When did you know the dress was the one?

SukRob

I tried on a dress two weeks ago that I completely fell in love with. It is more expensive than I would have hoped so I shopped around a little more. Today I found a dress that was really pretty but I didn't get that WOW feeling that I did with the other dress. Everyone told me they liked it though. How do you know the dress is the one and not second guess yourself?

opalsky007

I never had that "wow" moment personally. I just looked at the dress, it looked good on me, and it had everything I'd been wanting, all in one gown: straps, a low back, a sweep train, the perfect beading and a great silhouette. I didn't fall in love with it, but it seemed silly to pass it up.

Get the dress that makes you feel amazing, regardless of what everyone else thinks.

aerinpegadrak

When the similar dress I'd been eyeing didn't look as nice in person, I went ahead and bought my dress.  I never really had or waited for a "wow" feeling.  it's just clothes.

However, I wouldn't buy a dress that's out of your budget unless you can take that budget from somewhere else.  Just a little extra here and there adds up quickly, unless you're working with unlimited funds, you absolutely have to stay on top of it.

stephdonjon

Normally I'd say not to get tangled up in the "wow" factor so much- I tried on a dress that I absolutely love and at the time I didn't have that "wow" moment, but I knew I liked it and didn't want to take it off for 10 minutes. It was later evening when I I hadn't stopped thinking about it that I was convinced that was the dress.
However, in your case, you say you've tried on a dress that you really liked, and then a second you didn't like as much, even though others did. So unless that first dress is a whole lot more expensive than the second one, I say go with the first one!

brintae

I put the dress on and I felt the most beautiful that I ever have in my entire life so I knew it was the one. I didn't really know what I wanted in a dress, so when I put it on, I just kind of knew it was the one. Not really a 'wow' factor, but more of a 'this is MY dress'.

tldh

when I didn't want to put on any other dress.

baboox

Me too--I held it up to myself, and it was stunning.  I never cried, or hugged anyone or anything.  Just said, "OK," and ordered it.
I did, however, cry immediately when I tried on my ring.  That is how I knew.
Go figure.
I guess the process is just different for each of us.  Not like on tv when they sob.

dizzinea

i never wanted to take it off, ever, it was comfortable and beautiful and felt like a bride/movie star

jonigringa

I went to one boutique by myself one Saturday and narrowed it down to four dresses.  The following Saturday I brought my mom, SIL (who took a couple pics of me in each dress so I could see myself that way), and a friend to give opinions.  I had been leaning toward one dress, but when I saw myself in another in the pics my SIL took, I went with that one.  I knew I didn't want to invest a lot of time driving all over 3 counties just to find "the one," and once my dress arrived I still loved it.  I can't wait to wear it for FI!  :-)

gottahavashorti

I didn't have have a "wow" moment either.  I researched before hand to figure out which dresses to try on, tried on a few dresses in my price range and chose the one I liked best.

FutureMrsRoss2010

I tried on over 100 dresses, and never quite got that "wow" moment.  Well, when I decided, I did cry, but that was out of relief to have it finally done (I was standing in a different dress at a different store even)!  I only had luck when I started going shopping myself - other people only made it harder. 

But, when the dress came in and I went to try it on for the first time...then I was shaking and nearly crying.  I think that I'll only really get that wow factor the day-of, when my hair and makeup and everything come together.  So just because a dress doesn't initially give you that feeling, doesn't mean it won't later on!

hz80408

I never had a wowmoment either.  In fact, I loved all of the dresses I tried on. After narrowing down I decided to just pick on and go with it.

violinvixen0302

I just found my dress last weekend... and I did actually have a "wow!" moment. As with anything in the wedding planning process, stick to what you and your groom love. It's not about anyone else's expectations or desires; it's about what you love, which is each other. I wasn't expecting to have the reaction I did to the dress... I put it on, saw it in the mirror, and started crying. I was surprised, but I guess it was the first moment I felt really like a bride, and I loved seeing the dress and knowing it was the one I'd be wearing when I finally get to marry my best friend! Cheesy, I know... I think everyone's different. If you're diggin' it, just do it! Don't let anyone else's horror stories, precautions, or expectations trick you into second-guessing yourself! Good luck!

MyWedding13

I kept coming back to this one dress and did not want to take it off. I felt so pretty in it and could picture it on my wedding day and just really fell in love with it. It took awhile, but I kept coming back to this one dress. You will know.

AraDesi

The fourth dress I tried on my fiance's mother and I both started crying... that sort of told me "hey, this is the one." I don't regret trying on only a few dresses one bit.

tyra27

I did have the WOW moment.  I went to 4 stores in one day.  I was looking for a strapless, mermaid fit dress in ivory.  Needless to say, that's not the dress I ended up with.  My Mom was with me and we were in the last store and I put on the last dress.  I had it on for quite a while, the store associates began adding accessories to it and the more I stayed in it, the more beautiful it got.  My Mom finally came in the room and she started to cry, she hadn't done that all day, and then I did.  That's the reaction I was looking for all day.  When that happened, I knew I had my dress. 

Sloane99

No wow moment for me either, it had the elements that I really wanted (lace but with a bit of flash for Vegas) and fit me well and suited my style, it was also within my budget. I tried on several that met that criteria but once we had it narrowed down but really it didn't feel any different to me than shopping for any other special occassion dress.

I would recommend pictures as well if you can take them, I had already bought the dress but after seeing pictures of some of the ones I didn't get I was double-happy I went with mine as they really weren't as flattering.

MNMC1228

Normally when I try on dresses, I usually just try one on and that's it!  I promised my mom though that I'd try on a couple of dresses.  I found my dress in one day.  At first I thought it was the second dress I tried on but my mom convinced me to try on a few more.  The fifth dress I tried on, I was speechless!!!  I fell in love with my dress!  Good thing I listened to my mom and tried on more than two dresses!  I cannot wait until my dress comes in so I can wear "my" dress and see how well my mom's veil goes with it!  

So that's how I knew.  I was speechless!! My dress has a little bit of everything I was looking for!

AngieAyrton

I didn't really get that wow factor feeling. I just really love the dress and I love the way it looks on me. It was by far my favorite so I picked it.

LMTDKN

When my Matron of Honor and my eyes welled up in tears....and we weren't even looking at one another.  It was a magical moment. 

jortiz1

I did have a WOW moment, but not like you see you on tv. I had researched some dresses before I went and had a list of certain ones I wanted to try. When I walked into the dressing room and saw the first dress I thought "Ugh. Not off to a good start." The dress didn't look that great on the hanger. I tried it on and just felt great. I felt comfortable and it was very flattering. It's exactly what I had in mind. When I came out everyone loved the way I looked in it and I actually made a joke saying "Ok this is it, we can go home now." I tried on about 6 more and honestly they all looked great but they weren't as pretty or flattering as the first one so that's the one I went with. It has a lot of details such as embroidered bodice, drop waist, satin buttons down the back, pickups that start at the lower thighs and not at the hips, and little peekaboo embrioidery through the dress pickups. It's not trendy, it's classic; I'm not really into the whole princess wedding thing. Plus the price was right. There was another dress that was a VERY close second to the one I picked but it was a lot more expensive. I think about it from time to time but I know when  you put everything in perspective (looks and $$) I made the right choice.

Get something you love but be realistic when it comes to money. Maybe you just need to keep looking.

Good luck!

donnaoneill

There was no crying or sobbing wow moment. I went to David's Bridal first and found a fabulous dress, but it was just too expensive, not to mention all the alterations I would need. It was also not in the wrong season. I went to a consignment shop later that week and found a brand new uber expensive dress for super cheap. While this consignment shop dress was perfect for me, I still love the DB dress. I saved money and now have a one of a kind dress instead of a dress that hundreds of women have bought. Wow factor isn't that important.

ehuntley

I had looked at a bunch of dresses online and really liked one in particular, so I went to a store with my mom, MIL, SIL, and one bridesmaid to try it on. I didn't have a strong visceral reaction to it, but I really liked it. However, everyone else (except my bridesmaid) really liked a different dress. So we took pictures of both and I went home and thought about it for a while. I started to have doubts about the dress I thought I wanted b/c I knew it wasn't everyone else's favorite, although I wasn't at all in love with the one they did like. So I went back to the store a second time with my MOH and fiance, intending to try on a bunch of different dresses to compare to the first one. But once I put the first one on and saw it again in person, all my doubts about it went away. My fiance and MOH both really liked the dress, so I didn't even bother trying on more. When I couldn't stop making this face: I knew that was it.

I would say, if there's a dress you're sure about, unless it's wildly expensive, just get it. If you get something you're unsure about, you're going to end up regretting it.

caseyandlizzie

I didn't have the "Wow" factor with the dress I chose, but I also didn't feel like I was playing dress up when I tried it on. I felt great and comfortable in it and it definitely felt like "me". All the other dresses I had tried on, I felt awkward wearing them, so I knew that my dress was for me.

jmsch18

I tried on at least 50 dresses with my Mom and sister.  Then a few weeks later I went dress shopping by myself.  I was able to try on a few more dresses that I had seen on-line.  Although I had many types of dresses in the fitting room, once I put on the Maggie Sottero, started crying! 

 I still wasn't sure at this point though, soooo I took off the dress and went shopping at a different store the next day. They also had the dress here, so I tried it on again, and I cried again!!  I look at it on the hanger an it's s a pretty simple dress, one I might not have picked originally, but I FEEL beautiful and I know my face is beaming in it!! 

leila_florbella

I never tried on the wedding dress I ended up getting. I didn't even have the ring yet when I started looking because my fiancée and I were in a long distance relationship, even though we'd known each other since we were 11, now 23. I saw MY wedding dress while surfing through Maggie Sottero's website. I saw it and fell in love with it instantly, and I knew that was THE dress for me. I went to a small boutique that sold Maggie Sottero dresses and tried a similar style on, but not my dress. I liked how it looked, so I went with my mother the next day. She started to cry when she saw how I looked in the SIMILAR dress, so we ordered it that same day, and I found out the dress was being discontinued two days afterward. When I received my dress, I had lost a LOT of weight, so it was falling off me. I was scared because I didn't like the way it looked, or the COLOR (Light Gold with Pewter accents). We took my dress to a seamstress, and last Wednesday, I had my second fitting, and the dress FINALLY fit. When I saw myself with the dress, veil, earrings, and shoes, I felt SO beautiful. My mother and sister started crying, it was AMAZING. It was MY dress. If you love your first choice more than the second, I say go with your gut because, in the end, you will be happier than you would if you second guess yourself. Unless the dress is outrageously out of your budget, go for the first one.

Jennkp78

I knew it was the one because when I put it on, I started to cry.  We bought it the next weekend.

CourtneyK12

If the dress you love is "the one," than part of the experience is being happy with your dress AFTER you buy it.  If you love the dress but not the price, you need to ask yourself if you're still going to be happy when you're dealing with the sacrifices/cuts/consequences of spending the extra money. 

If you REALLY love the expensive dress, get the name of the designer and see if its less expensive else where.  If it's a local boutique or store, explain your situation and see if they have any sales (sample, promotional, or otherwise) coming up.  They'd rather make a discount sale than no sale at all. 

Senecarose

It was at a consignment shop, so it was a one-of-a-kind vintage dress, and it fit me like a glove -- it was more mermaid (and less ballgown, which I had been on the hunt for) than I was hoping to find, but it was $125, and though it may sound terrible, I know the price had a lot to do with me deciding that it was THE dress!

momerath9

I don't think I'm capable of crying over clothing, and I very rarely wear dresses. Unfortunately almost every dress I tried on gave me a "wow" response from at least someone in the room. I ended up with about 5 favorites, took a picture of myself in each one and slept on it. After reviewing pictures it became more obvious which dress was more "me", and I think this is the most important thing in picking your dress! So many dresses are so pretty for so many reasons. In the end you have to go with what you like, and what really fits your personality and style. I can't recommend enough to take pictures of yourself in the dress first! You'll see yourself how you really look in the dress and may notice things about how it fits that you would have missed otherwise!

harley17

I went to my appointment just to "look" but ended up buying my dress 2 1/2 years before my wedding day. I actually tried the dress on and liked it, I found another one that I liked. So I eliminated all the other dress and just put the 2 I liked the most back on. The longer I had my dress on, the more I fell in love with it. Me, not liking to make rash decisions, especially on my wedding gown, I took time away from the dress to eat and shop a little bit. The whole time I was away from the dress I wanted to cry and I was shaking because I knew it was "the one". You should know your own body, listen to it because it may just be telling you if that dress is the one. But I suggest taking a couple hours to relax so your not buying on impulse.