First Things First: The Dress

To start things off, I’ll introduce myself. My name’s Paige, and I’m getting married next summer! June 15^th, to be exact. My fiancé, Keegan, and I are ecstatic to begin a new phase of our lives together. But while I’m excited about the planning process, I’m also a little anxious about it because Keegan and I are both college students. He’s graduating this May, but lots of advanced chemistry classes and three jobs for him, and a full load of classes and work for me is going to make the wedding planning process, well… interesting.

But! I think we’re off to a good start. During this past summer, I took a trip to David’s Bridal with my mom and best friend/maid of honor. I succeeded in the quest to find the dress (I said yes to the dress!), and we also picked out a bridesmaids’ dress while we were there. 

My dress is White by Vera Wang. It’s a tulle ball gown with a corded lace bodice. First of all, I’m thrilled to be wearing something by Vera. Second of all, it’s something I could afford! I was lucky enough to get this dress on sale—the first time Vera has ever allowed her gowns to go on sale, I was told by my consultant. I’m obsessed with tulle, so, naturally, I fell in love with this dress. The many layers of tulle flow beautifully. What I love about the layers is that they aren’t perfectly cut and uniform. They’re kind of abstract and just fall in place wherever they want to. I was kind of surprised at how great the dress fits me. I’m super short—5’2 ½”—so I was worried that I would drown in all the tulle. But I didn’t! The dress conforms to my body shape, and with a pair of heels, it looks stunning. The bodice’s back is another one of my favorite features. It still zips up, but vintage-style buttons line the back of the bodice. When I went dress shopping, the buttons were a must-have on my list of dress features.

The Dress Conclusion: It’s perfect, and I couldn’t ask for more. 

Sarah in her bridesmaids' dress

My maid of honor, Sarah, looks beautiful in her dress, and we knew it would be the right fit for everyone—I have five bridesmaids, including Sarah. The girls are all different shapes and sizes, so it was great to find a dress that flatters each girl’s figure. The dress is made of chiffon, so it makes the layers at the end of the dress look very flow-y. I’m sure it’ll look great when we’re all dancing, too!

As far as the David’s Bridal experience goes, it’s pretty awesome.

Pros: I had a wonderful consultant. She was honest with me, showed me the styles I liked (and didn’t like), and comforted me when I had a mini crisis (long story—maybe I’ll save that for another time). I did go on a Saturday, however. So if you’re more comfortable with a less crowded atmosphere, I would suggest that you make your appointment during a weekday. Every staff member I’ve met at David’s Bridal has been very helpful and upfront with me. I would say DB gowns range in price from $100-$2,000. I like DB because of this—it’s more likely that every bride can find something she loves for a price she’s comfortable with. The store’s also pretty big, so they have a wide selection of gowns, styles, and sizes. The designers they carry include Vera Wang, Oleg Cassini, and Galina. They also have David’s Bridal designs that usually tend to be less expensive than the designer gowns.

Cons: The only drawback I noticed was the pricing on accessories like tiaras, sashes, and shoes. I tried on several tiaras while I was there (I refuse to wear a veil), and when I got to the cash register, I decided not to buy the tiara because it was quite pricey. I don’t remember the exact price, but if I remember correctly, it was over $100. So I would suggest saving your money and finding accessories at other, more affordable places like Amazon.com or Michaels (yes, Michaels has tiaras—they’re too cheap-looking for me, but if you’re on a super tight budget, they’re much more affordable than at DB).

DB Conclusion: I would recommend it to any bride—no matter what your budget is, or what your size is, DB probably has something for you.

Sarah and I at DB

Let’s take a vote on what my next entry should discuss!
1) Colors

2) Themes

3) Food

4) The Cake

-Paige

Credit: Thanks to Sarah for permission to use her photos (hers are the first two pictures featured in this entry)!