I went dress shopping this week! I was so excited and nervous about it at the same time. I went to Sarasota since we had to go pick up my son's new glasses down there. I was hopping to go to the Maggie Sottero store in Ft. Myers, but never made it.
So I was totally nervous b/c three kids and 2 c-sections have left me with a big belly. I have a hard time getting clothes to fit. I am like a 14 on top and a 16 on bottom. My most recent experiences with my pageant dresses has been a fiasco, and I am surprised that I won my title in the dress that I did. (it fit horribly, even after alterations!)
The two bridal shops here in town don't carry samples in my sizes, so I would just have to try on a size 6 and then order one in my size!
It might go over one of my legs...
So off to Sarasota we go. The first bridal shop was like something out of a nightmare. Everything looked second hand and like it was from the 80's! It was all supposedly new. And they didn't have my size either.
The next shop was very upscale, and out of my price range, and out of my size.
By the time we got to the last shop, I was very frustrated and a complete nervous wreck. The place was nice, the staff was very friendly, and they had my sizes!!!
They also carried a great selection including Maggie Sottero gowns.
I first tried on a couple of Maggie's in blue, since that is what I had my heart set on. The first one was a darker blue, and the fit was great. She knows how to make a dress! It hid all of my imperfections including my belly, and since it laced up in the back, I didn't have to worry about my top being too small. It was a really pretty dress, but it looked more like a prom dress on me. They didn't have the Estelle dress in for me to try on, so I tried on another light blue one, and it looked like a mother of the bride dress on me.
Then I tried on an Allure Bridals gown with the pick up skirt. It was gorgeous!!! I looked like Belle in it! Even my DH loved it, and he originally thought that the pickups make the dress look messy when we looked at it online. But in person, he loved it, and so did I.
I tried on another Allure gown that is the same one that DisneyBrideToni has!! It was very pretty too, but the one with the pick ups was the best yet.
I tried on another Maggie gown, and a few more that just looked down right awful on me. One of them made me look like a fat version of Glenda the Good Witch on the Wizard of Oz!
All I could think about was the Belle Dress!
I had never even really heard of Allure Bridals, but I so wanted the dress! I didn't order it that day, and came home and looked at other dresses online and other DISbrides and then I realize that both Kendra and Toni had them, and their dresses were beautiful.
I couldn't get the "Belle" dress out of my head, so I ordered it the next day!
Plus it really makes her blue eyes pop!
, as well as a Mickey pin for my DS to wear on his jacket lapel for the wedding. I wanted the top hat groom ears, but they didn't have any in stock at that location. I also wanted to get rhinestone hidden mickey hair clips/barrettes, but they didn't have those either! 
