I Said YES to the Dress!!

We had a great day today trying on dresses, and I definitely burned some calories getting in- and out of so many heavy dresses - that's quite the workout. Best of all, the day ended with my perfect dress!

Stop #1: Almond Tree Boutique. Like I said in another post, I wasn't sure what to expect from a consignment bridal shop, and I didn't go into it with overly high expectations. The shop was cute; the dress room wasn't gigantic, but there were lots of dresses lining three walls & one wall had a couple rooms to try on dresses. It seemed like most of the dresses were my size, so I had a pretty good selection. None of the dresses along the walls were exactly the color/style/material I was looking for, so that forced me to try all kinds of dresses.

It was a good start to the day, and with each new style of dress I tried on, I got to cross those off the list; even if my mom/Mandy/Briana said they looked good, they just weren't right. We had fun trying on some hideous dresses (an example is the dress in the picture with the brown bow... Yikes!), and at the last minute, Alyssa (our bridal consultant) realized there was a dress on a mannequin that was similar to my ideal dress. The color was wrong, but she was right about how close it would be, and that really helped reinforce the type of dress I had my heart set on.

The prices were VERY reasonable, Alyssa was fantastic, and even though I didn't find my dress there, I have nothing but good things to say about her & Almond Tree Boutique. After talking more to Alyssa about how I really liked Maggie Sottero dresses, she told us how a bridal shop called Kaira's had recently had a Maggie Sottero trunk show (and that they carry her dresses), and Mandy immediately looked it up on her phone. She called, found out they allow walk-ins, and we headed that direction.

If you know of a future bride who's open to the idea of buying a consigned wedding dress (remember, most of them are new) and who is looking to save some serious $, send her to Almond Tree! http://almondtreeweddings.com/

Stop #2: Kaira's Bridal and Tuxedo Superstore. This store definitely didn't offer the same 1-on-1 attention that Almond Tree gave, but they had multiple Maggie Sottero dresses that fit what I was looking for; I couldn't stop smiling after I saw that. Despite the fact that the first dress I chose to try on was 2 sizes too small, it was gorgeous. I set that one aside and tried on probably 5 more dresses. We all compared each one to that first dress. At the last minute, one of their bridal consultants brought in a dress I had actually printed a photo of, and I was sure the dress would be perfect. As I put on the dress, it felt right. The consultant helped me get the dress closed, and I looked into the mirror... It didn't even compare to the first dress.

I put dress #1 back on, we figured out a few changes/alterations we'd like (there's not much to change!), and just like they say on one of my favorite shows, I said yes to the dress! At that moment, emotion hit me, and my eyes teared up. I was able to shake it off without letting tears fall, but that was exactly the feeling I was looking for. Knowing the sample was two sizes too small, that I'm going to make a couple changes to the dress and have it altered to fit perfectly, and that the sample wasn't the same white as the dress I will be getting, I CAN'T WAIT to see how my actual dress looks on me!

My Grandma K (Dad's Mom) passed away about two and a half years ago. She and I were very close, and every time I saw her, she'd ask if I was dating anyone; she always hoped I would find the right guy. Right after she died, I put aside the money that I inherited from her and told myself it would be used to buy my wedding dress - as a present from her b/c she would have LOVED to be a part of that day. Grandma, even though you're not here physically, thank you; the dress is perfect, and I can only hope you love it as much as I do.

Stop #3 - David's Bridal. Although we found my dress, I still wanted to take a look at the bridesmaid dresses. In an hour, we found two great options for dresses, and I realized our color will be their "Malibu," a blue-ish/aqua color. I want to go over our favorites with Patrick, then I'll be sending information to the girls in my bridal party to get their opinions and have them go try the dresses on.

It's been a VERY productive day!

-Lisa