a wedding dress photo op

This post is dedicated to my dear friend who recently got engaged and will soon experience the joy (and pain) of wedding dress shopping. Congratulations, Laura!

Wedding dress shopping.

What an adventure.

I went wedding dress shopping in April, nine months before my January wedding. It was a little early, I admit, but I would soon be stuck in the wilds of northern Minnesota, and any trip to a wedding boutique would be at least 45 minutes. The nearest David's Bridal was two and a half hours. I didn't want to wait until the fall when I'd be back in the cities, so I decided to get my dress in the spring before I went home for the summer. Plus, let's face the music, I was really excited.

I sort of had an idea of what I wanted, but to start I grabbed a bunch of random dresses to try on.

Dress numero uno.

The back reminded me of a tuxedo. And I didn't like the see-through lace all the way up and down the train.

And the front...

It definitely pulled off that hourglass shape. Or maybe that was due to the crazy undergarments I was wearing.


Not a winner. The back reminded me of a beetle.

This is actually the dress one of my friends wore at her wedding several years ago. I didn't know it at the time, but I saw pictures later and was like, "HEY! I tried that dress on!" It had buttons all the way down the back and it was very pretty, but not for me.

Check out this one:

I think it's safe to say Alaina and mermaid style do not do well together.

Falling-off dress.

The above dress was actually worn by another friend at her wedding, but it was after this. Her wedding was that following August and when I saw her in her dress I just knew I had tried that one on. When she got closer I could tell for sure. Yep, same dress. Kind of ironic that out of the 10 or so dresses I tried on, two were worn by other people I know in their weddings.

This one was too floaty.

And this one was my favorite.

I loved the ties in the back.

And the flouncy skirt.

I loved the whole thing.

But, it was not the dress I bought that day.

It was about this time my mother talked me into trying a dress with a halter strap.

Halter strap: take one.

That would be a no-go.

A very, very, definite no-go.

You can't tell from this picture, but this dress actually had giant white rose blossoms stuck all over the back. Mercy, were there ever rose balls on that dress.

Halter strap: take two.

A critical eye on the dress. My mom, aunt, and sister, who were with me, LOVED this dress.

The back. I did love the lace.

Trying to decide.

It was a winner in the end. My mom and aunt said I might someday regret getting a dress that was so "modern." Which may very well be true. Sometimes I wish I would have purchased my first choice. Other times I don't mind so much. But in the end, I did love my dress on my wedding day, and I guess that's what is most important.

So, Laura, my wedding dress shopping advice? Try on as many dresses as you want and don't let anyone talk you into anything you don't want. It's your day. I wish you all the best in your wedding dress shopping excursions. Love you lots!