It’s true what they say about finding your wedding dress - when it’s “the one”, you just know. (I guess the same could be said for your future husband, but that’s another post entirely!) I had a pretty painless shopping experience when it came to searching for my wedding dress. I had a couple of places in Omaha picked out where I could try some things on, and I figured I would spend all day between the two places putting on dresses, taking them off, agonizing, putting on more dresses, not finding anything I liked, agonizing some more and then finally walking out with nothing and having to make more appointments to try on more dresses elsewhere.
Thankfully, my experience was nothing like that.
I went to Suburban Bridal with a pretty good idea of what I was looking for - A-line or mermaid-ish, ruching, minimal beading, no lace, and something that set it apart from all of the other strapless dresses out there, whether that was straps, an amazing back or some other unique detail. I had a hopeful budget as well and didn’t bother to look at too many things that were way over what I felt comfortable spending. I tried on several dresses and found a few that I really liked. It helped to keep track of my top two dresses so I could compare all other dresses to those ones and decide if I liked something better than my previous top picks as I tried things on. I thought I pretty much knew which dress I’d likely end up with, until one of the bridal shop ladies pulled a dress, her favorite recent arrival at the time, that was nothing like I’d ever thought I’d want.
Until I put it on.
I wish I could show you the photo of me in the gown, but I wouldn’t want my fiancé to accidentally come upon my blog post and see it before I’m in it on my wedding day! Suffice to say, it is a gorgeous Sophia Tolli ball gown – a far cry from the slim, stream-lined dress I had had in mind going into my shopping experience. It has a pleated skirt, pretty beaded details (but not too busy) and an extremely flattering fit around the bodice – similar to the one pictured here. Once I was in it, I was hooked! My mom and sister gave it the thumbs up, too. And yes, it did have that special something that set it apart from all the other dresses I’d tried on. But I’ll save that for the wedding pictures!
It took me one store, two hours and 15 dresses to find my dress, but I know most of the time it takes a lot more searching to find the perfect gown. I blew my budget way out of the water, but this was the one case where I didn’t feel too badly because I wanted something that I loved and that I would feel good in. I didn’t want to look back on my pictures and wish I’d gotten something else.
Tips:
• If you’re going to try dresses on over a weekend, definitely make an appointment since most bridal shops get very, very busy on the weekends. You certainly want to make sure you have fairly individualized attention when all the other bridal shoppers start meandering in!
• Come with an idea or two in your head. Look at pictures; check out Nebraska WeddingDay magazine for the latest trends. But that said, try on dresses you think you might not like or you might not have picked out. A gown you never thought you'd like may look totally different on you than you expected, and you wouldn’t want to pass up your dream dress, now would you?
• Take a person or two with you, but not your whole bridal party. That could get overwhelming.
• It’s always nice, but not necessary, to find a place that will do alterations for free if you buy your dress there. And if the store doesn’t, it’s okay to go somewhere else! I found someone who will do alterations for a very reasonable price.
• When trying to determine which size to order, go with your instincts and fit it to your body now, not the one you hope to have come your wedding day. Remember that it’s easier to move little things like snaps, buttons, hooks and eyes and other details than it is to take a dress in several inches – the smaller size might be the way to go depending on where the dress is snug and how it could be remedied. I found this out the hard way!
• Shop early! For certain designer gowns, the wait can be six to eight months for it to arrive. Then figure in alterations, and you’re looking at nine or 10 months turnaround. Most dresses can be rushed for extra. I ordered my dress in October 2009 and it arrived eight months later in June 2010. I have three fittings scheduled with my seamstress which will take me into August, one month before my wedding and almost a year after I ordered my dress!
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