Finding the perfect wedding dress is something I have dreamed about since I was a little girl. I always loved daydreaming about what type and style of dress I would eventually choose when the time came. After Chad and I got engaged in April 2014, finding my wedding dress was on the top of my priority list. For years prior, I loved looking at wedding dresses on Pinterest and dreaming about which one I would one day be able to get. I also adored watching shows like Say Yes to the Dress and Something Borrowed, Something New on TLC and watching the brides try on beautiful gowns and have a blast finding the perfect one.
Soon after Chad and I got engaged, I started researching where would be the perfect place to find my wedding dress. I wanted the experience to be intimate and personal, and I wanted to find a unique dress that fit my personality. One day in late April, my sister-in-law, Morgan, told me how she had heard that this beautiful shop in Fairhope, AL called Bliss Bridal had gorgeous yet affordable wedding gowns. After she told me this, I kept it in the back of my mind as I continued my search for the perfect dress shop. A week later, I received a postcard in the mail, and to my wonderful surprise, it was from Bliss Bridal! I had no idea how they received my information, but I took it as a sign that I should definitely visit this shop. (Come to find out, they received my information when I registered with The Knot wedding website, and I am SO thankful they did!)
I scheduled an appointment for Saturday, May 24, 2014, and could hardly wait for the day to arrive. I decided I wanted a small entourage to go with me, so I of course invited my precious mom and my very best friend and maid of honor, Chelsea. After getting breakfast that morning, we loaded up and headed to the beautiful city of Fairhope. Upon arriving at Bliss Bridal, Katie Ward, the FABULOUS owner of Bliss Bridal (www.beablissbride.com), greeted us with a beautiful smile at the door. Her shop is absolutely adorable and gorgeous, and I felt at home right away. I had felt the Lord had directed my steps to this place, and I could feel a spirit of peace and calm as soon as we walked in. What is so awesome about Bliss Bridal is that Katie only schedules one appointment at a time, so that she and her sweet associates can put 100% of their time and attention on you as the bride. That made me feel so extremely special and is one of my favorite things about the whole experience.
We sat down with Katie to discuss details of what it was I wanted in a dress, and then the fun began. Katie, my mom, Chelsea, and I began looking through all of the gorgeous gowns. Katie pulled a few dresses that matched exactly what I had told her I was looking for, and we added a couple of dresses to the collection as well. After taking about six or seven dresses into the fitting room, Katie helped me into dress number one… something I had been dreaming about for years!! It was such an awesome feeling knowing I was now the bride who gets to have this wonderful experience, and I finally get to feel what all the brides from the shows on TLC have felt, hehe.
Dress number one was gorgeous, but I knew I wanted to try on several (I tend to be sort of indecisive, so I wanted to be SURE, hehe). Dress number two was one that I pulled from the rack, and I was so excited to try it on. When Katie helped me into this beautiful gown, I had that “moment” all brides dream of; the kind of “moment” when you turn around and can see yourself walking down the aisle towards the man of your dreams. When your heart is racing with emotions and you can’t help but smile. It was that kind of moment for me. This dress was the exact shape, style, and look I had dreamed about all these years, and I could not wait to walk out and show my mom and Chelsea. When the doors opened, they absolutely loved it! I stayed in the dress for probably a solid fifteen minutes admiring its beauty. After thinking this could be “the one,” I wanted to try on a few more JUST to be sure. 🙂 I told you I can be indecisive, Hehe. I tried on three or four more, but nothing made me feel like the other dress did, so back to dress number two we went. The second go around confirmed in my mind that THIS was THE DRESS!! Oh my word! This is my dress! This is what I will be wearing when I say I Do to the man God has given to me. After walking around the bridal salon a few times and admiring this gorgeous gown in the mirror, we took a few pictures to celebrate this joyous occasion. I then (unfortunately) had to take this pretty thing off. I think I could have kept it on forever, hehe!
One of the cool things about this dress is that my mom had a specific budget set aside to spend on my wedding dress, and this dress came in RIGHT AT that budget. Is God good or what? It is so amazing to me that He cares about what we care about, and He loves giving His children what they desire as long as it honors Him in all things. One of my all-time favorite verses is Psalm 37:4 – “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Amen and praise be to Him! After thanking my mom about a million times for allowing me to get the wedding dress of my dreams and hugging her so tightly, we then signed all of the awesome papers to make this dress officially mine! Woo hoo! I can’t thank her and Chelsea enough for helping me choose the perfect dress! This experience would not have been the same (or even possible) without them.
I also truly cannot brag on Katie and her girls at Bliss Bridal enough! Katie is absolutely precious, makes you feel like a princess, is so professional, and is most importantly, so incredibly encouraging and kind. She and her team made this an experience I will never forget.
I have been keeping the look of my wedding dress a secret for almost a year now, and I am about to burst with excitement for my beloved groom to see it! He has NO idea of what it looks like, and I know it will be a beautiful moment when he finally sees me as his bride! 🙂