Merrill & Tim's Wedding Blog

the dress

I found my dress on Sunday and honestly it was as magically cliche as you could imagine, and I mean that in the very best way possible.  Before we went dress shopping I had a bit of a panic attack thinking that I wouldn’t be able to find the perfect dress and have it altered in time because all of the magazines say to start shopping for dresses about nine months before the wedding.  So on Saturday my mom, MOH sister and bridesmaid Jackie O went to a bridal gown sale called Brides Against Breast Cancer, where all of the dresses were donated by designers, stores, or former brides and all of the proceeds went to breast cancer research.  I went in with the mindset that this would be my one shot at finding a dress, so I piled them high and tried on at least fifteen.  One of them was particularly lovely; a beautiful strapless sheath dress that looked so very Jane Austen-esque and so very  me.  Thinking that I may not find another, we purchased the dress and we went home happy.  The next day, while shopping for dresses for the bridal party, I decided to make an appointment at David’s Bridal just to see.  I pointed out a few dresses in the catalog that I found appealing and started trying them on.  Each one was beautiful, but lacked something special.  Finally I asked my consultant to bring me the one that I had noticed earlier, but had ignored because it was a completley different style than what I had envisioned myself wearing.  In the dressing room before even looking in the mirror I knew that I had found THE ONE.  I walked out and stood in front of the mirrors and immediately had tears in my eyes.  I looked around at my mom, my sister, and Jackie and knew that they felt the same way.  This was it.  This wedding dress…wedding GOWN.  I always heard people say “when you see it, you know” but I didn’t think it would be that simple.  But putting on my Oleg Cassini ivory satin A-line gown with twisted straps, ruched waist and a chapel train (who would have thought I wanted a train!) I KNEW!  And here’s the best part:  it was the very last one in the store AND it fit me PERFECTLY!!!  All I needed was one small alteration on the straps because of my lovely smallness on top and the bustling for the train so I can break it down on the dance floor.  So magically cliche, and so very perfect.

-mer