What do you think of these dresses?

[BrightSpot]

Hi ladies! I think I'm going to try to go dress shopping today for the first time & wanted to know what you thought of these dresses and/or if you had any other suggestions. As of now, FI & I are planning on a destination wedding in the Caribbean, so I'm looking for a dress that would be relatively cool in a lightweight fabric (chiffon?) that moves well, not extremely formal, but with a bridal look. I think I might like a short train, as long as it can be bustled for dancing. I might just go with a tiara, no veil.

What do you think of these dresses? Any preferences or additional suggestions?

Thanks!

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

 

[Diamonds4Me]

Wow, they''re all gorgeous! But I have to say that my two favorites are #1 and #4!

Let us know which ones you try one!

 

[onedrop]

#1 seems perfect for a destination wedding. It''s every elegant and not a lot of dress, if that makes any sense.

 

[bling*diva*]

~~My favorite is #1!! It looks like it is very easy to move in, and perfectly suitable for a destination wedding. #4 comes in at a close second!!

 

[VuittonGal]

I LOVE #4!!!!! Beachy, yet classic. Let us know which one you choose!

 

[Tybee]

I love 3!
It reminds me of my dress. I''m having a destination wedding in the Caribbean too!
What fun!

 

[Dodger Gurl]

I vote for #1 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[qtiekiki]

#1 got my vote. it''s very chic.

 

[BrightSpot]

Thanks, ladies, for your opinions! Keep ''em coming!

It''s funny, I''ve been looking at dresses online for longer than I''d like to admit.

My initial favorite was #5, then I slowly gravitated toward #4...then I started looking again & fell head over heels for #3. (seems almost princessy, which is difficult to find in a chiffon dress)

FI & I haven''t set the date yet, but it''s entirely possible it will be w/in a year. (destination weddings don''t take as long to plan as hometown celebrations, right?) So I should probably get cracking & actually try on some of these dresses, eh?

Tybee, I just looked at your thread again & I just adore your Maggie!!! (perhaps I should try that one on too--do you think it''ll be cool & comfortable in St. John?) It freaked me out when I read that your dress will take 8 months to arrive!!!

 

[BrightSpot]

Or maybe I should wear this gown. It might be a nice compromise between bikini & wedding dress. (How often can you say that!?)

So kidding...

 

[belle]

i *love* #3. #1 is nice also.

 

[jellybean]

I love #1!

I personally don''t like halter dresses (#2 and #5) b/c you have to have really buff arms and shoulders to pull it off nicely. I have never seen anyone wear a halter dress well.

I personally think #3 looks too formal for a beach wedding.

#4 is OK, but how would you bustle it?

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I like #4 the best.

 

[BrightSpot]

Thanks, ladies. Belle, I''m so loving #3 too! I think the increased formality (as well as additional fabric in the skirt) is part of what draws me to it. Though you''re right, jellybean, that it could be a bit formal for a beach wedding. But I like it SO much! LOL.

Actually, I think one of my concerns w/ #1 is that it might not be quite formal enough for my taste. That & I''m concerned that the ribbon lacing might show up too much on film. What do you think?

Jellybean, actually alexah of PS wore dress #4 to her wedding. She said it comes w/ a loop so you can either bustle the train or wear the loop around your wrist. She wore this dress to her beach wedding & loved it! Good point about the halter dresses. I guess I''d just have to try & see if they''re flattering on me or not. I''d be more concerned about that little...um...chest bulge by the armpit that you sometimes see in halter dresses than my arms /shoulders looking weird. (I''m 5''10" w/ pretty broad shoulders)

I think #4 is lovely--kind of like a wood sprite. (maybe it''s the girl''s hair in the photo that makes me think that!) Though I wonder if the skirt has enough spin/movement for me. Hmm...

All good things to think about. Keep the ideas coming!!!

Oh, and nobody likes the naked dress? LOL...

 

[FireGoddess]

#1 and #4 are my favorites, with 4 slightly trailing behind #1!!!

 

[MissAva]

I cannot seem to find a picture of you Brightspot...while I think all the dress are lovely. With any of them, number 1 in particular, I think how busty you are makes a huge diffrence. A girl with a smaller bust could look lovely and lady like in that dress but a girl with larger chest would look... inappropriate. I think anyone with a bust much larger then the girl in the pictures, might want to pass on this dress. Number 4 has a similiar neckline but one that seems less likely to cuase embaressment. I think they are all very lovely though.

 

[BrightSpot]

LOL--very good point, Matatora!

I would definitely not want to look too busty in a dress, especially one like #1. I''m not incredibly busty (probably a light C cup), so I don''t think it would be a problem, but I won''t know until I try it on to see. I think the bra choice would make a lot of difference.

Speaking of bras, has anyone tried those stick-on bras? (I hope this isn''t too obscene to post!

)

 

[selflove]

While I adore #3, the Caribbean setting would be perfect for #1.

But I must stress that I love #3!

 

[ivanadiamond]

My vote is for #4 and #1...They are all really pretty though~

 

[Tybee]

Try on my Maggie!
I was looking for light and airy for the beach, but honestly, your beach wedding is as formal as you want to make it. My FI and I will both be wearing flip flops, guests will be wearing whatever they want, but I want to look like a princess.

It''s funny, because I really am more of a tom-boy, but something about those Magge dresses

I cannot wait to hear how it goes!
Whatever you choose, you must post pictures.

 

[Tybee]

Oh, and while MY shop told me that it would take 8 months to come in, they''ve now told me that it will arrive in December. That''s about 5 months after I ordered it. Do they do that just to freak out brides? Or to have them pay extra to have a dress rushed? Either way, it doesn''t seem very nice.

 

[MelissaSue]

3 is my favorite. I like #1 too. Don''t like 2.. it looks funny

Just so you know, #4 is discontinued.... so don''t get your heart set on it!

 

[lmurden]

I like number one!

 

[BrightSpot]

Ok, here’s the rundown on my first dress shopping trip last night.

I tried on the MS Mariella, which was quite pretty, but the beading under the arms was uncomfortable for me. The Paulette was also pretty & more comfortable than the Mariella as far as the beading was concerned, but my favorite was the Tayla.

It was the most comfortable, the neckline fit me the best (it had a bit of a dip in the middle, which was flattering) & I love the beadwork on the bodice. Wow! I was impressed at how flattering the corset dresses were & the chiffon flowed nicely. (Though I was also surprised at how heavy the dresses were. I guess I forgot that all of the chiffon dresses were lined in heavy satin. They looked so light & airy in pictures…) I''m concerned that it might be too glitzy for a beach wedding, though.

I tried on this Christina Wu dress (#5392) & it was very pretty. It was relatively lightweight & comfortable & flattering. I liked it a lot, but I’m not sure that it wowed me.

Speaking of wow, I think I tried on MelissaSue’s dress. (Christina Wu # P-103?) I’ve never tried on a mermaid/lace dress & I loved it! It was so sparkly & lovely & I just adore the sheer lace train! It’s totally not what I had in mind, but I loved it. I’m not sure I’ll wind up going w/ this one because I felt a bit like I had to suck everything in constantly & I hoped for a bit more twirliness in the skirt, but this dress was stunning. I can’t seem to find a picture of it online…

I really, really want to try on your dress, Tybee! Is it the MS Nakita (below) or Ophelia?

It looks gorgeous on you & definitely light & airy & perfect for a beach wedding! I love the sheer train & I’ll bet it would bustle easily & beautifully. It looks like it would move well. How heavy is it to wear? I agree with you that a beach wedding is as formal as you want to make it. And I think it’s ok if the bride is dressed more formally than the groom. I want to look like a princess too!

I also tried on dress #5. It was pretty, especially for the price (around $300!), and it was lightweight which would probably make it more comfortable in the heat, but the chiffon didn’t fall as nicely as the chiffon on the Maggie dresses. I guess you get what you pay for. The quality wasn’t nearly as high. Also, I wasn’t wild about the halter neckline & the waist gathers. But it was a very pretty dress.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to try on my top (online) choices. They didn’t have #s 1 & 3 &, as MelissaSue mentioned, #4 has been discontinued.

So, now I need to find a salon which carries MS Nakita, Nicole, Audra & perhaps Brenda too (below).

I don’t know that I found “the one” last night & was disappointed that the salon didn’t have some of the dresses I *really* wanted to try on, but it sure was fun!

I couldn''t sleep last night--I was so excited!

Thanks, everyone, for your input. I’ll keep you updated on further shopping excursions. Unfortunately, the salon I went to last night wouldn’t allow me to take pictures, or I would’ve posted them today!

 

[MINE!!]

I LOVE #5~~

 

[Kaleigh]

BrightSpot, so glad you had fun trying on some beautiful dresses!!! Can''t wait to see the one!!!

 

[Tybee]

The picture that I posted is me in the Nakita. It''s beautiful.
I purchased the Ophelia, though, because I LOVED the champagne lace over the white.
Try it on! beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!
Where are you going to get married, did you say?

 

[BrightSpot]

Acutally, I will, Tybee. On Friday!

I have an appointment to try on the Nakita (the shop didn't have the Ophelia) & the Nicole (#1 on my list above) this Friday afternoon. I can't wait! I haven't been able to find the Audra (#3) locally though, which makes me sad...

What's the major difference between the Ophelia & the Nakita? I can't really tell from the photos & I recall you had some confusion about this too...

Um, no, I didn't say where we're getting married b/c we haven't finalized that yet.

We're thinking an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica, but aren't certain which one yet. Perhaps I should be spending more time on this than choosing a dress...

ETA: Reading that you had to order your dress 8 months in advance kind of freaked me out! (hence the mad rush to dress shop) Is this common to have so much lead time on a dress?

Our top 3 choices are Sans Souci in Ocho Rios or Couples Swept Away or Grand Lido in Negril. Has anyone been to any of these resorts?

 

[Kaleigh]

BrightSpot, also you need to tell your mom it''s a destination wedding. Come on you can do it!!!!

 

[jellybean]

Brightspot -- are you still considering any of the first dresses you posted. If you are, you mentioned that #4 could be bustled underneath or have a loop that you wear around your wrist. My wedding gown had the loop thing and let me tell you, it was extremely annoying. If I lifted my wrist higher than my waist, the whole back of the dress came flying up with my wrist. Forget dancing -- nearly impossible to do. I would never recommend the loop unless you have a very short day ahead of you.

Those pasty bras too are not the most comfortable. I found them very itchy. I have pretty sensitive skin, which didn''t help the situation and I got married in the middle of August so the heat made them itch even more.

Not to confuse you even more, but have you considered a bridesmaid dress in white? My friend that had a destination wedding did just that b/c she found the bridal gowns too heavy. Her dress was gorgeous and you would never guess it was really a BM dress. Just something to think about.