So I know what you’re thinking…I totally left you hanging. And you’re right. I’m sorry friends, I had to wait until after the wedding to post the details on my dress – too many of our guests were reading the blog and I really wanted them to be surprised. Forgive me?
Last we left off, I told you about my shopping trip to NYC and my brushes with fame! From there, Mama Frog and I headed to Designer Loft. The space is great and if you are looking for certain designers (I found a lot of Jenny Packham for example), this is a great spot to hit up. Unfortunately, I tried on quite a few dresses there and none really fit what I had been looking for.
We moved on to The Bridal Garden (a nonprofit that I had high hopes for) and once there, we realized that it would be extremely difficult to find a dress there. I really love the idea of buying from a nonprofit but unfortunately these dresses were pretty beat up…it would take a lot of alterations and a full cleaning to get them back to anywhere near ready for a wedding. Ultimately, not a good fit.
Next up, RK Bridal – a warehouse of sorts. They have rounds and racks throughout the store filled with gowns. You are to search through the dresses, find the ones you want and write your name on the list. They will call you when they are ready and off you go. It’s very different in that you get to walk around freely to look for dresses on your own. Personally I didn’t find anything there but I did see one bride have her “moment” while I was there and it was really fun to watch from the sidelines!
Lastly, and really on a whim, Mama Frog suggested we try to see if the Saks bridal salon had any openings. Saks…why hadn’t I thought of that during my crazy, type A, appointment scheduling madness? We called while on our way to lunch and found that they had an opening that afternoon – yippee! With a nice full belly (perfect for trying on dresses and getting half naked in front of a stranger), we headed to 5th Avenue!
We arrived and were greeted by our salesperson, Melina. She is WONDERFUL and anyone interested in buying there should definitely ask for her – seriously the best salesperson we found in all of our shopping in the city. Melina lead us back to our fitting room and began asking about what I was envisioning, styles I liked, etc. She left the room and brought back the who’s who of bridal gowns. We’re talking Monique Lhuillier, Amsale, Carolina Herrera, Vera Wang, Reem Acra and Oscar de la Renta. I immediately felt very under dressed.
One by one, the dresses missed the mark. I was starting to get very discouraged. Melina said she had a few more she wanted to bring in so I gave her free reign to pull what she thought would work. She brought back three dresses.
The first, an Amsale, was beautiful but too heavy for my occasion – I liked it but I knew it would be way too hot for an outdoor, summer wedding.
The second, a Monique, was Mama Frog’s favorite. As soon as it was clamped into place, she began to tear up. It was beautiful but I knew right away that this was not my dress. Our conversation was as follows:
Mom: Oh sweetie…. (tears welling up)
Me: Yeah it’s really pretty.
Mom: Oh…oh…(big sigh, hand on chest)
Me: Okay mom, I know you are loving this one but you need to put those tears away…this isn’t my dress.
Mom: Are you sure?? (shock and concern on her face)
Me: Yes, I’m sure. I know it’s what you have probably always envisioned but…it’s not my dress.
After explaining that it was just not what I had been searching for, however beautiful it was, she understood and we moved on to the final dress. Melina explained that she saved this one for last because it was her pick for me. I asked her how often she ends up picking dresses for her brides, all she did was smile. Hmm, I thought – this should be interesting. She showed me the dress on the hanger and I recognized it immediately. We had passed this dress on a mannequin as we walked into the bridal salon, it was a Vera. It was pretty but I really didn’t think much of it.
Then I tried it on.
Does anyone else look at this photo and look at my arms and think “I’ve got no strings to hold me down, to make me laugh or make me frown…” from Pinocchio? No? Just me?
It was the first time I was quiet the entire day. I didn’t know what the feeling of “the one” was supposed to feel like but I knew this one was unlike any others and I definitely felt something. After looking at it in the mirror in the room, then out in the big gallery area, then back in the fitting room. At this point, I knew this dress was a major contender…but the pressure to make a decision was just too much and I needed to sleep on it. Melina understood and let us know that her offer was good for the weekend.
That night Mama Frog was up with allergies and had a hard time sleeping. She began thinking about our day of shopping and her mind kept circling back to the Vera dress. Meanwhile, I was happily sleeping and dreaming of the very same dress. The next morning over breakfast I shared my dream with her and she told me of her thoughts in the middle of the night – it seemed as though this dress had chosen me just as much as I had chosen it. At that point, we called Saks, Melina was nice enough to squeeze us in during her lunch break (she’s amazing), she clamped me back into the dress and then, I just knew – this was my dress!
I can’t tell you how much I absolutely LOVED my dress. It’s classic and timeless yet chic and very fitting for our garden wedding. I felt more beautiful than I’ve ever felt on my wedding day and I can’t imagine having any other dress.
How did you choose your dress? Or did your dress choose you?
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