Weddingbee Blog

I did it.

I bought my dress.

I recently dined with the always fabulous Mrs. Lemon, who gave me a big “No Freakin’ Way” face when I told her that I wouldn’t be making my first visit to a bridal salon until 7 months before my wedding. She informed me that I better be SURE of what I was looking for, because if I didn’t find it that day, I’d better find it very soon after that or I might be wearing my sorority Presents dress for my wedding.

Hmm. A little short for a formal wedding. And strike me dead with joy if I could actually fit into any clothes I wore in 2000.

I have had a “dream dress” in mind ever since I got my first wedding magazine. It’s this Jim Hjelm dress from their Spring ’07 collection:
Mama Penguin was never quite too keen on the dress. She was afraid that the “bubbly bottom” would eventually be something that we would point and laugh at 20 years from now. But I wanted it. Had to have it. I searched for the closest place that carried this style, and found it at Mira Bridal Couture in Modesto. They are having a Jim Hjelm trunk show in mid-November, which is why I set my date to try on dresses so late.

After being bullied into trying on dresses sooner than November by Mrs. Lemon (Just teasing! No bullying was involved!) Mama Penguin and I set out with pictures of dresses that I loved to the House of Fashion in Sacramento, just to see what we could see. They didn’t carry “the dream dress,” but they did carry Jim Hjelm dresses, along with a wide variety of other designers. Here are some of the pictures I brought along:

(Clockwise from top left: Vera Wang, Lazaro, Anne Barge, Eugenia Couture, Jim Hjelm, Anne Barge)

Bringing an arsenal of pictures with the details that you like most either circled or pointed out clearly really helps your consultant get a better understanding of your style and what kinds of details you like. I really like satin and tulle, plain dresses and interesting necklines. My knowledgeable consultant Mina swiftly pulled 5 dresses that all fit my descriptors.

I know that many people advise you to “trust your consultant,” and I agree. I also think that you should insist that your consultant “humor you” and let you try on whatever dresses you like, despite how HIDEOUS she knows they will look on you. Mina let me try on a dress as similar as they carried to my “Jim Hjelm dream dress,” and even though she had an inkling that I wouldn’t like it, she was happy to pull it for me.

Bwa ha ha ha. Nooooo way. I’m a James Perse and jeans kind of girl, there is NO way this was going to work for me. Oh, the look of horror on my face.

Anyway, after getting through 5 rejects, I happened to try on the dress that was “THE ONE”. Even Mama Penguin refrained from the fat jokes long enough to admit to how beautiful the dress was, and how fitting it was on me!

I can’t wait to share “THE DRESS” with you! Here’s a sneak peek: