‘The One’ dress

I found my dress after looking at hundreds online. I drove an hour to a boutique that was having a trunk show and was able to get the one sample of the gown (it was not yet in production). I tried it on last, so I'd tried on 6 total dresses. There was one other dress in a totally different style that I would have gone with if mine didn't exist. Anyway, I got it with a trunk show discount as well and no tax because Jersey doesn't have tax on bridal gowns 😂.

I went to two other bridal stores before I went to the one and found my dress. By then I had tried on probably 20 dresses. I was starting to get discouraged because there were dresses I loved but none that really gave me the "this is it!" moment. This was the second dress I tried on at the last store and I almost cried haha. It had everything I wanted in a dress: lace, sparkle, that princess feel. Even the lady helping me said I lit up in that dress. My unflattering phone photos from my mom prove it too (':

View Quoted Comment Wow you look amazing! Congrats!

View Quoted Comment It’s beautiful congrats!

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You look beautiful Nikki!! I'm so happy for you that you found the dress of your dreams!! 😍

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I love the sparkle on the top of your dress Charlotte!! That is going to photograph beautifully on your wedding day!

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You look beautiful in all of the dresses Ali! I'm so happy you went with your gut and got the red dress though! You will make such a beautiful bride!!

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It was worth trying on those 20 dresses. You look so happy

I went to 5-6 dress shops total, on different days. I knew I wanted a non-white A-line dress. I tried on other styles just to see, but ended up with... a non-white A-line dress lol.
I actually had an “omg this may be it” moment in one shop and I asked them to hold the dress since my mom wasn’t with me and I wanted to bring her back for her to see it before purchasing. But once I got back to my car, I looked at pics again and thought that it wasn’t all that flattering. So I went to another shop and that’s when I found “the one.”
I saw it on the rack and knew I had to try it on immediately! It’s the one I ended up purchasing.

I tried on the ones I loved online, but let my MOH and mother pull one for fun. I really loved everything I put on that I saw online, but didn’t get any sort of “magical” feeling. This dress was my second dress that my moh pulled, was the opposite of what I wanted, and I adored it! Tried on 4 more and kept thinking “I want that second dress on again”. Tried it on again, put the veil on, and I cried. I just felt gorgeous and comfortable and a little unique (compared to the very plain one that was my original choice!). It made me feel like a bride!

I purchased the 3rd dress I tried on. Like literally walked out with that dress. I HATED the first one and loved the 2nd one. I almost bought the 2nd one but part of me was like I should probably try at least 1 more because I wasn't 100% sure. When I walked out with the 3rd dress on the look on my friends faces and how good the dress felt just made me know it was the one. I didn't have the crying or emotional aspect but I just knew it fit my personality and the venue and I just loved it.

View Quoted Comment So beautiful!!

View Quoted Comment On my gosh I LOVE it!!

View Quoted Comment Beautiful!

View Quoted Comment Those are models 😂, but thank you.

View Quoted Comment Wow I’m sleep deprived lol well it’s an absolutely gorgeous dress!! You’re going to look amazing!!

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We're totally dress twins. My experience was identical. I hope you love it when you try it on! I don't know about you, but my dress is nonrefundable, and I'm only 5 mo out from the wedding, so finding something else at this point is next to impossible...

I knew as soon as I put my dress on, although I was having somewhat of an identity crisis because it was a ball gown, definitely not what I ever imagined myself in. I felt so incredibly beautiful in it- more beautiful than I had ever felt in my entire life. And I knew my fiancé would love me in it. I didn’t cry, but I couldn’t stop smiling.

View Quoted Comment Thank you so much! You'll find the one soon! When you do. You'll just know! Good luck!

The dress I bought was the first dress I tried on. I thought it was stunning, but it wasn't til I tried on about 4 more that I realized that no dress would compare. I knew that if I left the shop without that dress, I would always be comparing everything else to it. It may not have been what I originally saw myself wearing, but I felt like a million bucks and didn't want to give that feeling up!