Did anyone hate their dress when they went in for their first fitting and then completely freak out?

jenijoyk

Because this is my recurring nightmare. I bought my dress almost 6 months (and 20 pounds) ago. I went right after I got engaged and was brimming with excitement and found one I liked the first place I went. Since then, I haven't opened the garment bag once. My first fitting is at the end of August, and I am freaking out that I will get there, put it on, and completely hate it. I keep googling images of other brides wearing my dress, and then critizing them to no end in my head. I can't figure out if I truly don't like my dress, or if I'm having weird emotional baggage issues that have gotten all entangled up the giant white poofball hanging in my closet.

Did anyone else have irrational fears going into their first fitting? Did anyone get to their first fitting and completely freak out and scrap the dress? Should I just face my fears, go home from work tonight, and try the dress on at home? Or is that just the worst idea ever given that it will probably be three sizes too big and I won't be able to imagine it post-alterations without professional intervention? I'd love to hear from others and hopefully calm down my nerves.

jenijoyk

A part of me also just wants to make another dress shopping appointment. And bring in the dress I already bought. And compare it to others. And not tell anyone I am doing this or bring anyone with me. I realize this is INSANE. But what if my dress is terrible and I just don't know it? OH MY GOD WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME. Must. Stop.

StitelME

What you are feeling is completely normal for the most part. Finally deciding on a dress is a big deal for a bride and, like with most things, the more time you have to dwell on it, the more you will spend questioning your decision. There was a space of several months between my dress purchase and my first fitting and I was really nervous about it too. I was able to put mine on at that fitting and it still looked great and reassured me about it. My recommendation: Have a glass of wine and STOP looking at dresses online, especially your own in this case. I'm sure some brides will change their mind after their first fitting but chances are - you will be fine. You are just nervous. It'll be fine.

manateehugger

Ok, first, just breathe. Breatheeee. Realize dress regret/dress freak outs are 100% normal. I had a few of them. 

Stop looking at other people in the dress - they aren't you and they don't have your figure. That's not going to tell you anything about how YOU will look. Also, stop looking at other dresses - on people or on models. 

If you are feeling up for it,go home and try on the dress. BUT keep in mind while you go for it- it will not fit you - and that's totally OK. Most people's dresses don't fit pre-alterations. The dress hasn't been made to fit you yet. My dress stuck out about 3 inches in the bust before alterations and looked ridiculous. 

Why did you buy your dress? What did you love about it? How did you feel wearing it?

And finally, make sure you have a good seamstress lined up. Seriously, a good alterations person is like a demi-god capable of miracles. You may have to fork over more money for alterations, but just relax until you go into the fitting. Then make a decision.

novella1186

You are thinking about it too much. Take a break from wedding stuff, especially dresses, and do something totally unrelated so you quit driving yourself nuts. I was doing the same exact thing with my dress, and mine hasn't even come in yet. I already started shopping for a different one because I randomly decided I hate the one I bought, and then I realized I was getting myself worked up over nothing, and the reason I bought the first dress is because I loved it and it's exactly what  I wanted. So I finally quit worrying about it. 

A friend of the family did the same thing too. At her first fitting, she sat down on the floor and cried. I saw her a couple weeks before her wedding and she was STILL talking about how much she hated her dress. It was making her miserable and killing her excitement about the wedding. She ended up wearing the hated dress and it looked AMAZING on her. Seriously, she was one of the most stunning brides I've ever seen. 

I think we get under too much stress and have too many worries and we take it all out on the dress because it's the one material object that's wedding-related and completely in our own control and no one else's. So the dress gets burdened with all our wrath, whether it deserves it or not. 

atlastmrsg

My first fitting...happy!  I had lost enough weight that dress would have to come in two sizes.  Second fitting...worried...tailor didn't seem to be able to figure it out.  Third fitting...dying.  The dress had been taken apart and was in pieces.  Fourth fitting: about to buy a new dress...it was sewn back together crooked.  Fifth fitting: happy with front, but the alterations to the back were kind of puckered.  I would never recommend having alterations done where I bought my gown, which is garbage since I paid $3800 for the dress.  You'd think a place selling Lazaros could get a better alterations team.  They tried to tell me that the puckers were part of the Lazaro artistic vision.  I called BS.

jenijoyk

Ok! This makes me feel totally better. I was picturing all other brides in the world blissfully skittering around on rainbow clouds about their dress, and me in some dark dungeon of dress fears. I did totally love my dress when I bought it. I'm sure I will love it just as much when I try it on. And if I hate it, I will deal. So much wrapped up in one stupid dress!!! Thanks ladies.

StitelME

jenijoyk said:

Ok! This makes me feel totally better. I was picturing all other brides in the world blissfully skittering around on rainbow clouds about their dress, and me in some dark dungeon of dress fears. I did totally love my dress when I bought it. I'm sure I will love it just as much when I try it on. And if I hate it, I will deal. So much wrapped up in one stupid dress!!! Thanks ladies.

I wish. :-P Yeah, you are definitely not alone in your nerves. Also, I now want Skittles. :-D

Knottie98958260

I went to see mine last week and decided I hated it!
You arent alone
I will see it again next week, I am trying to be objective and give it a 2nd chance.
so far my dress experience has not been blissful, you arent alone!
Please just look at yourself in it, DONT compare yourself with how others look, it wont look the same at all, you are unique.
X X X X

jenijoyk

Oh no!!! Sorry @Knottie98958260! My dress experience has been mostly terrible as well, which is why I was thinking maybe I was just having issues.... I guess the silver lining of hating your dress is that you get a second shot at it all? Ugh!! Good luck!

jenijoyk

Ok ladies! After hearing your stories I convinced myself to face my fears! I had two glasses of wine, took advantage of the fact my fiance was gone for the evening, and tried on my dress!! It's way prettier than I remember! Even though it's a size too big, my hair was in a ratty ponytail, and I was wearing gym socks,  I felt lovely in it. I can't wait to get it altered and I will most definitely STOP looking at dresses online like a crazy person!!! I bought this dress for a reason, even if it was the first one I tried on!!! Now it's just time to work on my biceps so I can look as badass as the model!!!

StitelME

That dress is gorgeous! I wasn't even able to try on dresses with that type of silhouette when I first went shopping (cue my sad start to dress shopping story here) - though I still love my dress and wouldn't change it.

But that dress is amazing and you will look AMAZING in it!

jenijoyk

Thanks so much! I have no idea what my problem was. Everything wedding related can just get into your head and make you a crazy person. Best part about that dress is that it was $500. Thank you David's Bridal!

Knottie98958260

I am sooo happy for you!!! Yeah!!!

missdelilah

I think the dress is stunning!  I can't wait to see how you look in it once it fits.  I'm so happy that you've decided that you love it again!  

jenijoyk

You guys are so sweet. Thanks for the pep talks!

hyechica81

my dress came in we did a try on to make sure it fit and that the size was good size was perfict it needed lots of alterations on the top and a hem at the bottom but other than that the waist fit like a glove we took no photos 

now comes my dress fittings second fittting we did a photo i kept looking at the stock photos of my mori lee i kept saying something is off dress does not look right yada yada in my head im going dress was made wrong etc after the final fitting i was starting to see the dress and realizing it was just me and that the dress needed pressing and such day of dress looked just like the stock photos 

hyechica81

this is me the day of with my dress

jenijoyk

Aw - turned out beautiful, @hyechica81!!