I have my dream wedding dress and my girls have their coral bridesmaid dresses!  What a huge relief! After the venue selection, one of the next big decisions to make is what to wear.  I am someone who likes to take my time making important decisions.  I gather data on the options, analyze, compare, and make a decision based on what I think the best choice is from the research I’ve done.  Wedding dress shopping was no different (although picking out a bridesmaid dress was totally the opposite--more on that later).

My wedding dress shopping experience.

I had three bridal appointments prior to the Wedding Shoppe.  I went into all the appointments with an open mind and tried on many different styles and fabrics to learn what did and didn’t look good on me.  At each appointment, I’d find a dress or two that I liked, but I always felt I should keep looking, believing there was something out there that I would like better.

Enter the Wedding Shoppe.

I brought my mom, sister, grandma, and aunt wedding dress shopping with me.  My bridal consultant Molly listened to what I had learned about my tastes in my previous appointments. She  selected dresses for me to try on based on my experiences and the bridal gown silhouettes I liked.  The most difficult part was that the features I liked in dresses were often conflicting, or a dress would only have some of the elements that I wanted. I liked strapless, but only a sweetheart neckline.  I liked beading, but not too much.  I couldn’t decide between bridal gown silhouettes, either. I liked a fitted dress, but also a ball gown silhouette. I liked satin, but I also liked lace.  At the Wedding Shoppe, I was able to find the ultimate combination of everything.  I selected a Sophia Tolli dress, and I am so excited about it!

My dream dress is a strapless, sweetheart neckline with beading under the bust, as well as at the two pick-ups.  The bodice is fitted over the hips and ruched, with volume in the skirt.  I am so happy that I waited to buy my dress at the Wedding Shoppe, because the dress is such a perfect blend of all the bridal gown silhouettes and details that I like!

The Search for Coral Bridesmaid Dresses

While my bridal gown shopping was a well-researched adventure, the bridesmaid dresses were a completely different story.  I knew that I wanted my girls to wear coral bridesmaid dresses.  The problem?  Every designer’s version of coral is different.  Some were too pink, while others were too orange.  When I originally started looking at dresses, I’d left some of my favorite stores out of the mix, because their dresses were too expensive.  However, when I got an email that one of them was having a 60% off all dresses sale, I just couldn’t resist looking online.  Well, as luck would have it:  A style I liked was available in the perfect shade of coral (guava juice to be exact)! I quickly got in touch with all of my bridesmaids and asked if they would be able to order the dress that day, because the sale was one day only.  A few hours later, everyone had ordered a dress that I hadn’t seen in person, or done much comparison-shopping to other brands.  I could not have been more nervous!  What if it wasn’t the right color?  What if it didn’t look good on everyone?  A few days later, everyone’s dress came and they all tried them on and sent me pictures of how they looked.  I was able to see my sister’s dress in person and I LOVED the color.  It was exactly what I had been envisioning!  With a v-neck, empire waist, and flowy chiffon fabric, it really was flattering on everyone. So, what did I learn in this process?  Sometimes taking your time on decisions can pay off, and you end up with your perfect dress.  Other times, making an impulse decision can pay off, too, and you end up with bridesmaid dresses you love for a steal!

Here is a sneak peak of the dresses, just don’t show Zac!

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