After what seems like a long hiatus from Bridal Buds (my apologies, Buds!), I return with an explanation.

I have to admit that unlike most brides, I dreaded looking for my wedding dress.  There were just too many shops (or not enough) in Honolulu and just too many choices that I felt extremely overwhelmed in the beginning of my search.  It wasn’t that the wedding dresses didn’t look GOOD on me, it’s just wasn’t me.  I did fall in love with a few wedding dresses when I tried them on but either I didn’t love how I looked in the pictures or I didn’t love the price.  In any case, I just didn’t experience the infamous “ah ha” moment of finding “the one.”  Still, I did come close to buying this wedding dress:

Mikaella Style 1239

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From flickr.com/photos/k-girl/9296551

Finally I can reveal the dress I decided on! My final stop was at an Atlanta boutique, Kelly’s Closet. Even before I got engaged– when I was furtively buying copies of wedding magazines out of Plumeria Dude’s sight– it seemed that almost every line I loved was carried there. I didn’t plan on making an appointment though, because I knew most everything was out of my price range. But I had tried on dress after dress at boutique after boutique, and I had yet to find the perfect gown. My mom was in town and she offered to supplement the dress budget. I took her up on the offer and we headed down to Candler Park to check out the Closet.

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So I continued my search for the perfect gown. At one boutique, which unfortunately did not allow photos, I ran across a few interesting choices. The designer St. Pucchi is known for its fabulously over the top confections. It turns out their Sposa line has some more restrained items– I liked Z258 in particular.

From stpucchi.com

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Looking for a wedding dress was one of the first wedding-related things I did. In fact, I have been eying gowns for years. I love fashion, pretty fabrics and dresses– what’s not to love?

From unique-vintage.com

I’ve always liked vintage styles, from the ’50s silhouettes found at Stephanie James or the 1930′s recreations at Unique Vintage.

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However, the expected turnaround for receiving the order is 12 weeks.  I knew this ahead of time, and it’s still in plenty of time for our wedding in June.  But since 4 of the 5 girls in my wedding live on the west coast (California and Oregon), and we went with a bridal shop out east, I had planned on bringing their dresses with me in April when I go back to California for my Bridal shower.  However, now we are butting right up on the time they should be ready, and if the don’t arrive in time, I will have to ship the dresses to them.  And, we’ll lose out on the experience of everyone trying on their dresses together for the first time.

Time is Money!Watch from finkgifts.etsy.com

It’s not like these are custom-made dresses.  They are in standard sizes.  I know this is the case with almost all dress vendors, but I think their turnaround times are a little ridiculous.  But what can you do, right?

What are your thoughts?  Does anyone have a different experience?  Shorter/longer ordering times?  Has anyone received dresses before their stated date (please, please, please)?

Walk into any wedding boutique and you will find dozens if not hundreds of beautiful dresses. When faced with multiple options, how do you know which dress is right for you? In addition to taking into account my body type and wedding budget, I thought about my personality and expectations for my wedding day.

If, like me, you tend to lose weight when you are nervous or stressed, or if you are trying to lose weight for your wedding, consider a lace-up back. Unlike a dress with a zipper or buttons, last minute alterations are not necessary. If you lose a little more weight than planned, just pull the laces tighter. If you don’t quite drop those last five pounds, just loosen the laces. No big deal!

Photo by Michael Hawk Photography

If you are looking for a low maintenance dress, a train is probably not for you. Depending on the size of your train and the number of bridesmaids assisting you, it can take a while to bustle your dress between the ceremony and reception. [Bustle: pulling up and fastening the train at the back of the wedding dress, often with hooks and eyes or buttons, for the reception.] With no bustle to worry about, you can head straight to the party after the ceremony and pictures.

Photo by Michael Hawk Photography

Of course, sometimes it is necessary to toss practicality and logic out the window and go with a dress that is absolutely gorgeous. You’ll know when you find the perfect dress just like you knew when you found the perfect husband.

What else have you taken into consideration when choosing your wedding dress?

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE shopping on eBay!!!!!!!

The great thing about shopping on eBay is that you can find items that you might not be able to readily find in your area or get a great deal. I have been using eBay for a variety of wedding gear, including not one, but two wedding dresses and the gorgeous shoes to match!

From ebay.com

Before bidding on the first dress, I had a seamstress in my area take my measurements and used these to bid on the right size. It fit like a charm when I got it!

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Long, long ago, I bought a wedding dress. It was 2005, long before I ever had concrete thoughts about marriage—and long before I got back together with my fiancé. I found it while helping a friend pick out her wedding dress, and it was only $200! I figured that I could buy it then, and if I changed my mind later that I could always sell it or donate it to charity…

Now, it is later… I still love the dress, but I started thinking about looking for something different. The dress is classic, traditional, and lovely.

I don’t think that any of these words really describe me, and they don’t really describe the wedding that I am planning either…

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