Weddingbee Blog

Well, hive, I did it. I went wedding-dress shopping, and guess what? I survived.

OK, wedding-dress shopping was not nearly as bad as I had expected. I’d even go so far as to say that I actually enjoyed it! More than anything, I feel relieved that the process isn’t foreign anymore. And it’s certainly not scary at all. It’s actually pretty exciting!

(I apologize in advance that I don’t have any pictures of me in the dresses. I know that some places don’t like you taking pictures of the dresses, and I was just too nervous to ask if I could snap a few photos.)

Before my official appointment at Kleinfeld (yes, the bridal salon from Say Yes to the Dress), I decided to check out a sample sale at Priscilla of Boston, whose dresses I absolutely love and have been eyeing for quite some time. Since getting engaged, this dress, Maeve, has been my favorite:

Image via Shiny Pretty Bits / Dress from Priscilla of Boston

While researching wedding dresses, I decided that I wanted something plain (no beads, no lace) with one eye-catching detail (like the bow), a natural waist, and a ball gown or very full A-line silhouette. I also wanted pockets, a ruched and well-structured bodice, and a sweetheart neckline. Needless to say, this dress encapsulates exactly how I want to look and feel on my wedding day. It’s simple and timeless, fun and playful, antiquated and romantic, and, of course, a bit whimsical—I love it!

So even though I was still anxious about wedding-dress shopping, I swallowed my fear and headed over to POB’s sample sale. It turned out to be a very wise decision, in great part because, as a sale shopper, I got to pull and try on dresses all by myself. No consultants to worry about. Just me and the dresses. It was a great way for someone like me to ease into the process.

Unfortunately, Maeve was not one of the dresses that was on sale, and because I didn’t have an official appointment, I couldn’t try it on. But my second favorite dress, Lindsey, was on sale.

Image via London Bride / Dress from Priscilla of Boston

I’ve actually been keeping this dress at the back of my mind for a while. I think it’s fantastic, but I worry that maybe it’s a little too simple, even for me. Unlike Maeve, Lindsey doesn’t really have one eye-catching detail. It has everything else, and it is one of the few wedding dresses available with straps (and aren’t the straps beautiful?). Although I was disappointed I couldn’t try on Maeve, I still couldn’t wait to slip into Lindsey.

At first, I found myself giggling because the realization that I was in this massive ball gown suddenly struck me as really funny. I’ve never worn a ball gown before, and there’s a lot of fabric and volume. In theory, it is kind of silly, so I laughed.

But then I found myself giggling for another reason: I loved the dress. I felt giddy with excitement. I started prancing around the dressing room. I ran from chair to chair, practicing how to sit properly. I mimed dancing with Mr. Parasol. I stood on the pedestal and just admired the dress. All of a sudden, I started to feel like a bride. I didn’t cry, but I couldn’t contain my excitement. I felt all the things I wanted to feel in the dress, and I didn’t want to take it off and walk away. The “I love this dress!” and “Let’s make a decision and move on!” side of me wanted to march up to the cashier with Lindsey, hand over my credit card, and walk out of the store, dress in hand.

But the “You don’t want to have wedding-dress regret!” side of me intervened. Even if Lindsey is my dress, I knew that if I didn’t try on the others that I had been eyeing, I would always wonder about those other dresses, especially Maeve. I’m only a bride once and, quite honestly, there are only a few dresses I “need” to try on before I can make a decision. So even though it killed me to leave the store without Lindsey, I know I’ll feel better when I finally do purchase my dress because I’ll be absolutely confident in my decision.

The following day, I had my appointment at Kleinfeld, and my experience was amazing. The store is stunning, and there are beautiful dresses everywhere. I confess that I did recognize people from the few episodes of SYTTD that I’ve seen (including Randy!). I had a great consultant who listened to exactly what I wanted and didn’t pressure me to buy. And I had a friend come with me who was exactly what a wedding-dress-shopping buddy should be: excited, supportive, complimentary (she oohed and ahhed on command!), and a great listener.

Unfortunately, though, Kleinfeld no longer kept Maeve in stock, so I couldn’t try it on. Again I felt the pangs of disappointment, but I didn’t let that deter me. I explained in great detail what I want in a wedding dress, my consultant listened attentively, and then we set to work!

I tried on a total of 12 gowns. It was a bit hit and miss. The first one was terrible: it had brown undertones, a pretty unflattering A-line silhouette, and a dropped waist, which is a huge no-no for me. I also tried on a ball gown that was probably exactly what Cinderella wore, with sparkles and all.

Many were quite pretty, but just not what I would want to wear on my wedding day, like this POB ball gown called Morgan:

Image via One Wed / Dress from Priscilla of Boston

This gown was stunning in person, and I loved how it looked on me. But, ultimately, it just wasn’t “me.” The lace was beautiful, but I didn’t want any lace on my dress. And to be honest, it didn’t hold a candle to Lindsey.

But in the midst of the 12, I tried on two beautiful dresses that could be actual contenders. The first was this dress, by Augusta Jones:

Image via Kleinfeld / Dress from Augusta Jones

While this dress wasn’t a true ball gown, the full A-line was really flattering. It hit me perfectly at the waist, was incredibly comfortable, and had a darling ruched bodice and a very pretty flower on the waistband. And the organza train was stunning; I couldn’t take my eyes off how beautiful it was.

The second dress was this one, by Alita Graham:

Image via Kleinfeld / Dress from Alita Graham

I actually adore the ruffled, petal-shaped bottom half of the dress. It definitely meets my requirements for “fun” and “playful.” I didn’t love the waistline, but then my consultant added a stunning plum ribbon. It completely changed the dress for me; it defined my waistline and added a pop of color. The ribbon went down the entire back of the dress, and it looked so antiquated and romantic. I was in love! If I can find a way to wear a ribbon with my wedding dress, I most certainly will!

Right now, I’m still a little confused about what I want in a wedding dress. Lindsey and the Alita Graham dress are my two favorites. I love the Alita Graham so much, but it’s not exactly what I imagined for my wedding day. I always thought I wanted silk taffeta instead of organza and a plain, full ball gown instead of a soft, ruffled skirt. Perhaps this means I need to adjust my wedding-day vision and go with the Alita Graham, or perhaps it means that the Alita Graham is just too far afield of what I want and I should go with Lindsey.

In any event, I absolutely cannot make a decision until I at least try on Maeve, the dress that was and probably still is my ultimate dream dress. I have an official appointment at POB in a few days, and I will finally get to try on Maeve. And guess what? I’m excited!

How was your first wedding-dress-shopping experience? Were you surprised or confused by what you liked, or did you know exactly what you wanted?