Weddingbee boards

So I've been wedding dress shopping for about two months now, not necessarily looking to buy anything, but just having fun with it all and seeing what's out there. I happened to see two Anjolique dresses at a trunk show in mid-March, and when I say "see", I literally mean I saw them, touched them, but they were like a size 6 so I couldn't try them on (I'm a street size 14-16). The boutique where I saw them was not able to get loaner dresses closer to my size from the designer. I happened to go into the Manhattan version of David's Bridal (RK Bridal for those of you in NYC) by myself on a day off, and tried on a Maggie Sottero (the Aretha, photo below) and FELL IN LOVE! The floor sample was a 16 (which, um, NEVER happens) and it fit like a glove. It's so perfect I can't even stop smiling when I think about how I look in it. It makes me look 2 sizes smaller and gives me the most amazing shape!

Well, I was so excited I brought my mom back to RK with me to see it, and her reaction was "Eh, it's ok." She felt like there was too much ruching overall, and the ruching ends in a bad place (across my bum, which is on the larger side ;)), making my booty look unnecessarily bigger. I think it makes me look great, but unfortunately I have no photos of me in the dress because they don't allow you to take photos unless you are purchasing. We were short on time so the consultant laced the corset up quickly (skipping holes) so it didn't sit quite perfectly, but even after telling mom that and after saying they make the dress to my measurements so it won't be as tight in hip/butt area, she is still like "eh, whatever" and insisting that I try to track down the other Anjolique dresses - WHICH SHE HAS NEVER EVEN SEEN IN PERSON! Since, I have called several places in the NY area to find someplace that carries them and no luck and told her I'm not going on a wild goose chase for a wedding dress. So after being semi-resigned to me getting the Maggie dress, she tells me she doesn't like RK at all (My mom got a little snippy with the consultant because unfortunately she got stuck in traffic and was late for out appointment, and the consultant waited for as long as possible before she had to help other people). RK has the best prices I've seen so far and the consultant is actually super nice but was a bit stressed that day and my mom barking at her didn't help.

I am making one last ditch attempt and will try on two Blue by Enzoani dresses this weekend (photos below - these are the closest I can find to the Anjoliques), and will post photos of me in them next week for a truer comparison. AGH ARGH ARGH! I will probably end up paying for my own dress which means I can get whatever I want... but still. very frustrating. What do you guys think!

MY DRESS! Maggie Sottero - Aretha (It's shown in the light gold color, which I'm not sure about. I tried on either white or diamond white which looked great)

Alternates:

Blue by Enzoani - Cayenne

Blue by Enzoani - Berkeley

i can only hope it looks good on me, MissAsB :)

@hilsy - this isn't the first time i've gone and she's definitely been with me to try on dresses before, but she has an idea in her head of what will look good on me. I attempted to try on a Joli that was similar in the style at the top to the Maggie, but had a bit softer drape from the bust down (but same mermaid silhouette); but it only comes in satin and i'm getting married in the middle of the summer at a mostly outdoor affair so satin is a no-no.

@vista - we definitely have different taste. she was sending me links of lace dresses and dresses that were beaded all over. eek!

It's a shame you can't take a photo - perhaps she is seeing something you can't looking in a mirror? Or maybe she is just struggling with the idea of you getting married and this is a way for her to vent? Maybe she just has different taste. In any case, I'm a big believer in that mothers don't have to approve of everything we do :) It's nice if they do, but not necessary for most things. This is one of those things! If you feel *that* beautiful in the dress then that's what matters, as long as you can live with the thought that your mother doesn't particularly care for it.

Thanks for the advice ladies. I went to try on the Cayenne and the Berkeley, and of course, both samples were in a size 12 and I barely fit my left leg in them. I really don't feel comfortable purchasing a a dresss that I can't even put on. If it was 3 sizes bigger that would be a different story, but I can't see accurately the way these other dresses fit when they are too small for me. And I don't feel comfortable buying something when I don't know how it fits. I also tried on several other dresses last weekend, and still the Maggie Aretha is my favorite and I love the way I look in it.

@mountain - perhaps your right. I do really wish I could have taken photos so other people could at least tell me what they think.

@snuggly - i did bring a friend who has seen me in several dresses and she really likes the way the Aretha fits me the best.

Sigh. My mom still keeps sending me links for other dresses (many of which are way more expensive)! I'm going to a Maggie Trunk show at a different shop in 2 weeks to potentially purchase y dress from there so maybe they'll let me take photos. Will post if I can!

Hi Gals -

Thanks everyone for the feedback. As jennifer_espos suggested, I've decided to keep looking at least until September-ish. I've recently seen Maggie's fall collection online and saw several I'd like to try to track down to try on. I still LOVE the Aretha (dress #1 above), but now I'm not sure about the corset back. I tried on a Sottero and Midgely at a trunk show a couple weeks ago in my size just to see a "true fit", and I kinda see what my mom was talking about. I think it has more to do with where the corset ends than the fit/style of the dress. My mom's other issue is that she thinks the tafetta of the Aretha feels "cheap" and the color is too stark white (even though it's diamond white, and I think it's fine). So I'm going to attempt to find some zip up dresses with interior corsets in or close to my size and see if they lay flatter or sit more smoothly in the rear section ;) I'm also taking the plunge and going to Kleinfelds. They carry Maggie Sottero there, so even if they don't necessarily have the exact styles I'm looking for, they can probably order the one I do want. More to come this fall!

My gut says - be cheap!!! get the cheaper dress!! but since I have time, I'll luxuriate on the dress buying for a bit.

already posted the good news on other boards but i ended up getting a Jim Hjelm at Kleinfeld's that MOM FINALLY APPROVES OF! and of course, i love it too! i still do love the Maggie Aretha, but the Jim Hjelm i ended up with will be so perfect! we went to the sample sale, and narrowed it down to two dresses, and although my mom liked the second runner up best (i think it was an alita graham), it felt too heavy in the end for my outdoor, mid july garden wedding. but hooray that everyone is happy!