What to Expect When Choosing the Other "One"
It's been a shamefully long time since I've posted, but since I'm still in limbo waiting for my dental hygiene license and planning my wedding, I've decided to utilize the time to get back in it. I went into the wedding dress search already knowing what my dream dress was, but I needed to also see what else was out there. I tried on a lot of gorgeous dresses, and then...some not so gorgeous dresses. I definitely learned a lot during the process and felt I would share a few tips. So here it goes.
1. Sample sizes - The samples come in a variety of sizes, which means you may or may not end up with a handful of clamps from Home Depot securing you into the gown. The downside is that it can skew how the dress will really look when it's meant to fit you. And you may accidentally have your skin clamped, like I did.
2. Timeline - The first shop I visited claimed it would take 8 months for the gown to arrive and another 4-6 months for alterations. While you will have to wait a few months for your dress to go through the ordering/shipping process, the whole ordeal should NOT take a year+. That being said, you should start early with the search to be on the safe side. However, an insensitive sales associate was trying to pressure me to make a purchase, and this is clearly a decision no bride should be rushed with.
3. No shame - Be prepared to get naked in front of the sales associate. Trust they're used to it. Oh! And wear nude colored undies! Some dresses are kind of sheer.
4. Shop around - My wedding dress varied in price at different shops. It's always good to look at different stores to get an idea. Also, the samples at some stores are in much better condition than at others, and will help give you a better idea of how your dress will look when it's new.
*Side note: I noticed that the condition of the dress samples directly correlated with the quality of service at the stores, which was interesting.
5. Have fun - Try on a variety! I humored my bridesmaids' requests for some crazy dresses and also their requests for dresses they thought would look flattering. Hopefully this is all a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so just go crazy with it.
Lastly, I'm just going to say to go with your gut, especially when you have two top contenders. This happened to me - I was between two dresses at the end, and I went with the one that I'd saved an image of on Pinterest (of course) about a year before we even got engaged. I knew in my heart I was going to get married in that original dress I had fallen in love with. But it's still worth trying on other dresses to be sure! (my dress is not pictured here, by the way)
