Weddingbee Blog

I scheduled a meeting with the seamstress this week, but in a moment of bravery I decided that I wanted to try one last time to try on actual wedding dresses.

The last time I went to a bridal salon was in the summer. But I was armed with a new determination and a more fearless attitude. I’d heard good things about Alfred Angelo, and thought I’d give them a try.

The shop was a long drive away, and I never visit this particular city without letting one of my best friends, who lives there, know I’m in the area. When I called her 30 minutes prior to the appointment (that I’d just made) to tell her I’d be in the area, it turned out she was free for the day and came right down to the salon to shop with me!

And now for the necessary warning:

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The woman on the phone was extremely helpful and friendly when I spoke to her and asked about sizes, so I was very encouraged. We went in, and the saleslady asked me what styles I wanted to try on. I told her that I’d never been to a salon where I had more than one or two options, so I told her the style I thought would work for me. But I fully intended to take the advice from Weddingbee brides, who always say to try on things you don’t think you’ll like, so I told her I was open to anything!

First, I tried on a dress that I thought was a sure thing: Alfred Angelo’s 1148. Asymmetrical draping, off-the-shoulder… everything that had been recommended for a bride of my shape. Here it is:

Whoops! Can we say, “too much fabric?” So much for the draped look. And the off-shoulder neckline does frame my face nicely… but it makes my shoulders look even more sloped. The first word that came to mind when I saw this was “sausage”.  What a nightmare. Moving on.

We tried on a couple more, mostly dresses that I won’t picture here or I pulled off as soon as I put them on. I just wasn’t sure… until we tried on this one, the 2024. I’m not planning to wear any color with my dress, but the sash can be changed. Here it is:

Here’s where it gets interesting: I always said I’d *never* wear strapless. But it’s quite the improvement over the 1148. My shoulders get to show whatever shape they have, my upper back isn’t nearly as “puffy” as I thought, and I like the clean, plain top. It’s a little “princessy,” though. Let’s try another one!

Here’s the 830. Simple and clean, and the fabric is very pretty in person; the satin almost looks like dupioni. I like this one the best. Keep in mind this dress is one or two sizes too small.

Hey, look! I have a shape! Eri took some pictures with my camera, and you can see how luminous the fabric is. I was pleasantly surprised; the dresses and customer service were well above my expectations for Alfred Angelo (sorry to any AA fans out there, I truly had no idea)!

Cool! I have a profile, even.

So, I came away from the shopping trip and learned a few things.

• I am not worried about strapless anymore. I like my shoulders; it’s my arms that I’m self conscious about. But my arms will look the same whether my dress has straps or not. So, who cares?
• NO DRAPING of any kind. Plain & simple!
• A wrap-style top will help divide my giant bustline.
• Waist definition is great!
• A plain A-line skirt looks *awesome*.
• I still want to have my dress made. Even if the 830 were ordered in my size, it’s not quite perfect for me.

I’m so glad I made those phone calls, both to the salon and to my friend (who took all these pictures). I’d always wanted that bridal dress shopping experience, and I finally got it. I was always sad that I couldn’t go dress shopping with my mom and expected to go alone. But I’m so glad my friend was there to take lots of pictures and be encouraging! How awesome is that? Incidentally, she understood exactly how I felt. Two years ago, she also shopped for her wedding dress alone. Her mom lives in Japan, much farther away than mine.

Next up? What will I do with all this knowledge? I meet with the seamstress pretty soon…!