The wedding dress search was actually so much fun! The consultants were all so friendly and inviting, and my personal consultant had the sweet, kind, and outgoing personality that easily made me more comfortable about the entire process. She was a pro at pulling the dresses that was exactly what I was looking for. Also, she was great at adding simple accessories to make the dress stand out more and gave me her honest opinion. She even asked about Marc, how he proposed, etc... which added on to the experience. I think through the questions she asked and my opinion on the dresses, she quickly learned that I wasn't a flashy bride-to-be. I couldn't have had a better wedding dress consultant!
From the time of my appointment, trying on the dresses, doing measurements, paperwork, and payment.. it only took me an hour! I was so thankful to have Spring and Julia there since they know me best. And the combination of Spring's laid back/sentimental personality with her own wedding dress shopping expertise and Julia's keen eye for fashion and "dolphin jumping" excitement was a great balance of what I needed for the experience. I was pretty sure we had the perfect dress when they both said "oooo," Spring couldn't help but tear up, Julia took pictures of every angle of the dress on me, and I couldn't stop smiling and twirling. I am so relieved that I have the dress, and I am now even more excited about the wedding!
For future brides-to-be, here is a list of tips when trying on wedding dresses:
- Make an appointment about 2 weeks in advance (I lucked out getting one the day of... but that is really rare).
- Try going during a week day when it's less busy so the dress consultant can concentrate on just you.
- Bring a couple pictures of dresses that you had in mind and why you like them.
- Bring the jewelry/shoes/other accessories that you want to wear for the wedding.
- Bring a nude colored strapless bra. (I didn't think of it, but my boutique had one for me.)
- Bring a hair tie so you know what the dress will look like with your hair up. (I brought a clip, but a tie will be better since your hair will be under a veil).
- Wear nude colored undies so you can't see it through the dress.
- Have a price range in mind before you enter the boutique.
- Don't be afraid to try on sample dresses because they are usually about 50% off.
- Have an open mind on dress types/styles! A lot of women tell me that they ended up falling in love with a dress that they didn't even consider in the beginning.
- Try sitting, bending, and dancing in the dress to make sure you are comfortable on the wedding day.
- Make sure you are COMFORTABLE! You could have the prettiest dress, but if you are uncomfortable and can't move, it will totally show in your wedding pictures. Plus, you want to enjoy the wedding and not feel constricted the whole time.
- Bring people that know you best, knows your style best, and will give you their honest opinion and suggestions based on what YOU want and not what THEY want.
- Trust your gut! If you didn't like it initially, don't let others persuade you. It's YOUR dress!
- Keep in mind it takes about 5-6 months for dresses to come in after ordering it.
- Most importantly, relax (I tend to sweat when I'm not relaxed which is gross when trying on dresses) and have fun! This time only comes once in your life :)
I am excited to try on the dress when it is in my actual size!! I'm even more excited for Marc to see me on our wedding day <3 Next step... finding bridesmaid dresses! This will be a doozy...
P.S. Thank you, Ate Jacel, for reminding me to have room in my budget for alterations ;)
