Dress Shopping

Note: I originally wrote this back in February, but spaced on posting it so if you notice some anachronisms, that's why (such as not having a date when I obviously already blogged about having one)

I feel like I'm doing things out of order, I have a dress (my parents are picking it up tonight), but still no date! (waiting on our priest to come back from a family problem for that). So you know, since I have done something so exciting, I'm going to blog about it! So, my dress shopping adventure will be in the form of "rules"for dress shopping (I say "rules" because I didn't follow a lot of them, so I guess they are more like guidelines ;)

1. Do not go dress shopping before you are engaged:  Yes, I broke this rule, but it wasn't my fault AND I knew it was happening soon after (it also got me out of the house so that Ryan could talk to my dad ;) My mom & older sister (MOH) took me dress shopping, a huge surprise to me! (I thought we were going thrifting) We had a lot of fun, but I felt very silly trying on wedding dresses before I had an engagement ring. The reason I think this is an important rule is because before you are engaged is that you haven't actually talked to you fiancé about wedding style, price, etc. (theoretically, of course). Although you want your perfect dress in your style, a big ball gown doesn't match a barn wedding.  Also, you NEVER want to try on a dress outside your price range (Randy's #1 Rule from Say Yes to the Dress).

2. Be open minded and try on all different styles!: When we first went shopping, I was positive I would be wearing an all lace dress which wasn't skin tight, but laid close to my body. I was wrong! My mom really liked what I wanted, but still encouraged me to try on all different styles, and let me tell you, there are a ton of styles! I tried on ball gowns, mermaids, a-lines, and tight fitted dresses. There were so many choices!!! That first day this was my favorite:

Obviously, this dress matches what I thought I wanted (but is NOT what I ended up with at all).  Actually, the dress I ended up with was much more similar to another dress I liked that day that I just tried on as a joke really and my sister immediately ruled out.  It's a good thing I tried on that dress the first day because it really stuck in my head & helped me find my dress.

3. Know your own style: Quick, describe yourself! Describe your couple style! Fun, energetic, and a bit odd. That pretty much summarizes both me and Ryan & I's relationship. Is that what that dress reminds you of? No! That's refined and classic. Still beautiful, but not me, or us! Your dress should reflect you and your relationship.

    3.a) Forget the last wedding you went to (or were a big part of): When I realized how much that dress WASN'T what I wanted, I started to wonder why I had liked it so much! Well here's why:

That is my older sister, Megan, my matron of honor, in her wedding dress. Not the same dress, but the same designer and a very similar dress. (Just trust me on that). Megan's wedding is the only example I have of seeing planning a wedding (I was maid of honor). Her wedding made a big impression on me, and on my family. My mom keeps comparing my wedding to hers! Which I do not like! Yes, we are sisters & similar, but we are still very different and I really want this to be my wedding, not Megan's wedding, part 2! Since this is my idea of a wedding, this is the dress I was using to find my own. Once I realized this and got rid of this paradigm, is was MUCH easier to find my style (and my dress)! (the dress that I tried on that day that my sister claimed looked like "seaweed" was more my style!

4. Take the advise of others, but with a grain of salt: Only take people with you that will be honest! Brutally honest! When I went dress shopping after being engaged, we took my future mother-in-law & sister-in-law. They were sweet & I enjoyed them being there, but they weren't comfortable enough to tell me when something looked bad. Don't worry, my older sister wasn't. Most of the time, I agreed with her if a dress was cut too low or looked really silly, but we didn't agree on a few things (such as the "seaweed") I started to realize when she actually thought something looked bad and when she just didn't like the style, and only listened to the ones that looked bad. She doesn't love the dress I picked, but know that I do and that the dress is perfect for me.

5. You are the bride, don't let anyone walk all over you, anyone! Ok so when we found THE DRESS, the store consultant was really pushy, and bad at her job. She gave me the wrong underskirt, didn't ask how it fit, and pushed us into buying so many accessories (none of which we wanted). We spent the next week stressing while trying to figure out what to do, and it got to the point where I wasn't even sure about the dress! Save yourself a headache, if you don't like the consultant, ask for someone else, or another appointment a later date. Its easy, "This is definitely the dress, but I'm not exactly sure the direction I am taking with my hair/shoes/bm so I think I'll just get the dress today". Remember, you are the bride! (Don't worry, I went back, explained what happened, and everything got all fixed!)

While I LOVE my dress & really want to show it off, I don't want to ruin the surprise for my guests & especially for my fiancé (if he reads this), so you will have to wait until May 2013 to see the dress (sorry!)