wedding planning: the dress

Besides wondering who you’re going to marry when you grow up, almost every little girl dreams of her wedding dress. Trust me, I was no different. But, the story behind getting my wedding dress is a little different. Let’s dive into the details and story behind my dress and my tips for wedding dress shopping. Don’t worry, I couldn’t forget about my girls standing next to me and their dresses. So I’m sharing all the bridesmaids dress details, too!

My Wedding Dress

So, getting my wedding dress wasn’t an episode out of Say Yes to the Dress by any means, but it was kind of a “growing up” lesson for myself. Long story short, I saw a boutique near my hometown was closing and having a big sale. So like any level-headed human (not), I jumped into the car and drove 3 hours with a friend to the store. I called my mom and told her I really wanted to get my dress and to meet me there. Impulsive is basically my middle name if you couldn’t already tell. Didn’t really have a budget, didn’t even tell my bridesmaids (my biggest regret), kinda had a vision of what I wanted, but that was about it. But after a short search, I found my dress. I loved it. I love it even more now.

Here’s the day I got it. 1. My sister looks soooo happy to be there. 2. My dress looks a little different, right?

After all the excitement of having my dress died down, I started second-guessing. I have a knack for doing this too. It’s the second phase after being impulsive. Anyways, I started to worry. Was it what I really wanted? Was it the dress I was dreaming of? Did I even like the way it looked?

I was low-key freaking out. More like high-key. I even asked my dad if I could get another dress. He laughed.

So, I focused on what would make me feel even more beautiful in it. Got on Pinterest, looked at dresses I liked, and figured out what was missing.

I didn’t like that my top was bare. At all. I looked at necklaces and adding straps, but they weren’t right. I knew I wanted to stand out, what’s new. So I dug some more and on a whim, found this topper at David’s Bridal for $15. The lace actually looked super similar so I ordered it and it was the best $15 I’ve ever spent. My exact one is sold out, but here is a super similar one.

Usually, people just put them on top of their simple, strapless dress, but I wanted it to be part of the dress. I took it to my seamstress, who is a goddess. Honestly, you have to have an amazing seamstress to do what I was asking for. But, she did it. She said in her 15 years of tailoring wedding dress, nobody had ever brought their own lace piece to add. I felt like I just won Project Runway when she told me that and clearly I’m not even ashamed.

This is what we turned it into.

A.K.A the best thing I’ve ever put on my body. Literally. Nothing compares. It turned out to be so “me“, it’s unreal.

Also, can we talk about my dreamy bridals by Becca. Like she’s amazing.

Here are my pro tips for wedding dress shopping.

• Think about it. Don’t make any impulse purchases. (kinda common sense, but clearly I wasn’t on board with this)
• Bring your people along with you. I could never buy a dress without my mom, but I forever regret not having my bridesmaids there. (also kinda common sense)
• Think about what you like and don’t like to wear normally. If you don’t like low cut tops, a backless or deep-v dress probably isn’t for you.
• Find a dress that screams “you” x1000000. Your dress shouldn’t be the star, you should. Find something that makes you feel like your very best self.
• Stop getting on Pinterest and just go and try things on. You can’t know what a dress you think you love will look like on you. So, instead of pinning on the computer, let the bridal salon lady pin you into a dress.
• Your accessories are just as important. Whatever you choose to wear, make sure it compliments your dress. Veil, flower crown, earrings, necklace, there are so many options. Choose two. That’s all you need. And I’m going to just say can we be done with matching drop earrings and necklace sets? Just a thought. Be creative. Be yourself. Here are my earrings and bracelet (in gold) I wore. pro tip: use a birthday discount at Kendra Scott to get half off your most expensive piece. 
• Invest in your seamstress/tailor. The fit of your dress can make a huge difference. There is nothing worse than a gorgeous dress on a gorgeous person, but that isn’t fit perfectly to their body.

Last, but not least. At all, ever. My best gals that walked down the aisle with me. This story is waaayyy less dramatic. I always knew I wanted Show Me Your Mumu bridesmaid dresses and wanted them to be Silver Sage Crisp. That’s it. Everyone picked their own style because I wanted them to actually like what they were wearing. I bought them all Kendra Scott rose gold and gold jewelry and they wore nude chunky heels or wedges. Literally they were so easy to spoil, look at those little adorable faces.  

They looked soooo good, but Mumu dresses and strong winds don’t mix y’all. We learned that before the ceremony. It was funny. See below.

Picking out your wedding dress is one of the best parts. It’s what everyone (who wasn’t invited) trolls to see on social media, seriously. Most importantly, it’s your freaking wedding dress! It’s a big deal. I hope this helped some of y’all shopping currently and remember this post when you’re shopping in the future. Also, you can read my other wedding planning posts here and here. Enjoy.

cheers,

caitlin