"The One!"

[Tybee]

I agree with Moremoremore on the VaVoom factor, also, the look on your face is radient in that first pictures! Obviously looking like a million bucks makes you feel like a million bucks!
Congratulations on finding the one!

 

[lmurden]

Date: 9/18/2005 9:57:26 AM
Author: moremoremore
That first dress looks SO great on you. You really look so pretty in all of them, but there is something about the high waist, the draped fabric on you...it;s very vava voom! It''s a perfect fit!

The high waist is what sold me too!

Tybee, the Vavoom factor is exactly how I would describe this dress in person. The top of the gown has a lot of sparkly beads but they are subtle which I love.

 

[fountainfairfax]

Lmurden-

You are going to be one beautiful bride in that dress- it''s perfect!!!! You look absolutely wonderful, and I can''t wait to see what accessories you choose. (I think a finger-tip length veil would be very pretty) Please keep us in the loop

 

[MelissaSue]

Your dress is beautiful! It fits you WONDERFULLY! Have any more pics of it on you?

I like the way the halter one looks on you too, really flattering, but I remember trying on that dress and i HATED the lace pattern on that dress. It looked like they just stuck fabric flowers all over it. But the cut is really nice!

 

[lmurden]

Date: 9/18/2005 5:44:51 PM
Author: MelissaSue
Your dress is beautiful! It fits you WONDERFULLY! Have any more pics of it on you?

I like the way the halter one looks on you too, really flattering, but I remember trying on that dress and i HATED the lace pattern on that dress. It looked like they just stuck fabric flowers all over it. But the cut is really nice!

MelissaSue, thanks for the compliment. The halter dress looked nice on me but I though the lace material was to thick. As far as pictures goes, I only that one but when I go to purchase it in a week or so I will take more of pix.

Fountainfairfax,
I can''t image doing a veil, but I will try some on just for the phone of it.

 

[BrightSpot]

LM, you look great in all the gowns you posted, but the first one is my favorite too! It looks wonderful on you & your face is just glowing in the picture!

Stunning!

 

[lmurden]

Date: 9/19/2005 9:18:29 AM
Author: BrightSpot
LM, you look great in all the gowns you posted, but the first one is my favorite too! It looks wonderful on you & your face is just glowing in the picture!

Stunning!

Thanks BrightSpot!

When I put on that dress I know immidiatly that it was the one!

 

[Gale]

Wow! You look fabulous in that dress! I love the way you look in #3 as well, but #1 is simply stunning on you.

 

[lmurden]

Date: 9/19/2005 12:13:56 PM
Author: Gale
Wow! You look fabulous in that dress! I love the way you look in #3 as well, but #1 is simply stunning on you.

Thanks Gale, It's was a tough call but gown #1 speaks to me.

 

[selflove]

How fun! Thanks for posting lmurden! You look gorgeous in your first choice gown but you also look gorgeous in that Jessica McClintock. I''ve admired that one in magazines and you wear it really well!

I guess I got lucky with my David''s Bridal experience so far...I ordered one dress that was only shown in ivory-with-champagne-trim in the store, online, and in the magazine. But I wanted it in white. So, since they couldn''t offer me a picture of what it would look like in all white, I persuaded the store manager to let me have store credit for a different gown if I didn''t like it in white. I love it in white so I never had to try to actually use the store credit but they were really accommodating in that regard. I also got her to extend their discount on accessories so I could pick them out when the white dress came in. I''ve decided not to use their seamstress for alterations b/c I already have a great tailor and I have heard a lot of horror stories about the in-store/on-site seamstresses in a variety of stores (not just David''s Bridal).

I also tried on a slew of dresses at Alfred Angelo. The sales-lady was so tired from working all day that she complained the entire time I was there. That was annoying. Then she berated me for wanting a poufy ball gown, b/c according to her they are outdated and she only sells them for quinceneras. Hm hmm. THAT was a bad experience.

I went to another boutique without an appointment (earlier when I called they said I didn''t need one) and they said I could try on gowns on my own, which I wasn''t too keen on. There were no gowns in my size and since I didn''t have a saleperson helping me and scrunching the backs tight, I coulnd''t tell what anything looked like.

I kept returning to David''s and every time I had a good experience. In the end I bought an A-line dress that I never would have looked at if the sales girl hadn''t brought it over.

But just to be sure that I have a solid opinion on a lot of different stores, I might go to Jessica McClintock to try on "2nd Runner Up"...

 

[lmurden]

Selflove,

Thank you for the complitments and your insights. I''m so happy with David''s Bridal and Jessica McClintock bridal bouitque because they were both very helpful all three times I went to each. his Thurday of Friday I will go back to both just to make sure before I actually buy. I can''t wait to tget he gown and then on to the accessories.

 

[lmurden]

Update

My gown came in a little early so I picked it up on Saturday the only thing is that it is a little loose. The thing is is that I have been dieting and have lost about 7 pound and still want to drop about 8 more and then work to keep it off. I feel kind of stupid or duped for getting my dress so early! My wedding isn''t until August 5th so it''s a long way off. I has told by David''s Bridal that the dress would come in at the end of the year and that it is best to order the dress at least 6 months in advance. Do you think I order the dress to soon. I''m not to worried about the size because I can get them to get me another size but now I have 9 whole months!

 

[MelissaSue]

YOu''re not stupid at all for ordering your dress early! Its good that you lost weight! I''m sure the gown can EASILY be taken in a bit, or you can have them exchange for size (Which is a great thing about davids bridal!). You are probably safe having them get you one size smaller.. that way you can pay less for alterations!

 

[lmurden]

Date: 10/17/2005 3:21:36 PM
Author: MelissaSue
YOu''re not stupid at all for ordering your dress early! Its good that you lost weight! I''m sure the gown can EASILY be taken in a bit, or you can have them exchange for size (Which is a great thing about davids bridal!). You are probably safe having them get you one size smaller.. that way you can pay less for alterations!

Thanks. I really needed to hear from others brides.

 

[Angel7]

Beautiful!
Congrats

 

[flopkins]

I don''t think it''s too early. Always gives you time to figure things out if they go wrong - for example, I ordered my gown in July (Wedding in April) and the dress had some flaws on the skirt so I sent it back and they''re ordering another one - if I had waited I might have been stuck w/a dress that had some pulls in the fabric - you never know what might happen, so it''s best to get it early, if you know what you want!!!

 

[lmurden]

Date: 10/17/2005 5:14:22 PM
Author: flopkins
I don''t think it''s too early. Always gives you time to figure things out if they go wrong - for example, I ordered my gown in July (Wedding in April) and the dress had some flaws on the skirt so I sent it back and they''re ordering another one - if I had waited I might have been stuck w/a dress that had some pulls in the fabric - you never know what might happen, so it''s best to get it early, if you know what you want!!!

I guess it''s better to be safe than sorry. Thanks.

 

[selflove]

lmurden--I went the through a bit of the same "buyer''s remorse" after i got my dresses. (purchased them 12 months in advance b/c I am impulsive, even though i convinced myself that trying on 30+ gowns meant i WASN''T impulsive!) maybe "remorse" is the wrong word b/c i love both the dresses i got and i really wanted to have two of them, so there was some buying pressure there. and while i still drool at gowns in magazines and online, i probably can''t afford the ones i''m drooling over anyways!

don''t worry--i''m sure more brides than just you and me have a second thought after they buy their gowns. just move on to planning the next thing on your wedding to-do list and don''t even think about going into another store to try on more gowns!!

 

[lmurden]

Date: 10/18/2005 7:06:22 PM
Author: selflove
lmurden--I went the through a bit of the same ''buyer''s remorse'' after i got my dresses. (purchased them 12 months in advance b/c I am impulsive, even though i convinced myself that trying on 30+ gowns meant i WASN''T impulsive!) maybe ''remorse'' is the wrong word b/c i love both the dresses i got and i really wanted to have two of them, so there was some buying pressure there. and while i still drool at gowns in magazines and online, i probably can''t afford the ones i''m drooling over anyways!

don''t worry--i''m sure more brides than just you and me have a second thought after they buy their gowns. just move on to planning the next thing on your wedding to-do list and don''t even think about going into another store to try on more gowns!!

How did you know that I was going to try on more dresses?

I''m over it now so don''t worry! At this point all of my vendors are booked so all I have to do is get my save the dates out by the 5th of November. After that, I plan on figuring out the look that I want to achieve. Thanks for the kind words.

 

[ellewoods]

Hello!

I think the dress you chose is just beautiful! I was really curious when I read your post and you said that you had an idea in your mind about what you wanted your dress to look like but you had gone through countless pictures on The Knot and in magazines and hadn''t found it. And then I saw your pictures....and I have to say I LOVE the one you choose! The others you tried on are also very pretty, but I think you look amazing in the first one you posted.

It''s funny because I almost expected to see pictures of a big poofy dress after you said you were frustrated about not finding a picture of a dress you had in mind....and then I saw all those elegant, sophisticated dresses. That''s the first thing I thought when I saw you in the first dress -- "wow, that''s so elegant! Sophisticated! She looks beautiful and classy! That''s how I want to look in a wedding dress!"

I definitely think my style is similar to yours in what we want in a wedding dress, and I think you made an excellent choice. Obviously I don''t know you but from all of your posts you can get a sense of your personality, and it seems like you found the perfect fit for who you are. Congratulations on finding a great dress that looks great on you!

 

[rms]

lmurden, I think you look so beautiful and happy in your dress. That smile on your face is precious. I didn''t know David''s Bridal has an exchange/return policy, so the fact that they do should let you rest easy. If you need to exchange for another size sounds like you can and if you prefer just to have this one altered, fine too.

 

[ello]

I know that I''m a bit late...but you look absolutely radiant in the first dress. The dress is soooo beautiful - I''m definitely going to save the picture!

 

[mistylark]

Date: 9/17/2005 1:12:40 PM
Author:lmurden

My wedding gown shopping experience:
At first it was very frustrating because I knew exactly the style that I wanted and after tirelessly looking through The Knot for gowns at my price range I had found about 20 gowns that I wanted to try on. The gowns were from David’s Bridal, Jessica McClintock, Raylia, Jasmine, and Essence of Australia. All were very affordable and my style but with the exception of David’s Bridal and Jessica McClintock not one of the gowns were in stock in my area within a 100 mile radius.

To my surprise both bridal salons were great to work with. All of the gowns that I wanted to try on were available, sometimes not in the right size but good enough to try on. I found that these two shops worked for me because they were both open every single day. Jessica McClintock Boutique is in the mall so they were open until 9:30 pm Monday-Saturday and Sunday till 6:00 pm. The hours at David’s Bridal were pretty similar so I could go after work. The thing about these shops is that I never had to go on a Saturday and endure the crowds. The sad thing is that I had heard not so good things about David’s Bridal in particular but my experience was great every single time. The moral of the story for me is that I am glad that I did not listen to all the rants about David’s Bridal. Anyway, here is the gown that I chosen.

You look absolutely stunning in this one! Great choice!

 

[lmurden]

Ellewoods, thank you so much for the kind words! It’s great to find a kindred soul out there!!! There was no way that I was going to buy a ballroom gown! It just wasn’t my style. It''s funny because there are so many people who told me that a princess gown is the way to go because I will look more like a princess bride. I''m so glad I not the only one. I always wanted a sleek and sophisticated look! I can’t wait for you to start your gown search so we can see your individual style. Although, first things first, the ring. How close are you to getting your ring? I can’t wait to see it. If it looks anything like your avatar it will be stunning. Thanks again.

Rms, Ries, and Mistylark thanks for all the kind words.

Rms, the great thing about David’s Bridal is that I can exchange the size so I am hoping not to do any alteration what so ever!