The Dress (that isn't THE dress)

I have mixed feelings about posting dress pictures of my dress prior to our wedding.  On the one hand I am so anxious to share it with the world because I love it SO MUCH, but on the other hand, I kind of want to wait until after the wedding to post actual wedding pictures.  So in the meantime, why don't we discuss the dress that isn't THE dress?

J and I flew home to spend Christmas with my family (in Delaware) last year.  We wound up having a huge snow storm a couple days after Christmas that basically shut down the whole city.  Businesses we generally closed, as were several main roads.  For whatever reason, my mom thought being snowed in would be a perfect opportunity to go dress shopping (ya, it didn't make sense to me either...)

So she made a few phone calls and everywhere was closed.  Except for one shop, Claire's, which just so happens to be where I bought my prom dress back in the day.  The store is a family owned boutique that mainly does bridal and pageant/prom gowns.  It's kind of a strange mix but it's FABULOUS and special to my family since my Grandma has been going there for years when she and my Grampa used to ballroom dance and she would buy all sorts of fancy-schmancy get-ups. 

Anyhow...we went to Claire's and I told them I wanted a lace gown.  The style and everything was negotiable, I just wanted LACE.  I also said I loved covered buttons but I was open to trying other options.  These dresses were my inspiration:

Maggie Sottero - Beatrice

Maggie Soterro - Paigely

My sister wore a Maggie Sottero dress and it was STUNNING.  Wanna see?

The pictures don't do it justice, but it had a little bit of rouching and gorgeous crystal detailing and it was perfect.  So I was convinced I needed a Maggie Sottero and was disappointed when we got to Claire's and I learned that they no longer carry her collection. 

I did, however, find an Allure gown that I loved and I now affectionately refer to as "the dress that wasn't the dress"

Allure 8680

I somehow managed to delete the picture of the back, but it was SO pretty from behind and just ok from the front.  My mom and grandma agreed that it lacked the wow factor we we moved on.

I found several dresses that I liked, but nothing that blew me away.  I think our bridal consultant could sense that I was disappointed and asked if she could pull a couple of gowns that were different.  She was concerned that all of the dresses I wanted to try on looked the same, and looking back on the experience, I would have to agree.  She pulled a dress for me and I took one look at it and said I didn't like it.  She urged me to just give it a try and that she thought it would really pop once it was on.  Well needless to say, I LOVED IT.  It was everything I thought I didn't want but I couldn't deny that it was stunning.  So I bought it.  Yep, I literally went to ONE store, on a whim, and bought the dress that I didn't like on the hanger.  And you know what?  I don't regret any of it for a second.