The two dress phenomenon.

Oscar de la Renta, Spring '10

So lately I have been hearing about ladies being torn between two dresses in which they want to get married. Some have even bought two dresses.

I was one of these ladies.

(Now, I'm not a wedding gown type of gal. I wanted a classic and flattering dress but I didn't want the white gown that you cherish in your closet forever. It was just not me. My practicality stomps on my sentimentality in this area and it may seem selfish in that I wanted a dress that I could wear again. I mean, if I am buying a dress I want one that I could chill out in, post-wedding season, with a glass of wine in hand and not look like a bride. [In fact, I put it on last Saturday.]

Does that make sense?
Well, it did in my head at the time. I have a closet full of bridesmaids dresses that every bride assured me "you can wear it again!" Truth be told, you cannot wear it again unless you're in another wedding with the exact same bridesmaid's dress. And I am never that lucky. So I, the frugalista, made sure I could re-wear the dress in which I said "I do." However, I didn't mind buying bridesmaid's dresses for my friend's weddings. Its what good friends do. And to everyone who ever wanted the whitest, laciest, most princess-like gown that Monique Lhuillier ever stitched, more power to you. It is about getting what you want , and I have no problem with that!)

Anyway, the point of the story is that with all the dresses out there, it is EXTREMELY hard to find your perfect, heart stopping, husband-to be-jaw-dropping dress. I mean, its something that girls think about since young girlhood. I started thinking about it when I turned twenty (my husband and a few boyfriends ago). How are you supposed to know where to find this piece of fabric that transforms a regular woman into a bride?
My first dress was this J.Crew one, in Champagne:

I bought it because it was on sale and I really loved its simplicity, but it was the wrong size and basically lacked the 'wow" factor. I just imagined Shawn unimpressed so I wanted to show a bit more skin.

And I just loooove my dress. I found it in the stockroom at work, and made a special trip to try it on when I found out it was on sale. And it was off the rack, not a customized Vera Wang, like I once thought I'd have. I guess my priorities changed!

So what do you do when you have bought a dress but really like another. I say go for the one you REALLY want, no matter the price. Skimp on something else. Sell the other one on ebay. Be wary of return policies when you buy your dress! There comes a point, though, when you have to stop searching on the perfect dress , and love what you have. After all, he's gonna love you in it!

Thanks to my sis, Grace and my friend Alison, who inspired this post! Sis I hope you find a buyer for your first dress, and Al, I hope you loooove the dress you chose, despite other temptations!

P.S. J.Crew and Martha Stewart Weddings opened up a bridal boutique in NYC, and are have a giveaway here. And the Martha Stewart Episode with Tom Mora here.