My Wedding Dress Journey: A Tale of Two Dresses
Choosing a wedding dress is a momentous occasion for any bride. With my little sister living in New York City and having lived in Chicago before moving to Kansas City, I initially considered dress shopping in both cities. However, since COVID-19 was still lingering at the time, I decided to start my search locally in KC. If I couldn’t find the perfect dress there, I’d expand my search.
It was spring 2021, and my wedding was set for June 2022. I had time to explore options and ensure I found the dress. I reached out to two bridal boutiques—KC Bride and Something White Bridal Boutique—to schedule appointments. Since COVID restrictions were still in place, appointments were limited, masks were required, and only a few guests were allowed. My mom and mother-in-law flew into town to join me, making it a special experience despite the circumstances.
The First Stop: KC Bride
KC Bride had a gorgeous aesthetic, and Laura, the consultant helping me, was so sweet and inviting. Their collection had a distinct look—minimal, figure-flattering, and effortlessly chic—which I absolutely loved.
Laura helped me pick out three to four dresses, and as soon as I stepped into the very first one, I knew it was the one.
The Dress: Made with Love Bridal
The first dress I tried on was from Made with Love Bridal, an Australian luxury brand known for modern, effortlessly chic designs with daring V-necklines, plunging low backs, and luxurious French crepe fabrics. Designed by Carla Jenkins, these gowns are made for natural beauties who appreciate elegance with a contemporary twist.
To be honest, I could have ended my search right then and there—I loved it that much. However, I felt like I should at least explore all my options.
The Second Stop: Something White Bridal Boutique
We then headed to Something White Bridal Boutique, but the dresses there just weren’t for me. They were beautiful but had too much fabric, intricate patterns, and an overall “more is more” look, which wasn’t my style. This made my Say Yes to the Dress moment pretty easy and uneventful.
Making It Official
The next day, we returned to KC Bride and purchased the dress. It was everything I envisioned, and I was thrilled. I came back 6–7 months later for alterations, and by November, the dress was ready to go—months to spare before the big day.
Or so I thought.
The Plot Twist
Every wedding has a crazy dress story, right? Mine came four months before the wedding when I found out—surprise!—I was pregnant. By my wedding day, I would be exactly 20 weeks along, and my dream dress, which was extremely fitted, was simply not going to work.
Cue the frantic search for a backup dress.
Due to COVID-related shipping delays, I had to limit my search to North America. I found a photo of a dress on Pinterest that provided more coverage and tracked down a similar style from a boutique in Northern California. I called them immediately, panic in my voice, hoping for a miracle.
A New Dress, Sight Unseen
The kind women at the Falres Bridal Boutique were incredibly sweet and helpful. She assured me that we could rush the dress order and have it arrive two weeks before the wedding. Not ideal for alterations, but I had no choice. In an act of kindness, they even waived the rush fee to help relieve some of my stress. So, yes—the dress I walked down the aisle in was not the dress I had originally said “yes” to. It was purchased sight unseen from an Instagram post.
The Final Countdown
My dress arrived 10 days before I was supposed to walk down the aisle and six days before we left for our destination wedding in Colorado. As soon as it was delivered, I rushed to my KC seamstress to try it on.
Miraculously, it fit perfectly—no alterations needed. It was truly a miracle.
The Lesson in Letting Go
Of course, there were plenty of tears over not being able to wear my dream dress. But looking back, it didn’t matter. Sometimes, life doesn’t go as planned, but it always works out the way it’s meant to - better than you imagined.