Drum Roll, Please!

And the winner of the Bridesmaids' Dress-Off Challenge is...

David's Bridal 83312!!!

This dress was a unanimous favorite of the bridesmaids. I thought that I would choose something more elaborate, but what was most important to me was that they were comfortable for the marathon of July 23 (Plus, do you know how difficult it is to find a dress that not only flatters five very different bodies, but all five like as well?).

This dress is a great basic that I hope each of the girls will dress up in her own way. It also has pockets and (according to Sara) will photograph better than our other contenders might have.

So while my dress is pretty elaborate, this one is sweet and simple. And according to David's Bridal's Dress Your Wedding tool, they look pretty darn good together.

They even have drapey shit!

More Bridesmaid Dresses

I broke the keyboard on my laptop a while back, hence the lack of posts. During my hiatus, I made another trip to David's Bridal with my best high school friend, Katie.

Katie and I were close for most of middle and high school. I was glad that it takes about half an hour to drive to David's Bridal--we got plenty of time to catch up. Katie's studying to be a vet in Michigan, so we don't get many chances to hang out.

Katie tried on the same dresses as Heidi, Sara, and Emily, then we found another:

I really liked the lines on this one, but it has a bow in the back. That screams, "OMG, Bridesmaid!" just a little too loudly for me.

Nicky and I are going to make one last dress trip before she leaves for France this month. I think we're going to look at this jacquard dress--I keep seeing it out of the corner of my, eye and most of the bridesmaids seem to like it.

Saying Yes to My Dress

With the Treasured Moments Stand Out fresh in our minds, Mom, Emily, and I drove out to David's Bridal to see our other number one choice, Dress #2.

I was impressed by how well we were treated there, even though we were a walk-in on an extremely busy Saturday.

While we waited for Chrissy to finish with her appointment, they cleared a room for us and let Emily try on bridesmaid dresses.

We really liked this one, but the price was a little steep. Mom and I want to make sure that my bridesmaids can afford to be my bridesmaids.

Once I put on the dress, they let me walk around the store. It was really amazing to see the train behind me.

Then I had "the moment" that I was waiting for. This whole time, I've been waiting for that "OMG I'M A BRIDE!" moment when I put on a dress. I never really had it.

But, wearing this dress, I imagined walking down the aisle with my parents. I imagined standing next to Jay at the altar and dancing with him at the reception. In that dress, I felt happy and beautiful, and very much like myself.

So we said yes to Dress #2 from David's Bridal.

Dress Shopping Round 3: Treasured Moments

Today, Mom, Emily, and I went to Treasured Moments, the bridal salon where got my senior prom dress (also, Mom knows the owner). I love this shop--the staff is extremely friendly and professional. Unfortunately, I wasn't wild about their stock. It seems that, once again, what I want isn't the latest "thing" with designers. We also got the impression that we'd done too much shopping--all the dresses were starting to blend together.

There was one stand out, however:

Final Score: Tie between David's Bridal #2 and the Treasured Moments Stand Out (Alfred Angelo coming in third).

Dress Shopping Round 2: Alfred Angelo

After the great trip to David's Bridal on Monday, I was really excited to go to Alfred Angelo. For whatever reason, though, I didn't like the store or its dresses nearly as much. The dresser was incredibly awkward and the dresses there weren't really my style. Tons of satin and tulle and not nearly enough lace.

Emily worked hard to keep me entertained, though:

One dress I did like, though, reminded me of my Aunt Michelle's wedding dress. Well, the neckline, anyway.

I did find one dress that I did really like:

So, as it stands, Dress 2 from David’s Bridal is still my top choice, with the Alfred Angelo dress coming in at second.

Dress Shopping Round 1: David's Bridal

As my mother is leaving for vacation in a week, she and I are trying to fit in several bridal appointments before she leaves. Tonight, we started with David's Bridal and brought Emily along for the fun.

Honestly, I didn't expect much from DB. Their dresses tend to be a little cookie-cutter for my taste, and I've heard negative feedback about the company as a whole. Still, it seemed like as good a place as any to start. And I was pleasantly surprised!

The only other time I've been to a bridal salon (Prom 2006), I dressed myself with my mom's assistance. I felt incredibly awkward repeatedly dressing and undressing in front of Chrissy, my salesperson. I haven't been dressed by someone else since I was a child, so that part of the experience was very surreal.

Dress #1 was beautiful, but wasn't really great for my body:

Dress #2 was gorgeous. I loved it--didn't want to take it off!

Dress #3 was also a contender:

Dress # ...I forget...was incredibly heavy. So much beading!

Finally, Chrissy asked me to rank my top three choices. I was really excited to put on my first choice, Dress #2!

While the seamstress showed my mom how we could bustle the train, I asked Emily to snap this:

Seeing my engagement ring against the lace made me feel like a real, live bride. And yes, I'm wearing black fingernail polish.

Stayed tuned because we have two more appointments before Mom leaves for Canada. Plus, we're going to get out her dress when my grandparents are in town this weekend!