Maybe it’s the fact that for the last two years of pandemic, weddings were few and far in between. So when 2022 rolled around it was full throttle to the floor for the wedding industry. And it showed. For the bridesmaids and the bride herself our experience bridesmaid dress shopping was not as enjoyable as many before us told. Neither was the alterations for our dresses.

(Check out the The Bridesmaid Dress Shopping Post HERE)

First off I should have known when we all walked into David”s Bridal. It was chaos and the stylist assigned to our party was overwhelmed with her task of finding us all a dress. It’s not like we all were bridesmaid-zillas. All I wanted in a dress was one that when I bent over, nothing fell out or exposed me and I didn’t look hideous in.

Important lesson: Pick a time in the morning and not at later afternoon a few days before the end of a major sell was happening.

Second, when ordering and paying for the dresses, it felt like we were all a burden. Maybe it was just me since this was my first time doing it. Yet here I was just told the dress I picked out initially was not available in Dusty Sage, and the other sales person was rude to a few of the girls while helping me. I would find out once I got home that the dress did in fact come in the color and could have been ordered online or in store.

Important lesson: ask for the style number(s) of the dresses to check online for the dress can be ordered in that color and sent to the store for pickup. Also make sure the style number they are imputing is the correct one.

Third, the alterations appointment scheduled, but not everyone was scheduled as thought. I showed up on the day of my appointment to find the store was empty, and the seamstresses all in a very fowl mood. It felt like I was just a burden to them, and the fact that no one would find my dress for them made the thirty minutes of waiting in the fitting room unbearable. They did find the dress, wrinkled and strong swell of plastic. The seamstress was annoyed while she measured me and pinned the dress to size on me. In the end the alterations cost more than what I paid for the dress! I wished I had just told them to hand me the dress and I would find someone else to do the alterations.

Important lesson: it may be less money to find someone else to do the alterations on the dress. I found after alterations the dress still didn’t fit well, and had to find another person to do minor alterations at a fraction of the price. If it is minor, just get the dress to go.

Fourth, the finished dress when I went to pick it up was okay, but looking into the full length mirror I realized this was going to be an adventure in getting the correct shapeware to go underneath it (a rookie mistake!) and the color, well it was not a good color for me since it did wash me out under those horrible lights in the dressing room.

Important lesson: not all dress colors suit some people. Find a dress that will minimize the appearance of looking washed out or heavier than one really looks. Also keep in mind when trying on dresses what shapeware it going to be needed to pull off the look of the dress.

Fifth, finding the correct fitting shape ware that would be suitable for a backless dress, and one that did not squeezed the hell out of your unmentionables every time you moved. Amazon the place where you can find almost anything was a huge help, even when you order a few sizes in a garment only to return all of them in the end.

Important lesson: see above about shapeware. Just like wedding dress shopping, you need to make sure you are comfortable with what is underneath the dress or you will be finding ways to readjust it throughout the time you are in it. Also think about how the heck you are going to pee when wearing it.

But the one things did stand out that was not in a negative light and that was…..

Sixth, I shined up my old cowboy boots, and they look so darn good! I have to thank Amazon Prime day for getting one of the best leather cleaning and conditioning kits on the market. Also the earrings I found to go with the dress were from JC Penney’s and I wasn’t even going to buy new earrings, just wear my pearl ones.

Important lesson: sometimes the most unexpected things you have already in the closet can save you time and money. I am so glad the cowboy boots I have could be used to complete the look and the leather shine kit that made them look as if brand new.

In the end it may have come down to having a horrible experience with David’s Bridal due to the people working the particular store we visited. Other people I have talked to said it’s been a stressful last few months of wedding industry this year. Still I wished it would have been a better experience since there are some of us who in the future will be getting married.

The wedding ended up being wonderful affair, and all of us bridesmaids ended up looking beautiful in our dresses. An important lesson in the bond of friendship.