Wedding Gown Shopping!

Probably the most exciting day yet (besides the day I got engaged!) and I couldn't be happier with how it ended! I have been dreaming about shopping for a wedding dress for years. It is so surreal walking into a bridal store and actually trying dresses on as a bride. That feeling alone swept me off my feet. I went into the experience with a very open mind, knowing that I would like a lot of things, so I felt overwhelmed by the whole process. Here's what I tried on! Prepare for picture overload!

 This dress was a "ball gown" that I tried, although in my head, "ballgown" means pouf and tulle and twirl. I really liked this dress on, but the bottom had nothing special.

 The top of this dress is very similar to almost all the dresses I tried on, but the bottom was not happening. The diagonals, the lace, it was all wrong.

 This was a satin gown. Now, the only things I didn't want to try on were satin and lace. I actually really loved this satin dress, it was a "light satin" whatever that means, but it was surprisingly lightweight and the fit was just so pretty. I worried what it would look like in pictures (satin always looks shiny to me). I did love this dress, but there wasn't anything special.

 This dress was so not on my list, sleeves are not my thing, but they arent really sleeves, they are like glitsy, beaded awesomeness. It was WAY to big and was hard to see what the fit really looked like, but the back was a showstopper. See below!

 Pictures don't do justice, but trust me, it was unbelievable how pretty it was! As gorgeous as the back was, the rest of the dress lacked a lot and straps just are not my style at all! I'm happy I tried it on though!

 Loved this dress too! But the rosette bottom was not my thing and I didnt like the flow from the mid thigh area to the skirt bottom. The cut off is just too much for me. The rest of the dress though, perfect!

 The other ballgown I tried on, my mom LOVED this one, but it did nothing for me.

 This dress was all tulle (im a ballerina so I was all over this) and was stunning on, but I found myself being a little itchy from the tulle. I also didn't think B would like this one.

So the top one was a definite potential, but my dad was not a fan of all the beading up top and I wasn't a fan of how itchy my arms were from it. I loved how it looked on and I loved the detail on the hip. I also really liked the skirt and how it flowed. But I just wasn't 100% sold on the beading up top. I had tried on a few dresses with a beaded belt and liked the focus to be there a lot more.

The second dress was runner up to the one I ended up choosing. It's a Pronovias dress (the Letunde) and one I had been eyeing for a while now. The dress was a runway dress. It was so modern and unique. I wont lie-I loved that I was wearing a known designer dress too. The big flaw-the feathered top. I had seen it online and hated it. I hate how it looked in pictures. In real life, its not that bad, but pictures are what last a life time and if I don't like how my dress looks in pictures, why buy it? I also had my heart set on a corset back, I just love how they look and this dress lacked it. It was also over my budget. It came in under my parents budget, but I had my own budget that I was comfortable having them spend. Once you add in a veil and a belt, we were over, by a lot. The salon I was buying it at is also a good 2 hours away in Boston and would've been a pain to deal with.

I'm sure you get the idea of what my style is and can probably come up with a good picture of what it looks like, but a very select few will see it until the wedding! My parents came with me (they are paying) so they have seen it (and love it!). My matron of honor has also seen it because she will be getting me into it and bustling it so she will have to see it beforehand anyways.  The only other person who has seen it is Bridesmaid N. She actually found the dress online and sent it to me and being the crazy bride I am pretty much stole it from under her. It sound worse than it is though, I would never have considered it if she wasn't 1000 percent sure she didn't want it. I also offered for her to come with me to try it on herself and if she loved it, it was hers. She agreed that the style was more me and was pushing all week for me to find it. Good thing I did because it ended up being the one!

The best feeling I have had yet was putting on a veil for the first time. Even though it wasn't with my dress, I could just picture myself walking down the aisle to meet B on the other end and getting to marry him! That definitely made me tear up a little and got me all giddy! Cant wait to share the rest of our wedding planning week!