I am in need of a reception dress. If it were only for comfort reasons, considering that it will be hot and humid at my wedding, I would still be hesitant to change out of my wedding dress. I absolutely love my dress, and as is obvious, I will only be wearing it for a short period of time. While I plan to extend that amount of time as long as possible, I will need to change into a reception dress at some point in the evening.

I say need because of a matter dear to my heart. Years ago my mother purchased two strings of pearls, one for my sister and I when we got engaged. The day she took me dress shopping, she gave me my pearls and oh how beautiful they are. I love them. My sister married her husband a couple of years ago and wore her pearls most of the days during the year or so she was engaged. I loved my pearls so much I got a little jealous that my sister could wear hers nearly every day and my job makes that somewhat not possible. Anyways, I wore them trying on dresses knowing they would be worn with the dress.

A couple months later, my uncle called for my mailing address. He asked if I would be wearing a necklace with my dress and if Kenny had ever bought pearls for me. I told him I would be wearing a necklace, and no, Kenny has not bought pearls. He informed me that he would like to give me the pearls that he gave my recently deceased aunt on their wedding day. He just knew they would look beautiful and that Aunt Linda would be so happy for me to have them.

Two very special, and very different looking, strings of pearls. The ones from my Freesia Mom are smooth and classic, the ones from Freesia Uncle are three strings of freshwater (thus varied in shape) pearls. Both absolutely perfect and beautiful, from two people with the sweetest of intentions that I would never want to hurt.

After much deliberation, and discussion with Freesia Sister, as well as a friend who happens to have 2 daughters around my age, I decided a change into a reception dress would be a perfect time to change necklaces. Freesia Mom’s pearls with the wedding dress we picked out together, Freesia Uncle’s pearls with the reception dress.

So, to find a reception dress within a reasonable budget. When I imagined my wedding dress, there were a few qualities that I thought of that did not end up a part of the wedding dress I chose. I’m hoping that maybe this will be a chance to incorporate a few of those qualities: something flowy, with an open back…and above the knee since it will be a summer reception dress. I’m aiming for less than $200. I have emailed a couple of dressmakers. One would make the dress for $250, but I’m concerned of the chance that it wouldn’t turn out. This is the “sketch” I sent (I know I’m no designer!):

"front", "back" option 1 or "back" option 2

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Not a huge dilemma.  Not super drama.  Just a little disappointed.  A little bummed.  A wee bit deflated.

So. I was perusing blogs last week and I stumbled upon this dress.  It’s beautiful, no?

Credit: Lilly Pulitzer

So. Let’s talk about this…

1. I’m having a “backyard” BBQ, more casual wedding.  Perfect? Check.
2. My BM dresses are also eyelet lace.  Great match? Check.
3. This dress costs $298 and shipping was free? One hell of a steal? Check.

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I’m not having a bridal party. But my sister still needs a dress, and we went shopping for her dress in January. It just arrived. Here were my original inspiration ideas:

(Dress on the right, Impression 1758)

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When I first asked Jes if she’d be up for taking a ride to Bridal Mart, I called it Bridal Barn. After having gone there, I’ve decided that it was a fair mistake.

If you’ve ever been inside a David’s Bridal, and if you’re a budget bride, I’m sure you have, you’ll remember the rows and rows of dresses kept in clear garment bags. Maybe you were allowed to peruse the bags with your consultant, and maybe you weren’t. Bridal Mart is a giant store, filled with rows and rows of garment bags holding sparkly white dresses. Supposedly they were in some kind of organized chaos, but I didn’t see it. The perimiter of the store was lined with mirrors where brides could show off their finds to their family.

Since Jes had bought her dress there, she lead me through with expertise. You can ask for help, but we opted to browse on our own. We picked a few dresses and headed for the dressing room, which was more like a locker room. Put your modesty away girls because you are in a room with dozens of brides trying on their dresses with everything hanging out for everyone to see.

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Yes, it is here!  The Vera Wang David’s Bridal Collection has just come out this month.  These dresses are absolutely stunning.  Not only are they stunning, but they’re affordable!  Most of Vera Wang’s Dresses cost around $5000-$10,000+.  At David’s Bridal, the Vera Wang collection ranges from $600-$1400.  They’re more on the modern chic side with a touch of the vintage look.  If you love lots of layers and tulle, you’ll love this new line. Sooo beautiful.  drool…

Before I dive into what I am going to wear on one of the most important days of my life, I have inched into dress options by looking at bridesmaid dresses first. From what I’ve seen, it has become increasingly popular to pick a color/fabric, and then have your bridesmaids pick the cut for which they feel is most flattering on their body.

I’m a little bit torn on this. I’m having 6 bridesmaids, all of which have pretty different body types. I want them all to feel comfortable in their dress, but am not sure I like the varying necklines/straps/etc should they all choose different dresses.

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Finding the perfect wedding dress has been no small feat. I’ve really been feeling the pressure to get it right. But after a sort of catastrophic first appointment at Kleinfeld, I’ve finally found (what I think is) The One.

Sorry, no pictures. We must leave something to my groom’s imagination, after all! But I will tell you that it’s quite gorgeous and makes me look really skinny and I’ve been measured and left a deposit and that’s it! There’s no turning back now! And yet…

There’s this other dress. And it’s kind of a dream.

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After years of watching hundreds of brides pass through its fabled doors on TLC’s “Say Yes To The Dress,” I finally had my very own bridal appointment at Kleinfeld.

The store has a strictly enforced no-photography policy, so I’m sorry to report I couldn’t get any pictures of the interior. But believe me when I tell you, it’s like wedding dress heaven! And at the same time, it was my wedding dress hell.

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…that a new pair of shoes can change your life!

Isn’t that the truth?!

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“I’m really nervous,” I told my friends, V and K, as I waited a few minutes for the rest of my entourage to show up at David’s Bridal.

Part of me was nervous because I was finally doing something I have been dreaming about for years. The other part of me was nervous because I was sure that this was going to be like every other shopping trip I’ve ever been on, which often leads to me nearly bawling in the dressing room because nothing fits my awkward figure correctly.

But when I finally began to slip into the first few prospective wedding dresses, the self-consciousness melted away and I was having an amazing time. One by one I put on a dress and looked at the faces of my bridesmaids, my mother and my future mother-in-law for reactions.  Most were positive some were not. We laughed, made jokes and no one cried.

As Michelle, my consultant, began narrowing down the dresses from a general idea to something more specific, the task became harder and harder. Each dress was better than the last, until we finally came to the last one.

Sorry, ladies. This isn't the dress I chose, but it was one of the finalists.

I had put aside my four favorites, in which the last – a bright-white and airy gown with a corset back – was included. As much as I liked the dress, it was a size too small so I had trouble picturing it on my body. All I could see were my imperfections. I also decided that it was too formal for my waterfront wedding.

I put on the other two, one of which was a Grecian goddess-inspired dress that was mentally the front-runner the moment I tried it on. It was so light and different that I fell in love with it – until I tried it on again. After trying on five dresses after it, it no longer held the same punch.

My favorite was the last dress (sorry, my wonderful fiance does read by blog so I have to leave out the details) and I instantly felt right in it. It was light, airy and perfect for my beach wedding. While some of the other dresses may have been more figure-flattering, they weren’t right for me.

Lucky for me, I happen to catch David’s Bridal during their fall sale so every dress that I tried on was under budget. I had $700 allocated for my dress and any alterations. Of course, if I found THE dress, I would have fudged my budget a bit, but I didn’t have to worry.

With my mind made up, Michelle and I peeked at the price while in the dressing room. My dream dress was only $299.00. Can we say HELL YEAH? With my job complete, I ran off with my bridesmaids to find their dresses, while Michelle began to work on the order. I had planned to have the dress shipped to Raleigh so that I could do any fittings here.

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