The Bridal Gown
a.k.a "The Dress"

Shopping for a wedding gown was something I'd dreamed of forever. I had no idea that going to a bridal boutique would be such a nightmare!

I'm the kind of shopper that likes her independence. When I need help I'll ask for it. At these boutiques, you're not allowed to look around yourself, a big-haired, long-nailed clerk picked out dresses for me and I had to try on these stinky, yellowed frocks that didn't even fit because they only come in one size! How ANYONE can drop hundreds or even THOUSANDS of non-refundable dollars on something they only have a sembalnce of getting is beyond me. I'd heard so many horror stories about some bridal boutiques. I really didn't want to go through that but really, we brides have very little choice other than to go to these places for a bridal gown. My advice? Do A LOT of shopping. Many people have successes with tailor made gowns, or established smaller boutiques and even "Bridal Warehouses". (But I'd still be weary of those, especially if looking for designer names).

The Successes...

After dragging my girfriend (and Matron of honor) Yvonne around, trying out those fancy schmancy boutiques, I knew it wasn't for me. I'd decided to go to a store that sold bridal gowns off the rack. However, I'd received mixed reviews on this particular chain. (Yeah, I'm withholding the name, just in case the brides who had received terrible service won't think I'm crazy.) A friend's two friends had wonderful successes with this chain but I've also read horror stories off the Internet too. But I was on a budget, had little time and wasn't really interested in a fancy designer name, so I checked it out. There were so many dresses and styles that you could just try on and purchase to take home that day! AND they were having a sale! There were so many that were within my budget. I was going through the racks feeling like a kid in a candy store! I didn't care about the designer name. I just wanted something pretty. We ran all around the store, grabbed a bunch of dresses, pulled a few different styles and I tried them all on. What fun!It's nice because the dresses that were on the racks were from size 4 - 26, so there are a lot of options. I think I was also lucky that the sales clerk realized that I didn't need her help and she left me alone... but when I did have any questions, she was only an ear-shot away. When I tried on the dresses, I realized that what I thought I wanted (A-line, matte satin, off the shoulder, no train, bits of detail around the front) really didn't do anything for me. That feeling was confirmed when I saw the woman next to me try on a dress I had just tried and she looked fabulous. She was glowing, her mom got teary-eyed and she knew it was "the dress". I WANTED THAT SAME FEELING!

So I looked at Yvonne & we went through the racks again. Now, we had these ideas in mind - no sleeves, nothing too shiny, something fitted in the bodice (okay, something that enhanced my cleavage) and that didn't need a lot of alterations. The search also included ivory (I'd always wanted ivory and a bright white is just not very complimentary on me). I tried on so many styles! I even got a huge compliment when I tried on this sheath dress, all in chantilly lace, a sweetheart neckline, triple, beaded spaghetti straps and this fabulous, removable chiffon train. I felt pretty glam in it, and when other ladies saw me in it, they said "this is "the dress"!" Although I felt really good in it and got the wonderful compliments, I just felt that wearing a sheath was never in my dream... I definitely wanted a ball gown. After trying on a lot of dresses, I tried one on that absolutely made me feel like a princess! It had a ballerina feel to it, having a fitted bodice with boning, a frouffy, multi-layered tulle skirt with a sweep train, spaghetti straps and a perfect touch of alencon lace. Nothing at all what I initially thought I'd wear, and something that I thought was a little "young and girly", but it felt SO right... I felt so pretty. So I highly recommend trying on a lot of different styles even if you don't think the dress is "you". What can it hurt? What you think of my choice? Click here.

By choosing this dress I had to order it. It was only available in white off the racks. Ordering made me feel a little nervous, especially since I had to pay in full, but I was there early enough that if it didn't work out, I'd still have time to re-order. Another tip about ordering a dress is to ask for it to be ready at least a month before your actual wedding date. This will insure that the dress will be ready. Tell the store you need them for photos, lie about the date, anything to give yourself the extra time. I actually got my dress about 4 months before my wedding so I was delightfully surprised.

The Glitch...

Even though I saved over $100 on the dress during the sale, I spent about $125 on alterations! I needed hemming and an 8-button bustle put in. Because there was layer, upon layer of tulle and crinoline, the cost of the alts went up. I'm just glad I had no sleeves to hem, nothing to take in on the sides and I said "NO" on the bra cups. (I can't help that I was looking forward to my trousseu). Apparently, my seamstress had done this dress "a-thousand times for other girls" and that she was the expert on tulle. So I stayed with the store for alts. (besides, the seamstress was a hoot!) What I could've done was check out recommended seamstress/dress maker and priced them out before I chose to stick with the store. All in all, it turned out very well. She even mended a hole in the tulle that I accidentally made while hanging and I hadn't even mention that to them, and at no extra charge. I'd also had cut on my finger and there was a drop of blood on the bodice but they cleaned that as well. She was also very helpful when it came to teaching my BM & MOH how to bustle without making my butt look huge! (hee hee!).

Also, I should've made my alteration appointment earlier. By the time I'd decided to make the appointment, my ideal time frames weren't available and the manager of the store laughed in my face when I asked about them. I really didn't appreciate that so I gave her a dirty look and went straight to the seamstress to ask when she did have an available time for me. All in all, I went back 3 times and the third time was when I picked up the dress. It turned out to be a pretty good experience considering I went with a chain.

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