I Said Yes to the Dress!

Remember that dress appointment I was talking about in my Bridal Show post? In this post I am going to share a little bit about that experience. 

My spring break last year ended up being particularly productive. I kicked it off with a trip to Frew's Bridal salon in Alton, Illinois. Let me just start off by saying this place is magnificent. It is seriously like the Kleinfeld's of Illinois! We (my mother, sister Jennifer/bridesmaid, and myself) walk in and we are immediately greeted by racks of beautiful gowns and a cheerful and very helpful staff member, Mary. Mary took us back to an area that had been decorated with beautiful exposed brick walls, floor to ceiling framed mirrors, and couches. After getting to know my style a little bit, Mary went off to select gowns for me to try on. Because we are still not 100% sure when we are getting married just yet, I was not planning on purchasing a gown right away. That is until Mary found a gorgeous ivory fit and flare Alfred Angelo gown. I hesitated to try it on because of the "fit" part. I am hoping to lose a significant amount of weight before the wedding. However, I put it on and immediately fell in love with it! It has the perfect amount of sparkle with a little bit of lacy flair, a sweetheart neckline, and a lace up back. Mary assured me that we would be able to have it taken in should I lose the weight I am attempting to lose before the wedding...so I couldn't help it! When you find the one you just know! I would picture it here, but Thomas reads and contributes to this blog at times so.....

I walked into the salon with a max budget of about $1800 for my dress. My Alfred Angelo gown cost just $998 so it actually came in below budget. In addition, the dress came with $170 worth of free accessories. This credit can be used on veils, shoes, undergarments, wedding accessories, bridal party gifts, etc. I purchased a veil with mine and have about $30 left to use on anything else we need. 

My mom and dad actually put $500 down on my gown for me. This was a huge surprise because I was not expecting any help in paying for our wedding. Thanks Mom and Dad! 

Anyone that lives in the St. Louis area, I highly recommend going to Frew's! Their prices are reasonable, my dress arrived earlier than expected, Mary was extremely helpful and spent time one-on-one with me until I found my dress, and they offer special discounts.