I went alone on my first trip to the bridal boutique. On subsequent trips, I went with Ms. L and Ms. N, but I wanted to see what I was getting into on my own before I brought anyone else with me.
The initial conversation with your bridal gown consultant is deceivingly simple:
"HI!! Congratulations! Wow! Your ring is beautiful! Sooo, let's get started!... What kind of dresses do you like, and what size do you wear?"
"Thanks! Um, I think I want something fitted through the waist and a little poofy on the bottom."
"Uh-huh, a princess ball gown."
"Well, I guess. But not too big."
"I totally agree! You're a little short, so we want to keep you balanced. Strapless?"
"I don't know. I feel like everyone wears strapless dresses, so I want something different. Besides, we're doing a vintage theme --"
"Niiice! You could do gloves. Oh! And a tiara.... That'd make it much more classic."
Classic princess ball gown with gloves and a tiara -- like Cinderella?! Nope. Let's get this back on track.
"No. That's a bit too 'princess-y' for me. Let's scratch the poofy. How about something a-line? I'll try strapless, but I think I'd prefer something with straps and maybe a few halters?"
"We can definitely do that! I really think strapless would look great with your long neck. I didn't mean that in a bad way, of course. Long necks are really graceful.... Okay. I think I've got it! How about a mermaid dress?? You've got the curves for it, and they're so hot right now. What size are you?"
Great. I went from Cinderella to Ariel. And wasn't she listening to me? We're doing a vintage wedding. The whole point is for me not to wear something that's "hot right now."
Breathe, Ashley. You're not getting anything today. This is trip one. Just go with the flow.
"I'm a size 4."
"Is that your real size or your wedding size? [*recognizing the confused look on my face*] Wedding dresses usually run a bit small."
"That's my real size."
"Then I'll grab a variety of stuff -- some 4s, 6s, and maybe a few 8s and be back in a jif!"
Maybe a few 8s? In shirts, I wear a 4. In pants, I wear a 4. In dresses, I wear a 4 and even have a few 2s in my closet. Will I really need a gown double my normal size?.... Thanks, wedding dress designers. You really know how to boost a girl's ego on the day she wants to feel her most beautiful.
After the consultant came back, I decided to work from the gowns I thought I'd like the least to my favorites. The dresses below are examples of the styles, not the actual dresses I tried on in the boutique.
Dress #1: Strapless, beaded princess ball gown, size 6
Wedding Gown by Karelina Sposa
Whoa! This one actually wasn't that bad.... I looked like a "bride." Kind of a weird feeling, but exciting. I could definitely see myself walking down the aisle. Well, that is, if I could make it all the way. The dress weighed about 20 lbs. The thing could probably stand up on its own, and all the tulle underneath was starting to make me itch a little bit. Moving on....
Dress #2: V-neck, mermaid dress, size 6
Wedding Gown by Jordan Bridals
The consultant was right. This dress was hot and even a little vintage! I'd have to add a few more crunches to my exercise routine, but it really accentuated my figure and played up my curves. I actually didn't like the straps as much as I thought I would, and it was more "glamorous" than "bridal." However, the real problem was my limited range of motion. Based on the amount of time it took to sit down, I'd probably have better luck eating dinner standing up. And dancing? Forget it. Moving on...
Dress #3: Halter, Empire-waist dress, size 8
Wedding Gown by Faviana
No, no, no!! This dress was horrible on me! It looked much better on the hanger -- ethereal and classy. In reality, I was falling out of the top, and the bottom was totally shapeless. When the consultant saw me, she raised her eyebrows and said, "Wow! Hellooo, boobs! [Yes, she actually said that.] I picked the 8 for you because I knew this dress wasn't the most 'generous' for bustier brides, but we could go up to a 10 and just take in the bottom. [*glances at my face*] Or I can just unzip you now?!"
Dress #4: Beaded ball gown with sweetheart neckline, detachable straps, and bouffant skirt, size 6
Wedding Gown by Ella Rosa
This dress was much closer to the mark. The shape seemed flattering, and it was. The accents seemed vintage, and they were. The bouffant seemed fun, and it was... not. It was more than a little distracting, and just kinda strange. I'd been given the advice to make sure that my dress had a pretty back for guests to see, however this was just way too much. Moving on...
Dress #5: Halter/sweetheart, a-line dress with ruching and lace, size 4
Wedding Gown by Sincerity Bridal
This dress was the one! Or as close to the one as I got that day.... Lu reads this blog. There's no way I'm posting my real dress on here.
I felt like a bride, but I also felt graceful and elegant. The sweetheart neckline was beautiful, and the halter gave the right amount of vintage flair. The ruching made my waistline look ridiculously small without clinging to my entire mid-section (wedding cake, here I come!). The silhouette was also beautiful -- just the right amount of "poof." The only negative was that I wasn't sure how I felt about the lace detail on the side. It was gorgeous, but it almost made the top and bottom look like they belonged to two different dresses.
Overall, my first wedding gown shopping venture was successful. I was able to create a checklist of what I wanted:
The initial conversation with your bridal gown consultant is deceivingly simple:
"HI!! Congratulations! Wow! Your ring is beautiful! Sooo, let's get started!... What kind of dresses do you like, and what size do you wear?"
"Thanks! Um, I think I want something fitted through the waist and a little poofy on the bottom."
"Uh-huh, a princess ball gown."
"Well, I guess. But not too big."
"I totally agree! You're a little short, so we want to keep you balanced. Strapless?"
"I don't know. I feel like everyone wears strapless dresses, so I want something different. Besides, we're doing a vintage theme --"
"Niiice! You could do gloves. Oh! And a tiara.... That'd make it much more classic."
Classic princess ball gown with gloves and a tiara -- like Cinderella?! Nope. Let's get this back on track.
"No. That's a bit too 'princess-y' for me. Let's scratch the poofy. How about something a-line? I'll try strapless, but I think I'd prefer something with straps and maybe a few halters?"
"We can definitely do that! I really think strapless would look great with your long neck. I didn't mean that in a bad way, of course. Long necks are really graceful.... Okay. I think I've got it! How about a mermaid dress?? You've got the curves for it, and they're so hot right now. What size are you?"
Great. I went from Cinderella to Ariel. And wasn't she listening to me? We're doing a vintage wedding. The whole point is for me not to wear something that's "hot right now."
Breathe, Ashley. You're not getting anything today. This is trip one. Just go with the flow.
"I'm a size 4."
"Is that your real size or your wedding size? [*recognizing the confused look on my face*] Wedding dresses usually run a bit small."
"That's my real size."
"Then I'll grab a variety of stuff -- some 4s, 6s, and maybe a few 8s and be back in a jif!"
Maybe a few 8s? In shirts, I wear a 4. In pants, I wear a 4. In dresses, I wear a 4 and even have a few 2s in my closet. Will I really need a gown double my normal size?.... Thanks, wedding dress designers. You really know how to boost a girl's ego on the day she wants to feel her most beautiful.
After the consultant came back, I decided to work from the gowns I thought I'd like the least to my favorites. The dresses below are examples of the styles, not the actual dresses I tried on in the boutique.
Dress #1: Strapless, beaded princess ball gown, size 6
Wedding Gown by Karelina SposaWhoa! This one actually wasn't that bad.... I looked like a "bride." Kind of a weird feeling, but exciting. I could definitely see myself walking down the aisle. Well, that is, if I could make it all the way. The dress weighed about 20 lbs. The thing could probably stand up on its own, and all the tulle underneath was starting to make me itch a little bit. Moving on....
Dress #2: V-neck, mermaid dress, size 6
Wedding Gown by Jordan BridalsThe consultant was right. This dress was hot and even a little vintage! I'd have to add a few more crunches to my exercise routine, but it really accentuated my figure and played up my curves. I actually didn't like the straps as much as I thought I would, and it was more "glamorous" than "bridal." However, the real problem was my limited range of motion. Based on the amount of time it took to sit down, I'd probably have better luck eating dinner standing up. And dancing? Forget it. Moving on...
Dress #3: Halter, Empire-waist dress, size 8
Wedding Gown by FavianaNo, no, no!! This dress was horrible on me! It looked much better on the hanger -- ethereal and classy. In reality, I was falling out of the top, and the bottom was totally shapeless. When the consultant saw me, she raised her eyebrows and said, "Wow! Hellooo, boobs! [Yes, she actually said that.] I picked the 8 for you because I knew this dress wasn't the most 'generous' for bustier brides, but we could go up to a 10 and just take in the bottom. [*glances at my face*] Or I can just unzip you now?!"
Dress #4: Beaded ball gown with sweetheart neckline, detachable straps, and bouffant skirt, size 6
Wedding Gown by Ella RosaThis dress was much closer to the mark. The shape seemed flattering, and it was. The accents seemed vintage, and they were. The bouffant seemed fun, and it was... not. It was more than a little distracting, and just kinda strange. I'd been given the advice to make sure that my dress had a pretty back for guests to see, however this was just way too much. Moving on...
Dress #5: Halter/sweetheart, a-line dress with ruching and lace, size 4
Wedding Gown by Sincerity BridalThis dress was the one! Or as close to the one as I got that day.... Lu reads this blog. There's no way I'm posting my real dress on here.
I felt like a bride, but I also felt graceful and elegant. The sweetheart neckline was beautiful, and the halter gave the right amount of vintage flair. The ruching made my waistline look ridiculously small without clinging to my entire mid-section (wedding cake, here I come!). The silhouette was also beautiful -- just the right amount of "poof." The only negative was that I wasn't sure how I felt about the lace detail on the side. It was gorgeous, but it almost made the top and bottom look like they belonged to two different dresses.
Overall, my first wedding gown shopping venture was successful. I was able to create a checklist of what I wanted:
- Size 6 -- but a few 4s and 8s, just in case
- A-line silhouette without a bunch of tulle underneath
- Sweetheart neckline -- preferably halter but strapless could also work
- One type of detail -- lace or beading, but not both
- Ruching around the waist would be the icing on the cake
