Saying yes to the dress...oh and that dress too....

After the excitement of booking The Manor House anxiety and reality soon settled in...I now had 5 months to literally plan EVERYTHING!  And what scared me the most, is that I was going to have to wait an additional weekend to start the planning as my step dad's surprise 70th birthday/family reunion happened to be the weekend after we booked our venue.  My mom and I had been planning this for well over a year, so I knew my wedding planning was just going to have to wait.  However, this didn't stop the panic attacks and nightmares of trying to find a dress on time from creeping up on me. I knew many designers took at least 6 months to get a dress ordered, so I made sure my wedding dress budget had room for a 'rush' fee added into it.
What was my budget you ask? Well, it was really hard for me to justify paying a hefty dime to purchase a dress i was only going to wear for 8 hours...max.  But I also knew that I had expensive taste! (I blame my mother...I'm pretty sure she'd agree too) :)  So, I gave myself a fair number, something I could work with, but also be proud of if I didn't go over and be psyched if I saved a couple hundred as well.  So the budget was set at $1500...this budget is to include the following:

The Dress
The Alterations
The Rush (if needed)
The Undergarments

Fair, right?
So I quickly started looking at designers I knew would be in or under the price range.  Designers such as Mori Lee, Maggie Sottero, and Jenny Yoo all caught my eye and I quickly started finding a style I wanted.  I knew there were a couple factors also about my dress...1.) It absolutely 100% had to have pockets! or have the ability to put pockets in the dress.  2.) It had to be comfortable and easy to move around in (none of these 100 pound dresses you have to have help going to the bathroom in. And 3.) a request via Kiel, no strapless!

I constantly heard from many brides in the past, that you never end up with the dress you thought you'd get or really liked in pictures/research...guess what...they were 100% right. At least with me.

Here are dresses I was putting into my inspiration binder (and even tried on)

Jenny Yoo - Aimee

Maggie Sottero - Asha
(My Favorite)

Mori Lee - #2517

LESSON #3:
You will probably end up with something completely different than what you had originally imagined yourself in.
LESSON #4:
You may not get that IT feeling when you find your dress.

In many ways I've honestly felt kind of robbed of my wedding gown shopping experience. I knew I had very little time to find a gown and was having a small crisis regarding the gowns I was picking...the bridal boutique I went to no longer carried Maggie Sottero...and every other gown I was asking about, they no longer had in their store.  It was a nightmare I really had hoped to avoid.  I considered canceling the appointment, but the gal I spoke with was so helpful and convinced me that we'd find something I'd love. She was right.  I found 3 dresses, and all within my budget...but only if I bought the sample gown...SCARY!  To top it off, I had another appointment a couple hours later at a different boutique that I really wanted to go to...but was truly worried that if I had left the store, didn't find a dress at the other boutique and came back, the one dress I loved the most would be sold...and I didn't really want to take that risk!  After help from my mom, grams, maid of honor and bridesmaid...as well as the best man's opinion...I made the choice to purchase the 4th dress I had tried on and canceled the appointment at the other boutique. 

TIP #3:
Don't buy into the sales tactics of purchasing a dress right then and there...unless you really absolutely 110% love your dress, it might be best to look else where in the same day. If you give yourself ample amounts of time, you can always return to the first store before they close and purchase the dress (As long as it wasn't a sample gown and it didn't get sold after you left...) 

My gown shopping was quite a nerve racking experience, and I'll be honest, if I could do it over again, I probably would have gone to the other appointment.  I love my dress...but at 97 days before the wedding, I have 2nd guessed my decision over 12 times, and continue to do so.  Don't get me wrong...it's a gorgeous gown...but I never got that IT feeling and it was completely opposite from the dresses you see above.  My decision was made on a couple different factors:

1.) I felt amazing in the gown
2.) It had pockets! AN ABSOLUTE MUST
3.) It had straps...Kiel's request - check!
4.) It was a couture gown that I was getting under my $1500 budget
5.) Everyone in the store literally stopped to stare, including other brides and their entourages.  It was definitely a show stopping gown!

My fear was eased a bit after reading another bride's blog...she did get the IT feeling...but she had said that she knew many brides who never got the feeling and the dress literally looked like it was made for them...it honestly took a bit of stress from me, and since reading that blog, I haven't actually second guessed the gown...though I still have a couple months to go, so I'm sure it will happen again.

On that note...as much as I'd love to show you the entire gown...I can only give you a small glimpse, as I do not want Kiel to see this...and I'd rather you all be in awe when I post our wedding pictures!

Me in the dress...just a sneak peek :)

Tell me your wedding dress shopping experiences...did you have nightmares? did you get the IT feeling? Did you end up with the dress you saw in a magazine, or go with something completely different? I'd love to hear your stories and experiences!

With Love,

Cydney AKA The Soon to be Mrs. Johnson