Weddingbee Blog

I have received so many kind compliments on my dress—Breanna, by Caroline DeVillo—that I was inspired to take a break from recaps and talk about its journey from this:

(personal photo)

To this:

(Chase Goll Photography)

It all started when Sister Husky told me about a sample sale at a trendy (read: way out of my budget) bridal boutique. We had been dress shopping once before, and I’d fallen in love with Maggie Sottero’s Camden.

(personal photo)

I thought I’d found it. I was thrilled when the price tag was well within my dress budget, and the sample size fit me perfectly—no alterations! But I wasn’t ready to fully commit—could I really buy a dress my first time shopping? I would try on a few dresses at the sample sale, but my mind was pretty much made up. I grabbed a couple of gowns, and smirked to myself that none were as beautiful as the Sottero lovely. With each dress I tried on, my confidence in my original choice grew. But then, I stepped into The Dress.

(personal photo - please forgive the crappy iPhone pics)

I hate to perpetuate the idea that you “just know” when you put on The Dress. There are many brides that find a dress that looks stunningly beautiful, and just right for them, and they never get that feeling. But all I can speak to is the way I felt. Which was positively radiant. Sister Husky audibly gasped as I stepped out of the dressing room, and her eyes were damp. Sister Husky is not a crier. As I modeled the gown, other brides were stopping by to tell me that this was my dress. I had to agree. The back is what really had me:

(personal photo)

The color and fabric were just beautiful, and although it was a sample, it had hardly been touched! This dress was designed for someone with large hips (as you can see from the first photo in this post), and looked almost comical on the hanger. I think because of this, people were hesitant to try it on.

I ended up purchasing the dress at under 50% of the retail cost. It still ended up costing me more that I had originally intended, but in the end, it was worth every penny. And because some of you may be considering sample dresses, or used dresses, I wanted to talk a bit about the alterations process, and the added stress of purchasing a dress 5 sizes too large for you.

The dress was purchased more than a year before our wedding, so I would not be taking it to be altered for some time. I will tell you that of all wedding-related things, this stressed me out more than anything else. There were times when I had major dress regret, and huge worries that it wouldn’t be possible to make the dress fit me the way it had with the clamps. I also felt as if I couldn’t voice these concerns to anyone—particularly Mr. Husky—because I had so desperately wanted this dress, and convinced him it was worth going over budget for.

In some ways, I think whatever you save in dollars when buying a sample or a pre-loved dress, you make up for in stress. You never know for sure that the dress can be taken in to your measurements without affecting the overall look of it. You have to have major trust in your seamstress—they will basically be redesigning the entire gown, instead of taking in a half-inch here, and a quarter-inch there.

In nearly every wedding-related nightmare (c’mon, we all have them!), my dress was the main subject. Once, I had forgotten to have it altered, and I waddled down the aisle, swimming in fabric. In another, the seamstress used thick, brightly colored thread to piece it together, and it looked like I was wearing graffiti. Still another had me pinned into the dress with oversize safety pins—think cloth diaper type, with a pink plastic head.

In the end, it all worked out and I loved my dress. But it wasn’t an easy road to get there.

Coming up next: The alterations!

Have you considered a sample or pre-loved dress?