20 Mar A Day in the Life of a Bride to be…Finding "The One"
Posted by Katie
Was it love at first sight? For me, absolutely.
Were a few others tried on for size before finding “the one?” With my indecisive nature, oh yeah.
And it’s definitely “the one?” Yep, this is it!!!!
Though it may sound like I’m talking about the man of my dreams who proposed to me a short three months ago, I am actually referring to the second most important part of this future wedding-THE DRESS! I think it was Ronnie Rothstein of Kleinfelds who said, “sometimes it’s harder to commit to the dress than it is to the fiance.” So true, Ronnie. I mean, on the one hand, it’s JUST a dress, right? A dress you will wear for a maximum of ten hours…a dress which will be promptly preserved and boxed for all eternity. On the other hand, it’s ONLY the most important dress ever! Let’s face it, you will unequivocably be the center of attention on your wedding day. How often are fifty plus eyes on you and you alone at any given point in your life? It sounds so self-absorbed and superficial, but after this monumental day, it will be all about the babies, the career or whatever future ventures you and your husband decide to embark upon.
Now, with all this being said, I believed at the start of my search for the perfect wedding dress that I could find a balance between these two trains of thought. And, in fact, I think I did just that. I found a wonderful dress that fit my style and budget after only a handful of shopping appointments in about one month’s time. Take it for what it’s worth, but I will disperse my own snippets of advice as I relive my experience.
After watching almost every episode of TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress,” I definitely knew what to expect from trying on dresses as well as how to be a gracious non-bridezilla. I had everything I wanted outlined in all my Type A splendor: a simple dress that framed my figure with ONE eye-catching pop of a detail. It had to be elegant, classy, timeless, and with a southern chicness. I’m the girliest of girls when it comes to clothing and style, and I tend to gravitate towards cutesy details like polka dots, ruffles, and the three b’s: bows, buttons, and a little bit of bling. I had only a few magazine cut-outs to accompany me on my shopping trip, one dress in particular that I absolutely loved the first time I laid eyes on it but knew was out of reach since no one in the state carried this designer. Word of wisdom that was passed on to me from multiple people who had “been there, done that:” buy your dress at home or as close to home as possible for any last minute crises. It’s usually easier to go back to the place where you originally bought something versus hopping on a plane to New York!
Thus began the quest for the perfect dress! Advice: what you think you love, you may very well love. But don’t count on it. Your intial likes and dislikes shouldn’t detract you from trying on certain dresses! In fact, I tried on dresses that I really didn’t like on the hangers but am glad I gave a chance. All lace was not something I thought I would like. And while my dress pick doesn’t have a single square inch of lace, I did try on an all-lace dress that I liked a lot during shopping. I also was anti-ball gown, but I put one on just to make sure I had seen what it would look like on my 5 foot 1 inch self. I was torn between a few very beautiful, but very different style dresses after a few shopping trips…none of which my mother loved unfortunately. And for me, her opinion was of the utmost importance. She didn’t have to be IN LOVE, but I wanted her to really like the dress she and my father were paying a lot of money for. This matters more to some people than it does to others. If your mom or another family member’s opinion is important to you like it was for me, then my recommendation after having gone through this process is to wait on a dress that you both like/love/can’t live without. In the same respect, it is your (and your fiance’s) big day, so your opinion is the most important one!! It can be difficult to find a balance between people’s likes, so try and spare important feelings (remember-your family is still there once the big day has long since passed) while not allowing yourself to get bogged down by too many opinions.
In the end, I was fortunate enough to find my love-at-first sight gown in a trunk show at a great bridal boutique in town. It was as beautiful on me as I had envisioned it would be. My mom loved it, too-success!. A big bow on the front, sequential buttons down the back like a waterfall of white pearls, and a fit-and-flare to showcase my hard work at the gym. Yay!! The dress was mine!! Now to wait four months for it to come in…
Let me tell you, there is no buyers remorse I have ever experienced as what I felt walking out of that bridal salon. Did I pick the right one?? Was it really all that flattering? Did I try on enough dresses for comparison? Was it appropriate for my venue? Thank goodness my mom was there to talk me through my “cold feet.” It was stunning, completely my personality, and made me look four inches taller! Why was I worried? I had been obsessed with this dress since seeing it before I was even engaged. Whew, sigh of relief. I love my dress and am finally ready to commit!
