Saying Yes to the Dress!

The task of picking out your wedding dress can be magical and exciting, but it can also be a daunting task. You want it to be perfect, fit you well, and match the theme and feeling of your wedding.

The first appointment I had was at J’aime Bridal and it was such a lovely experience. My mom and then soon to be sister-in-law came with me for this one. The woman who helped me was so kind, really took the time to listen to me and helped to guide me without pressuring me. I went in with an idea of what I wanted and the exact dress that I was hoping to try on – I really wanted a strapless, sweetheart neckline dress, with a lacy top and a very low-key flowy bohemian style skirt. They didn’t have the exact dress I was looking for, but they had something very similar and I tried it on and to my disappointment it just didn’t look or feel how I thought it would.

So I tried on a number of dresses in all different styles and came across one with gold beading and sparkles on the top and a skirt more poofy than I had originally thought i wanted but it had waves at the end and flowed so nicely. This dress literally screamed my venue’s vibe and I nearly walked away with it. My mom and sister-in-law teared up and I was so torn – keep looking, or make the big decision now? They both advised me to have a bit more fun and go to a few more places to try on different dresses. So we left, thinking that was the dress I would go back to eventually.

My second appointment was at David’s Bridal and it was honestly a horrible and discouraging experience. This time my mom and my aunt came with me. The lady assigned to us was also assigned to other groups, handed me a huge book and told me to pick out a few I might want to try on. I didn’t even get to look around the store at what was on the mannequins or anything. Everything she brought I hated. The hospitality and personal touch of really listening to what I was looking for was not there at all. I left feeling pretty down and like nothing would ever give me that bride feeling I was looking for.

My third and final appointment was at Janene’s Bridal Boutique and this time I had my mom, two aunts, and my little cousin with me. The woman who was assigned to our group was so good – I believe her name was Tammy. She let us look around and pick out some dresses that I would like to try on, and she even pulled some herself. While in the dressing room she would give me pep talks and kept telling me that my opinion is really the only one that matters and to not get overwhelmed. She made me feel like everything was going to be okay. I tried on a few dresses and none of them were it and everyone agreed. Then Tammy went back and pulled another dress that looked nothing like what I had ever envisioned and convinced me to try it on. I walked out and stood on the podium, looking in the mirror and tears came to my eyes. I had never felt more beautiful or bridal. My mom would later tell me that the second I walked back to the dressing room all four of them agreed that dress was the one, but they didn’t want to sway my opinion so they kept that to themselves.

I still had some dresses to try on, so I went back to the dressing room and finished the ones still in line. But in the end, I needed to put that one dress back on. And then we added a veil just for kicks – I’m telling you ladies, a veil is a magical thing. It will make you feel like a bride, it will make you cry, it will make you never want to take that outfit off. I kept looking at the dress…I loved it, but it had so many details, pearls and sparkles on both the top piece and on the bottom of the skirt. I didn’t want to look too old-fashioned, and I was still fighting two things: the original simple idea I had wanted for my dress in the beginning, and that other dress with the gold that went so well with our venue. But when I looked in that mirror, thought about my grandma, looked at the faces of my aunts and mom and cousin, I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. This was my dress. I didn’t want to take it off. I probably stood there for a good ten minutes just looking at it and feeling so pretty. When I went back to the dressing room with Tammy to change back into my normal clothes I asked her if it was even in our price range and her response was “oh we’ll make sure it is.” So we bought it that day (on no tax day – lucky us!)

All of the dress fittings that followed were so nice, the ladies that helped me throughout the months of getting the dress fitted, teaching me how to walk in it, teaching my cousins how to bustle the back for the reception – it was all such a pleasant and exciting experience. I cannot recommend Janene’s Bridal Boutique enough. If you’re in the area and looking for your dress for your big day, I suggest making an appointment with them and checking it out for yourself.

I also cannot recommend a bridal boutiques in general enough. The difference between the two small boutiques and the time and attention given at both of those places vs. David’s Bridal was night and day. You deserve to feel special when planning your special day and a boutique is the best way to go.

And let’s just take a moment to appreciate how hard they worked and how perfect this dress turned out. I was honestly sad when I had to take it off at the end of the night.