Happy Friday, gals! We are officially 1 month away from #aplusabigday and Andy and I have a laundry list of last minute things we have to get done this weekend! Honestly, I'm feeling pretty good just gotta get through this last push and then we're there - eek! As I've mentioned before, wedding dress shopping was by far my favorite part of this whole process and I did it all in a matter of two weekends. Over on Style Me Pretty I'm sharing my top tips for wedding dress shopping, especially if you're on a tight timeline. There's also some really gorge dress shots that you won't find below 😉

When it came to dress shopping at one point I said out loud "I feel like I need to try on every dress in the world to see which one I love!" - hah - very unrealistic, obvi, and pretty funny because I ultimately went with the 4th dress I tried on. Keep scrolling to see some of my favorites from Lovely Bride (where I got my dress) including the dress that ALMOST made the cut! Also sharing designer info in case you feel like they're you're vibe and want to include them in your dress hunt.

One of the best things about dress shopping is that you can try on ANYTHING you want even if you don't really think you'll wear it; it's the ultimate dress up. That's what happened with this Alexandra Grecco Luna Cape - I thought "omg, so fun, let's just try it" and I fell IN LOVE. This is definitely a "for the girls" look (the two-piece set underneath is AG, too). It's a total fashion moment, statement making ensemble but I knew that it wouldn't be the one where Andy would look at me and go "WOW" you know? I joked to my bridesmaids that he probably would've seen me standing at the top of the aisle and thought to himself "this is such a blog look!" Hahah! 

Afterwards I couldn't stop thinking about it, so guess what? It made the cut. I'm going to be doing a version of this look for my welcome reception... can't wait to show you the whole thing. 

If you happened to read the Style Me Pretty dress shopping article then you know I only went to two boutiques. I fell in love with  Lovely Bride  the second I walked in and had a feeling it would be the place I got my dress just from the overall vibe and aesthetic. If you're looking for a huge princess style, super bedazzled bodice kind of dress... this isn't your place. But if you're looking for more boho styles, modern lace, and fashion forward pieces this is definitely your spot. There wasn't a single dress in there that I walked by and thought "ewww no!" and that cannot be said about the other place I went. Additionally, I enjoyed the boutique-y feel that was very personalized. It was as far away from the show "SAY YES TO THE DRESS" as possible if that makes sense; no platforms to stand on or harsh lighting, and minimal fitting rooms so there's very little commotion. Every bride is different and wants a different experience during this special time, so there's definitely no right or wrong way to go about dress shopping this just suited me best. 

The dress that was ALMOST the one: Rue de Seine Poppy Stardust. The second I met with my bridal specialist I said "I definitely don't want strapless" to which her response was "I bet you'll walk out of here with a strapless dress" - hah! After trying on a few different styles it became very apparent that a mermaid style, form fitting look is what I was ultimately going for. When I came out of the dressing room in this guy all the bridesmaids and my mom exclaimed "this is it!" And then I put on a veil and started crying, so I too though it was the one. We all left Lovely that day feeling V confident that our job there was done, but there was something inside of me that wasn't 100% sold especially because I went in thinking I didn't want strapless. 

The deciding factor: iphone pics! I mentioned in my Style Me Pretty article that pictures are key. Take as many as you can and have a few different people take them so you can see different POVs. Do walking videos if you can! I spent a few nights going through all the pictures and pros and cons about each dress: can I dance in it? Will it be comfortable or will I be pulling it up all night? How will it photograph and will I be able to look natural or will it need to be perfectly styled and manicured for every shot?

While I absolutely LOVE this dress - it's very comfortable, the fit is stunning, and the modern lace would fit in perfect with our Mexico wedding vibe - my biggest issue was the strapless part. My boobs sit pretty low on my body and I shy away from strapless because to me there's SO much skin showing from me neck to where the garment starts... maybe I'm crazy but I just don't love the way it looks and I felt like it wasn't 100% flattering on my body.

Another designer I kept reaching for was Emmy Mae  and this beauty was a favorite especially because of the gorgeous back detail. Her dresses are SUPER comfortable, no crazy boning or anything. The cut was a little too classic for our wedding venue, but if I was getting married in a church I would've definitely kept this one in the running. 

Photos via my amazing photographer Felicia Lasala

I literally cannot wait to share what I picked and a few other outfit surprises! All my dresses come in next week and then it's straight to alterations. Fingers crossed that there's no hiccups! For any of you gals on the dress hunt, if you're digging the vibe of these dresses then I definitely suggest checking out Lovely Bride - they have them throughout the US and price point for dresses is between $1,500 - $5,000.

Hope you all have a fab weekend! Officially on a wedding shot hunt... wish me luck. xo - Ash

more wedding right this way: