[B O D A ] Wedding Dress Shopping: The No's Before The Yes

Wedding dress shopping.  Not easy, not a piece of cake as I initially thought it would be.  No where in a million years did I ever think picking out my wedding dress was going to be such a monumental challenge.  In my defense, I will admit that I am extremely picky and particular. As a matter of fact, I don't like to refer to myself as "picky" because often times it's given a negative connotation.  I like to refer to myself as being very selective and "knowing exactly what I want" or at least thinking I do as I later came to realize throughout this wedding dress shopping journey.

Throughout the process I learned to be okay with my extra pounds and my little rolls and not to stress over body image.  There is so much pressure put on brides to "look their best" that it can be very overwhelming.

I started browsing online for dresses very early on, but did not start making appointments and physically trying on dresses until about 7 months before my wedding date...HUGE MISTAKE that caused me a lot of unnecessary stress.  The worst thing you can do is to shop for a wedding dress when you are rushed and short of time!  A span of seven months seems like a lot of time but it's not in the bridal industry since bridal dresses are essentially made to order.  Therefore 6-7 months is usually as close as you want to cut it and if you are going with an international designers and dresses I would recommend to start looking 10-12 months before your wedding date! Please learn from my mistake.

The racks at Lovely Bride LA-  One of my favorite bridal boutiques for their selection and customer service.

I started my bridal dress shopping journey with a very specific vision in mind. 

I was saying NO to strapless and form fitting options without even giving this style a try. In my head I wanted a simple effortless, non traditional look. After trying on a few effortless "boho" style dresses it was on to plan B! I realized I needed all the form fitting, waist cinching structure building support I could get. I struggled to find the perfect dress that would be appropriate for my ceremony and reception venue so I ended up going with two dresses.  One for the religious ceremony and one for the outdoor reception.

 

*Below I share a behind the scenes look from the fitting room as I was wedding dress shopping.  At first I was not 100% sure about sharing these photos because every time I would sit back and look at them the first thought that came into my mind was how unhappy I was with my weight and body image.  However, throughout this whole process I have realized that there is so much drama that we as women have to deal with when it comes to self esteem and body image and I am sure I was not the only "bride to be" that struggled with this.  There is so much pressure put on brides to look and feel THEIR ABSOLUTE BEST on such a special day, that it makes the wedding dress shopping process a little extra stressful.

Months later, about 10 (or more) different bridal boutiques later and a lot of dresses tried on later.... I found the perfect dresses for me. Happy to share the bridal boutiques below which ended up being instrumental on this wedding dress search.

LOVE AND LACE BRIDAL

Irvine, CA

Boutique Report:

 Love and Lace offered a great selection of "non-traditional" "non-stuffy" wedding dresses which was what I initially thought I wanted.  I later realized that my body needed a "little more" structure in the abdomen, waist and lower back area.  Meaning I needed dresses with thicker fabric, built in corsets and boning for my body type. 

LOVELY BRIDE

Pasadena, CA

Boutique Report:

This was the second boutique I visited and the one I visited after feeling very defeated by low backs and dresses lacking structure.  My self esteem was pretty much on the floor, giving me very low expectations for this appointment walking in.  The staff at Lovely Bride LA and the fun and exciting dress selection quickly turned it around for me.  After trying on a few dresses from one of my favorite designers (Rue De Seine) it was so easy to get excited about the fashion and about dress shopping once again. This is where I started to realize that I had to stop being so close minded about certain styles and silhouettes.

I originally swore that I would never end up with a strapless, lace, mermaid style wedding dress because "it was so common" well let me tell you, I realized why this style is sooooo common.  It's extremely flattering on most if not all body types including mine.  *This boutique was also where I found my reception dress (pictured above) at a later visit.

MARIPOSA BRIDAL

Anaheim, CA

Boutique Report:

I decided to visit Mariposa Bridal because the boutique was in a convenient location to me and because of their low to mid level price selection.  I wanted to see if I could possibly find a dress I loved under budget to save money.  I was very impressed with the selection they offered at different price points.   However,  the dresses were gorgeous but not exactly what I was looking for.  I was looking for more "fashion drama" and less traditional bride.

PANACHE BRIDAL

Costa Mesa, CA

Boutique Report:

The same applies to this boutique.  I was giving the traditional boutiques a chance in hopes of "making something work" under budget.  Again, this store is a great option for those brides on a budget, since they offer a great selection at all price points, but I left feeling underwhelmed and uninspired and at this point a little frustrated and defeated because ALL the dresses were starting to look the same.  White, lace, not exciting.

THE DRESS THEORY

San Diego, CA

THIS WAS THE DRESS!  I am serious.  This dress still takes my breath away.  I said "yes" to this dress, but later realized it was not practical for the aesthetic and location of my wedding.  I decided to pass on it, but hope to meet again soon!

Boutique Report:

 Thanks to my visit to the The Dress Theory I was able to feel excited and re-inspired again.  The reason I booked an appointment at this boutique in San Diego (it was quite the drive!) was because they offered an amazing selection on the bridal designer I had been lusting over for months.  I went to this appointment by myself and loved every second of it.

 The boutique itself is so beautifully decorated and the dresses.... to die for.  It was here where I fell in love with the Rue De Seine "Avril" gown.  I am hoping to get a chance to wear this fringed beauty in the future... thinking maybe a vow renewal.  Hey! Just putting it out there.  It was also here where once again tried on another strapless gown with a built in corset and I saw what it did for my body.  Super flattering!

LOHO BRIDE

Los Angeles

Sleek, modern, edgy selection at LOHO Bride for the non-traditional bride.

Boutique Report:

The aesthetic at LOHO Bride was all me, edgy, fashion forward bride. It was here where I fell in love with the modern crepe bell sleeved Suzanne Harward gown pictured above.  This would have seriously been THE dress if my wedding was a fall or winter wedding.  It was gorgeous, modern, dramatic and timeless all at once but also completely covered up, warm, stuffy and heavy making it yet another "no".  However, there was definitely a light at the end of the very long tunnel. It was here where I found the ceremony wedding dress of my dreams.  I tried on the strapless, corseted, mermaid Pronovias dress pictured below just by chance and not thinking much about it and wallla!

 I expected nothing and received EVERYTHING.  I felt like a million bucks, I could not stop smiling, I felt sexy, beautiful, elegant, modern.... all the things and when I turned to look at my mom she had the same smile on her face.  That was IT.  The one.  Mission completed.  This dress was the perfect combination of modern drama mixed with traditional elegance, plus the dress had NO LACE allowing me to have a blank canvas to work with when it came to accessories... my absolutely favorite. This dress was EVERYTHING I initially said I did not want and felt very strongly against.  Isn't that how it always happen!? Never, say never could not apply more.

Stay tuned, in the next blog I will be sharing the complete bridal look and a little on how and why I decided to make the focus of my bridal look be the accessories, plus a little wedding dress shopping tip guide for those current and future brides to be!

EDIT:  Check out my final wedding look here!

xx

Ariana Cabral Lopez