I have no intention to be fussy about the dress, even more so because this is one expense that I can actually save up on. I plan on renting it instead of buying and I've set a limit of about $600.
I tried on several dresses in 2 different shops and have a couple of favourites. This is the dress I felt my best in and I really liked the way it looked:
There's all this train in the back but the lady in the shop said they'd trim it down to the same length as the front because they can't pin it up without basically ruining the skirt. I would prefer it all to be the same length so that's another plus.
The only thing I'm slightly skeptical about is this doily-like lace bit below the belt. I actually didn't mind it at all when I tried it on but looking at pics now I can't unsee it. However, this dress is still my favourite.
Another one I liked was this:
Originally it was just a strapless dress and there was something off about the top part. When I said that the shop assistant added this lacey bolero or whatever it is which completely changed the look of the top part, in a good way. I really like the boat cut of it. I have to say I'm not the biggest fan of lace, mostly because it's hard to find something that looks quality within a normal price range, and even on expensive dresses it can look cheap and over the top. But I liked the look of this one.
The second shop was just right next to the first one, we didn't plan to visit it originally, but as we had some time to kill before the next thing we went in to take a look, and the ladies were kind enough to let me try on the dresses without an appointment. The dresses in there were a little less classy than in the first shop, they had a wider selection but most of it didn't look interesting at all. I was interested in trying on a pure white dress as the other shop happened to have only ivory dresses and idk, ivory is nice but I was really curious about how a properly white dress would look with my skin tone.
So the ladies there gave me this princessy dress in pure white to try and my face scrunched when I saw it - I don't fancy strapless dresses, corseted dresses or princessy gowns, but I thought, well why not try it on.
I was actually quite surprised at how comfortable it felt and it actually made a nice silhouette. I have a wide ribcage and a short waist so strapless corseted dresses normally neither look or feel good on me, so that was a surprise. The beading in the pic looks a bit like I've been bombed by pooping pigeons, but it's nicer IRL.
Still, not too sure about it, it looks nice and feels comfortable, but somehow doesn't feel like me.
Anyway, I need to try on more dresses before I can tell which one is best for me. But at least now I know what to expect and that it's not as scary as I feared it would be.
It's interesting to read your comments about the doily - I was talking to my brother's girlfriend today and before I even said anything she said, "you know I had a change of heart about your dress". And I said, "it's the doily, right?" And she's like "Yeah!" It's definitely not just in my head. It spoiled the dress for me.
And I see your point about wearing something different on a wedding day... why not? It is a once in a lifetime. (For if I get married again, I'm definitely NOT doing the whole circus again.) The search continues, but I'm really glad I was talked into trying all the different styles. Wedding dresses are fitted differently than other dresses, there's all this scaffolding beneath which makes all the difference.
Lucybelle