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After my unexpected eureka moment at the bridal expo, I went home and did what any dress-crazed woman would do. I conducted a massive Google search. I expected the pages and pages of dresses. What I did not expect was to fall irrevocably in love with her:
Hello, my lovely Monique Lhuillier Monet. Will you show us your moves?
I love how the lace drapes! As if I weren’t swooning enough:
Pearl buttons! While I think a corset back is lovely, it doesn’t match my personal style. This was perfect. This couldn’t possibly get any better…could it?
Homygawd. This dress just screams classic, timeless romance. The catch? This bridal n00b (AKA newbie) had never heard of Monique Lhuillier before, and as such didn’t know the price tag that comes with her ethereal creations.
Crap.
Crap, crap, crappity-crap.
What’s a smitten girl to do? While a full-priced dress was completely out of the question on our budget, I was aware of the various websites that sell “once wed” wedding gowns (preownedweddingdresses.com and oncewed.com are my personal favorites). Unfortunately, I had a couple strikes against me: 1) Monet is from ML’s Spring 2005 collection, and 2) I felt uncomfortable purchasing a dress I had never seen in person, much less tried on.
Determined, I tackled the latter problem and looked up bridal salons that carried Monique Lhuillier. What’s that, you say? There’s one a mere 45 minutes away? I picked up the phone and dialed Roma Sposa, and found out that not only did they carry the Monet, but they had an upcoming ML trunk show. Would I like to make an appointment? Yes, please!
Did you have a bad case of sticker shock when it came to your dream dress? Did it deter you from pursuing her, or were you resolute on making it work?
The Claire Pettibone dress I LOOOVED was out of my price range. I ended up trying on about 10 of her dresses and found one that was only a teeeeny bit out of my price range, it looked really pretty. While it was totally different than the original dress I wanted, her fabrics and designs are so amazingly beautiful that really i couldn’t help but love all of the dresses I tried on. I didn’t care which one I wore. lol.
I can see why you’re in love with that dress, it’s amazing!!!
That dress is gorgeous! I hope you have a really great story that ends with you getting that dress.
That dress is stunning - I can definitely see it on you! I love lace. Tried on different kinds of dresses, but the only ones I could see myself in were lace. I tried on a ML dress even though it was not in the budget and found that I needed a LOT more structure in a dress than what they provide! So I found my dream lace dress elsewhere.
I love this dress!! I bought the David’s Bridal knockoff of this dress. It is so light and comfortable, I can’t wait to wear it!!
I know it’s not the same one but I just saw this one that is posted near my home (a M. L one). $1800.
I know just how you feel, Miss Tartlet!! I did the same exact thing the very first time I went dress shopping. I went to a really nice boutique that carried a variety of gowns in different price ranges. I browsed around, gave each one a good once over, and proclaimed that I MUST try one one certain gown (Alvina Valenta style 9853 to be exact).
I fell in love the second the gown hit my skin, but then I took a look at the price tag. This dress was NOT in budget. Not even CLOSE to being in budget. So I stewed on it for awhile, not sure what to do about my predicament. I eventually started looking around again, and found one that I also fell in love with, but one that I could definitely afford. In the end, I’m glad I didn’t blow all my money on the expensive gown, but it was very tempting to do so! My advice is to give it a lot of thought, and remember that you will look beautiful in whatever dress you choose to wear!!
@flamingred: CP is another designer where I have to sit back and fan myself. I totally feel you on all of her dresses being amazingly beautiful!
@elliegraye: Thanks for sharing! That’s a very popular design, and one of the better prices I’ve seen for a used ML gown.
@sherrybaby: Very wise advice. 
I’m glad you found a dress that you loved and are confident in your choice!
Yes ma’am! I know exactly what you mean because I completely fell in love with the Monique Lhuillier Monet as well. It’s gorgeous. I have yet to try it on. My goal is to try on the Monique Lhuillier Monet and a few Jim Hjelm gowns.
@Molly: I was about to say the same thing! I love love love the DB version. It might be something to check out. It’s hanging in my closet right now, and I’m so excited to wear it this summer!
Oh how i feel your pain. I would kill for a Monique, but I have yet to find the one I love used and I can’t afford it new. It’s so depressing. I still have a couple months though before it’s crunch time so I’m still hopeful!
Beautiful dress! Buuut, I agree totally not worth the price tag! I have to admit, I normally consider a dress over 200 $ expensive, and yet when talking wedding dresses suddenly 2000 $ sounds totally reasonable? Not for me! Luckily there are many ways to find cheaper and equally beautiful (if not more) alternatives!
This was also my dream dress… but I do not have a dream budget.
I just ordered my dress, its Mori Lee and its very similar and I got it for $900!! I mean its not Monique Lhuillier, but its a beautiful dress.
That was the dress that I journeyed all the way to New York to try on. Then I discovered I look matronly in lace. I ended up getting a Monique Lhuillier, but I definitely had to stretch the budget to do so, but I feel justified in that I’m selling it after the ceremony.
this totally happened to me when i tried on dresses.. i fell in love with a lazaro and when i saw the price my heart sunk. i thought about it for a while, tried on other dresses, but my head was stuck on the lazaro. in the end i made the splurge, pinched in other places, and my now-husband was supportive of it, but others thought it was a little bit much. in the end now that my wedding has passed, i have no regrets, and am glad i spent every penny. i don’t care what others thought because i spent my own money on it. i loved that dress. however, i know that it isn’t realistic for everyone. can’t wait to see what you end up picking! i hope you make a decision that you and your fiance are comfortable with - because that’s what matters in the end.
I also fell in love with a Minique Lhuillier Lourdes which is about $8000. Way over my budget. I have looked at buying it second hand but unfortunately still not in my price bracket. )o:
Same boat -saw a dress on Craigslist that I LOVED. (Actually the ONLY dress I could find for almost a year that I even liked). I was like Reem who? I ended up hunting it down and getting it! I love that ML dress! I originally narrowed it down to ML Scarlett & my dress, but my BFF’s ma told me I looked like I was wearing lace curtains, & I could not get the image out of my head. For the record, I did NOT think I looked like I was wearing curtains.
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Mrs. Tartlet, Rochester, MI Age and Occupation: Age & Occupation: 27, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Medical Student Engagement Date: May 2, 2009 Wedding Date: May 2011 Venue: The Royal Park Hotel About Me: I'm an exuberant gal from the Midwest with a penchant for Neuroscience and anything sparkly. I'm not afraid to poke fun at myself, and I'm a believer that given the right pair of shoes, a girl can conquer the world. While an interest in the sciences threw Mr. Tartlet and me together (again, and again, until it finally stuck), we share a love for many things---food, video games, car dancing, food, bad puns, travel, did I mention food?---that ultimately led us to where we are now, less than five months from becoming Mr. and Mrs. We're planning a laid-back, romantic, garden-inspired affair with organic and quirky touches that reflect our love for the unexpected!
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