Welcome to another edition of Wedding Wednesday today we are on to the topic of bridal attire.  (You don’t get to see  mine until after the wedding, no peeking!)

Trust me I know, and it is wrong, and don’t deny that it isn’t, but your most important priority is looking good for this wedding.  You will do the obligatory wedding diet, you will pick out the perfect hair, the perfect make-up, the perfect accessories and the most important item the best dress.

To do that the first thing you need to do is your homework.  Pick up a few wedding magazines and start googling the brands you like to find dresses you like.  If you can’t show these people exactly what you want the chances are it is going to be a long slow process.  Many times even when you show them what you want they will try to sell you what you have.  My three favorite brands were:

1. Atelier Aimee:  They only have one store in the United States, it’s in New York City.  This is an Italian Designer and I would guess that you will not see anyone with a dress anywhere close to your dress, and it will be one people remember.  They use color in the absolute best way.  There are dresses with a bold punch of color, their are dresses with subtle pastel, and their are white and off white dresses so detailed you will be feel like either Marie Antoinette or the richest flapper.  Their dresses have incredible style, but are never trendy.  They have bold draping and beautiful details.  This is where I bought my dress, which I won’t post because it is a secret until the wedding.  For the level of detail the prices are very good.  I would say their price range is between $4,000-$10,000 + (you can always go up this is the case for any designer).  My dress was around $6,000 with alterations.  If you are the type of person who wants something different, which if you read my bog you probably do, but by different you don’t mean hippy or odd, then this is the site for you.  (By the way the movie Made of Honor featured one of their dresses)  Here is a pictures of a few dresses that look nothing like my dress.

2. Matthew Christopher:  These dresses are incredibly well made dresses for their price point, from the $2,000-5,000 range.  The lines of the dresses are clean, modern and delicate.  The details are their.  For this price range the fabrics are really nice, most of the fabrics in that range are really gross.  This one is from the 2008 collection, if you are short waisted I particularly recommend this brand.

3. Monique Lhuillier:   These dresses are very delicate, with elegant flowing lines.  If Audrey Hepburn was in her twenties and getting married I think this is the brand she would choose.  The beading is immaculate, the lines are classic, but with a twist.  I really love the capelets that go with them, but they are very pricey.  This dress while not so pretty on this model is a great style because it would photograph so differently at all angles, without the capelet still very pretty, and the beading is beautiful.  It was my number two gown, come back in May for my number one.

This one is also beautiful:

Once I found the styles and brands of dresses I liked I then called the places that had them.  Few places actually had the exact dresses I wanted.  Then I found many places I went either pressured me to make a decision, didn’t want to tell me prices, or just were downright rude in the DC area.  The only place I went that I can highly recommend is Bella Rosa in Richmond.  They were professional, courteous, non-pressuring and really wonderful to work with.

But my real advice is after you have looked around a little here, figured out the shape that looks good on you, go to NYC.  Make an appointment at Kleinfeld’s and other boutiques if Klienfeld’s doesn’t have your dress, but they have pretty much all the dresses from the big names.

My advice in terms of a veil is to make one yourself or search on Etsy.  This birdcage veil is very cute, good job Brenda’s Bridal Veils, and $76, the stores will try to charge you a couple hundred dollars.

Etsy has all types of veils, cathedral, fingertip or even birdcage.  They also have a huge selection of bridal fascinators.  I really like the ones from Whichgoose.  A headpiece like this would be beautiful with or without a veil.

I hate wedding shoes.  I find strappy sandals so uncomfortable, I don’t want to dye shoes, and quite frankly I don’t want to spend money on shoes I will never wear again.  For my bridal shoes I bought Kate Spade’s Karolina pumps in silver snakeskin.  I suggest going to Zappos.com and typing in the heel size and color you are looking for to find cool wedding shoes.

Garter:  I really am dreading this object.  I am definitely not wearing it through the entire night.  Luckily GaterLady on Etsy has some super cute garters, that make even people like me who really don’t care and dislike the whole thing happy to browse through her selection to pick out a cute heirloom lace garter.

Yay GaterLady.  Yay Etsy for helping out on wedding needs.

And remember wear what makes you comfortable and pretty.  Be true to yourself and you will be a beautiful bride.

Add some great hair and make-up and you are set!  BTW I picked out a beautiful hugely high Marie Antoinette wedding-do like a mix between these two pictures about a year ago:

And of course it is now all the rage… I love/hate when that happens.

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