I scheduled my first day of wedding dress shopping with my mom, my godmother, and my best friend to ensure it was as low-stress as possible. I told everyone I knew that I would not be buying a dress -- that I would need to go shopping several times with different sets of friends, narrow down my options, and then eventually make a final decision (and due to my modest budget, I expected to have to buy a used version online).
We arrived at Maggie's studio and immediately felt right at home in the quaint, feminine, and comfortable setting. I was impressed with the number of dresses and the variety she had on hand. Maggie and I chatted as she wanted to get a sense of what I was looking for, and then she pulled several; I had a few pictures and ideas, but I didn't know exactly what I was looking for. She chose some that I think she could tell would match my personality.
We all absolutely fell in love with the second dress I tried on! A simple strapless dress in ivory silk shantung, it was everything I hadn't known I wanted for our beach wedding. The material was absolutely stunning -- and Maggie explained that she likes to work with real (not synthetic) materials. It had just enough structure to flatter my figure without being too much for a beach setting and without overpowering me or mismatching who I am. It was a little more than I had planned to spend, but still reasonable and actually not much more than I would spend finding a used dress online. And though I buy used clothes all the time, I was surprised to find that I really liked the idea that no one else would have worn this dress -- that it wouldn't have anyone else's story other than my own. I never expected to do something custom, but that idea really resonated -- and Maggie and I talked about how I could incorporate pieces of my mom's and my grandma's wedding dresses into a sash, which would be something I'd really treasure.
Maggie recommended we take pictures both indoors and outdoors so I could see how it looked in the sun (that never would have occurred to me). She also offered some ideas for how she could work with me to add a personal sash, customizing the dress for me. I tried on more dresses, and then this favorite dress again. All along the way Maggie conversed with us and we enjoyed hearing her story of being a lifelong seamstress and how much she enjoyed working with brides to create unique, personal dresses.
I had already made an appointment at a more traditional store, so we decided to head over there. I tried on more than 25 dresses, ALL of which cost more than the dress at Maggie's -- and all I could think with each one was how cheap and chinsy they felt and looked. They were all synthetic, scratchy, and I felt like I was wearing fancy trash bags. I tried on every silhouette I'd been curious about -- and as the appointment went on, I became more and more certain that the dress at Maggie's was the perfect dress for me. I think forever more I'll be able to tell the difference between dresses made of fake, synthetic material and those made from natural fibers.
We all went to brunch to discuss...
*I would rather spend money on something made of a beautiful authentic natural fabric than something synthetic;
*I'd rather spend money on something handmade and customized with personal touches than on a mass-manufactured piece of plastic;
*I'd rather support a gifted artisan than a chain or importer;
*I'd rather work with someone who cares about the dress I wear (so much so that she thought of how to literally incorporate pieces from my mom and grandma) on what will be one of the most special days of my life than an hourly worker who didn't remember my name by the end of the appointment.
So, without hesitation we went back to Maggie's studio, I tried on the dress for a third time, and we purchased it!
I've watched enough episodes of TLC's "Say Yes to the Dress" to know that I had the most positive experience imaginable and I'm so grateful to Maggie for that. I told my mom the next day that it was one of the best days of my life. read more