Sarahritchie17 A couple months ago, I had the opportunity to pick out my dream wedding gown at the North Fork Bridal Shoppe. I brought my mom and my Maid of Honor with me.
From the moment I walked in the door to the shop, I felt like a Barbie princess. Everything was pink (including the entire bathroom) except the dresses. There was a chalkboard sign with my name on it and a greeting party at the welcome desk.
The shop has 4 private rooms, one in each corner, and 4 or more photo ops in the center of the shop. I know I wasn’t, but it felt like I was the only bride in the shop with the way it was designed. We were led to the front right room which had a couch facing a pedestal with mirrors and a TV screen above, and a fitting room for the bride. The TV was connected to an iPad, so the stylist could take a photo of the back of each dress and show me on the big screen.
Jordan was my stylist, and she did a fantastic job. She’s worked her way up at the store from steaming gowns in the back to being a stylist up front, so she knew all the dresses in the shop by heart. She asked me what I was looking for and then got to work pulling dresses for me to try on.
The first one she pulled was a brand new gown that had just arrived at the shop the previous day and had never been tried on. She said it was a “selfish pull” because the ladies at the shop wanted to see it on a bride. It just so happened to check all the boxes on my list. Every little detail that I had described that I liked in wedding dresses I’d seen online was encompassed in this one dress.
My eyes widened the moment she came around the corner with it. As I stepped out of the fitting room up to the pedestal, I was cautiously excited. What bride wouldn’t be feeling that glow the first time she tried on a gorgeous wedding gown. I loved it but knew there would be others I loved too, and there were specific dresses in their inventory that I’d screenshot on my phone to try on. (This could have been one of them except that it wasn’t even officially in their inventory yet.)
I tried on about 8 more dresses in the next hour or so. Each dress was beautiful, but i found myself thinking, “I wish it had this detail,” or “It would be perfect if this wasn’t…” Some of them, I stared at in the mirror trying to imagine walking down the aisle in, and my mom noted that I was thinking too hard. When you know, you know.
Each dress, Jordan asked what I liked and didn’t like about it and if it was going in the top 3. She kept my top three hanging on a rack outside the fitting room so I could see them side by side as I tried on the other gowns. It made it easier to compare and figure out the vision for the big day. Going into the shop, I had two very different styles in mind that I could see myself in for my wedding day, and we quickly narrowed it down to one. When we had the top three all similar style, it was time to try each one again. I started with the first one.
As soon as I stepped into it, I was beaming. I couldn’t stop smiling as I twirled on the pedestal. I was a bride in love and everyone could see it. Jordan asked if I wanted to try it with a veil, and she brought out my dream veil without me even saying what it was. Looking at myself in the veil and gown was the vision. She asked if I’d be mad if she took away the other two dresses in the top three, and I was shocked that it was such an easy no. She asked if she could ask the question, and I nodded. “Are you saying yes to the dress?” I started crying as I stared at myself in gown and veil, having the whole bridal moment that I wasn’t sure I would have. “Yes!”
Jordan brought a cup of Rosé each for my mom, my MOH, and me and we toasted. I didn’t want to change out of the dress, so I lingered for a few more moments before we got to the paperwork.
Once we filled out the information, the experience still wasn’t over. There were photo ops for saying yes to the dress and a flower bar for the bride to make a bouquet. They gave me a goodie bag with a t-shirt, chapstick, and recommendations for tailor shops in the area.
There was also a dress at the front pinned up with flowers. Each flower represented a bride who said yes to the dress there that year and had the bride’s name and wedding date. I added mine before heading out.
A few weeks later, I got a personal card in the mail from Jordan.
It was such a fun day and first-class experience. If you’re a girlie-girl who wants a special experience finding your perfect dress, I can’t recommend North Fork Bridal Shoppe enough.
I am beyond excited to put this dress on again to marry the love of my life.
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Cheers!
Sarah
