The dress. One of the most important pieces of clothing you will ever wear; or at least that’s what shows like, “Say Yes To The Dress” make you think. I know for most girls, going to try on your dress is something you dream about. For me, not so much. The thought of having to go pick out a dress felt like a hassle and it put a lot of pressure on me. As a plus-sized woman, the idea of just shopping for regular clothes can make your confidence shrink. I went into wedding dress shopping with a negative attitude and a lot of fear, to be honest.
I had been pinning some ideas on my Pinterest board ever since we got engaged whenever I saw a dress I liked. The problem was, I would usually say to myself, “well you can’t wear that” and “it won’t look good on you.” Even before I looked in person I was limiting myself to what I thought I could have. Regardless of my size, one thing I knew for sure I wanted to limit was the budget. I’m just not one of those people who are comfortable spending a considerable amount of money on a dress. We are right in the middle of buying a house, in addition to the wedding this year, so we are trying to be as budget conscious as possible.
I knew I wanted to go to David’s Bridal because they carry many sizes, they are budget friendly, and I wouldn’t need anything custom made. As you know I’ve been a bridesmaid 7 times, so I’ve been to David’s Bridal a lot! I hoped that this time being the bride, I could find something that I really loved and felt comfortable in. I struggled with trying to stay positive but also feeling pessimistic that I wouldn’t be able to find something that looked good on me.
I made the appointment a few weeks prior to actually going in and that’s when I started looking on their website. I went through EVERY SINGLE DRESS! I would look at it on the screen and immediately know if it was a yes, maybe, or no. Again, my budget helped me figure that out too! I wasn’t sure exactly what style I wanted to go with since you really can’t tell how it will look until you try something on. One thing I was pretty sure about was that I wanted straps. If you have ever searched for a dress with straps you will find that 99% of wedding dresses are strapless! This could be a good thing however, because it really narrowed down my choices. I still chose a few strapless designs because I wanted to have an open mind. I would suggest brides try to keep an open mind and just try it on if you think you might like it. It only takes a few minutes and you won’t wonder how something might have looked on you.
I recruited my mom, grandmother, and cousin (my matron of honor) to come with me. Having too many people with you can be overwhelming with so many opinions, that you won’t be able to hear your own. Trust me; you will get to hear the opinions of the random strangers in the dressing room area and from the consultants, so you need to keep your group tight. Bring people who will be honest but support whatever you choose. Also, make sure to have someone in your group take photos because you will forget and you need to be able to see the back. This is also good in case you are going to visit other salons or just want to sleep on it before you commit to buying.
With my choices in tow, I met my family at the salon. The consultant started picking out some of the ones I had chosen and we also grabbed a couple that my mom and grandma had seen from scanning the store. My consultant was so sweet, patient and it really made me feel more comfortable. Having someone who genuinely wanted to help me find something I think really made a difference in my whole dress buying experience. She helped me into the first gown, one that I had picked out online and I walked out of the dressing room to show my family. It was a “like”, not a “love”, but I was already feeling confident not only that I would find a dress, but that I would find one that I felt good in too.
We tried on the next one, another one I picked out online, and I went out to show them. This dress was beautiful! It actually ended up being “the one” but I wanted to try on more so I had plenty to choose from. I tried on a few that my consultant picked out; some I liked, some I didn’t. Some of the dresses that have straps or sleeves were just plain ugly so as soon as I tried them on I knew they were a NO! After about 8 dresses I asked her if I could try on a mermaid style just to see what it would look like. She grabbed a fit and flare style with beautiful beading on the chest. This one I really loved! It came down to this one and the second one I had tried on. I put the other dress on and then this one a few times to see how they compared when I had them on. My family liked both so I decided to go with what I felt most comfortable in and I went with the one with the straps. Obviously that dress isn’t posted here but I did post some of the rest so you can see what kinds of dresses I tried on.
After I had selected my dress I just felt this huge weight fall off of my shoulders. I didn’t know this before but I guess it’s a David’s Bridal tradition that when you find your dress they have you stand on this pedestal, ring a bell and make a wish. My consultant said a few words to me, gave me a hug, and instructed me to ring the bell.
I was a little embarrassed because everyone in the salon was looking at me, but I felt great. I rang the bell with a huge smile on my face and a sense of accomplishment. It made me wish I hadn’t spent so much time worrying or feeling negative about myself. I really need to try harder in this whole wedding planning process to just enjoy the ride, stress less, and know it will all work out; because it will.
