((I’ve been debating on posting this piece for a couple weeks now. But I feel like it’s important to know that dress shopping isn’t always going to be picture perfect. It won’t always be as happy go lucky, or drama filled, or whatever else you see on Say Yes to the Dress. I just hope that by sharing my experience with this situation that other girls who go through a similar experience don’t get disheartened like I did. Maybe you just found the wrong store, it gets better, you will find a dress, don’t give up.))
So my sweetie popped the question back in September and I didn’t have the first clue as to where to begin wedding planning. I was a hot mess of Pinteresting everything under the sun to get a handle on all of this nonsense. When I started coming across all of these timelines I was like “hallelujah!” finally a way to keep me on track…until I realized I was super behind on one of the most important parts..getting a DRESS!
I knew that would be part of the process, but a dress style hadn’t even crossed my mind. (Even after watching every episode of Say Yes to the Dress)
On a whim my mother and I popped into David’s Bridal, in preparation for two boutique appointments I had the following day. Buying from a chain store was not my intention, I just to get an idea of a style I liked.
It was an appointment from hell. I wanted to curl up in a ball and die right there on the store floor.
It started out okay, I thought I was leaning towards an A-line with lace sleeves. The girl helping me took my measurements and got some dresses together.
First, I was put into a bustier that was a size too small, but I’ve worn spanx and all of that good stuff so I thought ‘no problem, I can handle this.’ I got into the first dress with no mirror in the dressing room, so I blindly followed the lady out as she paraded me in front of the whole store to the mirror to see the dress. I get there and all I see is a dress that is 4 inches too short, because it’s bunched up over my hips and won’t go any further. So I’m embarrassed but try to look past it as I turn around to look at the back detail….only to see every once of my back fat flowing right over the top of the dress. As I looked horrified at my mother, the girl helping me casually noted that I looked uncomfortable in the dress. Uncomfortable was an understatement!
While taking off this hot mess, I was informed that it was actually TWO sizes too small. She thought it would be best to put me in that, rather than a dress three sizes too big. Because that makes TOTAL sense… What is even worse is the fact that she didn’t even try to put in a panel or anything, it was literally forced to zip and hook.
The entire appointment continued in this fashion paired with a few veils put on me after I said I hated the dress, multiple occasions of trying to persuade me to like a dress, and a couple ignored comments of “I can’t breathe and might pass out.”
Long story short, I’ve never had a worse experience trying on clothing in my entire life. (And that includes trying on swim suits!) I was so disheartened that I considered cancelling all of my dress appointments, bailing on my workout routine, and possibly having liposuction
The light at the end of the tunnel:
My wonderful maid of honor talked me into going to two of the other appointments and guess what. I had the time of my life! I’m very glad to say that the two dress boutiques I went to completely changed my outlook on dress shopping. I found it completely ironic that the dresses straight off the rack, at the boutiques, fit like a glove. It restored my hope in finding something and I even said “yes” to the dress by the end of the day!
The best part? My dress was miraculously cheaper than anything I tried on at the chain store. This was just my personal experience. I’ve heard numerous good experiences from chain stores. If you’re like me, thinking maybe you’ll save some money by going there instead, you’ll spend even more money on therapy after an experience like that!
