Weddingbee Blog

As I previously mentioned, my own dress-shopping process wasn’t exactly calm, cool, and collected. Instead, it was more frustrating, anxiety provoking, and confusing. Regardless of all of those bumps and bruises, I ended up with a dress I couldn’t be happier with, so it just goes to show that an annoying process can still definitely result in a happy ending. And all I have to say in response to that is thank gawd because it appears as though we’re going through the dress ringer yet again, with BM dresses!

I ventured out into the big bad world of Pittsburgh bridal salons with MOH H to find a BM dress, or a few BM dresses, depending on how things played out. She was only visiting for about 36 hours, so I naturally placed a ridiculous amount of pressure on this outing, determined to finalize my choice(s) and be done with it. And, like all well-intentioned plans, it went into the crapper pretty quickly.

First stop—we went to The Exquisite Bride, where I got my dress. They carry a few lines of dresses that have caught my eye; plus we get a 15% discount for having a large bridal party and as a reward for purchasing my dress from that salon. Not bad! After MOH H graciously tried on about 15–20 dresses, we walked away with a few contenders. Take a peek. (Warning: picture barrage ahead.)

Bill Levkoff 578: Simple, but it didn’t really trip my trigger. Plus, there’s a sizable bow in the back. ::cringe::

Jasmine P39003K: Once again, not too bad, but didn’t knock my socks off. Probably too plain for my taste.

Bill Levkoff 532: This was my personal fave coming into the trip, but it didn’t garner a positive review from MOH H or my madre.

Bill Levkoff 372: MOH H’s least favorite and my mom’s favorite.

DaVinci 60003: I liked this one because it was different from the others, with kind of a more youthful look. But after looking at the photo, I’m struck by how poorly it photographs.

Bill Levkoff 528. My personal fave of the trip, but I can’t shake the thought that in two years, a one-shoulder BM dress will just SCREAM 2010–2011. The horror!

We then headed to the local Alfred Angelo. I had high hopes for this store, since it would likely be an easy option for my ‘maids all over the country to visit a store, try on the dress, and get measured. I also knew they had a set number of colors and lengths, so it would be “easy” to find that mix-and-match look I was considering with different necklines and silhouettes. Welllll, that didn’t go according to plan. Of all the AA dresses MOH H tried on, only one was really photo worthy.

Alfred Angelo style 7122: Cute, but probably not as well received as the other options from the first salon.

So, even though I was hellbent on knocking this decision out in one day, the wedding gods have conspired against me to get me to take a step back and re-evaluate. The good news? Um, not too much. I’m less convinced that I want short dresses, and I’m wavering on my commitment to satin as a material. I’m trying to look at the positives…if I’m willing to reconsider the length and/or fabric choice, I’ll open myself up to a host of new possibilities, which could be a great help! I struggled to find my own dress, so it’s only fitting that I should struggle a bit to find the other dresses in the wedding, too.

Did you walk away from your first BM-dress search empty handed?

(all photos personal)