THE DRESS SAGA, PART 0.5

I apologize...I've misled you. Yes, I did go for a "run" to find my dress, but I didn't tell you the whole story. The truth is, I did a little bit of dress hunting before the run. You gotta!!! (see previous post's Tip #2)

Let's rewind and start at the very beginning. The story really begins with a single Miss Bride flipping through bridal magazines and dreaming of her wedding gown (admit it, you did it too!). I knew I liked the the fit-to-flare/mermaid/trumpet look, and wanted something traditional, yet modern with a splash of unique.

I quickly fell in love with the style of a certain designer named Melissa Sweet. And a certain gown named Cosimma. The perfect blend of rouching, asymmetrical drapery and flower details. Modern, with a hint of romance. Sigh. I had to try her on. So after committing to do the Running of the Brides, I assembled my team and took them out for a practice run.

(MS Cosimma)

Our first stop? To visit Cosimma at Priscilla of Boston. POB carries their own line, as well as a lavish Platinum line and the more wallet-friendly Vineyard Collection. They also house the Melissa Sweet Collection and her newest, more whimsical Reverie Collection. DROOOOOL.

My visit to POB was a great experience! The consultant helping me was down-to-earth, understanding and SO not pushy. I tried on a lot of beautiful gowns, including my precious Cosimma. She was beautiful...but then my eyes wandered and set their sights on Mila. Melissa Sweet's popular gown, Mila, in all her asymmetrical ruched goodness, just fit me like a glove! She accentuated what I wanted her to accentuate...and de-emphasized all the right areas. You just have to love a dress that does both! My teammates had to drag me outside the store.

(MS Mila)

A couple of days later, when the euphoria wore off, my team and I checked out Vows Bridal Outlet in Newton, MA. Vows carries lots of sample and overstock designer gowns at discounted prices. They also sell their gowns online, so you ladies from different cities can take advantage of their awesome deals!

Their gowns were in great shape and I was excited to just go through the racks to pull styles I wanted to try on. And they organize the gowns by silhouette, making for an easy shopping experience. I tried on a couple of gowns that I really liked, and narrowed them down to my favorite one of the day, the Liv Harris gown below. My only concern was the unattached wrap-like section of the skirt. At that time I wasn't feeling it, but now that I think about it, Cosimma also has a similar feel!

(Liv Harris rouched gown)

Our last stop before the big run was at Yolanda's Bridal Salon in Waltham, MA. Yolanda's has a very impressive list of designers represented at the salon...from Amsale and Anne Barge to Ines Di Santo and Monique L'huillier. I was SURE I would find the dress of my dreams there!

I did try on some beautiful gowns that night, but I wasn't 100% in love with all the styles the consultant was bringing out for me. I wasn't allowed to go and check out the inventory for myself, so I had to be content with the dresses she picked for me. She was accommodating however, and offered up suggestions of fabric changes and little alterations that could be made. Unfortunately, they wouldn't let me take pictures of the gowns, but there were 2 Paloma Blanca gowns that were top contenders.

So this is the information I was armed with going into the big run. I tried on some gorgeous gowns at these 3 stores...but only 1 kept popping up in my mind. Which one was it? The saga continues!