The Dress!!!

I had two dresses for my wedding. One short one and one long one. Excitement and peer-pressure made me get the short one.... I can't really blame peer-pressure, it was really all my own doing. I went to two places to look for dresses. I got my short dress in Philadelphia, Pa  at Suky Rosen (which has since shut its doors) and the long one in Richmond, Va at Bella Rosa.  I live in Atlantic City, NJ. After reading that line, I know pass onto you my dress advice.
1. It helps to buy your dress where you live. Otherwise you have travel to that location every time there is a fitting or a question or your weight changes. All of the above will happen to you.  My last fitting was on the Tuesday before my wedding. The dress was not ready till Thursday. My wedding was in Richmond, Va so it helped that I drove down to Richmond about a week before the wedding to get everything altered to perfection.
2. Try on everything, even if you think you know what you want. I said that I did not want a strappless dress or a puffy dress. I ended up getting just that.
3. Practice wearing your dress. Get your bridal portrait done as close to the wedding date as possible and try on everything. Your shoes, your undergarments, your jewelry, your veil and feel what its like to walk around in a wedding dress. Its a whole different ball game.
4. If you are busty, (I am) make sure you have boning put into the bodice so that you are not pulling your dress up the entire time.
5. Practice sitting down.
6. After you have purchased your dress do not try on any other dresses! Do not go to any more stores and look around.  I had several instances of doubt. I know it sounds crazy but with each new blog that I looked at and each new bridal magazine that I read I began to think that maybe I got the wrong dress. I had to stop myself from going down that road by remembering that when you find "the one" you know it and that is what matters. The bridal salon I went to does not allow you into the bridal salon after your have purchased your dress which I think is so smart!!!
7. Love your dress and wear it as long as you can! Because your only going to do this once... right! Its a lot of dress and its not what your used to wearing. I kept on saying to myself that I would change into my short dress after a little while but when the day came it went by so fast that you don't even realize that you are running around in like 20 yards of tulle!!!

Photo by Kaite Stoops
Floral bouquet by JM Medley