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Don't settle otherwise you will have regrets and you won't look and feel completely happy on your wedding day in your dress. Keep looking and think outside the box for inspiration. Just because the stores only have certain dresses doesn't mean that is all you are limited to. Nearly every bridesmaid dress is available in white so you may find something there you love. Sit down and design a dress that has all the elements you want and then get it custom made by a local seamstress if you can't find something already made.
I was in that position a couple of days ago. I was poised to buy one that looked great and was in my budget. Was I in love with it? No. Did it look great? Yes. Would it do the job? Absolutely.
I just didn't think it was going to happen. And then yesterday I found The One. If you're someone that thinks the idea of "The One" is just plain old silly, then go with the one that looks fantastic, that you really like, and that you can see yourself in - I mean that literally...you wear the dress, it does not wear you!
If you think The One does exist, then don't give up yet! This process is different for everyone.
A bit of advice that I was given; if you can see yourself standing next to your FI in that dress, and if you want to keep wearing it, then you're on to something!
Try to figure out what it is you didn't like about them -- color? Fabric? Comfort? Formality? What they did with your figure? Maybe you could try on some drastically different dresses to 'reprogram' -- kind of like smelling coffee at a perfume store...
Don't give up! It'll happen!
Keep looking for it! I settled on my dress and while I really liked it and felt very beautiful in it, I just never got that "this is THE one!" feeling. You still have some time. Good luck!
This happened to me as well. I really had to spend a lot of time looking at gowns online and thinking back to the styles that suited me best when I was shopping. I had to do some soul searching about what I was really looking for and what I absolutely did not want.
It helped that I went shopping by myself to try on one specific gown that I thought met all of my "must haves." I didn't know that it was "the one" right away but spent some time thinking about it and had a real peace about the one the I ended up choosing. Sometimes it just takes a while so don't settle :)
I probably tried on 100 dresses. I almost gave up at around 75 and settled for something good enough... but I spent some time thinking of all the best elements of the dresses I had tried on and found some dresses on line that met all the criteria. I then went to stores strictly targeting those dresses, and had my dress within a week!
Best of luck!
Do you have a clear idea of what you're looking for? Do you have inspiration pictures or through out all the dresses have you narrowed it down to what you like/dislike?
Keep looking!! The right one is out there... :)
I definitely wouldn't suggest getting a dress made. They rarely look the way they're supposed to.
keep looking and don't stop till you find something that makes you feel amazing! 
I agree do not settle. I tried on a bunch of dresses, and was feeling a bit depressed after not having that wow moment. I originally had an idea in my head of what elements I wanted(lace, form fitting...), and that is the exact type of gown I ended up purchasing. My biggest problem was trying to imagine how this sample dress would look in my actual size. Everything was incredibly long, baggy and disproportional on my frame. I did not have the imagination, and did not want to spend a small fortune on a dress that did not fit.
Now that you have tried on a bunch you probably have a good idea on what you are looking for. It helps to not let the sales ladies make you try on a bunch of dresses you know you are not interested in . At this point in the game one of the first things you should mention at a bridal salon is that you already have tried a lot of dresses and that you only want to see dresses with X, Y, and Z elements. Good Luck. You will find it!
I am in the same boat. I've tried on 63 dresses so far and found one that made me go all goose pimpley, but my mum doesn't like it and it is slightly out of budget (she is paying).
I've tried on loads of others, some of them have been "very nice" and I could have had, but I never truly loved them.
I am just going to keep on plowing through, until I find something that I love. I get married in August, and there is plenty of time.
I am in this boat too. I've tried on countless dresses (more than 100 for sure). I tried on a dress that made my Mom cry and my friend was over the moon about it. But the skirt was poofier than I wanted and the train wasn't as fantastic as I thought I wanted. But the bodice was so beautiful. I decided it was the one, then stopped shopping (I was going to order the dress a few weeks later). Well, its time to order the dress and I'm not sure if I'm being a people pleaser for thinking its the dress or overly analytical for still thinking about it, but I decided to go back and look at the dress on Thursday (by myself so I'm not influenced). I'll let you know what I decide.
I don't know about this "the One" business.... I think some people are just wired differently and develop more emotional attachments to dresses. I knew the sillhouette of the dress I'd want and the style of my wedding, and found something that fit both of those really well, so I bought it. I didn't cry to see it on me, but I loved the way it looked (as I loved several other dresses).
But I feel the same way about men, honestly ;). I didn't get "the One," i got one of many possible Ones and don't feel that I needed to keep looking!
In both cases, it's just important to know what you're looking for. Something will eventually satisfy you.
Honestly, I found a dress I loved, but I never got The Feeling. I loved the dress and really felt great in it, but I never got that urge to cry and proclaim "It's The One." Frankly, I don't think I'm that kind of person. One of the consultants said something to me like "When you find the right dress, you'll know immediately, just like with your fiance" to which I replied, "Um, yeah, we were friends for 9 years before we even started dating so..."
My advice would be to let yourself off the hook about having The Feeling. Once you let go of that, you might find that you actually like certain dresses. I found that once I accepted that I might never have that big crying moment like you see on "Say Yes to the Dress", I was able to focus on finding a dress I really loved.
I felt the same was as @marigold for a long time. (Er, ok by long I mean like 3 months.) I tried on probably a hundred dresses, and while many of them did things I liked, none of them were stop-me-in-my-tracks WOW. My feeling wasn't all mushy-gushy teardrops "Oh mah God I'm getting MARRIED" either - I just knew I'd *finally* found The Dress. Not THE DRESS, but The Dress (subtle difference, I know). Eventually you will have to stop looking... and your wedding won't be any less special - and you won't look any less beautiful - if you've not had that feeling. But I'm glad I kept looking.
I tried on so many dresses and finally tried on a very pretty lace one - the ladies in the shop loved it, my mom really liked it. I wasn't crazy about it. Then I tried on the next one and just kinda felt a 'click' - it flattered my figure, it had detail that I really liked, I could picture myself next to FI on our wedding day, I could picture it in the church and at the reception and with the flowers that I like and that was it. Add to that the price was right and I was sold. It wasn't a TA-DAH moment - it was like I said, like something clicked and I just was done.
If I won the lotto would I go in search of another more luxurious or designer dress? Probably. If I were getting married tomorrow would I be disappointed in my dress? Not at all.
Don't let the search wear you out - enjoy it because you'll only do it once! Just decide what's important to you and keep an open mind and it will all work out!
I went to look at dresses about five times at David's Bridal. I look for hours online beforehand, which was almost a complete waste of time since the styles I liked online didn't flatter me or feel right on me. But I had a budget (VERY low compared to most) so all but one bridal salon I went to, I left without trying on anything. Most in my area had no dresses under $1000.
I'm sorry, but it may be a wedding dress, but to me, it's just a dress. A special dress, but just a dress all the same.
So I tried on dresses at Davids that were a maximum of $50 over my budget, since they run a lot of those sales and I knew that I wouldn't end up splurging if I didn't try things on out of my budget. I finally found a style dress that I liked, after trying on about every single dress in Davids and one other salon. The one glich was a nasty saleslady who kept sneaking in higher priced dresses into my stack. I was very efficient so I had about 10-15 at a time to try on. Most I knew in a matter of seconds. I tried one on before I realized I didn't pick it out and saw the sticker. It was my favorite, but $300 more than I was prepared to spend on a dress. I took it off and gave it back to the saleslady who kept trying to convince me to finance. One snide remark from me got her to leave me alone and I tried on the rest.
I didn't get the feelings of "the dress" for any of them, but I did get the "OMG I'm a bride" feeling with a few. I picked the most flattering one of the bunch, paid, and have never looked back.
If you think there is a dress that will be "the one" I'd say keep looking. But be prepared to forget your budget and search tirelessly. If not, just pick a dress that's beautiful, comfortable, and that you can imagine wearing on your wedding day. I wouldn't buy a dress you have doubts about, though, since that might breed regrets and distract you on your day. But once you buy, stop looking! Good luck.
I'm in the same boat as you hun! I've tried on so many dresses and msot of them fit really nicely and looked beautiful, but they just don't feel "right"! I would keep looking though because this is after all your wedding dress and you don't want any regrets! But the upside - I'm sure you'll look amazing in whatever you end up choosing.
Remember - the dress doesn't make the bride. You do!!
I never got a "The One" feeling - and I really really doubt that I ever would have. I'm just not like that, especially about clothes. I think there's a little too much pressure out there to suddenly find some magical dress that brings you to tears when you put it on. It just doesn't happen for everybody, and it's not a big deal! If you feel like you can get there, and you'd regret not getting some special feeling, then keep shopping.
<span style="font-size: 7.5pt; color: black; font-family: Verdana;">I was always a firm believer that people who say this dress is "the one" just got caught up in the emotional hype. Wedding stress + pretty white dress + sobbing mother = Emotional Hype (for most people)
<span style="font-size: 7.5pt; color: black; font-family: Verdana;">I searched for SIX MONTHS! Ugh! I'm sooo happy to say that I am no longer searching! But during the process I was drawn to some pretty drastic measures! My wedding just passed the 7 month mark and it was crunch time for finding a dress. Well I really liked this one that was way out of my budget but I had a cheaper dress as back up. My options were to suck it up and pay for the pricy dress and cut some other things or be practical and buy the less expensive one. But I might end up regretting both! Well with the thought that this dress will be the most photographed dress of my life, really put the pressure on... So I came across a used dress (USED! that’s how desperate I was) that *might* have worked, key word "might". She was a little shorter than me... Anyways, the day before I was going to drag my sister on a 10 hr drive, I decided to go back to the bridal store where I fell in love with the expensive dress. I decided to take one more look around the store to see if I missed anything and I found the most amazing dress. Perfect for my beach wedding, perfect for my body and completely my style blowing every other dress out of the water. Best of all, they were having an amazing sale!
<span style="font-size: 7.5pt; color: black; font-family: Verdana;">Is it "the one"? I know it is perfect for my wedding, personality, and body and it is way under budget. The lady helping me said, that is why you never give up bc you will find it!
<span style="font-size: 7.5pt; color: black; font-family: Verdana;">My advise, keep looking until you know you won't regret it! I hope that helps!
I agree with "keep looking!" If the dress is important to you, don't settle. I learned that the hard way...and I ended up with two dresses! In my dress search, I also tried on a hundred dresses, and I never got that feeling...some were nice and flattering, but nothing wowed me. I ended up purchasing a simple gown that I wanted to make several changes to...but then I stumbled across the most beautiful dress, and as soon as I put it on, I just knew it was the one. One piece of advice: After trying on so many dresses, I really had to think about what I was looking for. I thought I wanted a dropped waist, fit and flare gown with a sweetheart neckline. However, a part of me was always wondering about a fuller A-line or ballgown skirt. So, 100 dresses in, I started trying on all different silhouttes to make sure I knew what looked good on me and what made me feel good. I ended up with a full, A-line with a scoop neckline! So don't be afraid to branch out from what you think you are looking for...
I just got married in it on Saturday, and I can't tell you how confident and beautiful I was in my second dress! I LOVED wearing it! Everyone else loved it too, but what is important is that you love the dress. So good luck! :)
Thank you! You all made me feel SOOOOOOOOO much better. Everyone I know has tried on three dresses and knew immediately which one was "the one"
Im not sure Im the type of person who will experience that feeling. Im overly analytical and I hate shopping in general. I really love the advice to keep shopping til I know I wont regret my decision.
So far, Ive tried to keep myself open to anything. I definitely have a style I think I prefer, but Ill try on other suggestions that seem completely different from my style.
Today Im going shopping by myself (usually I drag at least my mother). Ill keep you posted!
omg no, don't just keep searching forever and ever. You have a million other things to do. I picked a dress that i knew was lovely, and looked ok on, and was the vibe i was looking for. I am still so-so on it, but i think that after the seamstress is done w/ it, it'll look sweet b/c it is fit for me. I feel like with so many options out there, and the fact that you like to read wedding blogs, you feel a lot of extra pressure or have seen so many options that it's hard to choose. Just pick one and you will love it, and probably be thankful that it's over with.
I agree 100% with marigold (and melissabegins)! Especially if you're someone who isn't really a shopper to begin with. Originally, I just wanted a wedding dress that was bridal but unique and that looked good on me. I found one, so I bought it. The I started reading about and watching all of this stuff about "The One" and because I never felt that way, I ended up having dress doubts. I eventually purchased a 2nd dress and now I really regret that 2nd purchase - because in the end the first dress was really everything I wanted in a dress - even if I didn't have that "one" feeling. It can be hard because you have to purchase the dress so far ahead of the wedding and new styles will come out, so at some point, you do have to stop looking or you will drive yourself (and in my case, a lot of other people) crazy!
I keep thinking about the few 'Say yes to the Dress" episode I've seen where rides come in after they have tried on 100 dresses. The staff on that show is never very optimistic. I think the question of if you should keep searching depends on your situation. Are you trying on alll different types of dresses to find one you like or are you trying on similar dresses trying to find one that is better?
another tidbit i will add is that if you wait and wait for the perfect one, you may find yourself rushed and not make as good of a decision as you would if you'd done it sooner. i have been back and forth about dresses, shoes, etc, and it was keeping me up at night. SO i just made one giant inspiration board, got it "approved" by the bridesmaids, and boom, done. The dress, shoes, hair flower, jewelry, all done.
My friend waited on a lot of things, and had to buy things that she didn't really like at the last minute just to have them. Like, her dress was ivory, but she had these bright white shoes. I guess she figured she'd have more time to shop, but she didn't, and had to pick up whatever was in her size at the bridal store when picking up something last minute. My thoughts are that it's best to put together a smashing ensemble, even if it's not 100% THE ONE, so you have something together just in case you don't find the one.
I know I'm going to sound nuts, but I bought three wedding dresses. Actually, 5 if you count the two that were out of stock and never shipped to me. I had bought a dress online back in March and just didn't love it when it arrived. It was pretty, just not me. I bought a second short dress in July, and couldn't fit into it. Finally with three weeks to go, I walked into a David's Bridal and found THE dress. I loved it and felt gorgeous in it on my wedding day. The wonderful folks at David's had it altered and ready for me three days before my wedding!
So yes, keep looking until you find it! I wouldn't suggest doing what I did and waiting so close to your wedding, but keep trying on different types of dresses until you find one you love.
Tried on another 10 dresses today. Nothing impressive. not even a maybe dress.
I know what style I like, but I really am open to anything. I let the bridal consultant pick out dresses, my mom does too (although I always hate her choices! Moms!)
At the end of November if I havent found THE ONE! Ill go back and try on some that I liked and go from there.
If you don't have any strong feelings toward ANY of the dresses, I'd keep looking. If you do have one that you really like but you are just not 100% sure, I'd keep that dress in mind and look around some more and compare them to your favorite one. If none still come close to that dress, it might be THE ONE. I never had "the one" moment, but I don't think there is such thing for me, either. I am incredibly indecisive but also a perfectionist. I LOVE my dress but it's not "perfect" in my eyes, but I don't think that perfection really exists. Make sure your expectations are realistic and realize that there are tons of dresses out there and you just can't try them all on.
GL!
(Just read your last post about giving yourself a deadline. Good idea! I did pretty much the same thing. :) )
It took me forever to find the right dress! Between 5 different appointments, searching every website and trying on over 100 gowns I finally found it. I actually had that moment where I knew it was it, looked over at my mom and she started crying. It was the ONLY dress my mother showed any emotion towards and it was instant LOVE! I felt like I would just have to settle with something I liked, but finally ended with THE ONE
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Ive been to numerous bridal shops, tried on approx. 75 dresses, and none of them felt like "the one." Im starting to think maybe I should just settle some one that was "alright"
Anyone not find "the one"?