Saying yes to the dress...

This past July, my mom and my future mother-in-love came up to NYC to go wedding dress shopping with me before the big move.  The first day was wonderful!  The second day was frustrating... but I eventually found the perfect dress and I can't wait to wear it next summer.  And no, you will not get to see it in this post - so keep dreaming ;).  BUT I will show you some of the other beautiful gowns I found on my shopping journey.

I knew I wanted something with texture and a splash of uniqueness that I hadn't seen on anyone else's wedding dress - and I've been to a lot of weddings.  Nothing too sparkly. Nothing too poofy.  I was a Texas debutante.  So, needless to say, been there. Done that.  I also didn't want anything too heavy since we were having an outdoor wedding.  I was actually leaning towards a short dress, so that I could keep costs down and also get some rad shoes.  However, I was definitely one of those brides who ended up with a dress that was NOT expected.  But it's beautiful and sophisticated, and I couldn't be happier.

So, here's how it all went down...

We started at Amsale.  One of my best friends from college had an Amsale dress that was beautiful.  They also carry a whole line of "Little White Dresses" that I wanted to check out.  A lot of the dresses (like the ones below) at the showroom were gorgeous - I guess their prices have gone up with their popularity. So, it seemed like a lack of unique design for the price.

Next, we headed down the street to Pronovias, a spanish brand known for its beautiful lace and european style gowns.  I found so many dresses that I loved here.  And the prices seemed so much more reasonable for what you were getting!  Here are a few that I looked at...

Our final stop on Day 1 was a new bridal boutique in the West Village called Lovely Bride.  Lovely carries a lot of smaller designers and most of their dresses have a similar aesthetic to what I was looking for.   I highly recommend this "lovely" little place.

Day 2 was the more frustrating day.  We started out the day at Kleinfeld's - you know, the "Say Yes to the Dress" people.  It's a lovely salon... a lovely HUGE salon.  That was one of the difficulties here - you really had to rely on your consultant to understand your criteria and pull the right dresses.  The problem? My consultant did not understand what I was looking for.  Also, I don't think Kleinfeld's really specializes in the style of dress I was looking for.  They have so many more options if you are looking for a big glitzy ball gown. Sorry, Pnina Tornai, I'm just not that into you.

The final stop on my wedding dress journey was the brand new J. Crew bridal salon on Madison Avenue.  It is a great boutique!  They don't quite have their process down yet.  And as much as I love the simplicity of the J. Crew dresses, I was looking for something with just a little more panache.  But here are a couple that I tried on....

I am going to remember their jewelry though!  So unique - it's over-the-top, but in a good way!  Check it out...

The next couple days, I slept on everything I saw and eventually came to a decision.  It was a tough decision because going into my dress search, I was thinking I would end up in a more casual dress.  However, I ended up purchasing a beautiful dress from Pronovias that is more on the fancy side.  It will still fit in our rustic mountain theme with its delicate, vintage details. And I'm so excited to marry the love of my life in this dress!