Hello Sunshines!
I've been looking forward to shopping for my wedding dress since I was a little girl. I'm already in love with fashion and dressing up, but finding my wedding dress is whole other level of excitement. Some brides feel overwhelmed with the shopping process. What style of dress? Where to shop? Etc.
I used The Knot to search dresses and where they were specifically sold. I already knew of several bridal boutiques in Atlanta, but I checked The Knot to see if these boutiques carried any of the designers, styles, and price ranges for my wedding dress. I narrowed my shopping list to four bridal boutiques.
The White Magnolia
La Raines Boutique
Bel Fiore Bridal
Anya Bridal
I chose boutiques over a bigger store because I wanted a more intimate, private moment while trying on dresses and eventually saying yes to dress. I scheduled my appointments two months in advance since we were shopping on the weekend. Just FYI some bridal stores require a credit card number for a reservation because they will charge you a small fee if you no show or cancel with less than 24 hours.
I brought my mother, my MOH, and two other best friends. Most places only allow about 3-4 people to accompany you. We went to one in the morning, ate lunch in downtown ATL, and the rest in the afternoon. I tried on at least one dress in every style just to reassure myself. My main focus was finding a fit and flare dress, so I began to try on different materials. I've never wanted an all lace dress...I know very un-southern of me. Don't get me wrong lace dresses are beautiful! But not my style.
When I tried MY dress on for the first time, I did not have a beaming light, THIS IS IT moment. I loved the dress and it felt right. I feel shows like Say Yes to the Dress have overdramatized this moment, and brides feel worried when they don't have a *reality tv* cry session when they find their dress. It was my favorite dress I had tried on all day, but I continued to try on dresses as I left it to the side. I tried the dress back on with a veil and bouquet of flowers while my girls were taking pictures and videos of every angle possible. Everyone loved the dressed as well but I still wanted to attend my last appointment of the day.
My bridal consultant (Carissa is the bomb ask for her at La Raine's!) encouraged me to attend my last dress appointment just to reassure myself and to call her after the appointment. So we drove to our last stop of the day, and I began to try on dresses. Immediately, I was ready to go back to La Raine's and put my dress back on. I enjoyed my last appointment because how many times do you get to put on wedding dresses, but we quickly returned to the previous bridal boutique.
Later that evening, I tried my dress back on with a veil and I said Yes to the dress :) Champagne was pop and pictures with a sign were taken. I didn't try on a single ugly wedding dress. They were all so beautiful but my dress.....IS TO DIE FOR. It's killing me to keep it a secret, but I can't wait to wear it again!
Tips on Shopping:
Wear your hair in a similar fashion that you plan to wear for your wedding
Take pictures and videos! It helped me see angles and I look at my pictures/videos of my dress almost every day :)
Don't shop once you've said YES and purchased a dress. This can cause confusion.
Take people who are POSITIVE. I had the best crew ever who made me feel confident and loved.
Order a size up - It's easier to take away than add material - Do NOT reflect on the dress sizes - I was about two sizes bigger than my standard dress size
Factor in veil, alterations, accessories into your dress budget
Space out your appointments (Mainly for snacks and breaks in between LOL shopping can make a girl hungry)
ENJOY this experience. HAVE fun.
XOXO, Britt
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