Wedding Dresses and Shoes

After you've determined your venue and placed your deposit. Go dress shopping. ALL the dress shopping. Everyone was telling me to go in October 2014 when our wedding was set for September 2015. I didn't understand why until I actually went and discovered the very long delivery times. Wedding dresses take a long time to make and arrive. I foolishly thought I could casually browse and order my dress in 2015 because I wasn't getting anything custom made or stitched to my exact measurements.

But wrong! I was so wrong. Wedding gowns can take up to 6 months to arrive. And you'd want to buffer in time in case there is an order mix up, or if the wrong colour or size arrives, and for alterations. Unless you're buying a pre-loved dress or one from a store that you can take home on the same day, GO EARLY. I ordered my dress at the end of November and got it at the end of February - and that was the dress coming in early since it was estimated to arrive in March. Luckily there was no mix up, my dress came in the right size and colour. I didn't end up needing alterations because my  heels made up for the length.

And what do I mean by ALL the dress shopping? I mean go bridesmaid dress shopping around the same time. After you find your dress, take your best friends and help find their dresses. We went at the end of April and beginning of May 2015 and it was a scramble. Again, I didn't realize that bridesmaid dresses took forever to arrive either. I had assumed that it was a simple process of ordering them and having them arrive within a month or some other reasonable time frame. But we were told that they could take 10 weeks or even 20 weeks depending on the colour of the dress. So not just the fabric or style, but the colour choices will impact when you will receive them. I wanted a pewter colour (seen above) as opposed to the mercury sample swatch that they had in the store and for some reason pewter took double the time. Then again, it also depended on the sales associate, we got some mixed answers which added to the frustration.

Anyways, my maid of honour arranged my first dress trying experience. She was so sweet in organizing the afternoon and the carpooling of my mom, mother-in-law, and myself. We decided to go to David's Bridal so I could try on all the different silhouettes I'd liked without feeling too pressured (as opposed to going to a boutique).

We arrived on time for our appointment and was told to sit in the waiting area. I was handed a tablet with all their different dresses and was told to choose the ones I liked. So I did. I went and marked up a few that looked like it would fit my style. When they assigned me a consultant, she looked over the tablet and told me I was all over the place. Well! It was my first time looking and I didn't know what I wanted yet. Then to my disappointment, she said that a lot of the ones I marked up were not in stock or unavailable for ordering anymore. Not off to a great start, but I could still try on the ones they did have in the show room.

We went to the dressing rooms and my consultant brought in dress after dress for me to try. I would come out and she'd help clip the back of the sample sized dresses. Then I'd stand in front of my posse and watch for their expressions. Surprisingly, my mom was the most opinionated! I know she used to work in a bit of fashion, but I didn't know how firm her head shakes would be. =)

I was all about the illusion necklines and didn't want a strapless dress. So I tried on ones with lots of lace, even sleeves (which made me look so matronly), trumpet, A-line, and mermaid.

I did try on a ball gown and completely loved it, but felt that it might be too cumbersome for the day. We are getting married in a cozy-sized restaurant and I didn't want my poof of a dress to take up all the space. I would have to lean over just to hug my friends!

But walking in a ball gown is a treat, you should try it on even if you know you're not going to end up going with that silhouette. It's truly one way to feel like a princess. The swish and movement of a ball gown is absolutely fun! Trust me, you'll feel like twirling and sashaying everywhere. I was close to bursting into song.

I thought about going whimsical, but the garden length wasn't well-suited for my body type and height. It made me look shorter and stubbier because of where the dress ended. I would have preferred it to stop just at my knee, but I wasn't keen on spending money on altering pretty much the entire dress.

Next, I went to Best for Bride to look at dresses. I had found an Alfred Angelo (2388) dress on Pinterest that I really wanted to try in and the store's website listed it. I was so excited, I was telling Howard that this was it! It might be a poof and it didn't have the illusion neckline, but I liked the simplicity of it and the one shoulder look. But guess what? None of their Toronto locations carried this dress, so I wouldn't be able to try it unless I ordered it. Regardless, I kept my appointment to see what else they had. And despite my reservations about strapless, I tried one on and loved it! Well, who would have thought I would be wearing a sweetheart gown on my wedding day? Not I! Just goes to show that you never know until you try.

The store said that this Mori Lee Blu was their bestselling dress and I could see why. It was simple with layers of tulle wrapping around with an asymmetrical trumpet flare featuring a strapless sweetheart neckline and a corset lace-up back. There was a small train in the back and I love how fitted it was on the top. I had to say yes! It was what I envisioned, no bling, beading, lace, appliqué, or shiny fabric. It was soft, romantic, and simple.

You can see the bottom part of the Mori Lee dress in the first photo where I'm trying on two different platform heels. I bought two pairs to try on. I really loved the lighter one on the left, but it was a stiletto and I would be walking on cobbled floors in the park and terrace. The darker sparkly shoe had a chunkier heel and was overall more comfortable. My aunt was saying it didn't matter since no one would see it anyways. Both shoes didn't have a rubber grip and were really difficult to walk in. Oh I practiced, but when it came to the wedding day, it didn't matter. It was raining, we had to take photos in the park, I put on my waterproof booties. And kept them on the entire day. Which meant I was able to return both sparkly heels because I never wore them out. Funny how things work. I did so much planning and practicing that it didn't even matter! My aunt was wrong though - our photographer did see them and applauded me for going weather proof. He said that he never saw a bride do that before. =)

Oh, one thing I didn't like about the whole dress shopping experience? The consultants kept tying sashes to my waist for every single dress. I know they need to sell more and make me fall in love with an entire "look" that included the veil and sash, but I really just wanted to see the dress first before they started accessorizing. One thing I did like about purchasing from Best for Bride was that they had a price match policy in which they would give you an additional 10% discount. So once I knew which dress I wanted, I inquired with other shops to see what they sold the dress for. Another store did have a lower price, so I brought it in and got the price match discount.

Later this year when I was shopping for bridesmaid gifts, I found out that Kate Spade released their tanner dress in white - ohhhh how I would have chosen that. It was simple and classic and casual. The bow on the back is just perfect. Our whole wedding would have had a different vibe, I first fell for the tanner dress when I saw it in a navy and white pattern that I couldn't find here in Toronto. I thought it would be a great rehearsal dinner dress if we ever did one (nope, we skipped hosting a rehearsal dinner).

But oh my goodness if I had an unlimited budget, these wedding gowns by Hayley Paige make me swoon! You need to look these up and marvel at the design. Those stripes and patterns and use of fabrics, all folded into things of fairy tales. I don't love the top for this Dori dress, but the volume and shape of that skirt is amazing! Then there's these two: Keaton and Guindon. Stripes that are subtle and striking at the same time. How would you pick? The ballgown or the trumpet silhouette?

I also adore the floral patterns on this Chaviano Couture dress featured here. I didn't find the name or style of it. Sigh, wedding dresses really are dreamy to look at. I hope you have a great time looking for yours!

Park photography: Ikonica | Shoe and store photography: Mom and maid of honour | Wedding dress from Best for Brides: Mori Lee Blu 5108 | Bridesmaid dresses from David's Bridal: Long Mesh Dress with Cowl Back Detail, Long Mesh Dress with One Shoulder Neckline, and Long Strapless Chiffon Dress and Pleated Bodice | Flower girl dress: Joe Fresh