I’ve been sharing quite a bit about shopping for my bridesmaids recently, and it’s probably time for me to revisit my wedding-gown search, which had started online. My first dress-shopping excursion wasn’t really my idea. A fashion-blogger friend of mine was writing an article for a regional magazine’s annual wedding issue, and she wanted to have a few pictures of a bride shopping at a local boutique to go with it. So, I made an appointment at the small bridal shop in town and invited a couple other friends along.
This was just going to be a fun shopping trip with some friends. I knew we weren’t going to find my dress at the shop. A lot of what they had was embellished and sequined with layers and flounces.
Closeup of Maggie Sottero Saige / Photo by Dana Holler of CvilleFashion.com
Now, I love bridal fashion. During Bridal Market, which is the wedding industry’s version of Fashion Week, I hang on the blogs of the people I know are attending. I have a hard time pulling myself away from Twitter, where I can see pictures from the shows. I can look at almost any dress and find something positive about it. So, I can objectively say that the dresses I tried on were lovely. They just weren’t the kinds of dresses that I want to wear myself.
I have three regrets about how I started my dress search:
1. My first stop should have been to a full-service salon. This salon had a hands-off approach. My consultant pointed out the racks and told me what designers were in which section and told us to pull six dresses to start.
Dress name unknown / Photo by Dana Holler of CvilleFashion.com
2. I should have shopped with a smaller group. I tried on dresses the others picked first and was exhausted by the time I got to ones I liked. What’s more, even if I put a dress on and knew it wasn’t going to work, I had to parade out of the dressing room to show it to everyone. I probably could have tried on more dresses if I had been alone. In the end, this little trip was about getting images for my friend to use with her article, so this wasn’t a big deal.
Why did this one already have a bustle? Why do so many salons have green carpets? / Photo by Dana Holler of Fashionable.com
3. I should have been open to all silhouettes from the start. I went into the shop intent on finding a lace A-line dress with straps. Such a narrow scope meant I probably passed over some dresses when I first got there. As you can imagine, most of the dresses were strapless, there were a variety of silhouettes, and lace was not dominant in their inventory. In fact, I don’t think I tried on any lace at all! The others convinced me to try on some other styles.
Just for fun, I tried on the full-length version of Justin Alexander 8465, the dress that I called “the blog dress” because I saw it on several wedding blogs early on in my planning. I’m not crazy about the angle of the photo of me in the dress, but that dress does wonderful things to your waist! It’s a beautiful dress. It wasn’t for me, but I can understand why it’s so popular!
Justin Alexander 8465 / Photo from Justin Alexander Bridal
Even though I tried on about 10 dresses that didn’t interest me, I learned a lot at that appointment. I learned that fabric and workmanship can vary a lot, even among dresses in the same price range. One of the gowns I tried on looked pretty in the mirror, but the dress didn’t feel good on me. After a few minutes of wearing it, I realized that the fabric was the problem. One of my friends quietly pointed out that the stitching and hem work was not done well, either.
I realized that strapless gowns feel almost nothing like the strapless dresses I’ve worn in the past. If fitted properly, they feel great and there’s no need to tug on the top to keep the dress in place. I also added modified A-line and trumpet dresses to the list of silhouettes I like.
In the end, we had a fun time and my friend got pictures for her article, so it was a successful day.
Maggie Sottero Saige from afar…look at that frothy bottom. / Photo by Dana Holler of CvilleFashion.com
Anyone else have a first appointment that was just a prelude to the real search? Did you start your search with a very specific kind of dress in mind like I did? Did you expend your scope as well?
@Kemma: It is pretty…just a bit too sparkly for my taste. 
Wow the Saige looks amazing on you!! My first appointment was SO overwhelming, but I deff learned some tricks for my next trip and that one went way more smoothly.
Oh man, you looks so good in them! I love the second one actually… you’re so glamourous! I actually kinda love the Saige too. But I love flowers and crap hardcore on dresses. 
The Maggie Sottero dress is gorgeous! I can’t wait to see more about your shopping!
Aw, thanks ladies. I have a couple more posts coming up! The dresses I tried on after this were head and shoulders above these ones! I’m really excited about how things worked out.
Your really do look fabulous! I can’t wait to read more. My dress shopping was cut short because living so far from family I decided to announce my engagement to my grandma in a dress shop. I thought we would try on a few and then go to lunch. hours later a dress I tried on only because I was asked to became the dress I didn’t see myself in the mirror but I saw the man I love looking back at me and he was smiling. That was it! Yea!
But boo… I really wanted to try on more, because I still had 14 months until the wedding date. Although it is not at all what I thought I wanted I am super happy about my choice. He will Love it!
@Miss Ke Aloha: I actually considered more appointments so my mother and my FMIL could come along!
Immediately after we were engaged, Mr. Mink’s mother and sisters wanted to know when we were heading to Kleinfelds.
My first dress shopping was with a friend. In my mind, I, like you, had visions of dresses in my head. Lace, straps. When we got there, I started trying all kinds of dresses and getting confused. I was confused the whole time I went shopping with friends. I even asked around on the boards. I ended up getting my lace Pronovias gown alone…in a shop…didn’t mention to anyone till they saw it on the wedding day and they all gushed
@bRooklynRocks: This was my only time going with friends! After this, I was alone. It was so nice!
@Miss Mink: Ha… Oh I know what you mean. Dress shopping was fun, being partially naked in front of strangers was not =)
@Miss Ke Aloha: I think my little get-up had more coverage than some bikinis!
Mrs. Mink, Charlottesville, Virginia Age and Occupation: 34, College Administrator Fiance's Age and Occupation: 40, Craft Beer Consultant Engagement Date: November 26, 2010 Wedding Date: June 2012 Venue: Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards About Me: I left a pre-war brownstone in Boston six years ago to live in a funky, Southern city where Thomas Jefferson, Dave Matthews, and urban chicken keepers enjoy equal social standing. I still love my Patriots and Red Sox, but have fallen in love with Virginia. I work in education and specialize in integrating technology into my work to improve the student experience. I’m a diehard blogger, animal lover, jamband follower, and DIYer. I paint to relax and have transferred by energy from home projects to wedding projects in recent months. When Mr. Mink and I started talking about marriage, we knew our wedding would be outdoors, that my golden retriever would be part of the day, and that the music would be fantastic. We’ve taken a few risks during our planning process and we’ve been enjoying the process immensely!
Latest Gallery Pics