Atlanta Bridal Boutique Reviews

I wanted to share a quick little cheat sheet from my experiences shopping at bridal boutiques in Atlanta so all of my fellow ATL brides can have a little inside scoop to the type of boutiques they want to visit. If you missed my wedding dress shopping experience, you may want to read that before heading out for you appointments because I shared a lot of shopping tips and tricks!

The White Magnolia in Buckhead 

• The most darling little shop
• Smaller selection
• Patient and budget friendly consultants
• Very intimate. All appointments are 1:1 in the store 
• Good lighting
• Extra large fitting room
• The consultant wasn't in there with you until you needed to zip / clip 
• Offered 10% off day of appointment purchase
• No in-house alterations to get an idea of what that will cost
• No problem with you taking pictures

Wedding Angels in Roswell

• Large selection divided into rooms by style of dress
• Seemed to be the only shop that offered different perks: when I went they were offering a free veil. 
• Large selection of bridal accessories
• Bad lighting in the viewing rooms (at least the one I was in)
• Great consultants 
• Separate rooms to go into when showing everyone the dress to help with intimacy
• No problem with you taking pictures

Atlanta Bridal Couture in Alpharetta

• Good natural light when trying on dresses
• Had to carry some heavy dresses up the stairs to the fitting room
• Medium sized selection
• I self-selected everything, the consultant wasn't really picking up what I was putting down
• No problem with you taking pictures

Joan Pillow Salon in Buckhead

• Expensive, but the most dreamy selection
• Not the best lighting
• Right next to bridesmaids shop. You can see how the dresses will look next to yours.
• This was the only boutique that had someone from alterations there to talk me through what to expect in my fittings. This may depend on day/time you go.
• No problem with taking pictures

J. Andrews Bridal in Peachtree City

• You can't see most of the selection so you have to have a good consultant / clear vision - 
• I wasn't clicking with the options my consultant was putting me in, but maybe that is because I didn't really know what I wanted? 
• Very small fitting rooms, especially for bigger dresses + the consultant in there with you while you changed.
• Good designer selection

Bridals By Lori

• It was cool to go to because of the show, but don't go on a Saturday or weekend when they're busy. I felt like I was in a beehive and it was very loud / busy. Go on a weekday if you can fit it into your schedule.
• They didn't really respect the budget you told them. I was told, "well there's this dress but it's $****"
• Dresses are in bags so it's a little harder to tell if you want to try them on, but it did keep them looking nicer than other samples I tried on.
• Not intimate.  Multiple girls will be looking into the same mirror and trying to have their "moment", plus I felt uncomfortable trying on gowns in front of everyone else's entourage and watching them talking about the dresses on me.
• More pressure to purchase environment 
• Biggest selection of gowns from all the other boutiques 
• I didn't have an appointment and they worked me right in
• No pictures allowed

BHLDN

• Smallest selection
• Budget friendly, most selections are around $1000 and under. 
• Unique and pretty accessories, though expensive
• Only two fitting rooms are reserved for BHLDN, the rest are for Anthropology customers. Bridal gowns are by appointment only, but my Mom and I were going to shop for bridesmaid dresses and the first time they let us go into the regular fitting rooms and the second trip to look for her dress they made us wait quite a while to use the BHLDN fitting rooms. I would just recommend called ahead for an appointment to be safe. 
• You can easily see all of their selections online before going. Other boutiques would just list the designers offered.
• No in-house alterations to get an idea of what that will cost

I do want to visit a few other Atlanta stores just to update them here for you.  On my list is Adore Boutique in Kennesaw, The Sentimentalist, and Fabulous Frocks. I may even look into selling my dress there so if you're interested in reading about re-selling your dress then let me know! 

If you're an Atlanta bride, where did you say yes to the dress? I'd love to know hear about your experience!

xo Amanda John 

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Come wedding dress shopping with me

This probably isn't going to be the wedding dress shopping experience that you're anticipating, because y'all let me tell you - my experience was pretty stressful, even after I said yes to the dress! Growing up my mom and I would joke about how we were both dreading it, because of how indecisive I can be about basically everything. Not that it was dreadful, believe me it was so much fun, but the decision definitely got to the point where we were just happy the shopping was over ;) I went to a total of 7 stores in the Atlanta area. If you're an Atlanta bride and want to read my quick take on each boutique then read my post here: Atlanta Bridal Boutique Reviews

I hope you have a nice cup of coffee or wine because this post is going to be as detailed as possible. I wanted to share everything I could to make it useful to you if you're going through the process.

I "knew" a few things going into my first appointment:

• It has to be comfortable
• I definitely don't want anything strapless
• I want the option of two looks - I was thinking an overskirt for the ceremony and a more fitted dress for the reception.
• Something traditional but not something we've seen a million times

Lets see how that went...

All the shops around Atlanta we're pretty limited in their overskirt selection. They were either just a thin piece of single tulle or were split in the front like this. My ideal over skirt was similar to this one to give you an idea. Remember how I said I didn't want anything strapless? Well when I started to try on dresses with sleeves or a covered neckline, everything felt scratchy and cause my skin to turn red... not ideal. 

After my initial research, I had my heart set on finding a dress from Hayley Paige. Her designs are so fun and youthful, but also a unique. After trying on basically all of her gowns at a trunk show, I still felt like something was missing.

This dress was my initial favorite, it was flowy, fun, comfortable, and had sleeves. However, something about it told me it wasn't the one for me. It felt a little too bohemian for my classic southern style. 

Hayley Paige Elysia Style 6556

I loved the Dori Gown, but knew above all my dress had to be comfortable, and this one is basically the opposite of that on me. Under the gown, there were two layers of taffeta to make it a ballgown shape, and I learned very early on in life that I hated this material after picking a Belle Beauty and the Beast gown for Halloween when I was 6 years old🙅. I also worried that Tim would have a heart attack if I picked it because we're both very traditional.

Hayley Paige Dori 6413

OTHER WEDDING GOWNS I TRIED ON

 

SO WHAT DID I CHOOSE?

I knew this Monique Lhuillier gown was the wedding dress for me because it was the most comfortable dress I put on. However... it was strapless, something I initially swore off. I figured I could always come up with something in alterations to give it some more coverage in the top. The silhouette was fitted enough where I still considered adding a customized overskirt as well.

Flash forward to alteration time, and everything we tried to customize the top didn't seem right. Also around this time, I was pretty tired of money flying out the window towards the wedding that I decided I didn't need an overskirt. I went with a more dramatic veil to give me that feel - and saved a good chunk of change by doing so. 

Two weeks before my wedding, I decided I still wanted to wear something different towards the end of the reception, so I looked around online and came across this dress and instantly fell in love with the subtle pinky-ivory and it's gorgeous bow detail. I called my local BHLDN store and somehow, they had ONE dress left on sale in my size 🙌. I ended up having a tailor hem it 4 inches the week before the wedding. It all came together in the end.

WEDDING DRESS SHOPPING TIPS 

Start shopping 8-10 months before if you want to order a gown. If you're sample shopping, you don't need as much time, but it's better to have more time than stress with a deadline and paying for rush fees.

I would recommend looking online (I used these two websites 1/2) to see if there are any specific dresses you really want to try. Look up the shops that carry those lines and call ahead to see if they have the dresses you want to try. That way, you know there are some dresses at the appointment that will interest you and you can check them off the list if they're not your dress. It also doesn't hurt to ask what their deposit is so you know upfront how much you may be putting down.

However, have an open mind when trying on dresses, especially in the beginning. Remember my little "must have list" at the top? Sometimes you don't know what you want until you try them all on!

Don't be shocked at how different wedding sizes are from your typical size. I'm usually a size 4 and purchased a size 8 and it fit like a glove.

Consider alterations and accessories in your budget. - some salons have in-house alterations. If you can, have them talk through potential alterations and pricing. I've heard some salons order the dress bigger than you measure for alterations, although that wasn't the case at my salon.

I recommend waiting to select your bridal accessories. The jewelry, belts, and veils in the boutiques will probably be a lot more than what you can find online, and it doesn't hurt to space out the payments either. Instead of purchasing the matching veil to my dress for $1000 at my bridal boutique, and I ended up getting a veil for $100 off Etsy. Read or watch all about my bridal accessories here.

Consider having your gown shipped out of state to save on taxes. I shipped mine to my Aunt in FL and she overnighted it right back after she signed for it. The total cost was $70 for shipping vs $400 in taxes.

Take a little extra time to get ready for your appointment and bring a hair tie if you're planning to wear your hair up on your wedding day to see the full look.

Don't be that girl that gets self-tanner all over the sample dresses.

Don't think you need every single girlfriend and family member there, you want to save some surprises for them! I actually only had my Mom and Mother- in-law with me when I said yes.

After each appointment, write down your consultants name and any specifics you may not remember as far as style numbers, prices, and special offers. I wrote all of this down in my wedding planner.

There's no rule as to how many dresses you should try on. If you know you're the type of girl who will question if something else was out there (🙋), then keep looking!

What was your wedding dress style? Drop a picture or link below, I would love to see!

xo Amanda John

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Wedding Day Getting Ready Vlog

I'm pretty excited about this post because I thought it would be so fun to share a behind the scenes look at our wedding day. I knew the day would fly by, so I decided to attempt my first vlog. I was lucky enough to get all the extra scenes from our wedding videographer to make the video longer than 3 minutes.  You can see what really goes on behind the pretty wedding photos and my stress level escalate as we were rushing to stick to the timeline. 

I saved a few photos from our wedding post to also share with you today. When people would ask what I was looking forward to on our wedding day, I was almost excited about seeing Tim at the alter as I was thinking about getting ready with my girls all day. If you're interested in knowing where anything is from, I linked it all in my #JourneytoJohn wedding day post and the set up for our snacks is linked in my Valentine bar cart post. I also did a post and video all about my bridal accessories.

At the end of the post, I added in some wedding beauty chat :)

 Some girls have asked about my inspiration behind my hair and makeup, but to be honest, I didn't really put much thought into it. I booked our artist about 3 weeks before the wedding and did my trial the day of our rehearsal dinner so I didn't have to stress about getting ready for it. I decided not to wear my hair extensions because I just wanted to be comfortable throughout the night. I originally planned to wear my hair down for the ceremony and up for the reception, but after a windy first look I just asked her to throw it up and she did in about 3 minutes. If I could do it over again, I would probably wear the extensions and keep my hair down because that's more me on a daily basis. 

Everyone told me to do my own makeup, but I knew it would stress me out and I wouldn't apply it heavy enough for such a documented day. The lipstick wasn't exactly what I was comfortable with in person, but in the photos, it turned out to be the nude / pink I wanted. I let all the girls pick out their own hairstyle / makeup / dresses / and shoes because I wanted them to feel comfortable AND that's one less decision I had to make ;) 

I did want to give you a tip about your manicure choice... don't try something new for your wedding! I tried SNS for the first time, and I hated it. I couldn't wait to get it removed when we got back from our honeymoon. It felt like thick fake nails, and the color was not what I was wanting. I wanted my go-to opaque white pink and I ended up with a clear nude sparkle. The nail tech somewhat directed me to that choice and I hate making decisions so I didn't speak up. Also, I would recommend doing gel on your toes. My poor toe polish was destroyed after wearing closed toe heels for the rehearsal dinner and there wasn't any time to get them fixed. 

Thank you for reading and watching,

xo Amanda John 

Wedding Video #JourneytoJohn

So excited to share our wedding video today! If you're interested in our pictures, vendors, or products in the film, please refer to this post. I hope you enjoy! 

#JourneytoJohn: DIY Engagement Photos

Today I'm sharing our DIY engagement photos we took back in Savannah during my graduation weekend. After living there for two years and frequently visiting my family there growing up, Savannah will always have a place in my heart. With its' moss covered trees, historic homes, and charming squares Savannah is easily one of my favorite cities. I knew I wanted to take advantage while Tim was in town for my graduation to take some photos together at some of our favorite spots. After getting a few (not so affordable) quotes and some scheduling difficulties, the only option was to have my Mom snap some photos for us.

Think about the general tone you want for your pictures, whether you want to go more casual or more glam. We went for a look that would compliment our typical date night attire and coordinated in the same color family. Tims' outfit is easily a favorite of mine and he also wore it for out actual proposal in Arizona (read it here!). My attire on the other hand is not what I originally pictured to be honest. Shopping in Savannah is definitely more challenging than in Atlanta, so I had to settle for this dress I found on sale that didn't quite fit me right (aka it was too tight in the booty.. #squatlife). My clutch and shoes on the other hand potentially made up for it. 

If you're going the DIY route, definitely take the time to set up the camera setting how you want (looking at these we should have lowered the exposure) and set aside more time than you may expect. We didn't exactly have a lot of time because we did these before a dinner reservation. If we weren't on a time constraint, I would have made some minor adjustments to the camera settings, but I still love these nevertheless!

A few other things to keep in mind. Since you're not hiring a professional, you'll be responsible for the location scouting and editing. Try to consider places that are meaningful to you as a couple to get started. The first location we picked is right by our favorite date night spot - Vic's on the River. If you're taking photos in a public setting, plan on getting creative/be patient to avoid having people in your background. As for editing, I didn't do too much with these except for cropping, sharpening, and changing one to black and white. I'm by no means a photographer, but Tim and I have learned the most important thing when it comes to photography is lighting. Instead of standing directly in the sun, find a place that has shade to avoid shadows under your eyes (and squinting!).

Tim actually surprised me considering it was his first time in front of the camera..he is always the man behind the camera! I think I was more awkward than him, but I always laugh at myself when we take photos together. I would highly recommend looking at engagement photos prior to yours and make a list of poses on your phone the two of you can use throughout the shoot. I learned this after the fact,  but we learned it's important to do before the wedding!

My dress was on sale at Belt and I can't find it anywhere (it's by Lush), so I linked similar options below! 

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