wedding daze: picking your dress
- Kelli
- Jun 26, 2016
- 5 min read
How many of you had the "omg. THIS is the dress. I found it!" moment?
You did?
Not me. Not even CLOSE.
I have to be honest, wedding dress shopping was just a hassle. I went numerous times and get this. Found my dress on the first trip! Woohoo!
NOT.
I found that dress and when I went back after some decisions were made to change it, I put it on and I hated it. I had some feelings prior to going into the store that I wasn't going to love it.
&& I was right.
I had a slight breakdown in the store and was assured that they would make it better and fix it to my liking... So I decided they knew what they were saying and we continued on.
Meanwhile, my mom and I left and made plans to go dress shopping somewhere completely new.
On the next trip, my mom and I went and lone behold, I found THE dress. I knew this one was the one. It just made me feel great. And my mom stated that I had that "bridal glow" in this one.
So I put a deposit down on it.
I went back to the original shop and after a little ordeal with them pushing me to stay and make more alterations and spend more money on the dress I clearly hated, I took the dress home and moved on.
A couple weeks later I got a call that my new dress was in.
*YAY*
I went to try it on and..... again. I had doubts. I kept thinking that I just didn't feel myself in the dress. It was too much. This wasn't me.
I was lost. I was stressed. I was FREAKING out.
This was getting really close to my wedding. I mean like... 3 months until my wedding and I was having serious issues finding my dress.
My mom and I again left in search of a dress. This time, I went to David's Bridal... not the most spectacular store, but it has a ton of styles and designers so I thought it'd be my best bet to find something that might work.
I tried on well over 10 dresses and then finally found one that I thought hmm... this is nice. I feel good in this one.
So I called my Maid of Honor and when she got into town, we made a trip over to the store where my second dress was and then to David's and she gave her honest opinion.
It was decided. The third dress was the one. I looked like.....ME. I was happy. Finally, happy.
I went back to the second store and gave up my deposit and just took the hit with losing it.
The only catch with the third dress was that I had to buy it off the rack.
OH GOD.
There was no time to order a new one, but luckily, they had my size. I couldn't have been luckier in this sense.
I bought the dress off of the floor and then took it to an outside seamstress to help make it even better.
In the moment, when I decided that the third (and final) dress was the one for me, I never had that "a-ha" moment. Or that "omg this is it!" thought.
It was more of a thought of "thank God, this is over. I feel good about this one."
I wanted the whole process to be over and done with.
I was worried though that I would be judged for purchasing three dresses or that I was too indecisive.
But looking back, I am so glad that I did buy those dresses. It really helped me to figure out how I wanted to FEEL on my wedding day.
I wanted to just be ME. I didn't want to be some super done-up, princess in a ballgown. SO many people kept telling me "It's your wedding day! You GET to look this way." But I didn't WANT to. I was so confused about what I wanted that I thought everyone else had the answers.
You know, those who have already had their wedding.
I thought that because they had experienced it, had been through it, and knew what to expect, that they would have the answers and that the best thing to do would be to take their opinions and advice.
But after a series of trial and error, I figured out that all I wanted to feel like on my wedding day, was ME. The woman my now husband wanted to marry.
I've compiled a few things that I've learned that I really hope will help you when you search for your dress.
1. Don't buy the same day - I recommend sleeping on any decision you've made. Unless of course you're in the situation that I was in where they only had one left on the floor. Even then, I was able to have them hold it over night. The first *two* dresses, I purchased it the same day. //should have known better//
Sleeping on it will help you ensure you're satisfied with your decision. This pertains to more than just the dress btw.
2. Try on EVERY style - I didn't do this until later in the game....after the second purchase. When I went in again for the third time, I had the consultant bring me EVERYTHING. From sheath to ballgown.
*have a generalized idea of what each style is suppose to look like. I didn't know there was a difference between mermaid and trumpet so I ruled out mermaid style because I knew I hated thew way trumpet made me feel. - big mistake.*
3. Take ONLY who you want - For me, this was my mom. That was it. After I had tried on a few and narrowed down my list, I had one of my bridesmaids join us, but I didn't want a lot of people there. I wasn't sure I'd be able to handle everyone's opinion and I'm glad I did it the way I did.
I know many people who have taken large parties while shopping and everything was great. An option is taking only a small group then once you've decided on a top three, take more.
4. It's OKAY to change your mind - At NO point during your dress shopping should you feel like you're stuck. Even if you've already purchased a dress.
*ask the store what their return policy is. Ask if you can just put a deposit down. Ask if they would buy the dress back at a lower price if you decide to return it after fully purchasing it.
5. That "OMG" moment may not happen - this is fine! So many people told me that, "You'll definitely get the feeling" and I never did. I had put this expectation in my head that wasn't being met and I kept feeling disappointed every time I went shopping. Once I got rid of that expectation, the entire process was so much smoother and more enjoyable.
I know this was more of a story of my experience, but I hope that you'll find some comfort knowing that even though I was completely indecisive and changed my mind numerous times, I was able to find the dress and feel happy and like myself on my wedding day.
Just remember the dress is for YOU. No one else.