How To Find Your Dream Wedding Dress

Robby and I had been engaged for hmmm, about a two weeks when my mom called and dropped a bomb on me.

** phone rings **
“Hey mom, what’s going on?”
“Chel, while you’re in town we should make an appointment to go try on dresses”
** cue me falling short of breath contemplating whether or not to hang up the phone*
“WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? WHY ARE WE RUSHING TO GO LOOK AT DRESSES?”

Turns out the joke was on me because little did I know that you need to factor in MONTHS into the wedding dress time table. Needless to say, I apologized to my mom for my wanna be miss know it all sass and changed my flight so I could stay in Florida a few extra days to try on dresses.

If you’re a bride you may want to throw your computer across the room after reading the next few words but, finding the dress was an absolute breeze for me. To be honest, I prepared myself for the worst. I figured there was a 98% chance I would have a full on breakdown in the dressing room convincing myself that I was going to have to walk down the aisle in a trash bag but thankfully for myself and those around me, that was not the case.

The morning of my first bridal appointment I had butterflies in my stomach like a high-schooler who was going to try on prom dresses. I sang into my hairbrush while getting ready and could hardly wait for the shopping to begin.

I brought my mom and one of my bridesmaids, Carly, with me for the first round of appointments. For me personally, it would have been very overwhelming if I had a full audience watching me put a wedding dress on for the first time ever.

After trying on a few dresses I slide on the most beautiful dress that has ever been on my body, walked out of the dressing room, stepped up on the pedestal, looked at myself in the mirror and completely lost my cool. The ugly cry was in full force and I knew that THAT was the dress I would wear when I become Mrs. Robby Scott. After prancing around the salon and looking at every stitch of the dress I knew that I needed to confirm my feelings for this dress so I tried on a few other dresses and ventured off to another salon.

I made an appointment to go back the following morning to see how I felt about the dress after sleeping on it. This time I brought in the troops: my brother – who’s opinion I value possibly more than anyone else on the planet, Alex – a forever friend, bridesmaid, and one of the most stylish people I know, Robby’s mom – because to me, her presence was like having a piece of Robby there, and then Carly and my mom came back also! I put on the dress that I fell in love with 24 hours earlier and when everyone’s eyes glistened with tears I knew that we had found a winner. Pour the champagne and pass me the cheesy sign because I SAID YES TO THE DRESS.

So, what are some tips and tricks for finding THE dress? Funny you ask because I’m about to tell you!

7 Tips To Help You Find The Dress Of Your Dreams:

1.  Wake Up Flawless
You want to feel pretty dang good about yourself when trying on these beautiful dresses so whatever makes you feel your best – do that. For me, that was getting in a morning workout, shaving my legs and throwing on a light shade of lipstick. I would also recommend wearing an outfit that is easy to throw on and off. You will potentially be in a lot of dressing rooms so the less hassle of zipping this and tying that, the better.

2. Give Yourself Enough Time
I would suggest giving yourself the minimum of six months to get your gown. If you are known to be an extremely picky shopper, I would cushion that timeline with an extra month or two. You would rather be ahead of the curve then working against time and having a slimmer selection. Once you have said yes to the dress I would carve out at least eight weeks to make alterations.

3. Know Your Price Point
Not only is having a price point a time saver but it’s also aids in the mental health category – seriously. Could you imagine falling head over heels in love with a dress that is $3K over your budget? That would be heartbreaking. To keep your sanity, stick to trying on dresses in your price range and also keep in mind that you will need to factor in alteration costs, shipping fees, shoes, veil, etc. It adds up FAST.

4. Dress Code
When determining a dress code take into account the venue and the season you will be tying the knot. If you are getting married in a church or house of worship, find out whether there are attire requirements. Each of these factors will help you narrow down which style you should zone in on!

5. Give It All A Chance
Don’t pass up trying on a dress just because it doesn’t look fabulous on a hanger. One of my biggest pieces of advice would be try it all on – you may surprise yourself with what style you end up falling in love with! If the consultant suggests you try on a fit then do so, why not? On that note, be honest with your consultant - you won’t hurt their feelings and YOU are the one wearing the dress after all.

6. Timing Is Everything
If you can avoid going to a bridal salon on a Saturday, do so at all cost. Traditionally, Saturday afternoons are the busiest time of the week and this is not the time in your life where you want to navigate through crowds of bridezillas. Do your best to nail down an appointment on a weekday morning so you can fully enjoy a more personalized shopping experience.

7. Trust Your Gut
If you can’t envision yourself marrying your other half in a dress then that isn’t the one. You will know it’s the one when that wave of emotion splashes over you and you don’t’ want to take the dress off!  A friendly reminder that everyone’s emotions during this process are different so if the tears don’t stream down your cheeks, that’s ok!!! You will know the dress when you put it on – I promise you.

_____

If you are in the South Florida area I went to Bellissima Bridal Salon in Deerfield Beach and I would recommend them to any bride to be. I worked directly with Brittany and she was everything I could asked for in a consultant.. I chose a dress by Martina Liana Bridal Designs. Besides that, I’m going to keep all dress details on the DL. With so many hands and opinions in the overall wedding process I wanted to keep something to myself as much as I can so for now, it’s my little secret.

Dreaming of white,
Chels

all the other photos from this day I'm wearing the dress soooo, those are on lock down until after December and then I'll share with you guys ;) XOXOXO #MillennialMarriage