My Dress!

Mr. Pug and I went to Gyu-kaku for dinner last night, which just so happens to be next to Princess Brides, a seller of Maggie Sottero gowns (really, I didn't plan this). I convinced Mr. Pug to make a quick stop at the store so that I could look at the dresses in person and get an idea of how much they cost. As I was browsing, they asked me if I wanted to try on some dresses, and I said okay. I never really thought about whether or not I wanted Mr. Pug to see me in a wedding dress before the big day, but I was so excited to try on a dress that I didn't think about it until I was in a gorgeous dress standing in front of him. He didn't seem to mind that the surprise was "ruined" and neither did I, so I tried on a few more dresses. My favorite was a mermaid-style dress from the Maggie Sottero line. It hugged my (non-existent) curves in all the right places and I didn't want to take it off. Since I wasn't really planning to look for wedding dresses yet, I hadn't thought much about what my budget was, but when I heard it was more than $1,400, that sounded like too much to spend on one dress. They asked me if I would consider renting a dress. I hadn't really thought of that before but decided I would be open to it...until she told me it would still cost about $1,000 to rent! Granted this price would include alterations, cleaning, shoes, and accessories, but I couldn't imagine spending that much to rent a dress.

We left the store, and I couldn't stop thinking about the dress and the way I felt in the dress the whole car ride home. I remember a friend had mentioned shopping for dresses on craigslist, so as soon as we got home, I jumped on the computer and searched for Maggie Sottero dresses. I don't really mind the fact that the dress had been worn before, and this option allowed me to keep the dress in case I ever wanted to put it on again (a la Rachel, Phoebe, and Monica in Friends). Several girls were selling their pre-owned dresses for less than $500, and they looked like what I was looking for. I emailed a couple of them, and one of them happened to live just across the street from my office. I made arrangements to go see the dress the next day. A co-worker and I went over to see the dress on our lunch break. It was a diamond white, satin gown with a chiffon overlay and beautiful beading along the top and along the hem. It had been professionally cleaned and preserved, and the owner had decided that it was just taking up too much space in her closet. I stepped into the gown but didn't even lace it up to see how it fit. She was about my size and height, so with the corset-back, I probably wouldn't even need to made any alterations to it. I contemplated for a minute and decided that I could always keep looking and re-sell this dress on craigslist if I found something I liked better. I handed over the cash, she handed over the dress, and that was it! I was so happy to get my dream dress for such a great price!

Here is a sneak-peek at the dress:


How many dresses did you try on before deciding on one?