The Gown Search Commences
The search for the perfect wedding dress has begun, but I’m hesitant to visit an actual bridal shop until we have the date set in stone (or contracted, as it were). We should have that in place by the end of September, so I can probably begin visiting shops around the DC area sometime in October. There’s a need to coordinate, however, with my mom and my sister (maid of honor), and possibly my bridesmaid and future mother-in-law. While I do envision everyone getting together to find the attendant and “mother of” dresses, the search for my own dress may be a more personal affair. It’s important to me to have my mom and sister there not only for their excellent advice, but also because it’s something we should share. So as much as I’m tempted to make a preliminary appointment with some shops around DC, I do need to wait. That doesn’t mean, however, that I’m not on the prowl already.
I bought a couple of magazines (I hate to say it, but the absolute joy of owning them and not having to hide them or make pathetic excuses is terrific!) and buckled down to search for a gown that would be flattering and beautiful. I tend to gravitate towards empire-waist gowns and A-lines; full, princess skirts have to have a certain oomph to them for consideration, and let’s just omit trumpets and mermaids immediately thanks to my Mexican hips. I’m more and more attracted to beading and lace than I would’ve thought – plain was always the name of the game when gabbing about future wedding dresses with my friends. As I flipped through my magazines, though, I kept on flipping back to one particular page: the Pronovias page.
Good god, how I love the Pronovias styles. I have 22 of their styles in my Pronovias favorites and I drool over every single one of them. The fact that some models are featured wearing mantillas doesn’t hurt, either, as I’m most likely going to go with a mantilla veil. Pronovias can be on the pricier side, but the styles I’m looking at are not outrageous. My father is insistent on buying my dress, and while I would not let him purchase one of these gowns for me outright (the sum isn’t terrible, but it embarrasses me to think of my dad spending that much on me when I’m in my 30s), I’d be more than happy to go halfsies or pay the greater sum on one of these gowns. I’ve located four shops in DC that sell this designer, and plan on hitting at least two of them (since I know I love this designer, I kind of feel like visiting more than two shops would be a waste of time).
IP is moderately alarmed by my wedding dress obsession. However, I have to say, this isn’t unusual when it comes to my quest for the perfect dress for any occasion. He has no idea how many hours I’ve trolled online looking for a cocktail dress for the various weddings I’ve already been to. I take a certain pride in the type of dress I ultimately end up selecting – my dresses never go unnoticed. Friends and co-workers tell me that I have a sense of style when it comes to choosing an event dress. I’m not that enthusiastic about dressing for the everyday, but give me a good party and I’ll show up in a designer dress that I got off of eBay, new, for half the price (unless it’s an afternoon, outdoor wedding in which it would be totally inappropriate to wear something like that). While I don’t plan on buying my dress of off eBay (I recognize the need for proper fittings for a gown, which is much different than a regular old dress), I do plan on putting in as much effort into finding the one that fits and flatters me best. I tell IP that I’m looking so hard because I want to look great for him on that day. This is a half-truth; the rest of the truth is that I want to look fantastic for me on that day. Not in a pretty, pretty princess kind of way – in a “WordNerd just hit the ball out of the park – again” kind of way.
My Pronovias selections are printed up and ready to go whenever it’s time to start shopping after the venue selection. Here’s an image gallery with all 22 gowns featured for the girly-girl within.
For the slideshow and a list of the pictures themselves, click here.
