When my partner and I finally decided to start planning our wedding, I was most excited for one thing: the cake tasting. Which is to say that when it came to go wedding dress shopping, I had mixed feelings. Being on a budget and doubting whether I wanted to even wear a wedding dress contributed to those feelings. But, part of me knew that (everything going according to plan) this would be the only time I would get married”and therefore likely the only time I would get to go wedding dress shopping. (At least according to social norms.) So I booked a couple wedding dress appointments at a the usual local hot spots and decided to try on some white gowns.
But somewhere between making those appointments and actually getting to them, I found a dress online. It wasn’t from a traditional wedding dress shop, but it was from a collection aimed towards brides. It was simple, it was eco-friendly and (best of all) it was in my price range. So I added it to my online shopping bag and then waited. I showed it to my mom, my sister, my best friend. All of whom agreed it was very “me,” but who also thought maybe I should wait. Try on a couple dresses anyways and see what happened.
So I waited. Until one day at my desk at work, during lunch I said screw it and bought the dress. So it wasn’t quite an impulse purchase. But it was pretty quick when it came to a major fashion purchase. And then I cancelled my dress appointments. Trying on wedding dresses wasn’t something I was excited about”and if you’re going to spend several hours trying on dresses, you should at the very least enjoy it.
With a few minor alterations, this is the dress I’ll wear in the small ceremony my partner and I are planning for next year. And I have no regrets about my expedited wedding dress experience. The dress is important”feeling like your best self in the moments that you take big leaps is important”but the whole bridal experience is important, too, no matter how you chose to experience it. So whether you have a hefty budget and a desire to try on all the wedding dresses in Toronto, or you prefer to do what I did and take a chance on something online, don’t just wear what you want”experience it however you want to too.
The Wedding Planner is an ongoing series where we give you some real-life wedding planning advice for every kind of bride, from finding the dress to dealing with that ever-growing guest list, as we figure it out ourselves.
Nice , Very Beautiful Dress
I just purchased mine online entirely impulsively and am waiting for it in the mail! Agh! I had the dress on my Pinterest and serendipitously found that the only one left for sale online was my exact size and over 80% off of the boutique price tag, putting it exactly in my price range. HOW COULD I NOT?!
Usually when it comes to wedding preparation, I wouldn’t advise acting impulsively, but it sounds as if you saw that dress and just knew that it was THE ONE, and when your gut instinct is that strong, it’s hard to go against it. Besides, if that’s the dress in which you’d feel happiest, then clearly you made the correct choice. Best of luck with the ceremony!
When I tried on those $8000 dresses in the bridal shop you better believe I thought about it. But then I bought my wedding dress online too for under $200 and it was perfection! Love this article!
i have purchased my wedding dress online also , it’s very stunning ! I never regret