Before I got engaged, I never gave much thought to my wedding or what my dress would look like. So I was surprised how emotional the whole experience was. I mean, this is probably the most expensive outfit I will ever wear, the dress that will be memorialized in photographs for the rest of my life. You just want to make the right decision. It's kind of like dating. Don't laugh, but I felt like finding the right dress was akin to finding the right man.
Since I don't want to reveal my wedding dress until the big day, I thought I would share with you the other dresses I "dated" before choosing "the one."
1. Love at First Sight.
This Melissa Sweet "Felice" was the first dress I tried on and from the moment it touched my skin, I fell madly, furiously in love with it. This dress had everything I wanted: the simplicity, the lightness, the romance, the sweetness, the pink sash, it was not strapless. I mean, check out this jaw-dropping gorgeous back:
Sorry this picture is so small. You might need to go to the video for a better view. Feel free to watch it dozens of times. I know I did. I couldn't sleep at night, I was thinking about this dress.
Did you ever hear one of those stories where someone falls head over heels with someone and when he/she introduces the person to their friends and family, no one else gets it? Well, that's what happened with this dress.
I tried it on for my mom, my palms sweaty, my stomach overflowing with butterflies, and awaited her reaction. The back was pretty, she admitted, but the front with its ruffles, she said, looked horribly homemade and made me look childish and flat chested.
"But don't I look good?" I asked. She shrugged. Ouch!
My feelings were hurt, but I was still convinced this was the dress for me until the third time I tried it on. That's when I noticed that the saleswoman had to adjust the train of the dress with every step I took to make it look right. The idea of having an entourage following me around all day to fix my train made me uneasy. Then she showed me how I would have to bustle it during the reception so no one would trip on the dress. It completely distorted the back of the dress (the best part), which meant for half of my wedding, my dress wouldn't look the way I wanted it. Then I noticed myself in the mirror from across the room and with painful realization discovered that the front of the dress looked rather plain from afar. That was the moment I knew it was over.
Like every first romance, I will always love this dress. But I was ready to move on to better things.
2. Mr. Perfect
My mom set me up with this Judd Waddell dress. She's the one who found it at Kleinfeld's. Me, I would have never pulled it from the rack. When I put it on, it was obvious: This dress liked me. I mean, really, really liked me. The sweetheart neckline made me suddenly voluptuous, my waist became impossibly skinny, my butt curvy in a good way. The train could be adjusted so there would be no awkward bustling.
"This dress is made for you," said my mom, with approval. The dress shot straight to the top of her list.
She was right. The dress was perfect. There was absolutely nothing wrong with this dress. And yet when I looked in the mirror, my heart never went pitter-patter. I felt no emotion. Zero chemistry.
3. Opposites Attract.
This Pronovias dress is so not my type. Look at all that fabric, that crazy ruffled neckline, the drama! This dress was nothing that I wanted, yet when I put it on, I was completely dazzled. When I saw the price, it was so incredibly affordable (well, in comparison to the other dresses), it was hard to resist. Ultimately, we were too different to make it work.
4. The One Night Stand.
I liked this Matthew Christopher dress when I saw it in an ad but I knew it wasn't what I was looking for. But when I saw it in the store, I decided to try it on anyway. The girls in the store dubbed it "the popcorn dress" because of all the tiny bows stitched throughout. It looked pretty on me, but it was all wrong. The fabric was so lush and thick, perfect for a winter wedding, not 90 degree New Orleans heat. Plus it was so formal, fitting for a black tie affair, not the relaxed party we're after. Still, it was one of my favorite dresses to try on and it was fun to entertain the idea--even though I knew I would never see this dress ever again.
5. The One that Got Away.
When you go dress shopping, it is recommended that you bring in pictures of the kind of dress you are looking for. This is the dress I showed everyone. This was my original vision of my wedding dress. At every store we went to, the sales women would nod in understanding when I showed them this picture and then bring me back strapless dresses to try on that looked nothing like this.
They apparently don't make wedding dresses that look like this. The dress manufacturer of this dress in the picture stopped making it. I looked online and found some that were either way out of my price range or homemade. Some places had a few dresses that were similar shape but they made me look frumpy. I could have gotten this dress custom made but I was afraid of getting a dress that I've never tried on. The dress I ultimately chose looks nothing like this--or any of the contenders really. I am happy with my decision but I can't help wonder if things would be different if this dress and I ever met in person.
Though to be honest, I am not too worried about it. I am really happy with the way things turned out. I have got the perfect man and now the perfect dress. No more dating! Yay!
4 comments:
Congratulations! May you begin a lifetime of wedding memories in that magical dress!
Cute post. I like the parallels. So glad you found the right dress and I can't wait to see it.
No matter what, you are going to look beautiful.
Great post!
Cant't wait to see the dress.
Just when will that be again?
May 29, 2010. Save the dates go out next month...
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