that’s going to guarantee happiness. Follow your gut, be confident, and go for it! I did, and I’m ecstatic!
TO DO: Buy Wedding Dress….. CHECK!!!!!……. and by the way, it was an Elizabeth Fillmore for over 75% off retail. BOOM!
Ian has gone camping for a few days. This means three things for me. First, that I have no sense of bedtime and ended up working far far into the night last night (but got SO much done!) When I finally did decide to go to bed, I couldn’t sleep. Sleeping alone is slightly uncomfortable and a little scary actually, especially since it was the first time being alone in the new house. Second, that I couldn’t watch any TV because I don’t know how to turn the darn thing on! I’m telling you, this TV has more cords/connections/etc. than I have ever seen before. It’s confusing and since we just moved in I have yet to figure out how to turn it all on. And finally, the third and BEST part about him being away…we can talk DRESSES on the blog today!!!! :)
So, without further ado, let’s get it going! I was all for the Vera Wang Diana Dress, but recently decided to change up my style a little bit to get something that makes me look skinny. But, I am not a fan of a really big transition from pencil dress to Cinderella dress. I want something right in the middle. Oh I kind of like the idea of a tafetta or something like that. Not a fan of satin and not a fan of lace. Ok, that was me babbling about the tiny bit I know about my dress….which I realize may not make any sense.
Oh and I totally plan on getting a recycled dress. Why am I doing that you ask? Because I’m on a budget and I refuse to give up my Vera Wang style for a “budget” dress. It’s all about being smart about the money, but the wedding doesn’t have to look like I was skimpy! So, that’s my reasoning.
First off is a Nicole Miller dress which looks incredible in this professional photo shoot. I have seen a few pictures of the dress and I don’t totally know if the fabric is the right choice, but I love the shape of this one.
This is a Marisa style. This one may be a little too trumpet for me, but I love that back! It just flows and is gorgeous! Again, I am fully getting pulled in by the photos thinking maybe it will look the same on me!
And finally, my favorite, the Melissa Sweet option! Just like the others, I may be slightly obsessed with this one because she looks so amazing in it but this one has something to it that I think it would look great on me. That top right photo is exactly what I mean with the style dress I want. It does a little bit of both in a great transition. The seller lives in LA (5 hours away) but I may take a little trip down to try it on.
So what do you guys think? First of all, are you considering buying a recycled dress or planning on selling yours after the fact? Any current dress obsessions?? I have to hurry and find the dress seeing as the wedding is just 7 short months away!
