Yes to the Dress
With less than 2 weeks to go until our big day, we’ve been checking big and little details off our wedding to-do list and the other week brought some of the most exciting news (for me) yet—my wedding dress is home! I had the best experience with Tailor Made in San Francisco having my dress altered and I can’t wait to slip into it on our big day.
It hopefully goes without saying, but while I won’t be sharing my actual “yes to the dress moment,” I thought I’d share a few wedding dress designers that caught my eye throughout the process, along with a few bridal brands I tried on or admired—in case it’s at all helpful in your own search. I know personally, I very much enjoyed seeing dresses on other brides along with discovering new-to-me designers.
The Process
Although I’d never tried on wedding dresses before, I’d heard accounts from other brides encouraging the narrative of “you never know until you try.” And while I completely appreciate the sentiment, I also knew I had a pretty good sense of how I wanted to look & feel, as well as what would probably never feel like me.
I think this helped tremendously in the search process, as it was easy for me to veto a style or detail I knew didn’t embody me, my taste, comfort level and preferences.
I tried to remember this as best I could during the try-on process, as well; constantly asking if a dress embodied my style and the way I want to feel on my wedding day. But this is so personal. I just know I’m easily overwhelmed and can have trouble making decisions in those moments—so I needed to approach the process this way.
A very important part of the process getting here was research. So much research. In lieu of heading to a salon ready to try on everything, I did some homework seeking out both brands and dresses I admired. I perused Pinterest and Instagram as a first step, saving styles I loved and using their “More Like This” tool to expand my search and scout new-to-me styles or designers. The “similar profiles” or “suggested” feature on Instagram was another beneficial tool to scout designers.
When I found a dress or brand, I immediately checked for stockists near me. And I made a list, saving dresses to a secret Pinterest Board with their designer, style name and location.
Lovely Bride SF seemed to have 95% of the dresses or designers on my list. I did end up loaning one dress from the Lovely Bride Miami location (for a fee), and though it didn’t end up being my yes moment, I found it entirely worth it to be able to try it on; avoiding a potential what if moment, along with any mental confusion during the try-on process.
The overall search process seemed to lead me to two wedding dress style types:
simple, sleek and chic (silk fabrics & strappy silhouettes)
flirty, feminine and a bit more fun (lace, subtle sparkle & embroidery)
Ultimately, I knew “simple, effortless and chic” felt most me for my wedding day and decided I could opt for something a bit more feminine or fun for other bridal events surrounding our big day.
The inspiration
Made with Love Bridal
An Australian brand with styles that range from simple to sexy.
What I loved: a bit more fun + non-traditional styles with details like appliqué, subtle sparkle, low backs, square necklines.
I tried on: Harlow, Lola, Andy
Alexandra Grecco
* My dress is Alexandra Grecco *
I ended up loving a few of her wedding gowns for their simple, classic and timeless (not to mention fitted and flattering!) silhouettes.
Sarah Seven
If I hadn’t found my wedding dress at Lovely Bride, Sarah Seven would have been the next destination. I love her classic and chic wedding gowns.
Prea James Bridal
Another Australian designer I admired. I kept pinning this t-shirt style gown and fell in love with the brand’s effortless and relaxed silhouettes.
LOHO Bride
LOHO = league of her own. I really appreciated LOHO’s curation of effortless & “non-mainstream” bridal styles.
I admired: A La Robe Stephanie and Amanda
While these were certainly not the only wedding dress designers I loved, these specific ones had the handful of dresses that topped my list. & I can’t wait to wear my dress!
Happy to share any dress details & welcome you to see more wedding inspiration via Pinterest.