By this point in time, I was fit to be tied. "Let them wear burlap sacks" was my mantra, though I surfed the net endlessly in search of the perfect gown for my girls. The sweethearts that they are, they claimed they'd wear whatever I asked them to, and I almost took them up on the offer... a beautiful European satin number by Bill Levkoff, with a price tag that rivals my monthly car payment (style #451, in case you were wondering). But, because I love my girls, and because I know what choice words I'd have for someone who asked me to buy a one-time-use dress upwards of $260, I forged on and kept looking.
In a moment of enlightenment, I called the bridal shop where I bought my gown and asked Jefre if he'd be able to do anything (pricing-wise) if I ordered bridesmaids gowns from him. I'm not really sure of he said 20% or $20 off of each bridesmaid dress I ordered, but I heard there was a discount and I was ESCTATIC! My new routine was to look up styles, call Jefre and ask about the price, and write it down in a neat little list for future reference. I had a bunch of dresses hovering around the $150 mark (including the discount), but I wasn't in lovew ith any of them and I knew that, much like my wedding gown, there was a perfect bridesmaids dress out there for us (thankfully this turned out to be more than just wishful thinking!).
In a moment of enlightenment, I called the bridal shop where I bought my gown and asked Jefre if he'd be able to do anything (pricing-wise) if I ordered bridesmaids gowns from him. I'm not really sure of he said 20% or $20 off of each bridesmaid dress I ordered, but I heard there was a discount and I was ESCTATIC! My new routine was to look up styles, call Jefre and ask about the price, and write it down in a neat little list for future reference. I had a bunch of dresses hovering around the $150 mark (including the discount), but I wasn't in lovew ith any of them and I knew that, much like my wedding gown, there was a perfect bridesmaids dress out there for us (thankfully this turned out to be more than just wishful thinking!).
Armed with a new list of Alfred Angelo styles, I headed to a bridal boutique near my office to try on a few dresses that I thought could work (at this point, it was just easier for me to try them on and show the girls the dresses on ME, as opposed to sending out an email to everyone and having 6 girls be disapointed hen the dress was less than stellar... ah, the joys of long distance wedding planning!). They were strapless, satin, a-line... but were they under $150 and did they flatter a variety of shapes? I would soon find out....
As it happened, the shop didn't have one of the Aldred Angelo's I wanted to try on, and the other one only came in a size 28W. Disapointed, but at the end of my rope, I scooped up every strapless A-line I could find and got to work in the dressing room. Some were nice, some were terrible, but none were really what i wanted. I did find one that was nice enough to call Jefre for a price check, so i left the store to call him. After being quoted $160 with the discount, I decided to go back in to the shop and try on the one I originally came for - the size 28W.
Even thought I was half naked in a dressing room with poor lighting, with a saleswoman cinching all of the extra material around my ribcage and waist, I could tell that the cut f the dress was going to be super flattering. The folds across the wasit and under the bust were made to give any body an hourglass figure, and the A-line skirt balanced out the shoulders... this could be it, I thought.
Even thought I was half naked in a dressing room with poor lighting, with a saleswoman cinching all of the extra material around my ribcage and waist, I could tell that the cut f the dress was going to be super flattering. The folds across the wasit and under the bust were made to give any body an hourglass figure, and the A-line skirt balanced out the shoulders... this could be it, I thought.
And so I left the shop and got into my car, and promptly called Jefre to see what he oculd do on price. When I heard him say "$136", I think my heart skipped a beat. I thanked him, hung up the phone, jumped out of my car (shut the door), and paced in the parking lot as I called my mom with the big news.... and then I realized that in my fit of excitement, I had locked my keys in my car. But who cares, I found a dress for $136 and it's wonderful!!!!
The dress in question:
The bottom line? The girls love it, I love it, and it's not going to break the bank. It took almost 5 months, but mission accomplished!!! Anyone else have an obscenely hard time finding dresses, or is it seriously just me?
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