I think I'm gonna just list the time line of events and you can decide whether it's a "good" review or a "bad" one. It's a LONG story but definitely a good read!!!
Saturday, March 26th - 90 days out...
My mother, sister (Matron of Honor) and I drove to Abilene which is about an hour and 15 minute drive from here (us Texans gauge everything in time...NOT miles...lol). We arrived a little before my appointment time...I filled out my paperwork, told them my size (which I gave 2 sizes...we'll call them M and L), told them my budget which was small and told them the kind of dress I was looking for (which was "flowy"...not "satin"...Ivory in color, PLAIN, long and strapless).
(me filling out all the paperwork)
I was assigned a "helper" and she went to find me some dresses (they call them floor models) to try on. These "floor models" are purchasable but meant to find what you want and then you order a new one so you don't have to wear one that's been tried on a hundred times.
She brought out 4 or 5 dresses...only one was "flowy" but I played along. Oh...and they also bring you a tummy control slip and bra thing that restricts your breathing just as much as holding in all your fat rolls. As she and I were in the dressing room trying on things, my sister and mother waited outside for me to "appear" and ooooo and awwwww.
The first one I tried was the "flowy" one (see picture below)...I was IN LOVE!!! The only thing was...I was SET ON wearing a flower in my hair so my sister and I thought that the flowers on the shoulder would be a little too much coupled with the flower in my hair. I told the girl to mark this as a finalist and then asked the price...it was on sale but still $150 OVER my budget which equated to 50% of my total budget (clear as mud)....they do this on purpose so you fall in love and up your budget (I saw it on "say yes to the dress" on TV).
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They brought a flower for my hair since my sister and I were worried about how it would look...see, it's a little too much. Hind sight, I probably would've changed my mind on the flower in my hair...oh well!
The next few I tried on weren't "flowy" but I loved them...I chose one of the three...
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we liked this one...especially the back but I wasn't too fond of the sparkly thing on the hip...
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here's the back that we loved...those little buttons were so lovely
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I'm not sure what they were thinking when they brought me this...I made my notes on the photo...lol
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and here is a rough sneak peek at the dress I chose...don't worry, there's a full size photo at the end!
I told the girl that I didn't like the breath-sucker bra and asked if I could take it off and try it on...I did and then the dress felt kinda loose up top...you know, like I was gonna bend over and the girls were gonna fall out...so the seamstress from the Alterations Department came out to see if I could go down a size (they didn't have the M size for me to try on)...she pinched 4 inches and told me that the only difference in the L and M was 2 inches so I'd be fine. I accepted their explanation...after all, they're the "experts", right...and I've never done this before. We ordered a M size in Ivory and I waited patiently for it to arrive.
May 6th
I got an e-mail and a call saying my dress was in so I called to set up an appointment for May 14th. We, once again, drove to Abilene (just me and my mother this time) prepared to pick up my dress and bring it home and hide it from QT so he'd be surprised. I arrived and was escorted back to the Alterations Department. They had a hard time finding my dress but finally did and brought it in. I tried it on and it zipped up perfectly until it got to my bra line and then it wouldn't budge. I didn't understand...the floor model I tried on was 4" too big and the alterations lady told me the only difference in size was 2". The alterations lady that was helping me now said that the floor models stretch because of all the people trying it on (uh...shouldn't the original ladies helping me out a month ago have known this????). I was in tears as the alterations lady was telling me that there wasn't enough material for her to alter this dress so we'd have to order a new one in the Large size and it would cost me $60 for a rush order since my wedding was less than 2 months away. You've got to be kidding me!!!!! It's not my fault that I didn't know all of this. The new alterations lady could see my disappointment and ANGER so she offered to do all she could to get one ordered and here in time to make the alterations if any were needed. Oh...and have I mentioned that my dress is WHITE....NOT Ivory!!!! I was told that when you put it up next to the white dresses, you can tell it's Ivory...uh, hello???? I'm not going to be anywhere near any white dresses on MY BIG DAY!!! But...AGAIN...what could I do? In fact, when shopping for shoes, I had to buy WHITE patent leather ones...lol...but that's a whole nother post.
So...we left our second trip to David's Bridal with no dress in hand and our fingers crossed that the new, size L, dress would arrive in time.
May 25th (1 month out)
We made our 3rd trip to Abilene to pick up my newly sized and newly ordered dress. Got there, tried it on and WHAT...it still didn't fit!!!! Their explanation was that maybe the floor model I tried on was "mis-sized"...lol...you've got to be kidding me, right! They tried to find the floor model so I could try it on but they "think it was sold" 'cause they couldn't find it. It came a lot closer to zipping up but if I wanted to breath, we were gonna have to do something. FINALLY...someone thinks to measure my chest and a plan is put in place! She would take out an inch or two...all at a cost of an additional $100...at this point, what are my choices...NOTHING! We agree and THEN she tells me that it will take her 3 weeks....yes, THREE WEEKS to get the alterations done...that would mean that the weekend BEFORE my wedding, I would be making a FOURTH TRIP up there!!!
June 17th (9 days before my wedding)
We made our 4th trip to Abilene (my mother and brother joined me)...we left work early since it was a Friday and my appointment was at 6:30pm. We get half way there (so it's a little before 6pm at this point) and my cell phone rings...it's David's Bridal asking if I could reschedule because my dress is "no where near finished"...I paused for what seemed like a minute (probably more like 10 seconds but you know how that goes) and said "what happens if I say ABSOLUTELY NOT?...I don't live in Abilene...I'm about half way there...this is my FOURTH trip and my wedding is in a week!!!!" She said she understood and that she thought she'd try asking anyway. I told her that I was about to lose cell coverage and that if they needed me to, I could come at 8:45p (they close at 9p) and to CALL ME BACK in about 30 minutes to confirm. We hung up. About 45 minutes had passed and I hadn't heard from her so I decided to call them back. I told the lady who answered the phone my name and the "scenario"...she said "come now, you're dress is ready"...I said "what...I thought it was no where close to being finished"...she said "no, come now, you had an appointment, it'll be ready". This made me a little nervous...I mean I didn't want them hurrying up and my seams busting...lol
We arrived and had to wait only 15 minutes...I tried it on and it still felt the same as it did the last time I tried it...my mother who has been the "zipper upper" all these times assured me that the zipper zipped up so much easier this time around. I stood in the mirror...no one helped me...they just stood there looking...tight lipped...waiting for me to go off on all of them. I took a deep breath and said "I guess it'll have to work"...took it off, they pressed it in record time and I loaded it in the car. At this point, I'm not in love with my dress anymore...all my "budget" money is spent and I probably couldn't find another dress in a week even if I tried.
June 26th (the BIG day)
I took the dress out of the bag, put it on and walked down the isle to the man I have loved for almost 13 years (if you ask him, he'll tell you that I loved him from the moment we first started dating...I have to act like it isn't true just to save face...but truth be known, I probably have!!!).
Did my guests know all the problems I faced with my dress...no. Was I uncomfortable in it...HECK YEAH...my ribs hurt so bad that night when I took off the dress and probably for a whole week after...lol. Do I have some pictures that show major back fat hanging over...of course! Will those be in my scrapbook....how else would I get to tell my story! Will I use David's Bridal again...hopefully not since I won't be walking down the isle again! Will I know the questions to ask in case a friend or niece uses them in their wedding...I'll be right there bugging them to the end.
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Here's what we looked like on the BIG day...
you be the judge,
WHITE or IVORY????
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To put a "perfect" ending to this "perfect" story...I got a call the day after our wedding from the Driskill Hotel where we spent our wedding night. They left a message saying "Um...I'm so-and-so with the Driskill Hotel and I'm calling because we found a wedding dress that was left in the closet this morning and this phone number was written on the tag attached to the dress bag so we were hoping you'd know something about it"...lmbo!!!! I guess they were confused since the name on my wedding dress was my maiden name and the room was reserved under my husband's name and plus...WHO THE HECK leaves their wedding dress in the hotel when they check out...lol!
Luckily my best friend lives in the area so she picked it up for me...I'm sure had a laugh at my expense with the front desk...and brought it to me later that week! It's now hanging in my closet waiting to be cleaned and then it will be sold...I wonder what size I should put on the ad...lol.
