Wedding Wednesday: Trying on Wedding Dresses — Dallas, TX

Two Saturdays ago I had the pleasure of going to try on wedding dresses in Dallas with some of my closest family surrounding me! My mom flew in from New Orleans, and was joined by my future sister-in-laws, and my future mother-in-law! We started the day in Snider Plaza at a salon called Warren Barron {where these photos were taken}, then went downtown to the original Neiman Marcus. Afterwards we went to a girly lunch at the infamous Zodiac cafe {within Neiman Marcus} and then finished the day off with our last stop at Stanley Korshak. I tried on every type of dress under the sun — everything from silky slinky numbers, to big poufy princess-y gowns bedazzled with thousands of crystals and beads — and it was awesome. By the end of the day I think I narrowed down the shape and look I’m going for, and I’m going back this weekend to try on two that are in the running to being the chosen one! Unfortunately, I can’t reveal anything else besides that regarding the dress of my dreams….My lips are sealed!

As for the day itself – I can’t even tell you how much fun it was. Several people had warned me of bringing ‘so many people’ with me when trying on dresses, but everyone was so lighthearted and fun on the day of that I can’t imagine how sad and simple the process would have felt without them all there! We shared so much laughter {over dresses that turned out less impressive than we thought they would be} and ooohs & aaahs over dresses we allll fell in love with. Their opinions and advice were really so valuable – I would’ve never thought about how important it was to like the way the dress looks when its bustled {because that is how it will be most of the night} had they not brought it to my attention! From trying on dresses in the beautiful salon at Warren Barron, to the champagne served at Neiman Marcus, to the very personalized attention at Stanley Korshak {the owner of SK stayed throughout our appointment!}, every moment of the day was completely  and utterly magical. I don’t think I could ever forget the experience – and I’m so blessed to have been able to share it with the ones I love the most!

If there are any bride-to-be’s in Dallas reading this, I wanted to give you a little insight into my experiences with the three salons so that you know what to expect! 🙂

We started the morning at Warren Barron – a new-ish boutique in Snider Plaza. We walked in and I was overwhelmed with the amount of dresses to choose from! Every major designer from Monique Lhuillier, to Reem Acra, to Lela Rose and Vera Wang — this salon has an incredible selection. The salon itself is beautiful – filled with natural light and neutral colors, the atmosphere they have created just makes you feel beautiful. The dressing room had the most beautiful light pink velvet chaise lounge (seen in the first image above) that i didn’t even sit on, but still fell completely in love with. You know that experience you imagine in your head before trying on dresses? The version with champagne, and laughter, and a beautiful setting? I felt like Warren Barron created that for us. The entire experience was perfect, and the atmosphere was exactly what I was looking for.  I highly recommend this salon {and my sweet consultant, Catherine!} – as it was my favorite of the day.

Neiman Marcus was next, and we were all excited to see what selection they offered. It was interesting to note that Neiman Marcus carried many of the same designers as Warren Barron, but the actual dresses only slightly overlapped. The biggest win of the appointment at Neiman Marcus was that they carried Oscar de la Renta. These dresses were absolutely stunning, and I fell in love with a few immediately!  When questions of how to bustle a particularly unique dress came up, our sales assistant was quick to call down the seamstress who was very helpful. I had heard stories about Neiman Marcus being less than impressive {and with snooty associates} but I found the opposite to be true! The experience was wonderful, and the women who helped me could not have been nicer. However, when making your appointment, make sure you ask to reserve the front seating area (where all the dresses are). That way you can try on in private and walk out to an area with much better light.

Last but not least was Stanley Korshak. Stanley Korshak is an institution in Dallas, and I was excited to go see what they had to offer! I had heard mixed reviews about the bridal experience, but was really surprised by how sweet and helpful our sales associate was, and also how huge of a selection they offered. The owner of Stanley Korshak also stayed with us, offering very hands on advice and attention. I loved hearing his stories about the individual designers and how the salon came to be. It added a very unique touch – you can tell he really cares about each and every ‘Korshak Bride.’ My only vice with Stanley Korshak was the poor lighting. I’m big on natural light, and the lighting in the showroom just wasn’t flattering. It’s like walking into those dressing rooms at the mall with the stark overhead lighting that beams down on you and showcases all your worst attributes. However, the dresses themselves made up for that one little vice, and I ended finding a few  beautiful dresses that I really loved!

Like I said, overall the day was one of the most magical days that I’ve had since being engaged. I can’t have imagined a better experience at any of the salons, and I most certainly can’t have imagined having better company.

 I added just a few new favorite weddings picks below – Happy hump day everyone!

xx b

photos: Stephanie Drenka