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Soon I want to introduce my dress to you. But first I want to give a little disclaimer/back story/explanation (I’m not exactly sure what to call it; so much for being an English major…).
When I bought my wedding dress it happened fast. Before the actual engagement. We already knew we were going to get married eventually, but he wanted to wait to make it “official” when a) we were living in the same country, and b) he could afford the ring he had his eye on.
Rewind back to early September last year. I was in California visiting Mr. E for 3 weeks for my 20th birthday. One day, out of the blue, he asked me, “You know. There are some wedding dress shops nearby. Wanna go visit one with my mum and me?”
Me: “Yeah alright. We could do that.”
We’re just suave like that. Anyway. The thing is, wedding dresses here in NZ are MEGA expensive.
We are talking double or triple what the same thing would go for in the USA. So, behind all our nonchalance was actual sensible thinking (I like to think so, anyway). If I bought my dress in California then I could get a dress I loved within the budget I was aiming for (not a big one!).
We went to one store, I tried on six dresses, and I bought one dress (that I cant wait to tell you about very soon!).
Over the last few months I have wondered if I bought the dress too fast and if I should have looked around a bit more. Before the Dress Shopping Experience (events like that should always be in capitals), I had never looked at wedding dresses properly or thought much about what I really liked in a dress. I had one word in my mind: Floaty. I have also felt a couple pangs of guilt for buying the dress at a big chain store rather than buying a gorgeous handmade creation somewhere like Etsy like I have seen on so many blogs.
But in the end… I have my dress. I love her to bits. She makes me look beautiful AND she is within budget. I made the right decision for me. It can’t get any better than that, right?
Anyone else have second thoughts about their dress purchase, only to come back and look at their dress and realise that they were just being silly?
I wish I had! I made the right choice in the end though- I just over analyzed the whole romanticized Process =) (two dress bride here)
I still don’t know if I made the right choice and I am getting married next month! I went to 4 different stores and after leaving 3 of them, I thought I found my dress. Problem for me was that I just loved them all! So, you probably did the smart thing by only going to one store and only trying on six.
Yes! I went dress shopping barely a month after the proposal and ended up buying the second dress I’d tried on! After I’d left the boutique the concerns started rolling in and I second guessed the dress almost everyday. However, now that I’ve revisited the shop and brought my dress home I am so confident it was the perfect choice for me!
I’m currently in second-thoughts mode but have heard of many (including you) who eventually realize they made the right choice. Thanks for giving me hope!
I did thing kind of like you - I didn’t do much research or anything, just found one I liked and bought it! Part of me wishes I would have shopped more, but I love my dress, so it’s okay. Can’t wait to see yours!
When I first started looking, I found THE DRESS online, hunted it down, and bought it the day I tried it on. I never tried on anything else. And we didn’t end up getting married for 2 years. During that time, I saw a million dresses that I wish I had tried on. I almost bought another one. But in the end, my dress was THE ONE. And I’m so glad I stuck with it.
Of course, now that it’s all over, I kind of feel like going out to try on some other styles just to get the experience out of my system. LOL.
Absolutely. I fell in love with the first dress I tried on. I tried on more that day, but nothing compared, so I bought it. The dress regret didn’t start until 6 months later, and I started wondering if I should have shopped around more…but now, a week out from my wedding, when I see my dress I’m really happy and I know I made the right choice. I’m sure you did too!
Oh such a tease! I can’t wait to see your dress!!
I actually was having second thoughts since I hadn’t seen my dress in 6 months and last weekend FINALLY tried it on again and just fell in love all over! 
I wouldn’t call them second thoughts, per se, but I do get self-conscious that The One isn’t “bridal” enough in the Kleinfeld’s NYC kinda way. Every time Say Yes to the Dress comes on, I worry about looking enough like a bride (which is ridiculous, of course).
I’m just thinking of all the time you saved reading magazines and google-ing for pictures and shopping and…
Glad it turned out well for you!
I feel that way about my dress. I went to the Kleinfeld’s Blowout Sale alone. I tried on some dresses, but I haven’t lost all my baby weight, so the dresses I wanted looked horrible on my hips or I’d have to lose weight. In the end, I like my dress. It’s something my FI will love and, although I didn’t cry, I love it, but am not in love with it.
I am 6 weeks out and *I THINK* I just resolved my 2nd thinking. I bought a dress off the rack, kind of on impulse about a year and a half ago - 6 months into our two year engagment. Recently, I started having second thoughts and started looking again. But now I’ve decided its the one for me and it’s getting hemmed right now. So I think I’m good.
Can’t wait to see it! I think I looked at 6 dresses total. But when you know you just know…and I’m right there with you on the whole dress budget!
That’s awesome that you found your dress with Mr. E and his mom! I’ve had similar feelings. I bought a dress without really trying many others on, and it was mostly because I wasn’t into the whole wedding dress thing! I regret not trying on more gowns, but in the end, the dress doesn’t really matter to me–I care more about food!!
[...] Prelude to the Dress Post | Weddingbee [...]
I think your shopping experience is how wedding dress shopping should be…easy, to the point, no stress needed.
[...] on. So, like I said in my last post about my dress, the wedding dress buying expedition was a kind of spur-of-the-moment thing but it [...]
Yes, yes, yes! I did exactly that. I was separated from her for too long… I could no longer picture her! But I got over it, and now I’m madly in love again. And once the alterations started, I couldn’t even believe I’d ever doubted her!
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Mrs. Earrings, Fresno, CA/ Nelson, New Zealand Age and Occupation: 20, Student, Wannabe Writer Fiance's Age and Occupation: 19, Photography Student Engagement Date: February 14, 2010 Wedding Date: January 2011 Venue: Gardens of the World About Me: I'm a girl from down under who grew up in Indonesia and I'm marrying a California boy. I'm addicted to all things sweet, have never met a chocolate silk pie than can get the better of me, and have dreams of one day being a fulltime novelist. I go weak in the knees for lace, tea cups, and a beautifully crafted sentence. When I get excited about something (whether it is historical linguistics or the Beatles) I tend to go overboard in research, and planning this wedding is no different. Mr. Earrings is my high school sweetheart, my best friend, and somehow we combine all our quirks into one big happy mess.
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