I heart Ikea

A few weeks ago I helped to host a bridal shower for my future cousin-in-law (Mr. Blushing's cousin's fiancee... got that??). I was put in charge of the favors, so I went to Ikea -- one of my favorite places to just wander and imagine all the possibilities -- and got these cute little jars that are like miniature versions of old school candy shop jars. For 36 jars, I paid about $28. They can sit upright or tilted on their side. I bought a slew of lavender satin ribbon from papermart.com to wrap around the lids, designed little labels with the happy couple's names and wedding date, and filled them with mini pastel mints.


Voila! They were a big hit with guests of all ages. Cute, no?

Running to the altar

I found this random article today on MLive.com:

FLINT - This bride clearly didn't have cold feet: She ran down the aisle.

An aisle almost 10 miles long.

Cheeks flushed, veil-donning Patty Sawdon gracefully wore a white running skirt and matching jogger's bra. Her bridegroom, Matt Wilson, was dashing in black Nike gear and sneakers.

They were both a tad sweaty, but not because of nerves. They were running Saturday's Crim 10-mile race - which for them was a race to the altar.

The couple wed around the 9.8-mile mark, on the lawn of the Genesee County Courthouse.

They then crossed the finish line hand in hand.

"I'm a hurry-up bride rather than a bridezilla," Sawdon laughed, holding a bouquet sprinkled with pink roses and green baby's breath. "The Crim is really meaningful to us, and running is really meaningful to us, so this made sense."

The newlyweds' addiction to running brought them together.

Sawdon, 47, of Haslett, and Flint-area native Wilson, 45 - who both recently moved to Pennsylvania - might go down in Crim history for their on-the-course moment.

There were other head-turners Saturday, such as the leopard-print-donning Catwoman, cape-draping Batman and Robin duo and the hula girls.

But Sawdon, who ran with her veil flying behind her, stirred the juiciest buzz. She became known as the bride dashing to get to her 9:45 a.m. wedding on S. Saginaw Street.

"People would ask, 'When is the wedding?' I'd say 'I'm hoping to make it,'" said Sawdon. "I got a couple of wedding proposals and a lot of people congratulated me. It was so fun. I'm going to wear the veil in all of my races."

Wilson got to the ribbon-decked tent first and waited for Sawdon, along with a minister and family and friends who were ready with a "just married" sign.

A nearly breathless Sawdon sprinted to her bridegroom amid chiming cow bells and the "Wedding March" processional for a five-minute ceremony of exchanging gold bands, vows and a kiss - before dashing down the last stretch of the course together.

"At first, I thought it was crazy, but now I think it's just wonderful," said the bridegroom's mother, Marilyn Wilson of Flint Township. "You can see they really enjoy each other and sharing it with this many people."

The couple came back to the Team Playmakers tent for pink champagne, cake and music.

The two met in January through Sawdon's brother. She said she thought Wilson was "this crazy guy who ran 100-plus miles per week."

But then they started sharing the perfect dates: running together.

"We really supported each other's lifestyles and encouraged each other and just kind of fell in love. We didn't mean to," Sawdon said, laughing. "It's a second marriage for both of us. We were married to non-runners before - a terrible mistake."

Sawdon, a business systems analyst for a pharmaceutical company, and Wilson, who works for a railroad company, hope to travel for more races and do a marathon together.

"I love her," said Wilson, who fell for Sawdon's easygoing personality and runner's fervor. "Running brought us together so this seemed the natural thing."

Sawdon said she fell for Wilson's sense of humor and smarts.

Oh, and it helps that "he's got really great legs," she said.

Not my idea of a dream wedding (puh-lease, I can barely run a 1/2 mile on the treadmill without getting winded!), but it sounds like it suited them perfectly. And it's most definitely unique! :-)

Have any of you ever been to or seen a really out-of-the-ordinary wedding? Tell us about it!

Dress shopping extravaganza, vol. III

Yesterday, I went on my third dress shopping excursion. This time it was just me and my mom, and we had appointments at a whopping four bridal salons in the area. Maybe that was a little ambitious, but we had a blast!

We started out at 10 a.m. at Forever Formals in Kennett Square, PA. Tracey was our sales assistant, and she was 100% delightful to work with. She let my mom and me look through the dresses and stepped in only when we found something we thought I should try on. The fitting room here was the nicest and most spacious I had been in yet, and Tracey was helpful and speedy without rushing us.

We found some really beautiful gowns -- some looked okay on, and some looked ridiculous and I didn't even get in them all the way before I took them off! There was one in particular that we liked the best out of them all: The Maggie Sottero Marissa dress. They had it in the darkest color, which was called Vienna Cream, but try to picture it in ivory!





I was surprised by how flattering the neckline was on me; I liked the crystal details on the neckline and on the "knife pleats" below the dropped waist. I liked the asymmetrical cut and the asymmetrical crystal detail in the back. The train was a little plain for my liking, but Tracey said we could probably add some crystal details. I wasn't so sure about the corset back, since I've always been a bigger fan of buttons, and I think I could grow to like the corset. Also, I am trying not to have my mind too set on the lace thing, but it just didn't seem as "me" as the dresses I had tried with lace. My mom really loved this dress on me, and I certainly liked it a lot, but was looking forward to continuing our search to see what else was out there.

Our second stop was The Wedding Touch in Frazer, PA. Sylvia was our sales assistant, and she was very sweet (although a bit of a talker!). She truly enjoys what she does and got a good feel for what I liked the more I talked to her. I tried on a few really pretty dresses, but wasn't extremely blown away by anything. I thought that maybe I was just at the point of trying on so many gowns that I was becoming numb to the "feeling" I was supposed to have!

....Until I tried on a particular Casablanca gown.

The style # is 1860, and unfortunately I was not allowed to take photos (I still don't really get this, but what can you do?). I don't think the photos online do the dress any justice, and it looks completely different on me since I am shorter, bustier, and overall curvier than this model! But, this is all I've got, so try to visualize if you can:

This photo is a little weird to me -- like they Photoshopped her chest away!

This is a little more "normal" looking and shows the amazing lace and beading.

Love. This. Train.

It is not what I imagined for myself at the beginning, yet it has a lot of the details that I have liked in other dresses -- the v-neck (that really sits on the outermost point of the shoulder, which I love), the dropped waist, the slimmer fit (while not a sheath dress, it does have a little bit of poof without being overwhelming), and, of course: lace, lace, lace.

The detailing seems like a lot, but when I put it on, I just felt like a much better version of myself. The details weren't overwhelming to my size or figure, and I liked that the beading and lace really blended into the rest of the dress (I hate when details stand out in a different color or tone). Overall it had a very vintage, classic feel to it that seems to suit my "old soul" type of personality and style (or at least the style I've always wished I had!).

My mom was also really into this dress -- I know she is not the one who will be wearing the dress, and there were certainly some dresses that she loved on the hanger than I wouldn't even try on, but it seems like when I find something that is right, it is something that we both love equally. She is my best friend and I really value her opinion; plus, she used to be really into sewing (she sewed her own wedding gown and ALL her bridesmaid's gowns back in the 70s!), so I trust her opinion on how things are made and how nice materials are.

The real "wow" moment for this dress came when my mom started to tear up -- as much of a crier as I am, my mom has never been quite as emotional as me. So when she IS emotional, I cry, even if I don't know why she's crying! She started to get a little teary-eyed and said "it just reminds me of my mother" and we both lost it. (My grandmother died when my mom was 24, before I was born.) Through my tears I joked, "well now I have to get it!" But it was really the first dress that gave me that "the one" feeling. (It's not an urban wedding myth after all!) It felt good to know that this had the vintage charm of something my grandmother might have worn, and that didn't make me feel like I needed to work on my body to make me love it more -- it looked great on me, the way I am right now. Things just started to fall into place. And, bonus: it is under $1000!

Funny thing: when we got into the car to go to our next stop, I paged through my wedding binder and found that I had torn out a picture of this dress before! It still looked completely different, but it was fun to know that I had noticed it before.

To cut this novel short, I will say that we continued on to our last two appointments, the second of which was at a store that carried the original Jasmine "dream dress" that I thought I loved -- and this dress no longer did anything for me. Aside from it being about three sizes too big on me, I just saw that it wasn't the dress that would truly flatter me, even if it was the right size and altered to fit me. It was a great starting off point which eventually led me to "the" dress, though.

I really do think that this is the one! I'm still going to sleep on it a little bit, but I don't see anything changing my mind about this one. :-)

Things I learned from the original "Father of the Bride"

Mr. Blushing is away for the next week on vacation with his parents in the Adirondacks. This is one of my busiest times at work, so I was unable to join them (and I kind of thought it made for a nice excuse to let Mr. Blushing enjoy a vacation with his parents, whom he is extremely close to and whom I know miss him tons since he moved two hours away to be with me).

So, now that I'm alone with nothing in particular to do, how have I spent my Saturday night? I have spent it lounging in my PJ's and watching the original Father of the Bride, starring Spencer Tracey and Elizabeth Taylor, from 1950. I stumbled across it just as it was beginning on t.v. this evening.



I am ashamed to admit that I had never seen the original, but I am a fan of the Steve Martin version from 1991. While watching the original this evening, I was really surprised to hear how many lines from the remake came straight from the original; in some ways it wasn't nearly as dated as I might have expected.... Except for maybe the following:

• In 1950, $3.75 per person was high for a wedding reception (these days that's probably less than the cost of each guest's wedding favor!)
• Husbands and wives shared a bedroom but slept in separate beds (at least in movieland, they did ;-)
• Bridesmaids walked two-by-two down the aisle in a trance-like walk (I am SO GLAD this is no longer customary!)
• $85 for an orchestra to provide entertainment at the reception was pricey

Some things, though, will never change:

• Wedding rehearsals are always chaotic
• Guest list discussions always lead to arguments
• The bouquet toss always brings out the worst in women
• No father will ever understand how his little girl grew up so fast
  

Oh, and one other thing that I learned: if Elizabeth Taylor can have 7 bridesmaids, then so can I! (More to come on the bridesmaid dilemma in a future post.)

Asking the 'maids, part II

I am very blessed to have many wonderful women in my life. I was never really the kind of girl who had one core group of girlfriends; instead, I had an eclectic mix of girlfriends from all different areas of my life. My friends are all so different from one another, and I love that each brings something different into my life. I want to share a little bit about two of my friends who really stand out from the rest.

I met Nicole the summer after third grade, at a summer theatre day-camp for kids in our school district. She was one of those bubbly personalities that everyone knew and loved. We went to different schools at that time, but then our two elementary schools combined in middle school, so we got to know each other better in fifth grade. I don't think it was until the summer before eighth grade, though, that we became "best" friends. At that point, we did have a clique of girlfriends, but eventually ninth grade came, and with the new high school status came fights and bickering, and somehow Nicole and I detached ourselves from that group. We remained the closest of friends during a time that wasn't always easy (at least for me), and just had one of those comfortable friendships that we knew would always be a constant in our lives.

Kelli and I met on move-in day, freshman year of college. We lived two doors down from each other, and became instant friends. We both had roommate problems, so by second semester we were able to arrange to live together. It was the most fun semester and we just always understood each other. There was never any judging or fighting; just a strong bond built on trust and a mutual adoration for each other. After freshman year, Kelli transferred to another school, but we stayed in touch; even though months would sometimes pass without any communication because of our busy schedules, we always caught up eventually and it was like never a day had passed.

Now, who in the world could ever choose between two such amazing friends? I couldn't, which is why I chose to have Nicole and Kelli as my maid and matron of honor. It seemed only natural to have them share the role of my honor attendant, and as they have grown to be friends in their own right over the years, I knew it would be a welcome idea.

Nicole now lives in Austria (but is *hopefully* moving back home soon!), and was home visiting friends and family for a few weeks this summer. She and Kelli took me out to lunch a few days before my birthday, and I decided to use the opportunity to also ask them "officially" to be my maid and matron of honor. I mean, they pretty much knew from the beginning of my engagement that these were the roles they would play in my bridal party, but I still wanted to do something nice to make it super special!

Although I love to DIY, I used the opportunity to buy some lovely cards from Papyrus and wrote them each a note about how much their friendship means to me and how I can't imagine getting married without having them standing by my side.


I also got them each a cute little "bedazzled" tank top with their title on it -- black for Nicole, and light pink for Kelli (the colors just seemed to match their personalities!). These were from Classy Bride and arrived just a few days after I ordered them!


I wrapped everything in some lovely paper from Paper Source, and hid them in a bag until we were out at lunch.


I surprised them with their gifts after we were done eating.... They said "yes!" ;-)


I can't wait to have these most fabulous ladies standing by me (and keeping me calm!) on my wedding day.

What are some other creative ways for asking your bridal party to share in your special day?

The DIY bride with nothing to D

I claim that I am a DIY bride, but I don't actually have anything to show for it just yet. I swear, I'm getting there -- but what can one really begin to do 13 months before her wedding? Is there really anything that extremely creative that can get done so far in advance?

Aside from getting to marry Mr. Blushing, my favorite part of this whole wedding planning gig is that I will be able to do what I do best: design every single printed piece that will have a place at our wedding. I have made my own little side-business out of designing wedding invitations and stationery for other brides over the last few years, and it is really where I find my greatest happiness as a graphic designer. Designing for myself has always been a difficult task, though, as I am my own most indecisive client. Designing for yourself when there is no one telling you plain and clear what they like and don't like is actually a real challenge.

As such, wedding magazines have really helped me to pin-point styles I like as far as invitations and corresponding materials go. One piece from Martha Stewart Weddings Fall 2006 issue is this great collection by Peculiar Pair Press (their website is also super cool):


I like the juxtaposition of the contemporary pattern against the orchid motif. It makes for a nice contrast and creates the ability to mix up the elements so there is always a bit of a surprise as far as how each new piece looks. To me, it still says formal, but it also says that this is a really hip couple with a great sense of style.

Of course, this does not go with my color scheme, but this is a visual that has remained in my memory since I first saw it, so I think I am going to use this as an inspiration point for my designs to come. I am starting to tinker with save-the-date ideas, even though I don't plan to send these out until January. More time to obsess, right??

Asking the 'maids, Part I

Back in May, Mr. Blushing and I went to New Orleans to visit my extended family and go to Jazz Fest (an amazing time!). While we were there, I wanted to ask my two older female cousins to be bridesmaids in our wedding. I only get to see them once or twice a year, and thought asking them in person would be more special than over the phone. I didn't want to ask them any old way, but I didn't have the cash at the time to buy anything super fancy (and didn't really want to waste money on something that would just be a useless trinket). Instead, I made up a card for each of them with a photo of us together when we were younger, and a note inside:

Check out that fine 80s era ensemble I'm rocking! (I'm on the left.)
Sadly that was my favorite sweater.

CPKs rock the house!

The note says: "Now we are all grown up, but I still admire you just the same. I was honored to be a part of your wedding day, and it would mean the world to me for you to be a part of mine. Will you be my bridesmaid?"

It was a really cute moment when I gave them their cards -- they had no clue what was inside the envelopes as they were opening them, and didn't really figure it out until they finished reading the inside. At just about the same time there were two big "Awwww!"s and then lots of hugging. I've always been the "sentimental one" of the family, so it was nice to give them something that reflected me and reminded us of the great times we had growing up. I'm really looking forward to sharing my big day with two fabulous ladies I have always truly looked up to like sisters!

Miss Blushing, meet the road block. Road block, meet Miss Blushing.

Remember all that talk about "dream dress"? Remember when all was right with the world of bridal gowns, and I didn't need to look any further to find exactly what I was looking for?

Boy, did I get ahead of myself!

Last weekend Mr. Blushing and I went to visit his parents, about a 2 hour drive from where we live. By early Saturday afteroon, Mr. Blushing started to feel under the weather and proceeded to take a nap, and since his naps tend to last for many hours, I knew I was on my own. Being kind of bored and knowing that FMIL (whose only child is Mr. Blushing, and who also has 6 nephews and one lone niece) was chomping at the bit to go dress shopping with me, I proposed that we go check out a local shop I had found online called Taylored for You Bridal Boutique. (That's not a typo -- the owner's name is Taylor, which is why it is spelled the way it is!) I called the shop and Taylor herself said I didn't need an appointment and they would have some time to show me some dresses, so we got right in the car and ventured over there.

I really wasn't expecting to have as much fun as I did! Taylored for You is a cute little house-turned-shop that has a pink dress-shaped sign out front. Inside, the shop was tiny but clean, and overall it was a wonderfully friendly and professional environment. At first, I only found 3 dresses on the racks that I wanted to try on, but Taylor's employee, Leigh, kept pulling things out that she thought I would like. She ended up having a real knack for picking things that were flattering to my shape, and, even better, most of the samples fit me like a glove (albeit a slightly tight glove) so I could really envision what it would look like without clips all over it.

Now I know I went through this whole thing about not wanting a strapless dress, and not really liking satin..... but then, I laid my eyes on Lea Ann Belter's Olivia dress. It was one of the three that I had originally taken off the rack to try on, and when I put it on -- I don't know, something happened!


Something about the subtle heart-shaped neckline was really flattering to my not-quite-petite bust, and just look at the waist it gives me! Believe me, that is not my waist, it is a complete illusion. The satin was the softest, most beautiful satin I have ever felt, and the lack of too much "poof" really suited my 5' 3.75" frame (yes, that 3/4" matters!). Granted, I am standing on a stool, but I just felt very tall and slender and.... bridal.

Did I mention that Mr. Blushing's mom cried when I put this on? Granted, it was the first dress of the lot that I tried on, and the first time she had ever really seen me in a bridal gown, but at least she didn't think it looked bad on me. Definitely, definitely did not think it looked bad on me.

I also really liked this dress below, although it still doesn't have enough going on up top for me to love it as much as the Olivia. I actually don't know the name of this dress, but it is also a Lea Ann Belter. One thing I do love about it is the slimmer fit below the waist -- apparently that is flattering to my figure. Who knew?


**Please disregard back-fat bulge.... tight glove, remember?

I also tried on this dress with a little lace bolero jacket from another dress (but never snapped a photo), and I really liked that, but we all decided I probably wouldn't end up wearing it. I just think it's amusing that this dress is strapless, satin, AND has a sash and I still managed to like it.

Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, both of these dresses are pretty much completely out of my budget, so I really can't consider them as real contenders. But now that I have tried on such beautiful creations, I am not as set on my original Jasmine choice as I was before. Maybe I really don't know exactly what I'm looking for, and maybe I need to look further, not just for a dress that I love but a dress that looks good on me. I am going to do a bit more exploring with my mom this weekend, and I also have to keep in mind that I have just over a year until my wedding so I don't NEED to order my dress for a few more months. But still, I get the feeling it is going to end up being a much more difficult decision than I anticipated a few weeks ago.

Just for fun, here are a few more photos from our dress shopping extravaganza at Taylored for You -- Leigh had me in all sorts of get-ups! These aren't "me" enough, but they were really stunning dresses. It made for a really fun, unexpected afternoon! Taylor and Leigh were the best bridal boutique salespeople I have met so far.... friendly, not pushy, they allowed photos, and they really, thoroughly love what they do.

I tucked in the capped sleeves, as they were a bit too wide for my liking.... we all thought they would look better smaller, but don't mind how puffy they are appearing here!

Check out that train!

This is not my taste at all, and the neckline is not one bit flattering on me.... but the beading on this dress was incredible. Taylor and Leigh have their own nicknames for all the dresses, and they called this one the "Hollywood" dress!

This was way too poofy for me, and something about the straight neckline and sash/bow made me feel too young, but the fabric was really lightweight. Would be great for a hot summer day!

Question for readers: did anyone really get that "this is the dress" feeling the first time they tried on a dress? How did you know? Does this really exist or is it an urban wedding myth??

If you looked up "indecisive" in the dictionary, you'd see a picture of me.

I tend to have trouble making decisions -- big or small, serious or trivial. When I eat out, I will sometimes agonize over the menu for quite a while before making a decision, only to change my mind about it the moment the server walks away to place my order. Not wanting to be a pain, I will not change my order; instead I will just sit and pout and scold myself for my poor decision, and once my food comes I will become painfully aware that it isn't *really* what I wanted. Totally mature, right?

When it comes to decisions on a much larger scale, it can become even more agonizing. There are rare times that I will make an impulsive decision and be completely confident and happy in the firmness of my decision, but who am I kidding: these instances are far outweighed by the times of indecisive flip-floppery.

For instance, my big dilemma at the moment is a wedding motif. I steer away from the word "theme" because I don't want something that is overwhelmingly in-your-face all-over-the-place at our wedding. I'd prefer a nice image or icon or overall idea that is gently worked into the details of our big day. I enjoy the love bird motif that seems to be popular these days, but I don't feel like it is very "us." I mean, honestly -- all birds are either sparrows or pigeons as far as I'm concerned, so I don't want a bird theme to mislead my guests to believe that I am suddenly intrigued by these little flying friends.

Although the "Meant to Bee" theme is also cute, I don't feel like it has any personal connection to us as a couple or individuals. Besides, I don't particularly like things that sting me, I don't eat much honey, and yellow was never my color.

At my brother's recent wedding, he and his bride subtly incorporated an illustration of a chandelier into their invitations and programs, since their venue had lots of gorgeous chandeliers throughout it. Although I love our venue, there is nothing like that there that calls out to me (except for really pretty four-post canopy beds in all of the guest rooms, but I don't think a bed is an appropriate motif for a wedding invitation! The grandmothers might all keel over right then and there).

When I was asking my BFF/MatronOH's opinion on motif ideas, she said that when she thinks of Mr. Blushing and myself, she thinks of one thing: beer. Although I totally see her point because we can often be found enjoying a brew or a game of Quizzo at our favorite microbrewery, Iron Hill, I don't think I want our guests getting the wrong impression that we're big-time boozers or drunks. I also think that a few of the non-drinkers of the bunch could be slightly offended by such a theme.... and let's face it: beer ain't all that pretty. *Sigh....*

The only thing that I briefly considered that relates to the beer idea (in a roundabout way) is our Quizzo team name. (For those of you who don't know, Quizzo is a popular trivia game held at bars, and it usually consists of several rounds of trivia questions and an audio round where you identify obscure songs or bands. Mr. Blushing and I can get pretty competitive, with his knowledge of American history and my affinity for useless pop culture facts.) When the two of us play Quizzo, we play under the team name of "Incredicouple." While it is fun and quirky and is a reference to our love of Disney/Pixar films (i.e., The Incredibles), I think it's a bit too quirky for our wedding day. Although I think most people would get the tongue-in-cheek-ness of it all, I wouldn't want it to seem too self-centered or showy, and I don't so much want capes at my wedding.

In light of all this fruitless motif-soul-searching, I think I have finally made the big decision to not have ONE motif representing our wedding. I think that if I have SEVERAL that tie together in a roundabout way (with their style of illustration, color, etc.), it will help to please the indecisive bride deep within me, and it will keep things fresh and new with a surprise always in store for the guests.

...But, I'll let you know when I change my mind again tomorrow.

Will you be the Kevin Arnold to my Winnie Cooper?

During the summer lull in the land of television, I've been watching an old favorite, The Wonder Years, every night at 10 p.m. on ion. As a true old soul at heart, I am a sucker for any show with a nostalgic vibe.... who cares if I wasn't even alive in the 60s? I think we can all relate despite what decade we grew up during.

I was only 8 years old when The Wonder Years premiered, and from the very beginning I had a HUGE crush on the adorable Kevin Arnold (played by Fred Savage). I especially loved the scenes with him and Winnie Cooper, since no matter what the era, I think we all can relate to their young love. Silly fights, jealousy, the anticipation of a first kiss, the nervousness of attending a make-out party. We've all been there in some way or another. Through everything, Kevin and Winnie always came back to each other and just "got" each other.

I always wanted my very own Kevin Arnold to my Winnie Cooper.


Is there a couple (fictional or not) that you always daydreamed you'd be like someday?

Finally, we meet.....

Last Friday, I went on the aforementioned journey into bridal gowns. I ventured to two bridal shops with the intention of remaining open-minded, but the dress that I have had my eye on the most still couldn't stay out of the picture for very long. I will hereto forth call said dress "dream dress."

On my dress shopping excursion, I had the pleasure of being accompanied by my fabulous mother and my two best friends (who also happen to be my maid & matron of honor). We began at a nice little shop in my hometown called Bridal Sophisticate. There I tried on about 6 dresses; about 2 of said dresses really tickled my fancy once I had them on. Unfortunately photos weren't allowed, but I do have photos of one from the Jasmine website:

Please disregard the erotic model pose.....

I had seen this dress online a while ago, and have always liked the simplicity and the *bling* details. I know that I said I didn't want a strapless dress, but something about this dress doesn't bother me as much as some other strapless styles, and I love the asymmetrical cut and the embellishment on the side. Once I tried it on with a veil that had some sparkle to it, I really felt like a princess.

After a nice lunch with my favorite ladies, we then ventured to Fantasia Bride & Cocktail in Delaware (hooray for tax-free shopping!), about 25 minutes away. This was actually the only store within about an 80 mile radius that had a sample of the dream dress that has been wooing me for some time now (see post below!). Fantasia was tightly packed with dresses, but we were the only ones in the store so we swiftly picked out about 6 dresses to try on (dream dress being the first, of course). Although this shop wasn't as "posh" as Bridal Sophisticate, the fitting rooms were MUCH more spacious and I didn't feel like I had to squeeze into dresses that were bigger than the room I was standing in.

Anywho, dream dress most definitely did not disappoint! Although the sample was 2 sizes too big on me and they didn't have clips to make it fit a little better, I still felt fabulous in it. Please disregard the oversized-nature of the dress:

Sorry this shot is a little fuzzy.... MOH was trying to sneak a picture without letting the salesperson know that we were taking photos!

The salesperson said we couldn't take photos, but I nicely mentioned that I already knew who made the dress, so she said "okay, just don't tell anyone!" and let us take a better photo with the flash. Sweet-talking always does the trick!

The only thing that slightly concerns me is the width of the lace V-neck -- it doesn't seem as delicate as I pictured it to be. However, this may be cured by actually buying the right size and having a good seamstress fix it up a bit. Aside from that, I love the asymmetrical cut (again), I adore the V-back and my heart skips a beat when I see the train..... it's soooo lovely!!

This store also had the same dress that I had tried on at Bridal Sophisticate, so I got into it again and we took some more photos.

Please pardon goofy grin

Once I saw the photos, it was no contest -- dream dress definitely takes the cake. Although I loved the strapless dress in the store, it doesn't do much for me in pictures, and I'm not sure it's entirely flattering. (Kind of creates a una-boob, no?) Tan lines aside, I'm just not sure it's "me," and something about the lace details of the other dress really call out to me. And frankly, I'm just kind of tired of seeing strapless dresses everywhere I turn.

I plan to still visit a few more bridal shops, but it was such a great day finding one dress that I already love and can picture myself swaying down the aisle in! It's starting to feel more real!!!