Blog | Ramblin' Rose Photography

I’m just going to throw this out there…..I’m completely obsessed with “Say Yes to the Dress” on TLC. They make it appear that there is nothing more glamorous than going wedding dress shopping! With 2-3 people who’s main purpose in life at that moment is to find you your perfect dress if it kills them, all 500 of your closest friends and family members oohing and ahhing at your every move, and of course, that inevitable magic moment when you find your perfect dress! And on your first shopping trip! And wow, it was the first dress you tried on all along!!

Oh, yes. This wedding dress experience is every bride-to-be’s hope and expectation. And don’t get me wrong, some brides are lucky enough to to get this experience. However, we think it’s important to know a few basic “To Do’s” to make every brides’s shopping as wonderful as it can possibly be!

You would think a wedding photographer would have known these basic to do’s before commencing her own wedding dress shopping. But our photographer, Kim, was not one of the lucky brides to have the magical experience of finding her dress on the first go around. First of all, Kim did not make an appointment, and decided spur of the moment to stop off at a local bridal store just to try on a couple dresses. This also meant that she had no support with her. She carefully selected a few dresses in her size in the style she had imagined wearing on her big day. As she tried them on, it became immediately apparent that the dresses were WAY too small! Not having known that wedding dress sizes are not your actual size, you can imagine how shocking and upsetting this may have been! Upset and making a quick retreat to her car, Kim called a friend who gently informed her that this was totally normal, and then being a true friend, reprimanded her for even considering going dress shopping by herself.

Fortunately, Kim’s next experience was drastically different than the first, and armed with an encouraging friend, she was able to find the AMAZING dress she’ll be wearing on March 31st! It just goes to show that reality TV is truly not everyone’s reality.

What did we learn from Kim’s experience? Well, here is the Ramblin’ Rose “TO DO” list for the ideal dress shopping experience:

DO: Make an appointment. This ensures you ARE going to be the priority for your sales person and have that special attention of someone trying to find you the exact dress that’s perfect for you.

DO: Bring a handful of close friends or family members who know your taste and personality the best, and who’s judgement you trust implicitly.

DON’T: Bring all of your friends, your cousins, your aunts, etc. Too many opinions will be confusing and you may end up trying to please everyone else instead of yourself.

DO: Know that wedding dress sizes run VERY small at bridal boutiques! (This may not necessarily apply to J.Crew or BHLDN dresses)

DO: Try on something you hadn’t considered. Sometimes a different style may end up being more flattering and the right fit for you!

DON’T: Go in with the expectation you will find your dress on the first attempt. Not everyone is quite so lucky!

And, my number one DON’T: Once you’ve found a dress you adore and you know it’s perfect. DO NOT keep purposefully looking for wedding dresses. As time passes while your dress is on order, it is easy to be filled with doubt if you see something you think is better. If you take your time picking your dress, and you know it’s the right one when you try it on, trust that feeling. You will only sabotage yourself and over-think it if you continue to look and become disappointed when you find something you may have liked better.

And in case you aren’t interested in going through the process of going to a boutique and trying on a hundred dresses, there are a couple wonderful dress sources that have popped up over the past few years.

J.Crew Wedding Boutique

We absolutely love these dresses! There’s a great range in prices so anyone can find something they can afford. The dresses are simple and lovely, but each one has a small twist to make it special. J.Crew already has such an amazing reputation, so there’s no need to be worried or nervous about the quality of these dresses. The dresses are easily returnable (standard return policy even applies to the wedding dresses!), and the dresses ship as quickly as their normal clothing (so great if you put off finding a dress for too long…just make sure you factor in time for possible alterations!). J.Crew has really expanded their selection of dresses and now have lots of veils and beautiful accessories! Here are a few of our favorite dresses:

Whitney Gown: $425 (but on sale for 298!!) Dune Gown: $995

Waterfall Gown: $2,400 Dominique Gown: $2,850

BHLDN (Anthropologie’s Bridal Boutique)

Anthropologie really delivers their unique sense of style in their wedding boutique. You may spend a little more, but these dresses are tailored for the untraditional bride seeking something a little different and unique. These dresses are also easily returned! The dresses are breathtaking for the more daring bride, but what we really love are the amazing accessories from this company! Check it out!

Divine Downpour Gown: $2,500 Elysium Gown: $2,400

Ethereal Monarch Gown: $3,200 Pleated Fantasy Gown: $3,600

Unscripted Headband: $575 Polka Dot d’Orsays: $370

Custom Made Dresses

With the surging popularity of sites like Etsy.com, it’s becoming easier than ever to get custom dresses made. This next particular designer was almost Kim’s wedding dress downfall. After already finding her dress, Kim stumbled across Amanda Rose Studios while browsing Facebook. After seeing her designs that are made from vintage lingerie and laces, Kim began to second guess the gown she had already purchased. Amanda’s beautiful designs are perfect for the vintage, whimsical bride, and she also makes custom bridesmaid dresses!

The dress that had Kim second-guessing!