Lucky for me, there are so many alternatives to finding a wedding dress nowadays. First of all, my approach was pretty simple. I would just browse the interwebz and bridal magazines to get ideas. Unlucky for me, I seem to be attracted to the most.expensive.dresses. EVER! It's not like I even seek out designers, my taste just seems to gravitate toward higher priced items.
What's a girl to do? I decided that I would not spend more than a certain amount for my dress. Now, this amount fluctuated depending on how I was feeling, but it was more or less in the five hundred to one thousand dollars range. In (my) wedding dress land, that's pretty modest. (I understand that term is relative, but seeing how all the dresses that caught my eye were five thousand dollars and upward, you can see how I thought my budget was modest. Or at least pretend you understand me. kthxmucho.)
Here were my top contenders:
(source)
My top choice, above, was a Monique (do I really need to spell her last name?). I love it in all its frivolous glory. The price...not so much. I had considered having something similar made, but time escaped me and decided to just let it go...
(source)
Ahhh....Vera. You never fail to disappoint me. Unfortunately, your prices (for a gown like this, anyway) do. At last, it wasn't meant to be.
There you have them...my top two choices. I had considered wearing something more sleek, but I found that I really deflected towards the more impractical and whimsical. Go figure.
Since these dresses were not in my budget, I considered other options. One was paying a (not so local) Chinese dress maker. The other was to choose something else. I went with the latter. I haven't decided if I want to "reveal" the dress yet or not, so I will leave you with this: My dress is every bit as impractical and whimsical as the Monique and Vera, but with a price tag to match my heart's desire. I found it online. The picture of the dress online wasn't even the color I wanted (white or ivory), but decided to order it anyway. I love it to pieces and cannot wait to wear it. The universe really worked it's magic on me.
Anyone else decide to live life on the edge and find their dress(es) or "wedding outfits" under not-so-traditional circumstances?
12 comments:
Looks like your post cut off.
When I started to think about dresses I wanted to avoid the big designers because they intimidated me and wouldn't even have my size to try on in the store since I'm a women's/plus 16-18. I also think my budget for the dress was modest since most dresses in the industry were generally quoted at over $1,500+ when I called the stores. So, I committed the sin of all sins, I went to David's Bridal. Hated the first trip but loved the second trip! :)
peasandcarrot: HELLO! and welcome! You're my first guest and commentor:)) thanks for stopping by:) must be my bridal brain---thank you for pointing out that i did indeed cut the post off. oops. i'll get cracking to fix it. and, i just realized i wrote ...500-1000 when it should read free-1000:) anyway, no shame in your game. i don't think it should matter where you get your dress. my sister found a lovely dress at DB for 200.00 and she looked beautiful! i'm sure you will too!!
I didn't go the bridal shop route, either. I bought mine off ebay!
lifeinwhite: i just saw the sneak peek of your dress on your blog. it looks gorgeous! i can't wait to see the rest of it!
Bonjour!
I found you through WB!
Unfortunately this is a crappy comment, but I'll be back with every post, I promise :)
Bonjour Ceamoste! wish i knew more french than that! Yay! you're my 1st follower! i am going to think of something special to commemorate my 1st commentor (peasandcarrot) and my 1st follower---you:) Love to Ontarions (that's not a word, is it?)! i have lots of family in Ontario:D
The thing about budgeting a certain amount for a dress is that the price of a dress is not entirely reflective of all that you'll spend on your look. I only went over budget on my dress by $150 but spent another $350 on alterations + veil. Fail :D. But I loved that thing so much...
-Michelle
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Michelle: you're absolutely right! My sister spent 200.00 on her dress + 150.00 on alterations. it would have been only 50.00 on alterations, but she had bridal brain and forgot to get measured with her wedding shoes. she only realized it when she picked up her dress 3 days before the wedding. oops. i'm sure she could have had it hemmed for much less, but she didn't want to risk it and decided to let them have her arm and leg in exchange for a piece of mind:)
i've learned from her and the alterations is definitely part of my dress budget. my veil will be included with my accessories budget, which is a whole other post:)
Hi, I found you through WB!
I'd love to see pictures of your top contenders. Maybe another post? We all know what bride brain feels like so no worries. ;)
Thanks for understanding Encore Bride!
Have you ever heard of preownedweddingdresses.com
or try etsy, so many designers on there!
Gorgeous Dresses and Fabulous Designers!
You must naturally have great style! =]
Meg: Thanks! You're so sweet!! And, yes, I did try pre-owned and etsy (thanks for the suggestions though!), but found my dress through a mass retailer! It's not a "wedding dress," but I like it better that way! At least, if I change my mind, I can return it. (They give you up to six months.)
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