Dress Bipolar Disorder

So, I was really hoping that I'd have final pictures of my wedding band to share with you, but no.  The jeweler originally thought she'd be done with my precious on Tuesday, but as of yesterday she had gotten bogged down with other work and would update me today...but still no update.  I'm a little peeved.  I fully realize I have plenty of time before the big day and my ring can wait, but I hate waiting!

So, I've decided to do a little back-track and discuss the next best thing to my wedding band...wedding dresses!!!!

The first time I remember seeing a wedding dress and thinking to myself "oh wow, I want my dress to look like that" was in the movie "27 Dresses;" I quickly became obsessed with the sister's wedding dress:

From the movie - Source

Source

But, I knew from the time I got engaged that being engaged would be the kick in the rear I needed to get back into shape, and as much as I loved that style dress (especially with pockets) I still wanted to be able to show off what I knew would be a rockin' body. 

So basically I went into dress shopping with 2 completely opposite ideas of what I could end up with.  My first shopping experience was at David's Bridal with MOH Sam.  It was...meh.  Essentially, there's nothing worth even showing you from that day.  It was fun because it was the first time I had ever put on a wedding dress, but nothing really tickled my fancy.

A few weeks later I went to Alfred Angelo with BM Shannon, and I had much more luck there!  I found a dress that was EXTREMELY affordable and reminded me of the "27 Dresses" dress (and it even had pockets!!!) and here she is:

Okay, maybe not that much more luck, but I had at least found a dress that I could imagine wearing when I got married!

A few weeks later I went back out with MOH Sam, and found a dress that the other side of my dress bipolar brain loved (I don't know the designer, because they wouldn't tell me, or else I would tell you):

Boy did I love this dress.  I realize it is the complete opposite of the other dress I was considering, but seriously, isn't it gorgeous???  And even pre-weight watchers it made my waist look tiny.  The downside...IT WAS PHYSICALLY PAINFUL TO WEAR!  Not a little uncomfortable, but painful.  My knees hurt.  In just the time I was trying it on, my thighs started sweating! And I'm a girl who has considerable practice walking in a pencil skirt!

If it hadn't hurt to wear that dress, I probably would have called my Mom and told her to hop on a plane to Pittsburgh so she could see it and we could buy it.  I just couldn't bring myself to commit to a garment that I thought was trying to strangle me.

Some more time passed and I made a trip up to Boston to go dress shopping with my mom.  First, we went to a shop that was like the TJ Maxx of bridal boutiques.  It was fun.  I got to try on designers that under normal circumstances I wouldn't even be able to afford to enter the bridal salon.  But, like TJ Maxx, it was hit or miss...and we missed.

Then we went to another store that my Mom found by googling and looking for places near the other store that had decent reviews.  Mom did darn good googling, because the shop was great!

The first dress they pulled for me was a basic a-line, and my reaction to it helped the consultant get an idea of what I was looking for (nothing against basic a-lines, they just aren't me).  The next one was closer, but no cigar.  But the third dress, the third dress made tears come to my eyes.

I didn't expect to get emotional.  And honestly, if I wasn't with my Mom, I don't think I would have.  I just really didn't think that I would end up finding my dress with my Mom, and the fact that I did made me really emotional.  It was just me and my Mom (and the consultant) and it was perfect.  And here she is:

Mom and Me

Sorry for the crappy cell phone pictures, but that's the best I've got for now....BUT ISN'T IT GORGEOUS!?!?!?!?!  It's whimsical, and a little different but not so off the wall that people would wonder what I was thinking.  It is form fitting and thus sexy, but won't make fi's grandmother blush.  It is perfect.  So we bought it.  Neither of us had any doubt in our minds that it was my dress.  I will be wearing Serafina, by Augusta Jones when I marry the love of my life.

It still hasn't arrived...but it should soon!  And when it does I'll fly up to visit my family for the weekend and bring it on back down with me to Pittsburgh for it to be altered.  And considering I am now considerably thinner then I was back then, it will probably need significant alterations.  But, it has been almost 6 months since I found it (I was very ahead of schedule last summer) and I haven't once experienced a twang of dress regret.  I still love my dress as much today as I did last August.

How was your dress shopping experience?  Did you unexpectedly get emotional, too?

*Unless otherwise noted, all personal photos*