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Before I went dress shopping (let's be honest, before I was even engaged!) I loooved researching dresses in magazines and online! Show your favorite "research dresses" and then share the dress you bought!! Can you tell I love these dress posts! :)
Here's the first dress I was obsessed with (Jim Hjelm):
Here's another favorite "research dress." I LOOOVED this one! (Lazaro)
And here's the one I bought (Enzoani)! Its a similar feel: Romantic, airy, and I always knew I wanted lace!
Share yours!!
Love your dress!
Thought I wanted this (this pic isn't me...it was a Google image):
Ended up buying this:
This was my favorite from the beginning. I never got to try it on :(
The dress I ended up with hasa similar silhouette (I added sleeves) but more simple.
I thought I wanted this one, Mikaella 1408:
But ended up with Anjolique 1020:
You ladies look awesome! I was never able to try my research dresses on either. Early on in the process I assumed every shop had almost every dress out there, lol! I was wrong! That's probably why I went to a billion different boutiques!
I thought I wanted something like this:
In fact, the reason I went to the boutique where I bought my dress was because they were having a Lazaro trunk sale. I ended up with:
Augusta Jones Cameo. I guess they are simliar shapes, but way more detailed and less pouf.
My oos and ahhs were over this one....
I ended up buying this one...
@MademoiselleL: You look FANTASTIC in your dress.
I thought I wanted this one:
Moniquie Lhuillier Addie 
I got this one:
Monique Lhuillier Vanessa
Pretty similar, but for a late spring/summer wedding in the south, sleeves would have killed me!
@eimajleigh: I looooooved that Lazaro but I couldn't get past the fact that it was strapless (and $3200). I still wonder if I should have worn it.
This was my absolute fave research dress but it just fell flat in person
I went with a similar sillhoette with a lot more sparkle. Something I didn't think I wanted
Before I started shopping for a dress, this Alita Graham dress was the one that I dreamed of. I cut every picture of it out of magazines, I had it as my desktop wallpaper. I loved this dress (okay, still do). But... I knew I could never get to Kleinfelds or afford a Kleinfelds dress.
I ended up buying a dress that I did not know was my dream dress until I got it on... the Disney Belle dress. LOL the only similarity is that it's a ballgown...
What I thought I wanted:
The dress I chose:
This is the dress that I OBSESSED over for like 2 years.
and then this is the dress I fell in love with! They both have lace (hard to tell in this picture) and rouched organza and the dress I chose has a more defined trumpet
This is the dress I was obsessed with, Christos Bouquet Nouveau, but it looked blah on me:
And this is the dress I bought. Still a full skirt, which is what I wanted! I also wanted something different and textural:
@thefuturemrs.o: Thank-you! So do you! I love the one you chose.
I had a couple of favorites when I was researching. The one I initially fell in love with, I bought, but just got my money back for on Wednesday because the seamstress told me it could never be fitted properly. It was Alfred Angelo 2177C.
So I did more research and found the Eden 2404, but was told no one will have it in until at least December.
Then I came across the CB Couture B045 and I knew as soon as I put it on it was the one.
I had many favorite "research dresses".
#1 Valentino for Pronovias. I couldn't find anyone that stocked this. Although I did talk to one shop owner on the phone who asked for my height and weight...I'm not kidding...before she would advise me as to whether or not I should consider ordering it.
#2 Mystere by Claire Petitbone: I came close to buying this one in the store. I don't know what held me back...Maybe body confidence vs. the lack of structure in the soft silk dress.
#3 Nicole Miller: this one wasn't available in samples yet, so I couldn't try it either.
My actual dress: Oscar de la Renta
Even though I think it's way different than some of my other favorites, the things that I loved were present in all of them...High quality fabric, interesting sillouhette, smaller light weight dress suitable for outdoors, something that would make people say that they'd never seen a bridal gown quite like it without being shockingingly weird. My dress was easier for me to wear than the others b/c it had some blouse and the big sash and didn't cling all over my body. I think I would have been self-conscious if any of the other contenders actually came through.
The dress I am purchasing is actually the research dress I had. Took me FOREVER to hunt down. These pics are from my cell phone camera. I am going in next weekend to put on the dress again and then order it. I will take pictures and post a board with the pictures from my camera!
The dress I drooled over for months and sadly never got to try on (guess it all worked out because I discovered I truly dislike taffeta):
My Dress:
My online love: obsessed with it, showed my gf's and said this is more than likely IT. I was sooo certain. And it was lovely...
And this is what I bought, very similar just more bling! (and cheaper...)
I had many different ones I liked during my research, but I would say this was my favorite:
And this is the one I bought! It's an Enzoani. Sorry the pic is so big!
For years I thought I was going to be a ball-gown princess bride. I loved Miri for months when I first saw it.
I got lost in the dress, and thought I would like something more A-line. I fell in love with Adorae, and almost bought it.
I still love the Adorae, but not for my outdoor wedding. Then I fell in love with a Mikaella dress, and tried it on.... And it was meant to be!
My favorite research, the Maggie Sottero Ambrosia:
The dress I purchased, the Maggie Sottero Sabelle:
The two are almost identical. Objectively, I like the Ambrosia a little better, but it made my boobs do funny things. The Sabelle, on the other hand, made me look fabulous and gave me a waist like you wouldn't believe. It was the clear winner.
yay I like this! I'll play.
What I swooned over:
Maggie Sottero Dominique
This Magical Allure (I still think about it sometimes, then I saw a girl at a prep school wear it as her graduation dress. so I don't feel so bad anymore):
And The beauty I ended up in:
I was in love with Maggie Sottero Isabella Marie, but it did not look good on me.
I ended up with Allure 8824. I love it!
@LGenz: OH WOW!! I looooove your dress! You look gorgeous!!
@eliwhit: I tried on the Allue one too but I think you choose right! Your dress is stunning!!!
Dress I obsessed over
Dress I bought and absolutely in love with!
Both the similar and totally different (I ended up with two dresses)
The Front Runner:
Dolly Couture's Edmonton
What I went with
A David's Bridal Dress & a Bonny Bridal Dress we had hemmed to tea length
(yes, DH had two different shoes too)
I think mine are pretty different, but they both do have lace.
This was my favorite "research dress." I still love this dress, and if somebody offered to me for about $500, I would probably take it and run in a heartbeat. Problem is, the designer is out of business, and you can't find it to try on anywhere. Also, the normal price is over $5000, so most of the preowned ones are at least 2-3K. I just can't spend that much on a dress I haven't ever seen in person.
My dress, which I also love, love love :) But, it will never be my FIRST love..only my last haha :)
I've loved the Pronovias Pergola since the second I saw the picture, and thankfully I loved it in person too! Can't wait till it comes in! :-)
@OoOTifsterOoO: That is GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!! Holy crap, seriously beautiful!!!
Thank you, its Pronovias Higuera
aw thanks, looks like we have similar taste. I LOVE your dress
Mine was Pronovias Farnes. It was my dream dress and unfortunately, I never got the chance to try it on - Pronovias messed up my appointment times three times!! I was so fed up with them that I decided to give up on their dresses alltogether. But I think it worked out for the better - I was in love with my Demetrios dress.
Here is the Farnes
And here is mine.
@LGenz: Thanks! I think we definitely have similar styles too!
@aprilbee11: I very much enjoy that picture, lol!
My research dress, Sottero & Midgley Sybil (hunted all over Ontario and Michigan for this dress)
And the dress I bought, Blu by Madeline Gardner 4861
I had a really different final dress. Here is my "research dress" Alfred Angelo 404
Here's the dress I got, Casablanca 1827
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