Kate: Saying Yes to the Dress!

By Kate Sembor 

Have you been daydreaming about your wedding dress for years?  Did you have a vision while growing up of what you would wear on your wedding day, right down to your shoes? Or were you more like me: Planning your first bridal salon appointment with no idea what dresses you wanted to put on?

After looking online and asking some fellow brides, I decided that Alexandra’s Boutique was the perfect place for me to go.  They have more than 3,000 bridal gowns in the store, so I knew I would get a good sampling of what was out there and maybe even find my dress!

I started the process by gathering photos on Pinterest and from bridal magazines, taking into consideration my wedding day and  likely weather as well as my personal style and what I would feel most comfortable in. I found several images of gowns I thought I would like to try on and saved them to bring with me to my appointment.

Your wedding dress is a big decision! That is why I decided to include a few key people in my dress shopping experience: my mom, my future mother in law, my sister and my best friend. I knew that they would not only make me feel great about my choice, but would make sure my taste and personality were showcased in the dress!

As we entered the bridal floor of Alexandra’s, I was amazed at the gorgeous gowns surrounding me at every turn. Rooms upon rooms of sparkles and lace lined the walls as we walked to our area to begin the try-on session.

When I met my bridal consultant, Sandy, she had several questions for me. I told her my budget, the different dress shapes I was interested in, and my general desired style. Showing her my saved photos really helped to explain my vision. Then she was off to work, eventually pulling at least ten gowns that fit my criteria.

In the dressing room, I saw one gown on the rack that I knew I wanted to try on immediately. For some reason it stood out among all the gorgeous gowns she had chosen. I knew it was going to be a top contender as soon as I put it on!

Of course, I tried on some other gowns that my mom wanted to see me in and some other fits and fabrics just to get a sampling of what was possible. But with each gown I tried on, I was further convinced that the first dress was the right choice!

At the end of the appointment, I put on my favorite gown again. It felt familiar… just like an old friend. Sandy choose an accompanying veil when I came out and asked the question, “Are you saying yes to this dress?”

And of course, I did!  I saw tears in the eyes of my mom and mother-in-law, and I could not help but tear up myself. Sandy even let us celebrate together with a champagne toast!

I cannot wait for it to be ready for pick up in a few months for the final alterations. I’ll be keeping it a secret until the big day, but for now I finally have a dress to dream about!