I FOUND THE DRESS!

Finally! No more appointments, no more trips to dress shops, no more looking at the same wedding dresses over and over again! Ladies, I have found THE dress :) I'm not going to post a picture of it, in case my husband-of-the-future is spying on this blog, but I will say that my dress is not what I expected to get. I ended up getting my gown from Unveiled Philadelphia, my favorite store out of all the places I went. 

A couple weeks ago, I decided to go back to Bridals by Danielle and Unveiled Philadelphia to take one last look at the two dresses I was choosing between. I realized that I needed to get my dress ordered now if I wanted to get it on time. This time I only went with my mom and mother in law. Our first stop was Bridals by Danielle, and I must say, my experience this time was completely different from my first visit. 

On my way to the store I ran into bumper to bumper traffic, so I called to let them know I was going to be 5 minutes late at the most. (I'm a stickler for punctuality so I always try to arrive anywhere 15 minutes early) The woman on the phone assured me that this was ok and that they would still honor my appointment. Unfortunately this is not what happened once I arrived. When I walked into the store, the woman at the desk barely acknowledged my presence. It was only after I walked up to the desk to let her know I was there that she said "Oh hi, just wait up front, Anna (the saleswoman who had helped me before) will be with you in 5 minutes." No problem, I was late, the least I could do was be patient. 

5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes went by and my mom, mother in law, and I were still waiting to be helped. During this time we were not given a single explanation. Not one word or apology as to why we were still waiting. It was late in the afternoon and the store was completely empty. Finally my mother in law said to the woman at the front (who I later learned is actually the owner of the store) that our appointment was at 4:30, it was now 4:50, and we had another appointment at 5:30. By this point, I was ready to get the hell out of the store and take my business elsewhere. The woman said "Well you were late for your appointment so I gave Anna another bride." That's funny, I called ahead of time to let her know that I would be maybe 5 minutes late, and I was also assured that my appointment would be honored. 

After some snarky comments from myself and my mom, Anna finally came out to apologize and had the dress that I wanted to try on brought to a dressing room for me. I was in such a foul mood that I tried it on for my mom, and said "Ok I'm done let's go to the next store. I don't want a store with customer service like this getting any of my business." It's a shame because before that visit, I had pretty much decided to buy the dress, but after my horrible visit, there was no way I wanted to come back.

Our next stop was at Unveiled Philadelphia. I loved this store the first time I went. It's a completely different experience from any other store: 

1. They book their appointments in 2 hour increments to avoid an overlap with another bride. Even if you don't use the full 2 hours, it's nice to know that all of their attention will be with you. 

2. They have a huge runway in the middle of the store that you can walk down to get a real idea of the weight and movement of a dress. (Plus, you get to feel like a supermodel for an hour) 

3. They don't stock the typical dress designers that you can find everywhere else. You feel like the dress you get won't be one that you can see on every other bride.

When we got to the store, they were finishing up an appointment with another bride, which I didn't mind since we were a little early. We ended up waiting about 15 minutes, but unlike at Bridals by Danielle, Frannie's husband Michael talked to me, let me browse through the dresses, and kept me engaged the whole time. By the time the other bride was finished, we were in a better mood. 

I tried on the dress that I tried on the first time, plus some new dresses that they had just received from the same designer. When I tried on one particular dress, my face just lit up. This was it. It was one of the new ones that they got in, and it was perfect. The designer is Val Stefani. I had never heard of her before visiting Unveiled, but her dresses are beautiful. I'm happy I didn't go with a big name designer. Yes, it would be cool to say I work Vera Wang, Monique Lhuillier, or Jenny Packham, but I'm so happy that I found a dress that just felt right. It's not about the name, but how the dress makes you feel, and I feel beautiful in it. I can't wait to wear it!

Here are some examples of Val Stefani's work. 

Dress Shopping

2 weeks ago I started dress shopping. What I thought was going to be a long day of appointments and trying on countless puffy dresses ended up being a fun day of trying on different styles while enjoying champagne with my bridesmaids, mom, and mother in law! We went to 3 boutiques and each one was it's own different experience. 

1. La Bella Moda 

Aside from not finding a single dress that I liked, the experience at this store was awful. The woman helping me was very rude to and short with me and my bridesmaids, and even had the nerve to say "This should probably be the last dress you try on. We book our appointments hourly and my next bride is waiting downstairs." (Are you kidding me?!) Needless to say, I will not be contacting this store again, or recommending it to anybody.

2. Bridals by Danielle

By the time we got to our second stop, we all had a sour taste in our mouths. But we went into it open minded, telling ourselves that not all stores are like La Bella Moda. We were pleasantly surprised with Bridals by Danielle. They had a great variety of designers and dresses, and the saleswoman assisting me was extremely friendly and helpful in finding dresses that were suited to my style. She even paired the dresses that I like with a veil and accessories so I could get a better idea of the whole look.  My only critique of the store would be the woman who works at the front desk. We arrived early, and she was very rude to us, almost as if she didn't want us there. Besides her, I would definitely recommend this store to any bride.

3. Unveiled Philadelphia

Perhaps my favorite store of the day. Unveiled is owned by Fran Erace, a 30 year veteran of the bridal industry. She creates a completely unique and fantastic experience when shopping for a wedding gown. The selection is a little smaller than most stores, but she carries designers who are not as well known, allowing you to see dresses that are different than you see in every other store. She allots 2 hours per appointment, so you don't feel rushed. The most unique feature of the Unveiled experience is the runway in the middle of the store. After you put a dress on, she walks you out to a runway where you can strut your stuff for your bridesmaids. It's so much fun! If I were to recommend 1 place to a bride, this would be it! Fran is awesome, the dresses are absolutely stunning, and I honestly think I may have found "the one" there!

We weren't allowed to take pictures, but we managed to sneak one at Bridals by Danielle. This isn't "the dress" but I definitely felt like a bride when I tried this on.

Wedding Do or Don't: White by Vera Wang

This is a post that I was very torn about writing, in fear that I may offend a few people, but in the end I've decided to post it to find out what everyone else thinks about this collection. Vera Wang is known as bridal royalty. When a girl gets engaged, the first thing she thinks about is her dress, and the two most common names that I hear thrown around are Monique Lhuillier and Vera Wang. Vera has designed the wedding gowns for some of the most well-known celebrities in the world (Jennifer Aniston, Victoria Beckham, Heidi Klum, Jennifer Lopez, and Jessica Simpson, just to name a few), which is why I was pretty surprised when I found out that she had designed a collection for David's Bridal. *gasp* 

This can be looked at in a few different ways:

1. For the bride on a budget, this is an amazing chance for her to wear Vera Wang on her wedding day without breaking her budget. 

2. For the bride not on a budget, this could be seen as a "faux" Vera Wang dress. ("My real Vera dress is way better.")

3. For private bridal boutique owners, this is not good news. (I'm losing customers to David's Bridal?! Damn you, Vera!)

I still have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, Vera can appeal to the masses by making her beautiful creations more affordable for women who don't have $6,000 to spend on a wedding dress. On the other hand, by making her designs available to more people, she's sort of "watering down" her amazingness. The moment you go from couture to ready-to-wear, you cheapen yourself. 

The big difference between Vera Wang and White by Vera Wang is not in the design and aesthetics, but in the material, beading, and construction of the gowns. We're talking silk and satin vs. polyester, hand beaded vs. machine beading, built-in corsets boning, lining, and covered buttons vs. zippers, standard fits, and little to no lining. 

Let's look at a few comparisons:

Vera Wang on the left. White by Vera Wang on the right for $1200.

Vera Wang on the left. White by Vera Wang on the right for $1000.

Vera Wang on the left. White by Vera Wang on the right for $1200.

At the end of the day, it really doesn't matter who or what you wear. If you're married to the one you love, then your wedding was a success. People will think you look beautiful in your gown regardless of who designed it, or how much you paid for it (which is nobody's business anyway). I leave you with a few more dresses from White by Vera Wang and these questions: Do you notice a difference? Which do you prefer? 

Dress Designer: Marchesa

I'm obsessed with the Marchesa Spring 2012 collection. I've always been a fan of Marchesa in general (2 of my favorite collections can be seen here: Resort 2010 and Resort 2012), but this collection blew me away. 90% of the dresses are dresses that I would wear on my wedding day. 

The collection manages to stay cohesive while experimenting with different styles. With dresses ranging from bohemian to modern to traditional, it's good for brides with all different tastes. 

Take a look at some of the dresses from the collection and let me know which ones are your favorites.

(Pictures from NY Mag)

I love the draping and the structure of the top.

I love this for a reception dress to change into after the ceremony.

My favorite piece from the collection, however I think my shoulders are a little too broad for the detailed sleeves on this one. Meh. 

Cute for a bohemian bride. Simple earrings or a cool headpiece would complete the outfit.

I love the sheer detailing on the top of this dress.

A little too simple for me, but beautiful.

One of my other favorites of the collection. I wish I could find a better picture of the back of the dress.

LOVE the zipper detailing on the back

I love this dress. Structured, but still retains movement.

A little simpler, but I love the detailing on the top.

Dress Designer: Carol Hannah

This designer may not be as well known as Vera Wang, Monique Lhuillier, Jenny Packham, but her dresses are bound to become popular with brides in the next few years. Her name is Carol Hannah and she was discovered when she was a contestant on Project Runway. She didn't win, but she did come in 3rd place. 

I found her dresses on a neat website called Lovely Bride. She launched her bridal line in Spring of 2010 and her work has gotten great reviews in the media. Her dresses are beautiful in a simple way and she has a great eye for creating unique silhouettes. 

Dress Designer: Romona Keveza

I've finally found a dress designer that I like whose dresses are carried in the U.S. (happy dance!) Her name is Romona Keveza, and her dresses are beautiful. They're a good blend of classic meets sexy. I love that her dresses are structured, but remain flowy, so that movement isn't restricted. Even luckier for me, her dresses are carried in 2 bridal boutiques within 5 miles of my apartment :)

        

 

                    

Dress Designer: Inbal Dror

Most girls have had their dream wedding dress picked out since they were 8. I am not one of those girls. Even though I don't know what I want my dress to look like, I've seen plenty of examples of what I don't want it to look like. 

(Warning: these dresses are SCARY)

(images from Tacky Weddings)

Luckily there are designers like Inbal Dror who have shown me that not all wedding dresses are nightmares made of taffeta or tulle. I found her website after I saw one of her gowns pinned on Pinterest, and she is my dream wedding gown designer. Unfortunately, she's located in Israel and I haven't found anything about her gowns being carried in the U.S. I did see that she makes custom gowns, so there's still hope. After my first visit to her website I was hooked. I'm in such awe of her designs. She has an eye for creating such unique gowns. They are truly unlike any others I've seen. I'm determined to wear one of her creations on my wedding day.

One thing I love about her is that she likes to focus on the back detail. I decided long before I saw her designs that I wanted either a backless gown, or something with a lot of detail on the back. To me, showing off your back is so subtly sexy. You don't need to have a slit in your skirt up to your thigh, or a neckline down to your navel if you have a sexy back. 

She is so good at producing form fitting, yet flowy gowns that flatter a woman's body. I think it's impossible not to feel sexy when wearing one of her creations. She doesn't use a million yards of tulle to create a poofy cupcake dress that reminds me of prom.

 

Seriously, how can you not be in love with this dress?! 

There aren't enough words that I could write that would describe how much I love these gowns. Now if I can just find a way to either go is Israel and buy my gown, or somehow get her to come to the states....

Wedding Do or Don't: Mismatched Bridesmaid Dresses

I love this trend. Gone are the days where all of your bridesmaids have to wear the same dress, color, cut, shoes, jewelry, and hairstyle. Bridesmaids have the freedom to accessorize their dresses to show off their own personal style (with the approval of the bride, obviously). 

Not all of your bridesmaids are going to have the same body type, so why assume that one style is going to look good on all of them? A flat-chested girl is going to feel more comfortable in one style, while a girl with a larger chest will feel more comfortable in a different one. To me, a bride should want her bridesmaids to feel as comfortable in their dresses as possible. A comfy bridesmaid = a happy, confident bridesmaid.

Of course there are guidelines that a bride can follow to ensure that her bridesmaids look coordinated, without looking too random:

1. Same color, different styles

This is good for a bride who wants to embrace the trend, without straying too far from tradition. 

2. Same color, different shades

This is a great way to showcase the trend. 

You can go from each end of the color spectrum, or stick to a few key shades.

3. Same dress, mismatched accessories

This is a good way to let your bridesmaids express their individual styles, while still looking uniform.

4. Complementary color palette

Whether it's jewel tones or pastels, make sure the colors really complement each other, or else you run the risk of looking like your bridesmaids picked random colors.

 

The rules are pretty limitless when it comes to your bridesmaids. It's really just up to the bride to keep communicating with her girls to make sure that they like their dresses. Whether you choose to keep them in the same dress or mismatched, the most important thing is that they're happy. The last thing you want is for your bridesmaids to be trash talking the color or style choice to anyone who will listen (and trust me, they will).

(images from Belle the Magazine)