You’re the One!

I had an utterly delightful weekend (even if I had a bit of a sniffle, heehee!).  The quest for The Dress was short and sweet, and made easy by the presence of my family and maids, as well as the delightful support of Courtney at Little White Dress and of course the amazing designer, Claire Pettibone.  Here’s a little preview of what I went through on the journey for my wedding dress…

 

This is Clover, of course, my chosen dress.  I paid my deposit to have it brought to Little White Dress in February, and it arrived along with Claire and her entourage for the trunk show.  Courtney had it waiting for me when I arrived, and upon seeing it in person was stunned even further at the beautiful construction and quality.  Even though I was anxious to try it on, we still selected several other dresses… because why not?!  And because, heaven forbid, Clover may not suit once she’s on… we must have options…  I had each of my girls and my mother pick out a dress (or four, as my sister did XD).

 

The wall of stunning dresses was almost overwhelming!  Each of the dresses was so unique and beautiful, it was hard to choose other designs… I would have been happy to try them all on!

Claire was in attendance for the entire experience, and was a delight to work with.  She’s an incredibly lovely woman with the most exquisite taste, truly my design idol!

I tried on Clover first… but more of her later.  I tried on Dew Drop second.  I loooooved the amazing blush color that faded into cream toward the bottom hem, and was enchanted by the adorable flowered bolero that was included.  It was very much a faerie queen dress!

My mother and sister were not as amused as I was.

I also loved the blush with my rose gold engagement ring, it really brought out the rosy color in the metal.

Next was Cherry Blossom, a pretty silvery-white affair with a lovely floral accent on on shoulder.  I liked it too… just not as much as my beloved Clover.

Up next was the utterly charming Queen Anne’s Lace.  I loved the details of the ribbons at the sides, and very much enjoyed the effect of the lacy bodice, but again, there was just no comparison (even when Claire approached to appraise my ample bust and how the neckline might better accommodate, heh).

Forget-Me-Not, like Cherry Blossom, was indescribably lovely, but not quite what I was looking for.  The beautiful detail at the hip and the soft color was another one that we thought complimented my ring very much!

The utterly fabulous Dragonfly was next.  It was not a choice for a wedding dress to me, but it was a truly amazing, stunning gown nonetheless.  This is the kind of dress I’d always wanted when I sang with the jazz combo, the glitter and sparkle and drama of song and stage.  It was truly incredible.

My mother’s choice was the Madeleine, beautiful and soft in cotton lace.  I’d never been a fan of the mermaid style gown, but I was surprised at the flattering fit, even for a shorty like me!

Gorgeous Emma was next.  I loved the sweet romance of this design with the empire waist, but it didn’t quite suit my figure as much.  It does happen to remain one of my favorite of Claire’s designs!

From the new Spirit of the Night collection, Misti was like a faerie princess dress.  It was by far my mother and sister’s favorite, and it did climb up the list to sit quite near Clover.  The back design was absolutely breathtaking, and did to an extent make me want to show off a feature I didn’t ever pay much attention to.  Alas, it was outside the budget, and Clover was still edging out the competition…

My family and friends asked me to try on a few other designers’ gowns just for comparison.  This fluffy ballgown number was not that far off from what I may have chosen before discovering Claire, but it – as I am demonstrating in the photo – seemed tentlike and huge after the delicate faerie gowns.

A caught-up strapless version was very close to the Maggie Sottero gowns that I’d originally started perusing, but still seemed bulky and no longer the style I felt good in.  Also I was sniffling, not for tears, but for a slight cold.  Pft!

Truly, none of the gowns could compare to the lovely simplicity and softness of Clover…

 

Clover is soft, light, fits me in all the right places, and looks amazing with a chapel-length veil.  Claire herself took my measurements and chatted with me throughout the afternoon appointment.  And doesn’t she just have the cutest haircut?!

I am unspeakably happy with the choice, and can’t wait to see MY dress in about 4 months!  Lucky me!

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