Brooke’s Wedding Adventures (entry no. 3)

Hey friend! 

Today I’m going to tell you about my wedding dress shopping experience!

I realized pretty early on how important it was to start researching and making appointments to bridal boutiques, so I started looking in February. Because I was going to school in Lynchburg and my home was in Raleigh, I decided to look for boutiques both in North Carolina and Virginia. I landed on the following options based on affordability and reputation: Church Street Bridal and Celebration Bridal in Lynchburg and David’s Bridal and Maggi Bridal in Raleigh. My first appointment was at David’s Bridal, and I decided to take my mom and sister with me. My consultant helped me search for dresses based on my description of what I wanted as well as my price range. 

After trying on several dresses and getting a feel for what I liked, we made a second appointment at the same place for the following day. This time, I brought one of my bridesmaids along with my mom and sister. During this appointment, I surprisingly ended up finding the perfect dress within an affordable price range (and in my exact size)!! I knew it was the one when I saw myself smile for the first time as soon as I saw myself in the mirror. It was such a sweet moment to be able to share with my family and dear friend, and I am so excited to try it on again for the fitting appointment in a couple months!

At the end of the appointment, I officially asked my friend to be my bridesmaid (she said yes!)

A few things to note:

  • Not every bride finds her dress during the first couple appointments (let alone in essentially the perfect size), so do not be discouraged if this does not describe you. Everyone’s wedding journey is different – do not compare!
  • Remember to take into account the cost for alterations, add-ons, veil, and other extras when looking for a dress within a specific budget.
  • Consider wearing your makeup and hair as you potentially would for your wedding day. I made the mistake of coming in with no makeup, so it was a little tricky to envision how I would actually look for my wedding day. 
  • After you decide on your dress, it is completely normal to have doubts on whether or not you made the right choice. You’ve made a big decision and a big purchase, so of course you’ll be tempted to second guess yourself. The bottom line is there will always be a “better-looking dress” somewhere out there. But at the end of the day, the dress you’ve chosen is perfect because it is YOUR dress that you get to wear on YOUR wedding. You will be stunning and unique because no one can wear it like you do, and that makes it complete. (And I’m sure your spouse-to-be will only see beauty as you walk down the aisle;)
  • HAVE FUN! You’re getting married! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be spoiled by friends and family and dress like a queen, so just enjoy yourself!

Best of luck to you all as you continue searching and planning towards your big day! See you soon!

Warmly,

Brooke