We were living in Arizona at the time that we got engaged and I found my dress. Knowing how indecisive I would be, I thought it would take me forever to find the right dress. I thought I was going to be one of those girls that had tried on 100 dresses and none of them were good enough. Everyone's in search of the perfect dress. Some get it right the first try and some on the 100th. Luckily, it didn't take me 100 dresses but I would say with 4 shopping trips under my belt (including the final) I averaged about 10 dresses per trip so I may have tried on about 40 gowns before finding the one.
It was during a Melissa Sweet Trunk Show at my favorite bridal boutique, Destiny's Bride, located in Scottsdale that I found my wedding dress. I invited my friend Leslie to go along with me even though I told her it was probably just going to be for fun. I really did not think I was going to find the one that night.
The Melissa Sweet rep was there from New York and we had about 10-12 dresses of her dresses in my dressing room including 1 Monique Lhuillier, just to dream (really expensive). My dress was one I actually hadn't picked off the rack, the rep did. And it was the last one to try on too. Actually, I almost didn't because I was tired of getting in and out of all of those dresses. The rep said, "you have to try this dress on, you'll thank me... it looks way better on than on the hanger." She was right. Some of the bright white dresses I had tried on made my fair skin look pale and drab, this one didn't. The ivory actually complimented my skin tone. The soft A-line defined my thin waistline. This one also made my flat chest have a bit more volume than what was actually there (always a plus, right ladies?) thanks to the higher cut and draping across the chest and torso. And the silk shantung felt amazing against my skin. When I put it on, I knew it was perfect and I didn't want to take it off.
It was exactly what I was looking for considering our wedding was going to be outdoors and simple. To some it would be very plain, no beading or sparkles but for me... it didn't need any of that. It had a bow in the back, something I thought I would never like but I actually loved it.
So I took the plunge on the dress exceeding my budget even with the Trunk Show discount. Luckily, it was a done deal and I couldn't do anything about it. I just kept thinking the girls I know who have gotten married never spent more than a $1,000 on their dress. I kept thinking thoughts like what if it's too plain? What if my future husband doesn't like it as I'm walking down the isle? Why did I pay so much for a dress that I'm going to wear once? Buyer's Remorse started to set in...
...especially looking through the bridal magazines. So many gorgeous dresses to choose from , it was easy to start questioning my decision. I decided to not look at the dresses anymore when flipping through those magazines. I told myself that I actually tried on some of these fabulous dresses and they didn't look right with my body type. Of course, they look good on the models in the magazine but they're not made for everyone. My dress fit my body type, my personality and my wedding. And I began to feel much more comfortable with my decision.
I also began watching the show "Say Yes to the Dress." Not every girl chose a dress that in my opinion was gorgeous but that didn't matter, she thought it was. It was what looked best on her and what she had invisioned looking like in a wedding dress. So, that's why I say it helped me gain a little confindence in my choice. And the buyer's remorse went away considering most of those dresses on the show are at least $5,000. Luckily, mine wasn't close to the 5K mark.
So, here are my thoughts on choosing a wedding dress for all of those brides-to-be out there... You want to feel like You in the dress, you should be comfortable, and you should pick a dress not by what it looks like in a magazine but how it looks on you!
And guess what, My Groom Loved my Dress!!
For those brides out there, any advice you would give to those looking for a dress??
