Destination Weddings and Honeymoons

Wedding Dress Shopping

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I know I haven’t written about my wedding dress ... it’s one subject I have been struggling with. I know you all want to know how I went about finding my dress and trying it on, and did I really “KNOW” it was the one?

 Yes. I did.

 That being said, I can give you the high and hards of my wedding-dress shopping — but sadly, I can’t give you any deets. My fella doesn’t know anything about it — he doesn’t even know what color it is! And knowing he is the diligent, soon-to-be husband, I’m SURE he is reading all my blog posts … which makes it impossible for me to show you what I picked. Here is what I CAN tell you.

 The first dress-trying-on experience was tough for me. It was overwhelming, made me miss my grandmother, and also made me feel super self-conscious. I’m not typically one to stand center-stage and hog three mirrors, just to oogle myself in a fancy dress. But ladies, this is the one opportunity you have to do that. Own it. That being said, here are a few tips, intertwined with my story of dress shopping.

 1. Trust your gut. If you find one you like — “Oh! I like this one!” — it’s *probably* not your dress. When my mom and I went dress shopping the first time (there were ultimately four times), I tried on a couple of dresses and liked them all. I legitimately would have been happy wearing any of them. But in all honesty, I wanted that “OMG. This is it!” feeling everyone talks about. (Hey! I had it with Tim; why not with my wedding dress?!) I decided on a dress; my mom and I both loved it; I even texted Tim saying, “I think I found my dress!” But I needed a night to think about it. As I’ve said previously, I’m a terrible decision maker, so I just wasn’t ready to pull the trigger. I also wanted to show my boss and make sure she liked it too. But when I got to the office on Monday morning, I didn’t run into her office gushing about finding my dress … and I knew when I hadn’t said anything to her by lunchtime, it wasn’t my dress.

 2. If you’re bad at making decisions, it’s OK to ask for other people’s opinions. Now, I’m not suggesting you take a million people to your dress appointments. The first three times, it was just my mom and me; it was something I wanted to be just between us. (And Gram, who was obviously there in spirit.) I didn’t need my <cough> <very opinionated> MOH crushing my dreams, or lying to me and telling me I looked beautiful when I didn’t. BUT, when I knew the original dress wasn’t the one for me, I talked to her and showed her the picture. Her response was exactly what I was feeling (not shocking; she knows me better than anyone): “Lauren. This is beautiful; I’m just surprised, as it’s just not at all what you’ve been saying you wanted since we were kids …” We surfed a couple of websites together and found one I knew I had to try on. We both decided, if I tried it on and it was just “meh,” I’d probably end up going back to the original dress.

3. Search. If you have an idea in your head (and you’re like me), you won’t get that idea out of your head until you’ve explored all the options. I’m not advocating trying on a million dresses (or even a hundred). When you find your dress, stop searching. But. If you have one in your mind and it’s attainable, try it on.

The designer of the dress I found online is carried at bridal salons nationwide. This dress in particular was carried in my hometown at a store called Something Blue Bridal. And when I say carried, I mean, it’s the. Only. Store. in the state of Florida that carries this dress. (Sigh! Another weekend trip, I guess!)

So one weekend, I called and asked if they had this particular style number, the girl assured me they did, and she invited me to come in to try it on. “We actually have quite a few dresses similar in style to that one,” she said. “I’ll be happy to pull them for you in time for your appointment.” Score! (Though I only wanted to try that one on, what’s the harm in trying similar ones?!) My mom, her best friend (whom I affectionately call Mom2) and I happened to be having lunch together when my mom asked her, “Would you like to join us for dress-trying-on?” (Duh.)

The three of us trekked to the bridal salon and walked in. I knew the vibe in this place was right. It’s a small boutique and very friendly. They wanted me to feel comfortable and not “onstage.” They offered for us to look around for a while or just go right to the fitting rooms, where the dresses were already pulled for me (which is what I did). I tried on three of the four dresses. The first two were just OK. The third one was stunning, but a girlfriend of mine had recently purchased the EXACT dress for her wedding, so it *sort of* eliminated it for me.

When I got to the dress I had been hoping to try on, I was hesitant. What if I built this thing up in my head, and it’s boring? Or makes me look fat? I took a deep breath and put it on. As soon as I looked at myself in the mirror, I knew. But of COURSE I wanted my mom to also “know.”

 I walked out of the fitting room. She looked at me, then looked away. My heart sank. She hated it! Hated it enough to look away as I was standing before her! Then when she looked back, I saw the tears rolling down her cheeks. (She’s such a softie.) I put my arms up and said, “Yay! This is it!” Then Mom2 started crying, and then I did. It was a mess. But the very BEST kind of mess.

 One of Lauren’s Lovely Ladies (aka my bridesmaids; yes, that is what they are calling themselves) gave me some simple wisdom when it came to dress shopping that I found incredibly helpful. I’ll share it with you, as long as you promise to pass it on to your engaged pals.

• Try on the dresses you want to try on, but let yourself try on at least one thing you didn’t expect. It will either solidify your original feelings, OR totally surprise you and help you fall in love with something completely different!

• Eat before you go. Now. I get it (trust me!) — you want to be as thin as possible before you squeeze yourself into these “sample”-sized dresses. But seriously. That salad isn’t going to add inches to your waistline, and NO ONE wants a hangry bride-to-be. You’ll think clearer on a full tummy and be *slightly* less emotional.

• Stay hydrated. You’re putting on dress after dress, and sometimes it’s a workout! To keep yourself standing tall (and ultimately not passing out), keep the water bottle at your side. (Just don’t spill on the dresses.)

 As I said the day I found my dress, “Wrap it up! We’re done!”

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