So far wedding planning has been fairly stress-free. The only thing that’s been kind of a mission was finding the dress. The pressure exists even before you look at a single dress; it’s only the most important item of clothing you will ever buy. Even typing that makes me nervous. Unlike the flowers, bridesmaid dresses or snack platters – you can’t blame anyone but yourself for the choice of your dress. You’ll be wearing it, you’ll be in the photos and you will have to stand up for your choice in 20 years time when your children dissect your ‘olden day photos’.
I visited 5 different wedding dress shops; some small in a section of someone’s house, others the bigger franchise types. What frustrated me most was the lack of simplicity. Everything had lots of layers, lots of embellishments and lots of lace. As pretty as some of them were, they just weren’t what I was looking for and often felt heavy and uncomfortable. I did however come across a style that intrigued me – the Grecian look. These dresses are a lot lighter, simpler and more ‘flowy’ and as the name suggests, are inspired by the Greek Goddesses. There was one particular one that would have been my back-up had I not found the final one. The material was light and hung gracefully with embellishments only on the shoulders.
However, I found my eventual winner at the Pink Chilly Bridal Studio in Groenkloof. I avoided trying on what I then knew was not what I liked and tried best to explain to the patient ladies who assisted me that I needed a dress that is simple, elegant and classic. The second dress I tried on was exactly that – no frills and fuss but a beautiful soft satin, rouged and pleated cleverly to create a dress that made me say Yes!
Wedding Woohoo 