Bridal Party

Everything you'll ever need to know about getting married and planning a wedding in the Washington, DC area.

A Washingtonian Wedding, Part Two

Follow along with Bridal Party's guest blogger Emily as she plans her wedding. What happens when you decide to have your ceremony almost 700 miles from home? Check back every Friday to hear Emily's thoughts, offer your suggestions, and get caught up in Washingtonian wedding fever.

"What's the first thing I should do?" I asked my newly married friend, who is also one of my bridesmaids.

Without hesitation she replied: "Dress."

So tomorrow I’m on the hunt for the dress, and I’m really excited. Playing dress-up is a favored pastime of most little girls, but I think it’s the same for big girls, too. Just a couple of weeks ago I was in New York with a girlfriend and had a few hours to kill before dinner. We nipped into Bloomingdale’s, tried on designer dresses, and pretended to be models posing for my digital. It’s just fun! So spending this Saturday in hopes of finding the most gorgeous dress I will probably ever wear seems such pure delight.

And I have some great critics accompanying me. Jen, my maid of honor, is my best friend from college, a fellow Theta, a flat-mate while studying in London, and a roommate senior year, and she’s flying in today to meet my man and help me find the perfect dress. My mom is also joining us, and she is all about me being classy. I used to hate it in middle school, but looking back, I’m appreciative (though I’m never going to be able to take back those too-short shorts I changed into in the backseat of the bus on the way to school).

I made two appointments: at Hannelore’s in Alexandria and at Nicole Miller in Tysons II. Both of these bridal shops have beautiful dresses starting in the $500 to $600 range. I want gorgeous, but I don’t want to spend a fortune, and I think the two aren’t mutually exclusive.

I like simple and elegant rather than frilly and adorned, so I think I want a strapless, sheath dress with a pretty veil. Do you have any favorite bridal boutiques? I’d love any suggestions!

Next week I’ll post on how the boutique-hopping goes. And hopefully I’ll get to share a few pictures of the good, the bad, and the beaded.

You better believe we’re going to make her share pictures! Check back next Friday to see.

To follow Emily's adventures from the beginning, click here.

To read the latest Bridal Party blog posts, click here.

Comments

Actually the first thing every bride should do is a
BUDGET.

Posted by: Monica, Feb 20, 2008 08:56:09 AM

hey emily- great to hear your happy news! i got my dress at alfred angelos...awesome customer service and very moderately priced! keep the good posts a-comin!

Posted by: jordan (from veritas), Feb 08, 2008 07:27:48 AM

emily, i love reading this!

i can tell you so much about bridesmaid shopping, but so little about wedding dress shopping. sorry!

who knew so many thetas were in dc?!

Posted by: amy (yet another theta in dc), Feb 05, 2008 11:27:44 AM

Hi Emily!

I totally hear you about wanting a moderately priced dress. I went with my mom and friends to the Filene’s Basement wedding dress event last summer where dresses range from $250-$699. They had high end designers like Vera Wang, Amsale, Romona Keveza and others. There is another event coming up on April 4th in the Tysons Corner location. I didn’t find one for myself, but saw some beautiful dresses and had a blast trying them on.

Also, keep your eyes open for long white gowns that aren’t official "wedding dresses" but that could be worn as one nonetheless. Nordstrom’s online has a wedding dress shop with 60-70 white gowns in the $150-$400 range that could absolutely be worn as a wedding dress.

I ended up getting my dream dress from J. Crew, for less than $200! The spring selection this year isn’t as great as what I saw last summer, but it would be worth a look.

Good luck and keep me posted!

Posted by: Sarah (the other Theta from the Washingtonian), Feb 02, 2008 08:02:47 AM

You may want to check with Hannelore’s and double confirm that they have dresses in the $500-600 range. When I made my appointment they specifically said their dresses started at $1,000 and above. They get mixed reviews on customer service as well especially for brides on a lower budget...they aren’t always their first prirority. They do have a good selection, though, so it’s a good place to get a feel for the styles that will look good on you. They also don’t allow photos so if you plan to get some tell your crew to be sly about it.

A friend wore a Nicole Miller dress and it was AWESOME. I really think you’ll find great things. I like that she lists her prices on her website . My friends dress was in the $2,000 range but I know she has more affordable things.

Another place with a really large selection and reasonable prices is Jeanette’s in Manassas. They also get mixed reviews on customer service but I had a good experience. I didn’t find "the one" there but was able to try on at least a dozen dresses. They have many affordable options as well.

Posted by: MissCapitolHill, Feb 01, 2008 03:38:25 PM

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Bridal Party

A Washingtonian Wedding, Part Two

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