The Dress Pt. 3

So, I realize it's been awhile since I actually updated this little series of my wedding dress shopping excursions. So although I know this isn't exactly the focus of this blog I still think it's important enough to warrant some attention. So with that out of the way, hopefully I will be able to complete these final few chapters fairly quickly. Without further ado, the second half of my David's Bridal experience.

This store ultimately wound up being the one I tried the most dresses on. Up next was another lovely Very Wang gown with a gorgeous crinkle chiffon and tulle skirt.

VW351178

 I had never really seen a fabric like this and it admittedly was very fetching. I absolutely adore the bodice of this dress. It was so unbelievably flattering and comfortable and made me feel just beautiful. The sweeping details on the skirt were also gorgeous as they were quite unique and reminded a lot of Disney's classic Cinderella's dress. Again we tried it with another belt just to give it a little pop of sparkle, but I know with something so wintery that the flowers weren't quite to my taste.

Sadly, this gown was just a tad above my comfortable price range. I know that had I fallen head over heels in love with it my sisters and mom would have helped me pay the difference. But since I was still on the fence, I was hesitant to take them up on such a generous offer. In the end, I think it was the crinkle chiffon that was both a bless and a curse. It was so unique and beautiful to touch, yet it was just different enough that it strayed too far from what I had always envisioned.

Don't know the style number :(

Next up with this little beauty. This was actually a gown chosen by my mother, which is why it might look a little different from the previous dresses. My mother and I have very different tastes, but I knew that I absolutely wanted to try on something that she specifically chose for me.

I was surprised at just how much I actually liked this dress. I was wary as it was covered in lace , had a lot of detail on the bodice and didn't have as full a skirt as I tended to prefer, but once I slipped it on I was pleasantly surprised. It was certainly a lot lighter than the other dresses I had tried on, and the sparkle and lace was way more elegant and classy than I had initially thought. What can I say, my Mom has good taste! And while this dress might not have been The One, I was pretty pleased to have tried it on.

VW351213 in gold/blush


I tried on a few more dresses, but my appointment was winding down and with nothing jumping out at me I decided to try on the original Vera Wang dress on just one last time. This time I opted for the second version of the dress in blush and gold. Slipping it on felt like magic as I was once again enveloped in folds of beautiful, soft tulle. The pink was an element I hadn't ever considered before and the whimsical bow sent my heart aflutter.

Still, as far as my entourage was considered, it was less than a winner. I wasn't ready to give up on it just yet. This had been the dress of my dreams the second I saw it online and I wasn't about to throw in the towel. I knew my dress shopping journey had just begun, so while I wasn't going to make a decision just yet, I wasn't ready to let go of it either.

So ended my very first wedding dress shopping trip. As I left the store, I was a finding myself wrestling way more emotions and confusion than I had anticipated. I knew exactly what I wanted and it wasn't particularly complicated, so why was I having such difficulty finding it? Was it supposed to be a super clear Aha! moment? Did it really matter if my family and friends disliked the dress if I loved it? Could I really opt for anything other than traditional white? Would I regret it later?

It was a lot to take in and I wasn't nearly as prepared as I thought I was. One might argue that for a dress I would only wear for one day, it needn't be such a huge obstacle. And yet I view it from the other side of the coin. Because I get to wear this dress for only one day, should it not be absolutely perfect? Even a cheap gown will more than likely run a pretty penny, so should I not invest in something I truly love on a day I intend to remember for the rest of my life? 

I left the shop with more questions than I did answers.

Part One: Introduction

Part Two: David's Bridal (1)

Part Four: Mafalda's Bridal

Part Five: Bay Area Bridal