Weddingbee Blog

Unlike most brides I know, the absolute last thing I wanted to do was start wedding dress shopping. I was convinced that the store samples would be far too small for me, nothing would look right, I would never have the *aha* moment that everyone describes. I had worn bridesmaids dresses before, so I knew going into it that these things ran small, and I guess I just didn’t want to deal with feeling like a cow when I’m supposed to be feeling beautiful.

Regardless of my apprehension to actually try anything on, I knew exactly what I wanted in a dress – a-line, strapless, lace, with a sash. Sure, I was willing to try on other dresses, but I knew without a doubt that my wedding dress would have that very description. Those were the dresses I tore out of magazines, the ones that I bookmarked on the Knot, the ones I drooled over as I perused Knottie bios.

So, Mama Magnolia made plans to come to Atlanta in early February to begin the dress hunt. I did some research on dress shops in the area, and I came up with a plan of action, which basically was this – go to the super-expensive places first, then hit up the shops where we were more likely to get a dress at a reasonable price. Given this plan, I knew very well that I ran the risk of falling in love with a dress with an astronomical price tag. But I was willing to take that risk, because I knew my bargain-loving self would find a way (if it came to that)!

Our schedule looked like this:

Friday (Mama and Miss Magnolia)

3:00 p.m. Saks Fifth Avenue (Amsale trunk show)

5:00 p.m. Priscilla of Boston

Saturday (enter my maid of honor to help with the search)

10:30 a.m. LaRaine’s Boutique

12:30 p.m. Kelly’s Closet

Each store/boutique was completely different, and all of them have absolutely stunning gowns.

So what did I find? Did I have a nervous breakdown? Stay tuned!