Your dress sounds gorgeous!! Please tell me you'll be posting pics after your wedding - can't wait to see how all your plans come together!

I got engaged in late November and was dreading the bridal shop crawl (as my sisters refered to it). My mother convinced me to head out two days before Christmas. It wasn't a total bust, but I didn't have 'THE dress!' moment with anything. The day AFTER Christmas, Mom convinced me again to go back out and try some things on - she'd found out that the Jeanette Russell shop (in Sewickley, PA) was closing since the designer [Jeanette Russell] is retiring. Walking in was a serious disappointment - there were about 15 dresses in the store and no more to be had (when they're out of stock and materials, they're closing the store for good).

I tried on three dresses - none in the styles I thought I'd like - and I can't even remember what the other two look like since THE dress was there. It's a one-of-a-kind (and never-to-be-made-again): the skirt is Duchess Satin in Candlelight (I'm incredibly fair, so white-white is terrifying on me) with a very small train. The strapless bodice is the same satin underneath an overlay of Italian Guipierre lace, with Candlelight velvet insets and freshwater pearl detail. The bottom of the skirt also has a single strip of satin piping, with the diamond pattern from the lace set over the piping (about every 12" or so) and a single pearl. Oh - and it has 33 buttons up the back. Say it with me: Yikes. The dress has also been altered to have an English bustle (or, an overbustle) because it works better with the lines of the skirt and 'carries' better for moving.

The best part is that I got what turned out to be THE dress for an obscene discount, since the designer is retiring. I'm not going to flaunt the numbers, but I will say that what I ended up paying is going to be less than what my bridesmaids are paying for their dresses.

I've already gotten my final fitting since the shop is closing, so what I weighed in mid-February is what I need to weigh in mid-October. It's a slightly daunting task, but so far - so good! I wish you nothing but the best on your next fitting - I am certain you will look positively gorgeous!

My dress was from J. Crew on sale, and I loved it. On the day of the wedding, I decided that I wanted a shawl for the ceremony. I was running around Madison Avenue in the 90's Steets to all of the boutiques to see what they had. In about 30 minutes, I found an ivory silk shantung shawl with a fabuous, structured collar. It matched the color of my dress perfectly. I pinned it with a brooch that my sister bought at Target 4 years earlier; at the wedding, a couple people asked me if it was a family heirloom. Now it is!

I really need help!!!! I think I have found the dress I want. I did try on a different dress that I LOVED the neckline of, but I hated the detail on the train. I feel like the one perfect dress is one there right around the corner. I mean I could be perfectly happy with the first dress, but I mean what if?

What should I do? Buy the dress I've found, or keep searching for a dress I may never find?

Those dresses are gorgeous! And a good story of the try-on-room. For those of you wondering where to find dresses like that, you should check with your local dressmakers (try looking on www.gatheringguide.com/ec/bridal_shops_dresses.html if you don't know where to start) and see if you can find or tailor make something that fits the bill.