Destination wedding Edition-Cartagena, Colombia
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I have been meaning to sit down and tell this story for a while now, but truth be told this is the perfect time to tell it. February of 2022 I purchased my wedding dress that I am still so in love with. Today, 2 years later I am returning back home from another beautiful trip to Cartagena because I am in the midst of planning a beautiful couple’s Cartagena wedding. I will get to tell you a little more about this recent trip in a part II of this post!
When to start your dress search
Let me start by going back in time to February of 2022. Ironically enough, my now husband and I had just gotten back from Cartagena to tour venue options and when I got back I knew that this is when I needed to start searching for my wedding dress. We were officially 10 months from the wedding and ideally you should start looking for your dress anywhere between 8-12 months prior to your wedding date. For most Brides this is one of the most exciting parts of getting married, however, as a curvy woman, that excitement was met with a lot of anxiousness because I genuinely did not know where to even start looking.
What you need to know before you book your dress appointment
Before I get into where I actually purchased my dress, let me tell you about what I learned during my research of calling many different stores.
1. Most stores will tell you that they can order your size but they will not have a sample size for you to try on.
- This was a HUGE no no for me. Shopping isnt always fun, but knowing that I would already be met with a challenge to visually imagine myself in a dress was not an option for me. I wanted the ability to try on many dresses without those added stresses of wondering if I can even get the dress past my hips.
2. Some dress stores will not carry your size all together.
- It is super important to call ahead and ask if the store that you are interested in, caters to your body type.
3. Ask your store of choice if they carry the dress designer you are interested in.
- For me this wasn’t a factor because I did not have a clue of what I wanted, but for some, you may already have a vision or idea of what you would like to try on and they simply might not carry that designer.
Brides By Young- New Jersey
After MUCHO and I mean mucho research, I found Brides by Young. Brides by Young is a size-inclusive curvy bridal boutique with sample sizes ranging from size 14-34. This was immediately a no brainer, I had to get an appointment with this store, but strangely enough I was still nervous about what I was going to experience that day. As if the idea that I could walk into a store and actually pick a random dress and they would have a sample that I could try on was too good to be true, but let me tell you that’s exactly how the story went.
Photo Credit: Brides By Young Website
Who should you bring to your appointment
I was extremely emotional about my appointment because some of the most important people in my life were unable to be come, but we pushed forward and made it to the most amazing experience regardless. Check out your store of choice’s FAQ section on their website for their suggestions on how many guests they allow or recommend you to bring for your appointment. Despite not having everyone there, I had the most amazing support that day. May I add, the store also provided me with a ring light and I was able to have my loved ones on a video call throughout the entire appointment. They were super understanding of my situation and although I only had 3 actual people in my room including myself, it felt like everyone was there with me.
Bride Tip* Bring the people who will be most supportive of you to your appointment. This experience can be extremely overwhelming so knowing how many people to bring is just as important as who you bring.
Shopping at Brides by Young
The day had finally arrived and I was super nervous and excited. I arrived to Brides by Young located in New Jersey and all I could see were beautiful dresses surrounding their window storefront and I swear at this point I think I had my stomach in my butt and I still haven’t even stepped foot inside the store. Side note: this was my very first time ever trying on a wedding dress and ever stepping foot in a boutique bridal store so you can imagine the nerves.
I walked in and was greeted by their warm and kind staff and was told to wait a few minutes while they finished preparing what would soon be my room for the next few hours.
Bride Tip* I highly recommend scheduling your appointment on a weekday. When I initial called they mentioned that their weekends get pretty busy so I decided on a week day appointment and I practically had the entire store to myself.
Photo Credit: Brides By Young Website
What to bring to your dress appointment
The room was ready and I immediately got started on the dress search. Before I tell you about how I picked my dress, let me tell you about what I actually brought to the store with me.
- #1 Shapewear, Shapewear, Shapewear
- #2 Nails & Hair
- #3 Ditch the heels!
- #1 Shapewear
- #2 Nails & Hair
- #3 Ditch the heels!
1. Shapewear, Shapewear, Shapewear- It’s a love hate relationship
I brought 3 different types with me that day which included Honeylove tummy control shapewear , Miraclesuit thigh slimmer shapewear, and Spanx low back bodysuit . I didn’t end up wearing any of these on my wedding day but very glad I brought them all with me. Trying on dresses with shapewear gave me a real idea to what it would look and feel like on wedding day. We all know that feeling of finding a beautiful dress and wishing you had your shapewear to see if it actually fits how you’d like it to.
2. Nails & Hair
I clearly didn’t pack these haha but I did get my nails done with SNS Basics #B059 UV Gel color polish which I was thinking of wearing on wedding day and curled my hair to visually see how I might want it. Wedding dresses come in so many different shades of white / blush and I wanted to test the nail polish color against the color of the dress. The truth is is that you will have very limited time with your dress to decide on a lot of these accessories unless you wait till you get your actual dress months later.
Photo: Mask mandate was in effect during this time
3. Ditch the heels
You can ditch the heels for this appointment. If you have them, great! If not, no big deal but you WILL need to have your shoes of choice or at the very least a shoe with accurate heel height by your first dress fitting. My beautiful heels by Bella Belle were waiting for me in the cutest bridal store called Rosi’s Bridal Boutique in Ho-Ho-Kus New Jersey. It was love at first sight when I found them online and found that this beautiful store not only carries some of their shoes but also lets you try them on. A few weeks before my first dress fitting I found myself back at their store buying my heels. I wish I would have found Rosi’s sooner because they were the absolute sweetest. If you purchase your heels with them, as long as they meet their guidelines they will allow 1 exchange in case you need a different size, which I ended up needed.
Initial dress consultation
Ok, back to the dresses. The first 5 minutes I was completely overwhelmed and didn’t even know how to tell one dress from the next. Surprisingly enough you don’t realize how difficult it is to tell dresses apart when they are on a hanger versus a manicane, but someone from the store will be assisting you and I am very glad they did. I knew I wanted something to show off every bit of my curves. In my exact words, I told the store assistant, ” I want something to show off my a** with a ton of drama in the back, the rest is TBD”.
My dress wishlist" I want something to show off my a** with a ton of drama in the back, the rest is TBD".
My dress wishlist" I want something to show off my a** with a ton of drama in the back, the rest is TBD".
All 7 of my choices made their way into my room, including an A line dress because why not. It was my first time trying on dresses and I wanted to make sure in my decision which meant trying on dresses that didn’t necessarily immediately jump to my attention. Prepare to undress multiple times in front of whomever is helping you that day but know that they do an amazing job at making you feel comfortable. I had worn nipple pasties that day so it was one less thing I was focused on exposing haha. Second appointment I tested Brassy Bra boob tape with the Brassy Bra boob tape strips.
Bride Tips* A couple of pointers I would like to mention that might seem obvious but could easily be forgotten in the moment.
- STEP OFF AND WALK
- DANCE
- TAKE A SEAT
STEP OFF AND WALK
- Step off the pedestal and walk around in your dress. Remember that you will be wearing your dress for many hours and want to be comfortable.
DANCE
- Until I actually started to move around I didn’t realize the beads that my dress had under my arms and actually caused a rash from the rubbing. (I ended up removing some of them)
TAKE A SEAT
- A dress will feel and look totally different when standing vs sitting. I can’t stress how important it is to feel comfortable in your dress no matter what your doing. I actually forgot to do this at my own first appointment.
Sample Dresses
We started with a lace beauty and once she slipped on, I immediately started to cry. It was the most “Bridal” I had felt so far in this entire journey. With each dress I felt like I was getting closer and closer to knowing exactly what I was looking for; and then came Dress #5, or how I like to call her “The One”.
The One
From years of watching movies and of course Say Yes to the Dress, I had always heard of that saying that when you find the one you get “the feeling”, and oh yes I sure did feel it. I couldn’t believe that finding my dress could be that easy, but it was. Say Hello to “Essense of Australia D2988IV”. The very dress that made me look and feel exactly how I felt on the inside. The lining of the dress came in different shades and my favorite was the nude version. It included off the shoulder straps which I loved and looking back would have even wore the dress without them. That says a lot from a girl who is constantly trying to find ways to hide my arms in every photo.
Shopping for your veil
Now of course, the fun did not stop there. We continued the appointment by trying on different accessories including veils. If you remember, earlier I had said I wanted drama which meant I wanted nothing other than a jaw dropping cathedral veil. Let me share a little knowledge I learned while researching veils. Veils come in 8 different lengths varying from 20″ (shoulder length) all the way down to 108″ or better known as a Cathedral veil. Some of you might be asking do I regret getting such a long veil for such a hot climate destination? My answer is, Absolutely not, I LOVED my veil. I did consider waiting to research more veil options outside of the ones provided by Brides by Young just simply for the fact that I wanted to know what else was out there, but ultimately I chose to select one from their selection. It would have been impossible to wait too long for several reasons.
- Like your dress, veils also take a long time to arrive from the date that they are ordered. Mine actually had not arrived till my second dress fitting, so I was very thankful that I had ordered it when I did.
- Veils also come in so many different designs. It was so helpful to be able to have my dress on and take photos of the back of my dress with the veil to see the full picture. If I had waited to purchase the veil separately, this would not had been something I could have done untill my dress order came in months later.
1. Like your dress, veils also take a long time to arrive from the date that they are ordered. Mine actually had not arrived till my second dress fitting, so I was very thankful that I had ordered it when I did.
2. Veils also come in so many different designs. It was so helpful to be able to have my dress on and take photos of the back of my dress with the veil to see the full picture. If I had waited to purchase the veil separately, this would not had been something I could have done untill my dress order came in months later.
The store had so many veils to choose from. It was like we had started the appointment all over again but just for accessories, it was so fun! In the end, I found the most stunning Cathedral length veil named “Blayne by Elaine” that complimented every detail of my dress. Everyone encouraged me to do a grand reveal with the dress and veil and even gave me a little bouquet to give the full picture. When I tell you everyone in that room, physically and virtually was crying, I kid you not.
My chosen Veil: Blayne by Elaine
It was so emotional, so perfect, so everything I never even allowed myself to imagine because of the fear of being curvy in a world that doesn’t always cater to you. I can’t thank everyone enough from that day for making my memory of finding my wedding dress so perfect.
You said Yes! Now let's purchase the dress!
And with that came the end of my dress search, I was ready to swipe the card! If you are ready to say yes, they will walk you through what to expect and when your dress order will arrive. Most dresses will take anywhere from 8-10 months once ordered so it is very important to start shopping within that timeframe of your wedding date. If you are having a destination wedding like myself, their team will offer to help you pack your dress in your suitcase. Check out my post on How to travel with a wedding dress for all the options I considered.
The New Jersey location also offers alterations which I did end up using, but I would have preferred looking into what other options were available to me so do not feel the pressure to have to make that decision right away. If you end up needing a little extra time to find the perfect dress, the store does offer second appointments with a required deposit amount that will be applied to your purchase.
A year later - Your wedding day!
Earlier I mentioned that I ended up wearing different shapewear underneath my dress. The truth is that planning a wedding can be filled with so many emotions and that lead to some stress eating, aka gaining some weight since I bought my dress. I was TERRIFIED that the dress wasn’t going to fit anymore. The original shapewear I had purchased for the dress no longer fit and thankfully, Brides by Young alterations were able to make some modifications to my dress. In one of my many shopping trips I had randomly found a comfy pair of spanx shorts , it was silkly on the outside and provided some smoothing with the perfect shorts length to avoid any chub rub on the big day. It was the most comfortable thing ever that I now own them in 2 colors.
Honest Review
I left Brides by Young that afternoon feeling so sure of my decision and so beyond happy. The only thing I would have changed about my experience was taking a little extra time to explore all of my options for dress alterations, but in the end I was so happy with how I looked and felt on my wedding day. I hope that my story will give you the confidence in knowing that you do deserve a fairy-tale story. You deserve to feel beautiful and treated like the Queen that you are.
Happy Dress Searching! I would love to see what your perfect wedding dress is so tag @piecesofmivida to share with me your journey when you said Yes!
Love,
A Bride that lived it, loved it, and would do it all over again.
