Sequins, Lace, Tulle...Oh My!

So yesterday was my dress shopping trip with my mom. It was definitely a surreal but fun experience. We arrived at David's Bridal right at noon when they opened, I was glad to be one of the first to arrive and beat the rush. I've heard some horror stories about their customer service but my dress consultant was a very sweet and helpful woman. She pulled the dresses I had saved to "my favorites" on the website as well as a few additional including one dress that I had seen on the website and really liked but didn't mark because of the price.



I tried on this dress first, initially I thought this would be a good contender but when I tried it on I found that it was VERY heavy. I knew that I would be uncomfortable wearing it all day and trying to dance in it. So this one got nixed pretty quick.




I also tried on this one but I found it very unflattering on me. It pretty much just hung and did nothing for my figure.



I liked this dress except I felt like the top portion made my boobs look weird and actually seemed to flatten me out. I know with some tailoring that could be fixed but it wasn't one of my favorites.



I tried on this dress and you can't see it well in the picture but the skirt is a ballgown style and full of tulle. As soon as I tried it on I knew I didn't like it. It was way too much skirt for me and I looked like I was drowning in it. As my mom said it was the dress I would have picked out when I was 7 years old...only I would have wanted it in pink. It's a definite princess dress.



This was the dress my mom liked the best. It was a completely different style from the others with the satin fabric and more beading. I thought it was very pretty but I'm not sure it will work in the outdoor garden setting that I'm getting married in. I think this is more of a ballroom in the city type of dress. Funny enough when I was browsing the website again that night Kristian pointed to this dress and said he really liked it. Guess he and my mom have the same taste.



This is the dress I liked the most. I actually think it looks much better in person and not to sound conceited but I liked how it looked on me much better than the model. As in the picture I tried on a long, cathedral length veil with it which I loved. It had the sweetheart neckline I wanted and the lace look, even thought it's not lace but more of a brocade type of material. It also had just a small bit of beading under the bust which I think was a nice touch. I thought the fit was very flattering to my petite frame as well. Unfortunately this dress was also the most expensive of the bunch.

After trying on all these dresses I've come to some conclusions. I definitely think the sweetheart neckline is the best on me, I think lace will work the best in the setting I'm getting married in, I don't like tulle, I do like long veils, because of my small frame I think I look better in dresses that are a bit tighter thru the torso and gradually flare out more at the hips. However, I still haven't completely ruled out a dress with a fuller skirt, I think I would just need to find the right one.

I still want to shop around a bit more and see what else is out there and how other designers look on me. I also really want to go with one or two of my girlfriends to get their opinions since my mom and I have different tastes. But overall it was a really fun experience and something I'm really glad I got to share with my mom.