SAY YES TO THE DRESS

I had several must-haves when hunting for my wedding dress.

1. Must not be strapless

2. Must have a figure hugging shape

3. Must have a somewhat long-ish tail

4. Must have no need for a belt

5. Must be under $2000 (inclusive of taxes and alteration costs)

I really wanted cap-sleeves but sadly I couldn't find any that had those and met all of my criteria. To be honest, criteria #5 was very restrictive! Wedding dresses are not cheap, they only get worn once and the dry-cleaning fee is around $500.

I visited several bridal shops in Toronto, with Kleinfeld Bridal Boutique (inside Hudson Bay, downtown) being the one where I found my dress. I bought a dress by Maggie Sottero, more specifically from the Sottero & Midgley line. They are from the US, but their dresses are still made in China. It took only about 2.5 months from the moment I tried on the display dress to when they handed me my own dress to take home.

When I went in there for the first time, they asked me a series of questions to find some dresses which would be appealing to me. Be honest about the budget, because you don't want to waste time trying on beautiful gowns that you can't afford. Also, you might try on a very expensive one and end up disobeying your budget cap.

After I picked and committed myself to a dress, they gave us (me and 2 others) some champagne to celebrate. The dresses to try on are always big, they have clips to make them into your size. They took my measurements and ordered a standard size that would match my dimensions the closest. They don't make the dresses to fit your individual measurements exactly. After the dress (in that standard size) arrived, you can alter it here and there to fit your body. Luckily for me, I did not have to make adjustments other than shorten the straps/sleeves.

I think Kleinfeld has the largest range of gowns compared to smaller boutiques. They are not all expensive, and the store was much more beautiful than the other bridal shops. The staff were more accommodating and their change rooms make you feel like a princess.

THE MOMENT I TRIED ON MY DRESS

Notes:

1) The belt shown in the video was not purchased

2) Total cost of dress inclusive of HST was $1,921 CAD

3) I shortened the sleeves myself, no other alterations were required

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