Trying on wedding dresses taught me a lot of things. I obviously won’t be posting any photos of my wedding dress or anything remotely close to it (yes I found one because I’m not about to go multiple times to multiple places). I found some really humerous ones (to me) that filled up my LOLZ tank.
If you know me you know I’m an off the rack buyer. I look at clothing, think it looks nice and buy it. I don’t try things on in stores…Since half of my clothing purchases are made online anyways, it doesn’t matter to me.
My mom asked a month ago if I wanted to make a dress appointment. I responded with: “I haven’t tried on clothing in stores for the last 2 years so I wouldn’t be starting now with wedding dresses.” I was kidding of course, but that obviously didn’t go over well. Honestly I never spent a great deal of time on pinterest or looking at wedding dresses because I am not 5’10 and 120 pounds…they wouldn’t look the same on me as in a photo…unless I photoshopped my face onto said photo.
I tried on the first dress and that ultimately was the dress I liked the best. I tried on multiple dresses to compare and to rule things out that maybe I liked or didn’t.
I had made several rules before I went shopping. All of which I told my consultant (who was fabulous).
- I don’t want my butt crack to show. I don’t know why these lower back wedding dresses are trendy but I would prefer my booty covered.
- I don’t want anything see through. Why do brides want a wedding dress where they are basically getting married in a bra with a bunch of lace on top…that’s weird.
- I don’t want a puffy, ball gown. It’s not my style mostly because I don’t like weight training and those dresses are heavy.
- Similary I don’t want a dress I can’t twerk in. If I can’t booty pop to my girl Nikki Minaj, it’s not happening.
- I don’t want a b’dazzled dress. That seems heavy, itchy and not me.
I was of course, willing to try anything. I don’t care because bridal dress consultants know what they are doing…I do not. If I did I would be a wedding dress consultant. I told her I was willing to try anything on but I was not holding back my remarks. (I’m glad she enjoyed my humor/commentary to each dress).
This was not a contendor. First the dress was 500 pounds and second I swear it was asexually multipling. It kept getting bigger and bigger (like my hair in the summertime).
The second was a beautiful turkey style dress. After scouring the country and plucking feathers from several turkeys and birds, I put together this flapper style wedding dress. I think it was a cross between a flapper and a turkey. As they say the bird is the word.
Another dress I tried on was the lacy bedazzled belt. I’m pretty sure the belt cost more than what I make paycheck wise in a year. The dress was nice but not my style either. It was a bit better than the feather flapper and asexual reproducing dress…enough that I took a halfway normal photo with my future flower girl.
Ultimately after comparing and contrasting dresses, I went with the first one I tried on. It just taught me that I don’t need to try things on and can continue my terrible method of purchasing clothing right off the rack. I had a lot of fun. I left feeling good and excited. I also left thinking maybe I could design dresses. I could just throw some things together and some bride would like it? Right?
Two hours is a long time to stand in front of a mirror staring at yourself. It was like a selfie that never ended.
Questions for you:
Brides: How many dress stores did you go too? Did you enjoy trying on dresses?
Do you like clothes shopping? Do you try on clothes in general?
This was great. I went to one store. Actually I had my dress picked out when my sister was dress shopping for her wedding, lol. I tried on other dresses just for fun but knew that dress was “the one”.
I like clothes shopping for work and I have to try them on because I am short.
Love the photos 🙂 I was like you – the first dress I tried on won and although i tried others they didn’t measure up. I generally know what I like and don’t need to shop around much for things.
That last dress is really pretty! I went to two stores, and I ended up choosing the third dress I tried on at the first store. The second store was mainly an excuse for my girlfriends and I to drink champagne and for me to try on crazy dresses since the first place had a limit of three (they were very strict and not very nice, but I still chose a dress from there. BUT I bought it online because I found it cheaper). Congrats on finding your dress!
I read yesterday it was normal for people to bring champaign! Maybe that would have eased my awkwardness! LOL
I only went to one store, and I got the first dress I tried on, too. I saw it online, loved the way it looked, and when I tried it on…it was exactly what I wanted. I also tried on several other dresses, but none of them compared. (I was opposed to the lace up back, as well as 500 pound dresses) I usually try work clothes on, but not running clothes. Those are all pretty much bought online!!
I looked at the store online and saw one on their website I thought looked nice. It was actually my runner up choice but I liked the one I chose a bit better. I didn’t spend more then about 15 minutes total looking at dresses online because you never know how they would fit.
I love that you chose the first dress you tried on, I did that too! You just know what’s right. Also I have to say that you look gorgeous in ALL those dresses!
I don’t remember the last time I tried something on before buying it…seems tedious
Glad you found a dress that met all your needs and fits your personality! I can’t wait to see it. Although, I’m a little bummed you didn’t go with the turkey feather dress….
I should have bought it to use as a scarecrow at my house. A 4000 dollar scarecrow! HA!
I went to 2 stores. I enjoyed the process of trying on dresses. I ultimately fell in love with the 2nd to last dress I tried on. Normally, I hate trying on clothes. I hate the whole process. It takes forever and its just blah.
I tried on 7 or 8 dresses and I believe the one I chose was the third I tried on. I only went to one store for one day. I thought about going back, but ultimately I knew I wouldn’t find anything I’d like better.
I don’t think I’m going to like the wedding dress process very much. Like you, I don’t try clothes on. Isn’t it funny how the first dress is always the keeper? Even if the dresses weren’t your style, they all look great! I can’t wait to see the one you actually chose, I’m sure it’s perfect for you 🙂
I love the comment about a heavy ball gown. I remember my 6th grade teacher showing us her wedding video and saying that she hated her dress because the skirt was so heavy that she couldn’t dance and so big that she had trouble sitting down!!
when this day comes for me i will be dreading it. i hate trying on clothes because its so hard to find something that fits me right. i remember trying on prom dresses when i swam and never being able to find anything that would zip up over my back–some things never change.
you’re going to be beautiful! you even make that heinous flapper dress look good :p
I hate shopping in stores! I order almost everything online.
Looks like you made it a fun time! For the record you look great in all the dresses.
I went to three stores. The first one was just for fun to see what would look good on me. The second was on a whim by myself at one of the more expensive stores in town. I found a dress I loved and hightailed it out of there before I bought it. I went to a third store with some of my friends and the first dress I tried on I loved. I don’t like being fussed over, so I really just wanted to pick the dresses I liked and try them on myself. No can do at bridal stores so the whole process was awkward for me.
Regular clothes I do try on. I’m in between sizes and I tend to buy bigger then I need.
I honestly just went to one store. I found a dress that I liked and it was cheap, so I bought it and figured I could sell it if I found one I liked more later, but I never went shopping because I couldn’t bring myself to spend gobs of money on a dress that I was going to wear for one day, especially if it was just a slightly different version of my cheaper dress. I went with taffeta because it was so light weight–I hated the really heavy dresses, too. I knew I’d be exhausted after a day of wearing one of those. I’m glad you found a dress you love!
I’m not a huge fan of clothes shopping either, and if I can get away with it, I almost never try anything on before buying it… so I’m really not looking forward to the whole process of shopping for a wedding dress. Eep. That being said… I do think it would be fun to try on some duds and get a good laugh out of it. Glad you found one that you liked 😀
I went to one wedding dress store. I felt like the associates were rude and upsetting (there were no dresses there that fit me, and I only tried on 2). I ended up buying my dress online, without trying it on, and when it came I had to get it altered slightly, but it worked out. People couldn’t believe I bought it online and didn’t want to go through the dress trying-on process, but after that first store, I was just done!
I almost always try on clothes in stores, unless it’s something I just know will fit and don’t want to mess with it.
That’s crazy! Why were they rude to you?
I wouldn’t have minded buying a wedding dress online but I think it takes the fun out of it I guess.
Well, when I got back to work (I went on my lunch break), several of my coworkers said that store had a reputation for being kind of rude. I asked about dresses in my size and they said they don’t order, nor did they recommend anywhere else for me to go. The one I bought online was great though, I loved it and it was semi-formal so I wore it on our honeymoon for formal night on the cruise. I still have it and it should still fit so if I went somewhere super fancy, I could even wear it there.
I like shopping, but not so much the trying on part. Always leaves me feeling too pudgy and awkward. I think wedding dress shopping could be nice. I’m with you-I wouldn’t want to go to a ton of stores. Just something corseted that could suck me all in and make my waist look tiny haha. Nothing too poofy or fancy or see through-I think the lingerie-esque ones are weird because I certainly don’t want my dad walking me down the aisle in that!
Ummmm I can’t answer the dress question but I do love shopping hahaha lol 🙂 but hate trying on the clothes even though I do out of obligation. I’m not the typical cookie-cutter body type so if I buy something without trying it on I usually pay for it.
Bahahaha I’m sure you could design something that many people would buy. Wedding dress shopping is an experience for sure! We only went to one place and I picked the fourth dress I tried on. Tried on a few others after to please my mum, but I knew that was it when I saw it on me 🙂 had to change it a bit though since the upper portion was supposed to be see through and I wasn’t cool with that. The owner of the store tried to talk me out of it, but they did bring me a piece of ivory fabric to put in there to see how it looked and we all (including the owner) liked it better! Less skanky for the win!
I kinda love the dress you have on with the flower girl!! I tried on a dress similar to that (and loved it) but it looked awful on me, haha! I also got my dress at the first store I went to. Nobody has time to go to 1,000 stores!
I picked out my dress online, went to one store and bought it. As it turns out it had been discontinued, they could not get my size so they gave me the floor model 50% off. #boom
That is awesome.
Haha I really like ur huMor with dress shopping. Some if the dresses are ridiculous, but i guess if the bride likes it (and wants to look like a turkry) so be it haha
I adore the third one, but I’m sure your pick is even better.
Good on you for only posting 3 dresses. Readers still won’t let me live down my looong wedding dress shopping post 😉
Your Instagram pictures were killing me the other day! Glad you found one without too much hassle and drama. It’s funny–I was talking to a teammate today about wedding dresses. She tried on two or three tops too; she knew exactly what she wanted.
I can’t wait to see your actual dress! I bought the first one I tried on, too. Why bother going to different stores if you’ve found one already?
haha i lol’d while reading this. My wedding dress shopping experience was somewhat similar. lots of laughs! glad you found the one you wanted. i ended up ordering mine online without ever seeing it in person and it was perfect!
I only tried one store (David’s Bridal) but I tried dresses on twice (once at home with my mom and sisters, and again up near me in Boston, with my mom and future sister in law). I knew vaguely what I wanted: Nothing super expensive, and nothing that would drown me out. I’m 5’2″, so most long dresses look like I’m a kid trying on her mom’s clothes.
I ended up getting a knee length dress for $250. My kind of dress.
This post also reminded me that I haven’t been clothes shopping in ages. Not a big fan of trying things on, and I never know what my size is anyway so I have to grab multiples of the same item in different sizes just in case. I’m probably due for a massive wardrobe purge and purchasing of new clothes for work…but let’s just pretend that I’m going to do any of that.
If I could have bought my wedding dress online, I would have. I went to one store and tried on maybe 4 dresses. I am not a big fan of trying on wedding dresses, let’s hope I don’t have to do it again. But, I do not understand why you didn’t apply to be on Say Yes To The Dress. Is that even on any more? I think the LOLZ needs to be a reality TV star!
I’m already going to be on Americas Next top model…or diner showdown.
I went to three stores. The first one wouldn’t let me try anything on (even though I had an appointment) because they said I was too small and would need more than six months to custom-order a dress in my size. (Our entire engagement was barely six months.) Second store only had one dress in my size and claimed the same thing about the rest. Third time’s a charm I guess because the third store let me try on dresses and then custom-ordered on that came in two months later. I think it was also the first thing I tried on there! BUT, word of warning in case you know anyone else custom-ordering a specific size: the place where I got my dress went out of business a year later and was in the paper for never fulfilling the orders of a bunch of brides. Apparently, it’s not such a good idea to order dresses from small boutiques and you’re best off leaving with the dress in-hand (or at least choosing one in the store and having it altered). I’m so excited for you though!! I also love the last dress minus belt, that is. I’m sure your real choice is even more gorgeous!! And, like you, I hatehatehate shopping so seeing your dress choices is waayyy more exciting than when I had to go through it lol 🙂