the dress

EEK – I ordered my dress today. I should have started this blog two months ago, so you could have journeyed with me through the hell that is bridal gown shopping. But, lucky reader, you have caught me on the upswing, wedding attire already decided. I think that’s better for both of us.

Volumes have been written about this moxie-building rite of passage for the modern bride. The options are literally endless – so much so, in fact, that entire periodicals are published several times each year to showcase the latest and greatest in bridal fashions. On top of these new and noteworthy styles, there are also thousands (millions, even?) of other styles that have been created over the years. You can get a white gown in pretty much any style you can imagine. And, some you probably couldn’t:

WHAT was she thinking?

I guess the point of all of this is to day that the choices are endless. But ours is a non-traditional sort of gig, so I’m not even limited by the expectation that I’ll be wearing white. I toyed with it for a while simply because it was a good place to start. Truthfully, it’s difficult to shop for a gown when you have unlimited choices. Just anyone who’s ever worked for me, I’m a bottom line sort of gal. I only want three choices for any decision; more than that and I lose interest or get overwhelmed by the tiny differences between them. So, shopping for a dress with virtually no limitations is really just too much for me.

I started my search on the internet, and was surprised to find that there really aren’t too many resources out there for plus-size brides. I’m not a small gal, so finding a style that I liked that came in my size was actually pretty difficult. Sure, there’s always Bride-Mart (that’s David’s Bridal to you), but the thought of stripping down in front of some sleazy used-car-salesman sales associate just put me to shivers.

So, I stripped down in the comfort of my own home and had my measurements taken, then decided to shop online. For you rookies out there, the measuring step is REALLY IMPORTANT. A dirty little secret in the wedding fashion industry is that these gowns run small, sometimes by up to two sizes. So, on your special day, you end up feeling like a fat cow. Nice. My dress should arrive in 7-10 business days, so I’ll let you know how it fits. I’m planning on some alterations, but the measurement chart said it would be roughly my size.

In my search, I found some great resources for plus-size brides:

• I found my dress at Sydney’s Closet
• Igigi
  
• House of Brides
• and, of course, David’s Bridal plus collection
  

I’ll post some additional resources later re: undergarments and other odds and ends.