The Dress: Wedding Flashback

It’s wedding flashback time! I really need to do this more often because it makes me so happy reliving my wedding day. Today we’re going to talk about…

THE DRESS

There was a lot of “Say Yes to the Dress” being watched in our household before I picked out my wedding dress. For those of you who may not know, I am a terrible decision maker, so the thought of picking out the perfect wedding dress for myself terrified me like no other.

My original thoughts were that I wanted a halter top dress because I wanted to be able to enjoy the day without yanking the dress up, I wanted lace, and that was about all IΒ thought I wanted.

The first dress shopping was very casual. My mom and I went to a small boutique, I tried on a handful of dresses, some of which I liked, but I couldn’t get over the price tags. I wasn’t about to spend a fortune on a dress that I was going to wear one time. I am a die-hard bargain shopper and that title wasn’t going to be put on hold while shopping for “the dress.” We left the store feeling pretty happy to have had the first dress shopping trip out of the way. I knew I wasn’t going to find my dress the first day, but you’ve got to start somewhere!

For the next endeavor, we headed over to The Wedding Shoppe in St. Paul. This time mom and I brought along my maid of honor, Betsy and my mother-in-law, Sue. This time I meant business. πŸ™‚ The Wedding Shoppe has the largest selection of dresses around the Twin Cities, PLUS they honor your dress budget and have dresses that accommodate all price ranges.

I tried on halter top dresses, I tried on princess dresses, I tried on lace dresses. At this point I was starting to realize that what I had in mind as my ideal dress prior to dress shopping wasn’t all that practical for me.

Some of the dresses I tried on were SO heavy that I felt claustrophobic and I did not want to be tied down by a heavy dress. So, we got rid of the heavy dresses. Next was the lace. I loved the lace dresses but they weren’t giving me the “this is it” feeling I was hoping for, plus the price tags made my stomach churn. So, we got rid of the lace dresses. The halter tops weren’t flattering, so I ditched that idea. I was starting to get nervous that I wasn’t going to be able to find my dress because I didn’t know what I wanted.

The stylist pulled some dresses for me that she thought I might like based on what she had seen that I didn’t like, and heard that I didn’t like. The dresses she pulled would not have been ones that I would have chosen for myself, but I was open to trying them on. Many of them were strapless and I had told her my concern about worrying I’d have to yank my dress up all day. She told me that the dress is going to be so well-fitted to my body, that it will not be an issue whatsoever. Okay, the strapless dresses are back in the running now.

Sure enough one of the dresses that she pulled was the one that made everyone cry and which made me feel the most beautiful. But even with the reassurance of my family, my indecisiveness was getting the best of me. I’m a fairly emotional person, and I thought I would absolutely bawl when I found the perfect dress, but I didn’t. I got a few tears in my eyes but I think it was mostly because I saw my family members so choked up. So I worried that I wasn’t reacting how I thought I would.

I couldn’t let my lack of self-confidence and indecisiveness ruin this experience and keep me from getting this dress that was perfect for me. I knew this was THE ONE, and I knew I needed to commit, and at that moment, my stomach settled, and I knew it was right. The dress was sweet, beautiful, soft, and perfect.

The decision was made, the credit card was handed over (xoxo M + D), Β and the dress was mine. I never looked back. I did make myself stop watching Say Yes to the Dress or I would have driven myself crazy thinking I had bought the wrong dress. Everyone told me once you buy your dress, STOP looking at dresses or you WILL drive yourself crazy. I took their advice for it as the textil is amazing, she also helped by choosing the textil for the tablecloths so we bought linen tablecloths bulk so we could be prepared for the day.

The dress I chose was ivory, organza fabric, mermaid fit, and stunning.

Like most brides, I was concerned that once the wedding day arrived I wouldn’t be able to zip up my dress, but she zipped up like a charm.

I never had to worry about yanking the dress up because the stylist was right, it fit me like a glove and never budged. My dress tailor did a superb job of fitting my dress to me so that it wasn’t so snug around my mid-section where I felt I couldn’t move comfortably, she left a little bit of wiggle room. I needed to be able to DANCE after all, and I surely did.

Anyway, without further ado, I present to you, my dress.

the dress wedding dress wedding dress 2 wedding dress 4 wedding wedding dress 5 wedding outside wedding dress 6

And my shoes!

wedding shoes wedding dance

 

dance wedding

Yup, I need to do these posts more often; such amazing memories. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did!

Off I go now to enjoy my Saturday in a very good, lovey dovey mood.

This Post Has 8 Comments

  1. Your dress was absolutely stunning! I am also a horrible decision maker and know that if I ever get married I will have a horribly hard time picking out a dress. Hope you have a great weekend!
    Nicole @ FruitnFitness recently posted…Easy Apple CobblerMy Profile

    1. Melanie

      Ha ha, that’s why it’s good to bring a team with you to help you decide. πŸ˜‰

  2. Wow – your dress looked amazing on you! I love the look Dana is giving you at your first look – or at least I think it is a photo of your first look πŸ™‚ I really like these type of posts because they bring back wedding memories for me too. I am such an impulsive, let’s not waste any time with the details kinda person that I bought the 3rd dress I tried on! It was exactly what I was looking for and didn’t want to stress out over dress shopping so my mom and I purchased it the same day I tried it on.
    Becky @ Olives n Wine recently posted…Wine Review – Kim Crawford Sauvignon BlancMy Profile

    1. Melanie

      Thanks honey! Isn’t it the best to relive the memories? It gives me warm fuzzy feelings. πŸ™‚

  3. Awww this post just made me smile. .. I love how pretty and in love you look on your wedding day –> just how it’s supposed to be! And I ended up with a totally different dress than I was expecting too – I wonder how often that actually happens? Happy Saturday!
    Katie @ running4cupcakes recently posted…Friday Favorites: 4/12/13My Profile

    1. Melanie

      I hope you had a great weekend!!

    1. Melanie

      I switched to red flip flops for the reception and was SO happy I did. I had to be free to dance the night away! πŸ˜‰

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