The Wedding Dress to Match the Wedding Day

I had the pleasure of wedding dress shopping with one of my Fall '09 brides this weekend, and it was just as much fun as I hoped it would be - for both of us. I loved wedding dress shopping in preparation for my own wedding, so I was really hoping that she would have the same experience. We both got a little bit choked up when she put on the first dress. It wasn't "the one," but it made one thing clear - she looked amazing in wedding gowns and this was going to be a good trip!


By the time we got to Bleu Belle Bridal we had her general silhouette and style narrowed down and it didn't involve lace or eyelet. But she was still a good sport and tried on the amazing Vera Wang eyelet dress that called out to me as soon as I saw it in the boutique's window. Called to me, not her. Yes, I fell in love with a dress... Here are some pictures of it from PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com where someone is actually selling my size...tempting, hahaha.

Before beginning the search for my own wedding gown years ago, I naturally gravitated toward lace and eyelet wedding dresses when I saw them in magazines and online. When I arrived at my first appointment at a bridal boutique, I pulled nothing but these dresses off of the rack. I tried the first one on and said, "It's so pretty, but it's not my wedding at all." That quickly, I realized that the church I was getting married in, the time of day, the reception location, the season, every other aspect of the wedding did not fit with a lace or eyelet gown - so I started over, and never turned back.

Now, almost 3 years after my wedding, I am still drawn to the same gowns, but I don't regret not wearing one because they didn't fit with the wedding I was planning at the time. I have always been sensitive to a wedding dress that seems out of character with the wedding itself, but this weekend's trip reminded me how important it is to remind all brides - beware of putting the dress before the wedding. There are so many beautiful dresses out there, but I think that it would be harder to plan a wedding around a dress, than to pick the appropriate dress for your wedding. So don't rush to order your dress - as exciting as this part of the planning can be. As your wedding day plans come together, your thoughts on a dress may evolve and you don't want to be, literally, sewn into a look by a beautiful, yet inappropriate dress.

As for my lovely eyelet friend....she'll have to wait patiently for another lucky lady (unmarried lady) to take her down the aisle.