Searching for ‘The Dress’ with Style Me Pretty

Hi friends, I wanted to share with you my next (up close and personal) blogger bride post for Style Me Pretty.  I’m sure you’ve heard me say this before, but I’m not one to enjoy shopping…with that, I never really looked forward to trying on wedding dresses. The thought of standing in front of friends and family (on a pedestal) mostly naked and trying on dresses just didn’t appeal to me…on top of the fear I wouldn’t find ‘the dress’. With all that being said, I wanted to share with you my experience into it all. You can hop on over to SMP here to see my top ten tips too!

First off, none of the dresses shown are the one I picked…as I wanted to leave something to the imagination. And no, my fiance is not allowed to see these posts ;)  When I first tried on dresses I was with my bridesmaids and my mom, which was awesome..but we were all exhausted and hungry (oh and to top it off all I had to drink that morning was mimosas and coffee)!  The place we went to didn’t offer us anything to drink, until we asked for water, in which they gave us the smallest baby bottles I’ve ever seen. There wasn’t any music playing so it was kinda awkward in general. The consultant I had did do a really great job and pulled some great dresses in my style.

So, the second time around I wanted to make sure I had fun and enjoyed the process.  So, my sister and I made the trip down to Charlotte, NC and visited my lovely client Hayden Olivia Bridal. It worked out well considering I was able to do some business, meet her for the first time, see her amazing loft, and try on beautiful dresses as well! I couldn’t tell you enough how much I enjoyed it, to top it off I was able to see my close friend Sara (you may know her from Salted Ink) whom I haven’t seen in over a year (besides our weekly skype dates).  I am so beyond lucky to have these moments captured, and couldn’t thank the lovely Lauren Rosenau Photography for her time and patience with me ;)

Ladies, I do not have a big budget and am paying for my dress myself…but I do have to say, trying on Monique Lhuillier and Hayley Paige was quite fun (even knowing I couldn’t afford it ;)  With all that being said, I shared a few of my tips on trying on dresses for the first time over at Style Me Pretty. Because really, I wish I would have known!!  Lastly, for all of you Southern brides you must check out Hayden Olivia Bridal, it’s such a beautiful/magical place!  P.S. I never had the ‘THIS IS THE ONE’ moment, no tears were shed, and the dress I did pick is beautiful and great…because some girls do not have that, and its okay ;)