Bride-to-be Blogger Carolyn: Finding the Dress

iStockphoto courtesy of ThinkStock.com.

I’m a pretty big fan of wedding TV shows, so there was no question that I was going to plan a big New York shopping trip to check out Kleinfeld’s and Gabriella Bridal Salon (Ok, the Kleinfeld’s reference is a little obvious, but extra points if you remember Gabriella from WE’s My Fair Wedding … No? Just me? Awkward.). Anyways, the appointments were booked months in advance, and I anxiously counted down the days as they neared, passing the time thinking up clever things to say to Randy (“You like pocket squares? I like pocket squares, too.”)

My mom and her best friend, Kathy, met me in New York, and we started out at Gabriella’s. The space is gorgeous—I’m such a sucker for hardwood floors and lofts. The consultant was extremely sweet and helpful and we pulled a ton of different dresses. I completely fell in love with two (a Reem Acra and a Ulla Maija) but, let’s face it: I’m not one to make rash decisions. Plus, there was no way I was going to miss Kleinfeld’s. With mild reservations, I passed on my two dress choices and moved on.

Alas, Kleinfeld’s was a tiny bit of a letdown when it came to dress shopping. The dresses just weren’t my style, and I think the consultant had me pegged from the very beginning as a non-buyer. However, totally worth it. Did I gather the confidence to talk to Randy? Nope. Did I see him? Yes! I got to see all the people from the show, actually—totally star-struck! There were cameras filming while we were there; who knows, maybe I’ll get my 15 minutes of fame yet as I walked through the background perusing the pricey dresses.

I ended up finding my dress closer to home, at Bijou Bridal in Ardmore. I love it! It was just what I envisioned for my Big Day, and I’m so happy I found it! I’m not going to say any more in the interest of being mysterious, but the big reveal will come soon enough—I can’t wait for June!

Did you make the trip to NYC, only to find your gown in a fab salon around here? Did you end up in exactly what you envisioned, or something totally different?

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