Trying on wedding dresses was something I absolutely dreaded. In high school, finding prom or homecoming formal dresses was always a task - due to two major things on my chest... They make dress shopping almost unbearable, because nothing can tame these things!

Needless to say, wedding dress shopping was not at the top of my list, but I knew it was something that had to be done. I couldn't wear my jammies down the aisle, so I had to start somewhere.

I, like many of you started looking on Pinterest. I noticed almost EVERY dress I saw was lace - and lace and I don't really care for each other. I did start finding some styles I liked and eventually got in my mind what I wanted. So, I reluctantly made an appointment at a store in Atlanta called Suite Bridal. I had no clue what I was getting in to, but I was already going to be in Atlanta, so I thought I might as well use the down time for getting stuff done. I walked in and to my horror EVERY DRESS WAS LACE.

I went through every rack, and wanted to try on NONE of them. It was the absolute worst feeling. I had made this appointment in the big city, and I hated all of the dresses I saw. Even the store owner said something like "well I don't really know how to help you." Talk about feeling bad about yourself. I continued to look, and did finally find TWO dresses I was willing to try on. (Don't worry, neither one of these is THE dress.)



After this experience, I realized A) I still don't like lace and B) I needed to be more flexible and try on any and every dress - there are more stores in the world and they don't all have all lace everything. C) THE VEIL MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE A BRIDE.


So, here are my tips for trying on wedding dresses:

1. You are trying on dresses for Y-O-U. Not your mom, not your best friend, and certainly not your fiance. If ANY of these people tell you that they don't like a dress that you absolutely love, do not let that deter you from getting the dress you want. These people should want you to be happy, and if the dress makes you happy, BUY IT.

2. Be open to trying on different styles than what you think you want. I always wanted a strapless dress, but made sure I tried on things with sleeves here and there... just to make sure.