I am so excited to finally be able to show you guys the dress contenders. Choosing my dress was pretty easy after I narrowed down my criteria, which was:

• To look like a Ballerina

Hahahaaa. But really, I knew I wanted to look hyper feminine, timeless and as much like a ballerina as possible. Not like the polished, face-lifting bun type, but like the beautifully undone, I-just-stepped-off-stage ballerina. After looking online, I noted a few styles from various designers that were MUST-TRY’s. It seemed I was utterly smitten by many of the dresses by Watters, so I sought out the shops that carried the brand.

Here are some of the ones that made the final cut.

Sorry about not remembering all the details of each of these. Detail-oriented, I am not.

This one came from a little shop in Bellevue, La Belle Reve. All I recall was that it was a style called “Megan”. In hindsight…I kinda wish I would have went with this dress. It was simple, really comfortable and the dress I chose was a TORTURE CHAMBER. Plus it was a good boob-dress.

I allllmost chose this dress because I felt like a southern belle AND a ballerina, which to me, is the most perfect creature imaginable.

It was SUPER poof and the bodice was LIFE-CHANGING but I think it was like 18-hundo. Kinda spendy. This dress was in Seattle at a shop called La Belle Elaine’s.

This one was my and Bryan’s mom’s favorite, also at La Belle Elaine’s. The top was absolutely adorable, with a floral-lace overlay. I loved it too, but felt that it accentuated my linebacker shoulders.

And lastly, here is MY dress, found at I Do Bridal in Seattle. It is by Justin Alexander, style 8670.

In the first photos, I am wearing the sample from the store. You will see how much more POOF was involved in the finished dress.

Below are some shots from our wedding day.

Overall, I loved my dress. We added tiny rolled satin straps to it because 1.) I do not like strapless dresses on me and 2.) they added to the ballerina-factor. It definitely could have fit me better and was probably better suited for a big-chested gal, but the gals who helped me failed to point out that fact. My advice to any bride would be to choose a dress that speaks to your style and aesthetic, but that also suits your body. My sister had a similar experience when she realized after the fact, that her dress was probably better suited for a taller broad. Whatevs, we choose was we like.

Profesh photos courtesy of Allie Hannah Photography.

Which one do YOU like best?

ALSO, would anyone like to see a bridal makeup post? I did my own makeup and would be happy to share!!