Weddingbee

I admit it, I was a gown novice.

It was soon after I started looking online that I realized I was a little out of my league, which was an odd feeling for someone who usually considers herself pretty stylish. I didn’t even know what the names of the styles referred to. When someone started discussing “girls with pick-ups,” I knew that the mental picture I had of a woman in a Ford F150 probably wasn’t right. I was going to need help, and fast.

*** Mr. Robin stop reading right here****

My first real impression of what wedding gowns could be was when I lived in Spain. Down the street was a small wedding store, and every week they turned their front window into the very picture of style. Sweet, sassy, modern, vintage. Through the months that I walked to class past that window, every Monday was a new mood, a new study in outrageous Spanish wedding finery.

(a gorgeous Pronovias gown)

I loved those dresses, and actually thought of them occasionally as the years passed. But when my actual engagement arrived, I realized that their elegant couture was not only out of my price range and unfeasible with my time line, but also they weren’t really me. And I didn’t know what was…

This is when a bridal megastore like David’s Bridal becomes a great solution. They have a lot of styles. From formal to casual, yards of lace to ultra simple, just about everything is covered. And since I had decided to bust open the budget right away on booking the venue, the dresses at David’s fit nicely into my price range.

One thing that I am glad I did was bring so many people - this is odd because normally I shop alone. I love shopping, but for me it is just not a team sport, so having four other women with me would not be ideal usually. In this case, having so many companions was important for several reasons beyond their opinions and advice.

First, apparently it is very normal for each dresser/salesperson to have more than one client at a time, so it was nice to have my mom and friend take over the fetching of veils and lacing aspects so that I didn’t have to wait. Also, I was able to let them loose within the store with the instructions to bring me anything and everything that they liked. This was great for someone who didn’t know anything about what I wanted in a gown because they brought me things that normally I would not try on. Like this all lace number. I love the sweetheart neckline.

I also was in love with the lace detailing on this Oleg Cassini gown below. In the end though, I could not do strapless. I kept folding my hands below my chest like I had to hold the dresses up. There was no way they were going anywhere as these things are well reinforced, it was all mental, but whenever I stopped thinking about it, there my hands would go. Not attractive.

I don’t remember who picked out my dress. But I remember being doubtful upon seeing it. I have both a chest and hips and was concerned that it looked so slim. But it had a feeling to it, just a smidge of vintage sweetness… and it was divine on. The halter makes me feel more secure and the back has a deep V which makes my arms and back look slimmer. These aren’t the best pictures, being from the website, but I have my fitting next week and should have some more by then.

Another great thing about shopping at a large chain when planning a wedding quickly is I got to walk away with the dress that day. No worrying that it won’t be here in time. And with all these tight deadlines, knowing the dress is hanging in the closet at my mother’s has been such a relief.

• My Poor, Neglected Cello
• Stamp-a-ma-jig