Went dress shopping for fun... and I need your help...

[anchor31]

I scratched the itch and went dress shopping with my roommate L today. I must have tried on 20 dresses and I loved all but 2 of them! I looked so beautiful in them... I know I promised pics, and I''M SO SORRY!!! But none of the three shops allowed us to take any!

Of the three stores, we found one that has amazing service. I had so much fun trying on dresses there! The lady was so nice, no rushing me or pressuring me, she''d make jokes and share stories with me and L... And she was so nice finding tiaras and veils and accessories to wear with the dresses. She made me look and feel like a princess trying on those dresses! They also lend all the accessories (slip, veil, tiara, jewelry, gloves, etc.) for free, which is great! I''ll undoubtedly go there again.

So, here''s what I found out that I want:

- strapless (who''d have thought! I thought I''d want anything BUT strapless, but it looks great!)
- corset back (no alterations would be needed on a dress my size except for the hem, and it''s beautiful!)
- rushed waist flowing to the opposite side (I love the look and it gives me a tiny tiny waist, which is nice since I''m normally pretty straight waisted)
- some beading, but not too much; I love the look of a plain fabric skirt
- satin fabric

Sounds a lot like Maggie''s Rosemary without the cap sleeves (although it''s no the one I tried on and fell in love with), doesn''t it? Here''s a picture from the website to give you an idea...

I almost bought a dress... It was my size and everything; the saleslady was ready to sell it to me for $900 CAD taxes included and it''s worth $1800 CAD!!! So I called my mother to tell her about it, since I''m not the one paying for it... and she said it was too early and too expensive.

I was really looking forward to taking her shopping with me in May, but now I''m feeling pretty apprehensive! She seems to have a negative comment for everything.

Here''s where I need your help... I can''t ask my grandmother to pay $1000+ CAD for my dress. I''ll probably try to find a store that carries this dress and try to get a good price for it, but I need to find alternatives too. Do you amazing ladies think you could help me find one that could cost my grandmother $800 CAD (about $715 USD) or less? I know she won''t want to buy online, though. I''d really appreciate any help or advice you could give.

Anyway, L and I had fun and it was a great "roommate bonding" experience. So... Yay for dress shopping!

 

[E B]

Oh, no...you've been bitten by the dress bug!

You have plenty of time, so I'd sit on the idea of this dress for a while. Make sure it's what you really want. If you read theknot.com, you'll find countless girls talking about how they bought a dress but don't really love it anymore (read: I'm asking my parents to spend a $$$ on a new gown). Designers are always coming out with new styles.

That being said, this website has several Maggie Sottero "look-a-likes" and I found one that looks an awful lot like the Rosemary (with detachable cap sleeves) for $400:

Bridal Online Store's "Kathryn"

ETA: Oops! I just read that she wouldn't want to buy online. Well, if she changes her mind, bridalonlinestore.com has a pretty nice option.

 

[anchor31]

Thanks Ebree... That Kathryn dress looks even more like the one I tried on! Online store or not, at least it gives me something to work with and I can take a picture with me when I''ll go shopping again.

I know it''s not reasonable to buy a dress right now, and I don''t want to become a two-dress brides. I just hope we''ll have the chance of getting a great deal on a perfect dress again.

 

[robbie3982]

Anchor, did you ask the store if they''d sell the sample? A lot of times stores will do that and you get it for a huge discount. Also, check the Maggie Sottero site and look for trunk shows. You can get big discounts at those as well. I''d also check the knot frequently. Maggie is a very popular designer and you just might find someone in your area selling one. I know you said no online stuff, but if you really really want this dress and there''s no way to get it in your budget, you could try some place like juliusbridal.com. They''ll make replicas of anything for a fraction of the price. Before I bought my dress I was going to go with them and my ballgown style with embroidery, beading and lots of other details was only going to be $330 with shipping. I hear they have great customer service also.

 

[upgrading mama]

I bought my Maggie Sottero wedding gown in for my 2003 wedding gown for under $750! ( I can't remember exactly, but i know it was somewhere between 700 and 750) from a store called NYbride. It is located in Syracuse NY.
Where in Canada are you now? Incidently, I now live in Canada but grew up in Rochester.

anyway, here is a link to their site, http://nybride.com/syr_brides.htm

you can email them and get a price for the one you like. Honestly, I would definately shop there and have referred many, many more people there.
It is a full service salon that does not push you at all and is definately concerned in the bride being happy.

i hope you check it out, and I hope their price is good!!

where in Canada are you??

also, here is a bride from the maggie site wearing that gown. http://www.maggiesotterobridal.com/viewBride.aspx?showAll=1&pageSize=8&Id=402

 

[anchor31]

Thanks for your suggestions, robbie and sophie. Now that I know what I''m looking for, I''m sure I''ll find something, I''m just a bit bummed right now. I really appreciate your help.

I''m in Montréal, so there shouldn''t be any reason for me to find something here... We have about two dozen bridal shops! But thanks, I really appreciate it.

 

[InLuvWithMrH]

Have you tried looking on ebay? I found the perfect dress and size in a store, then found it on ebay brand spankin'' new for less than half price! Took 1 month to get and it is perfect!

 

[anchor31]

Thanks for the advice everyone. If I can't find a good deal locally and it's really the one I want, I might buy it online and give my grandmother the bill. She's 80 and wouldn't be in shape to come shopping with me, so I'll probably end up just giving her the bill one way or another.

To give you a closer idea of the dress I fell in love with, here's the dress Ebree found. It's almost identical, except that the wrap overskirt went straighter down in a smaller a "V" and it was shorter, going down to meet the hem on the side. I'm sorry if this doesn't make sense, I'm not sure how to explain it.

I really love this dress, so I might order it next summer if it comes to that... It would cost me less than $550 CAD, shipping included, plus it comes with a wrap and purse. Although there'll probably be about 100$ of duty tax charges... Bleh. But 650$ is still better than 900$. I'd need some front hem and bustle alterations, but that's it.

 

[anchor31]

I''ve been looking for dresses similar than the one I posted pictures of in the last post, similar to the one I tried on... But I can''t seem to find any. Has any of you found one?

 

[E B]

Anchor,

Do you have an Alfred Angelo in your area? They have a canadian website, www.alfredangeloca.com. I found this dress on the website, but it didn't have a price...so I went to the US website, and it only says it's under $999 (but it's more than $599, so it could be anywhere in between). It looks quite a bit like what you described: strapless, corset back, satin, minimal beading on skirt.

ETA: Oops! Here's the link:

Alfred Angelo Dress

 

[indecisive]

Are any of these close?

Brieanna

Giselle

Destin

Sylvia

 

[anchor31]

Thank you Ebree! You''re quite the dress detective... It''s good to know I have options.

Indecisive - I especially like the first one... Are they all Maggie dresses?

 

[indecisive]

Yup, they are all Maggie''s. I think the first is really pretty too!

 

[larussel03]

Hi Anchor!
My dress actually sounds similar to what you are looking for with some beading, plain skirt and corset back, it's MS "Olympia" and it was pretty reasonably priced (a little more than $700). The beading is subtle and I liked it personnaly b/c it seemed sort of late fallish to me and that's when my wedding is (and yours is in the fall as well, I beleive):

 

[larussel03]

and the back, is this the type you''re looking for?:

 

[E B]

Here''s a Maggie Sottero that sounds right up your alley. This girl, pretty famous on theknot.com (for buying several dresses), is selling it new with tags (in white) for $550:

Maggie Sottero "Glorianna"

...and on the Maggie website:

MaggieSottero.com Glorianna

 

[anchor31]

Thank you so much, ladies! I especially like the Brieanna and the Olympia, and from the list prices I''ve found, I''m pretty sure they could fit my budget at $800 CAD or less. Bridal stores seem to be open to negociation, especially if I buy the sample or off-the-rack, so I''m bound to find something!

Thanks, it''s great to know that I have options.

 

[Erin]

What color do you call the brieanna?

 

[anchor31]

The colour chart for the Brienna is: French Taffeta colors available: All White, All Ivory, Ivory/Ivory & Blush Bouquet, Dusty Peach/Ivory & Blush Bouquet. Delustered Satin colors available: All White, Ivory/Ivory & Blush Bouquet, Light Gold/Ivory & Blush Bouquet, Blush/Ivory & Blush Bouquet