Ode To A Bridesmaids Dress

Finding the perfect bridesmaids dress is even harder than finding The Dress.  Or at least it should be {unless you are a bridezilla...yes, You! I'm talking to you}.  I like to tell brides that if you are the main attraction, your backup singers should compliment you, not contrast you.  If you make your bridesmaids look ugly you only end up making Your day ugly {and the wedding photos will be a constant reminder}.

Every bride says that the dresses they select are ones that their bridesmaids can wear again. Yeah right.  But as a bride who actually achieved this feat {my bridesmaids have worn their dresses on more than one social occasion to prove it}, this post is dedicated to.... truly beautiful bridesmaids dresses that your friends would in fact wear again...ENJOY!

Got champagne taste but a beer budget? Try this...

Reem, Oscar, Monique, Vera, Amsale, Jim, Ulla....**sigh** some of my favorite names when I was shopping for gowns.  But one look at the price tags on some of those gowns had me thinking that David wasn't such a bad name either {hah!}

But I am all about having my {wedding} cake and eating it too.  And I refuse to pay full price {$10k+} or settle for less {David}.  Especially because there are so many options out there for finding a high-end designer gown of your dreams for a "reasonable" price.  Take the annual Running of the Brides hosted by Filene's Basement {a bit extreme if you ask me} or the coveted sample sales or even consignment shops {some people never even get to wear their gown!}.  If there is a will there is a way.

The way may be getting even easier soon if The Aisle New York has anything to say about it.  The site hasn't officially launched yet, but it sounds fantastic.  On-line sample sales for high-end designer wedding gowns.  If you're not lucky {or unlucky} enough to live near a major metropolis, or don't want to brave the no holds barred real world sample sales, this site sounds like the perfect solution, or at least worth a peek.  As the company so aptly puts it:  Love. Shop. Wed.! 

Bridal Mecca

Before there was Say Yes to the Dress, before there was a KleinfeldBridal.com {love love the gown search option!}, before there was Kleinfeld Kollection, before there was even a Kleinfeld Men {man have they grown!}.... I was a Kleinfeld bride.  

Nearly every NYC bride-to-be takes the obligatory pilgrimage to Kleinfeld.  Just a few short years ago, that trip was indeed a pilgrimage because the showroom was located in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn {for non-New Yorkers, that's really really far}.  When my bestie was engaged in her search for the perfect dress, we traveled to Bay Ridge to the then humble showroom that had nearly every wedding dress on the market.  From a simple silk sheath to a densely embroidered lace and crystal princess gown.

Shortly thereafter, when it was time for me to go, we no longer had to make the long trip to another borough; the mecca had moved to Manhattan!  And it's the perfect location.  Just off of Seventh Avenue in the über-fashionable Chelsea district.  With multiple levels, a dream-inspiring showroom and expansive fitting rooms.  I was smitten the moment I arrived.

The staff is in a word -- Amazing!  I don't know how they can keep so many wedding dresses, styles, designers in their head so that you can just give them an idea of what you want and they can go and immediately pull dresses that may work.  I wanted to try on everything, but of course your time is limited so you have to stay focused.  Even so, the best detours can lead to unexpected delight.  

I found my dress after deciding to try on a fashion-forward BLUE dress that I saw on a mannequin in the showroom.  Little did I know that it would be love at first wear.

My favorite designer...

I thought it fitting that my first "Wedding" post be about the designer of my wedding dress.  Admittedly, I wasn't a fan of Reem Acra until I found My Dress.  There are so many wedding dress designers out there, it's hard to pick just one.  However, once I found My Dress I began to focus on her other lines and was instantly smitten.  

I found my dress purely by accident.  I was shopping for my wedding dress with my girls at Kleinfelds {more about this Wedding mecca later} and I was trying on all of the standard ball-gown/princess silhouette style that I had decided on, when I saw a blue {yes blue!} gown on a mannequin.  It looked so avant-garde and straight off the runway I just had to try it on for kicks.

When I put on what became My Dress, I had The Moment that all brides hope for.  I knew then that there was no other dress for me.  I was getting married in Barbados and the color of the dress perfectly matched the color of the Caribbean water and sky.  I knew it had to be mine.  My best girlfriend did too, because she was so excited she kept tripping on the edge of the dress as I walked out to model the gown in the showroom!  The look in her eye just sealed it for me.  

Then I only had to hope my daddy wouldn't pass out from the price tag. ☺

My Dress