The Dress... Part II

The white dress. We’ve all seen it in our minds, closed our eyes and pictures ourselves in that beautiful gown, leaving everyone (especially the groom) in awe of our beauty on one of the most special days of our lives.

Many people think that white is meant to represent purity in the bride but this is actually a myth (according to my research). The white dress was actually the result of a royal wedding, for when the British Monarchs Queen Victoria and Prince Albert (who had a remarkable love story) tied the knot, she chose to wear white and brides around the world started to follow suit, so actually, it was a fashion statement. The white dress then became a way for the bride’s family to show all in attendance that they could afford such luxuries as an extravagant gown for they daughter to wear for one night only.

But enough history, as someone who has done her fair share of dress hunting in an effort to find ‘the one’, I’d like to share my experience (and a few tips) with you. This may sound a little crazy but I actually tried on dresses in four countries! I can see how you would think that could be a little extreme but I just really wanted to find the right one for me, as will you!

I was living in Bolivia when I got engaged so naturally I checkout out a bridal store in Santa Cruz Rosa y Gris Novias to see what they had to offer, unfortunately most of the dresses they had were a few sizes to small, apparently curvy girls don’t get married in Bolivia, and what they did have in my size was just not my style. I then considered having it custom made, as this is the norm in many South American countries, however there just wasn’t enough time as my flight to the UK was fast approaching.

Halfway through my engagement I moved to the UK (where my fiancé lived) and tried on dresses in London during an all day trip with my mom. We hit two stores and tried on many dresses in each one. First we went to All That Glitters in the Wimbledon area, the service there was absolutely fantastic, the lady was so helpful and gave good suggestions as to what I should try.

Then we tried the Romantic Fashion Design Gallery, now called Zomo Couture near Oxford Street. It was a bit more boutique than the previous store and I felt like I should’ve had my hair and makeup done to go there, but the ladies were nice and the dresses were gorgeous! Here I tried on the most fantastic dress (I still have dreams about it), The Ronald Joyce Padova, and if I’d had an unlimited budget I would have bought it on the spot.

So the search continues in Glasgow where I attended The Scottish Wedding Show 2012. It was an interesting experience and there were only two fitting rooms in the whole venue so the queue to try on dresses was a little long. I only tried on one, which was lovely but not right for me. Moving on.

And so I reach the last leg of my wedding dress tour, the USA. I visited my aunt in Kansas City towards the end of 2012 and she took me to two stores, the first was David’s Bridal. They had a lot of dresses but none that really felt like the one.

Finally we reach Amore Bridal. My aunt had been right about this place, it had some absolutely stunning dresses, which made it difficult to decide which to try. One by one I tried them on, and finally I found what I was looking for, even if I hadn’t known it. I had been searching for a lace dress, and the one I chose actually had no lace. I can’t explain it but when I tried it on, it just felt right. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the Maune Huerta family for the most amazing wedding gift of all, my beautiful bridal gown (first picture on this post).

I hope you find the most perfect dress for you and that when you find it, it’s more than you ever dreamed of. Good luck.

All the best, Gaby xXx