Bridesmaid Dress Shopping Was Not Nearly As Horrible As I Thought It Would Be...

Seriously.  I don't know what I was freaking out about.  Then again, if I wasn't so afraid of it, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have researched dresses as much as I did, and then it would have been pretty miserable.  Because, let's face it, if you don't know what you're looking for going into it, you're kind of left to fend for yourself as you dig through over stuffed racks of sample size dresses that kind of look like poo on the hanger!

But anyway...I think I've found "the one" for the 'maids!  We got to try on all of the dresses I mentioned before and then some.  Only four of them were even worth taking a picture of, and each of them was actually one that I had a picture of before going shopping.  I'll save my very favorite for last, the first three are contenders in case I can't convince my sisters (who can be picky/boring/uncooperative) that my favorite is AMAZING.

So, third runner up is Allure style number 1233.  On the model:

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And on the lovely FSIL Brittany:

Personal Photo - Isn't she gorgeous????

Now, mind you, these dresses are massive on Brittany.  If you look in the mirror behind her, like half of the fabric is clipped in the back.  She measures in at negative sizes!!!  She's also only about 4'10 (yeah, she's so short that even in her very high heals, standing on the pedestal, if I stood next to her {on the ground} I was still taller then her).

Alright, now second runner up...Allure style 1239; on the model:

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And on Brittany:


Personal Photo - for the record, this was the biggest one on her.

 First runner up is another Allure dress, style 1229 to be exact.  On the model:

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And on Brittany:


Personal Photo.  This one is so big on her, and has it's own shape,
if it weren't so large, it wouldn't make her hips look like that.

 Since all the runners up were Allure dresses, I'll just tell you about the colors now.  If we were to choose one of these dresses, they would be in "amethyst":

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And if we got Style 1239, the waist band would be in ivory.

Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for...the most amazing bridesmaid dress of all time...Bill Levkoff Style number 594.  On the model:

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And on Brittany

Personal Photo - Notice FMIL in the background...isn't she adorable, too!?

I'M OBSESSED WITH THIS DRESS!!!!  I want it for myself to wear out.  I think it's perfect.  Let's face it, there isn't much to my wedding that's traditional, so why on Earth should I choose a traditional Bridesmaid Dress?  After seeing the color samples in person (not online) I decided if my sisters give us the go ahead we'll order it in a "copper" bodice with a "plum" skirt:

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I think I might cry if my sisters say there is no way they'll wear it.  But if they do agree to it, I'm making one of them give me theirs afterwards so I can have it altered to fit me and I can wear it down the road.  Yeah, I'm totally not joking about that.

So, what do you think?

And did you fall in love with bridal party attire that you were afraid would upset the bridal party?