As someone who already loves shopping, the thought of trying on pretty dresses in luxurious fabrics thrills me. The hunt, in store and online, is only bested by trying the pretties on. Once I discovered some free time over Christmas break, my thoughts naturally gravitated toward more dress shopping. Before my feet even hit the floor in the morning, I was on my iPhone pulling up the nearest salon's website then giddy-dialing them for an appointment.
Yes, they could see me that day. Could I come in 2 hours? Uhm, YES!
A quick call to close friend R confirmed she could skip out on her lunch break to provide moral support and a critical eye, if need be. I had an ulterior motive though. Bad bride, right? Except, it's good! I needed find out if she would be open to being a part of our wedding. She's like a sister to Mr. P and has always been a fantastic friend. Since I've been with the future mister, we have become friends too. So the plan was to ask R if she'd be a bridesmaid at the salon.
The tiny salon was empty except for the proprietor and seamstress. They sized me up while I still had my coat on, asked about style and pointed out the racks I should look at. I chose this salon because they carry Paloma Blanca and the Vineyards Collection from Priscilla of Boston. After my WV shopping missteps, I was targeting stores that carried brands I would buy. And no veils!
The amount of gorgeous gowns was overwhelming. I grabbed the nearest gown I liked (a Paloma). Based on my selection and body type, the seamstress pulled four others. All A-line, no mermaid. Mermaid was not my silhouette, I was told. Friend R arrived about this time and was instructed to sit; they would do everything else. I was whisked into a dressing room and, with a flurry of activity, found myself in a light-as-air Paloma silk gown. The weightlessness was amazing. Even a full ballgown felt like pj's. This was the first store that had taken the time to assess my style, body and make educated suggestions.
(Sorry, no photos of me in the gowns. The salon has a no photo policy, but I doubt we would have had time to take a photo with the record speed she whipped me in and out of those gowns.)
Two of the five gowns were direct hits - both Paloma. The more elegant first dress was a tighter A-line with sweetheart neckline and tiny waist. Perfect for an older bride but it didn't have the personality to match me, per R. Our favorite was a champagne silk A-line with sweetheart neck and ruched bodice. Light, elegant but still fun. My brain shrieked, "Mom should see this one!" (And we still hadn't found our venue or picked a date.)
After we finished the five dresses, I thought there would be more. I mean, look at all the gorgeous dresses out there. We were the only ones in the store. I would have picked more wisely if I'd have known I only got one pick! Not wanting to leave the store just yet, I asked R if she'd like to look at bridesmaid gowns with me. I nonchalantly explained that I needed her opinion... after all, she'd be wearing it. She was shocked and asked if this meant she'd be in the wedding. Even after her "27 Dresses" worth of wedding experiences, she was excited to be a part of our wedding. Introducing... Bridesmaid R!
The experience was a whirlwind - 45 minutes to try on 5 gowns plus bridesmaid dress shopping. Everything was beautiful and I knew the one dress deserved a revisit, maybe with one of the moms.
What was the average time you spent in a store? Did you ever feel rushed and how did you deal with it?
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