My Wedding Dress Details & Shopping Experience: Solutions Bridal 

Since our one month anniversary has passed from the wedding and life is slowly becoming less of a blur of life in the fast lane, I thought it would be fun to share my wedding dress details and shopping experience! 

Honestly, I don’t think I considered what others would think about when I was searching for the dress because I knew that whatever I chose would forever be a cherished piece to me-  I never considered how much others would be just obsessed as I was & love it too… but wow, I’ve never received so many compliments in my life! 

 Per the requests in my DMs this topic has been long awaited and honestly I have Solutions Bridal to thank for not only helping me find the perfect dress, but making this once in a lifetime experience absolutely amazing!

My experience with Solutions Bridal:

From the moment I made my appointment, the stylists at Solutions were truly exceptional from start to finish. Even upon entering their boutique, they’re sure to make any bride-to-be feel like royalty! At the door you’re greeted with your choice of mimosas/champagne or water and escorted to a personalized stage with sitting space to accommodate your guests (within recommended distance). Once settled in, the stylists took careful notes and listened to what kind of style I had and my vision for the big day. I took my time browsing their beautiful selection while they lined up dresses they thought I would love most.

As I tried on dresses for my mom & sisters, they were patient & incredibly helpful – by pointing out features that we could change or would look different once fitted to my body size/shape. Never once did I feel pushed to commit to a dress or make a rushed decision – In fact, each time I left Solutions before AND after choosing my dress, I truly felt so relieved & more excited for the wedding – all because I knew I could trust them with preparing my dress & coordinating my alterations appointment in perfect timing! 

Once my dress arrived, I had 2 fittings where the seamstress perfected the fit of my dress as close to wedding day as possible. 

Each fitting was to make simple minor adjustments and take in any extra width or length to perfect it to my body– I would definitely look into finding an alterationist if not the in-house from Solutions, then definitely someone available closer to your dates & someone you trust to get the job done!

Wearing this dress made me feel beautiful, unique, and just overall surreal. Who knew a dress could do that? This gown was more than just an accessory of the day, it made a statement.

There’s everyday style and then there’s your bridal / wedding style

Personally I consider my style to be very neutral and minimal with more quality staple go-to pieces, but I knew I wanted my wedding style to be just a bit different for this once in a lifetime event! The wedding design & style that inspired me most was to have a perfect mix of Elegant/glamorous with a Bohemian in the details! 

Dress Details:

Throughout my try-on’s I began to notice that I was very drawn to sleeved dresses with a fitted silhouette-  which was such a surprise to me and something I would’ve never really imagined prior to planning our wedding! But once I found the Russo gown,  a beautiful bohemian staple from the Tara Lauren 2019 Collection- I was 1000% sold. This gown checked all of the boxes I didn’t even know existed. She’s a very luxe, beaded & lace body hugging silhouette with a nude lining beneath the details. Throughout the body contour, she was laced with a beaded fringe that accentuates every move and a unique feature that I fell in LOVE with.

With a fit and flare feature, a sexy plunging neckline, a low exposed back and hand beaded fringe throughout. 

1. Know both your dress budget AND timeline for the wedding day / elopement before shopping!

Basically for those who don’t know, wedding dresses are a custom make to order even if you don’t make physical customizations. 

So, unless it’s a company online that allows to you purchase at checkout (ie. BHLDN, ASOS, etc)… MOST bridal boutiques will have to custom order your dress once it’s picked out! This means that you might say ‘Yes to the Dress’ one day and then receive YOUR dress 6 months later. DON’T SLEEP ON DRESS SHOPPING, give yourself AT LEAST 9 months to find the right boutique, dress, & make the necessary changes without a rush. 

To Be Honest: I never knew this & waited to start dress shopping making my dress timeline SUPER last minute… so I’m leaving this here- assuming there’s someone out there also in the same boat Lol you can read more about that on this post on my IG) 

Knowing your dress budget will prevent a total heartbreak if you fall in love with a dress that’s not realistic for purchase based on what you can afford. 

Bridal Tip: Don’t let a budget discourage you, if given enough time in advance you can possibly catch a trunk show that designers often have discounted items and/or run a special with the boutique!

2. Go to your Try On with a look that makes you feel most confident! 

Girls, get the blow out. Put the bold lip color on. 

If you don’t feel good about how you look without a beautiful dress on, you certainly won’t feel good about ANY dresses…

Personally, I stick to this rule when casually shopping and it DEFINITELY holds true when shopping for your wedding dress. 

3. Take photos / Videos at Your Try-On Appointment:

For being a very picky and specific bride when it came to dress shopping, I was certainly NOT prepared to love so many dresses. Like, I thought it would be an easy “Eh, no it’s not me…next” type of situation. But I was truly impressed with SO. MANY. POTENTIAL. DRESSES. The stylists lined up for me at Solutions

4. Be surrounded by your best hype crew! 

We tend to be unnecessarily critical of ourselves and wedding dress shopping is such an incredible experience that makes you feel like a QUEEN if you have the right people accompanying you. If you don’t have a crew to join you, then no worries because the designers at Solutions do an excellent job making you feel fabulous & give honest feedback with every dress. I’m being very transparent when I say this because I actually found my dress when I went into Solutions alone to discuss some ideas I had with one of the stylists. Overall, when it comes to the company you surround yourself with, especially on this day – it’s important to bring those who you feel comfortable in front of, those who bring only the good vibes, and the positive yet constructive feedback!

5. Pick a dress that fits you now! 

I feel like there’s always pressure to change our bodies to their ‘best’ for wedding day & while that’s completely a personal decision that only you can ultimately make – setting high expectations for your body’s appearance to change only preludes negative undertones that your body isn’t already perfect as is! While it’s common and totally understandable for us all to have goals of improving our health in one way or another prior to our big day, taking drastic measures or diets to change the shape and/or size of our body can be dangerous and not sustainable in the long run. So, while it may be easier said than done- walk into your dress try-on’s with confidence and a Beyonce attitude- because you are the star of this show & about to feel/look/embody a true queen! For those struggling with self-love or confidence prior to a dress try on – resort to Tip #2 for a little pick me up to make you feel like your best self! Make plans to get a glowing spray tan, mani/pedi, or even trial a professional makeup look for the wedding- whatever it takes to give you that confidence booster that we all sometimes need!

Truth is, you are perfect as is & I can guarantee that your fiancé would testify to that too- or else they wouldn’t have asked to spend the rest of their lives with you! Wedding planning can be so stressful and the last thing you want to do is place one more expectation for this long awaited day on your body as well. 

Overall, my biggest piece of advice for brides to be who are wedding dress shopping  this that you won’t see on any other wedding blog about dress shopping is: Find a dress boutique that caters to you and welcome’s making custom changes to make the dress you choose one that same dream wedding dress you’ve always wanted, but tailored to your body and style! 

This factor alone made me confident that the girls at Solutions would make my vision of a perfect dress come to life & reallllly eased my anxiety in search of a perfect wedding dress knowing that my options were endless regardless of the dresses provided in-store- I could even tailor a dress that I loved into a dress that was created just for me! 

Being a bride during the height of COVID-19 wasn’t something any of us would’ve dreamt of (obviously), so when thinking of not being able to have the long awaited moment of shopping with my closest girls I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get a bit emotional…

Foregoing celebrations of engagement parties, fun bachelorette trip ideas, and even a bridal shower (we did end up doing an intimate / last minute bridal shower) all to respect the safety of each other wasn’t easy or ideal, but certainly a decision I could come to terms with if it meant keeping others safe. However, the thought of not being able to try- on that long awaited wedding dress shopping adventure, twirl in the most beautiful gowns with my closest girls, mom, & sisters was one thing that really upset me. Thankfully, I connected with Solutions Bridal once the state mandates had lifted & they assured me of their boutique’s safe approach to shopping & in the end everything worked out perfectly- and I truly owe it to the amazing women at Solutions!