Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Wedding Dress Shopping: Part 1

About a month ago, my mother, MOH, FMIL and I went on my very first wedding dress excursion. I had 2 appointments in Boston at L'Elite Bridal on Newbury Street and Priscilla of Boston. I had a fairly good idea of what I wanted -- something very simple and lacy with an open or elaborate back (after all, my back is what most people will be looking at during the ceremony). I particularly liked the Monique Lhuillier "Scarlett" dress, from her 2005 collection:


I love the mermaid style. It accentuates and hugs my curves (what few I have), but it still has a little "poof" that makes it actually look like a wedding dress. I'm also not a huge fan of beading or sequins, so I like dresses that feature lacey accents.

My first appointment at L'Elite was somewhat disappointing. The shop was small, and it didn't offer any of the "perks," such as free champagne and nice, big dressing rooms. They had all of their gowns out on racks, and they allowed you to choose which ones you liked and wanted to try on. Unfortunately, though, they didn't have a huge selection, and they didn't carry Monique Lhuillier. All in all, I gained some experience and became more knowledgeable about the styles and labels, but I didn't find anything that I loved. So, it was on to the next shop!

At Priscilla's, we had a much better experience. It was very lovely and spacious, and everyone was able watch me model dresses on a small stage and mirror area. However, they did have a rather strict policy of only allowing brides to try on 6 dresses. As it turned out, though, I found 2 dresses that I liked -- one that was mermaid, and more like the idea I went in with. However, the other was the exact opposite -- a big, poofy, heavily beaded ballgown! I guess I can't get away from the Grace Kelly/Princess Di fairytale look afterall. Who knew?

In the end, no purchases were made, but I'm definitely more open to trying on dresses outside my original style idea. The next shopping trip is scheduled for this weekend in NYC with my bridesmaid Erica. Kleinfelds, here we come!

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