Dress salons: The good, the bad, and the ugly

As promised, here are the wedding salons I went to and a brief review:

1. Priscilla of Boston, Tyson's Corner - My consultant was nice, hands-off and let us take pictures. She followed up with a few phone calls.

2. Nicole Miller, Tyson's II - Small shop known for dresses but their wedding gowns are more suited for beach and other informal weddings. Quality did not merit the costs of the gowns.

3. Demetrios Salon at Macy's, Tyson's II - My sister and I walked in without an appointment after seeing a sign on our way out of Tyson's after leaving Nicole Miller. They were very nice and accommodating, allowed us to take pictures. Dresses were okay but the over all impression I got was that the quality was not as nice.

4. Ellie's, Old Town Alexandria - We had an appointment but I didn't really get any help from a consultant since it was a really busy Saturday. My sister and I sneaked in a few snapshots in the dressing room - probably only possible since my consultant was helping other people.

5. Hannelore's, Old Town Alexandria - I had a really nice consultant and tried on gorgeous dresses - dresses I saw in magazines that I had fallen in love with. One of the final 4 dresses was from here. My consultant let us take a few pictures but I don't think you're really allowed to. The fitting rooms were nice and large - great customer service. But I hear that that's not necessarily the case after you order a dress through them.

5. Katherine's, Old Town Alexandria - Dresses here are more affordable but quality is still really nice. My first consultant was nice enough but not really accommodating or friendly. Since one of the four finalists came from this store, I asked for another consultant on my second visit. The other consultant was amazing and showed me many ways to accessorize the dress. I found THE dress here. They don't allow pictures.

6. Jeannette's, Manassas - The folks here seem really nice and down to earth. My consultant was amazing and spent almost two hours with me - I went on a Monday morning. The great thing about this store is that they have affordable wedding dresses as well as more couture dresses. One of the dresses I tried on here was a finalist. They don't allow pictures.

7. David's Bridal, Springfield - I figure I'd try going here even though I had heard such horror stories. It was a completely different experience - dresses can be bought off the rack and most are under $300. But after trying on such high-quality dresses, I was spoiled and couldn't forget how the other dresses I tried on were softer and of better quality.

8. Lady Hamilton, Arlington - I had an amazing, patient consultant. A dress here made it to the finals. When I went for my second appointment I tried on a dress that hadn't been there before - it was there because they had a trunk show. That dress - a Marisa dress - really helped me decide the style and look I wanted. In the end I did not go with the finalist nor the Marisa dress from here.

9. Promise for the Savvy Bride, Bethesda - This is the only place that I didn't go to with my sister, instead I went with two girlfriends. I tried on some gorgeous dresses. The consultants were super nice and they also allow you to take pictures of your favorites.

The Dress

I did it, I chose the dress. We chose the first reception hall we saw and the first photographer we met. Well, this is no different - the dress is based on the first dress that I ever fell in love with. That's all that I will say.

The process in finding the perfect dress was long and ardous. I went to nine salons and tried on about 80 to 90 dresses! (See my next post - reviews of the salons) I know it seems a lot, but at each outing I went on - I got better and better at finding the type of dresses or elements of dresses that worked best for my body type.

Trying on dresses can be overwhelming and after trying on many dresses - it's hard to remember one from the other. I couldn't have done it without my matron of honor, my ever patient sister. She got me in the dresses, took detailed notes, and provided great insight and advice. After visiting the nine salons I narrowed down the dresses to four finalists and then brought in my mom to help me with the decision. In the end, we all agreed on the dress. I'm very excited and happy with my choice.

Now, I just have to find all the accessories, shoes, etc...