gowns in and around seattle

thanks to everyone who commented on my last wedding dress post. i had hoped to pick between those three dresses and call it a day, but i got the nay from my MOH so it's back to the drawing board. i had a jam packed day yesterday that included three wedding gown shoppes and walking blocks and blocks and blocks around downtown seattle since i was too cheap to pay for parking. so here's my experience at la belle elaine's, which is right by the space needle in seattle. the shop is worth going to just for the fact that they have a runway you can model on for your bridesmaids/mom/whoever you bring along.


i apologize that i can't name the designers of these dresses i tried on because i lost the little business card they were written down on, but these are the lines they carry:


the dressing room i used had a window, so i was able to make use of natural light to get decent photos (which i took secretly, shh). i liked this jim hjelm piece the best - but it's huge on me and the breast-peaks on the bodice don't hit me in the right place. the picture doesn't make it look overly fabulous, but it's simple, understated, and elegant, and the train ruffles along the ground in an exciting ripply way.















another place i stopped into was cynderellie's closet, in edmonds, WA, just 15-20 minutes north of seattle. notable lines in their collection include the oh so affordable maggie sottero, and cassablanca. in fact - if you're not from seattle, and you're looking for affordable dresses that don't shout david's bridal but are in the same price range - check out those links of the gowns they carry and find some local stores in your area.
this dress is such a score. it's got a beautiful trumpet bottom....and if you look at that price tag on the left....it's only $329!!! to me that's totally unbelievable - that's the price of a lot of ill-fitting bridesmaids dresses!



because every shop has a cute little number that i always try on just for fun:


Maggie Sottero: S5125 "Allison Marie"


i love maggie sotterro because where else can you get a gorgeous dress that laces up the back for under $1K? not only that, but her taffeta has this really great tactile quality that doesn't scream tacky, and i think these dresses would be perfect for trash the dress shoots because they'd probably be the most washable. this dress below, called Vernice, is one of her few that is available in silk for an affordable $799, or tafetta for $499. i seriously can't get over these prices.




and here's the fabulous firecracker of a lady that works nights so busy brides can try on dresses till 8pm on most weekdays! they have great (clean!) seamless boustiers, they don't work on commission, and this saleslady was a hoot to work with! i had a fabulous time at this store and definitely recommended dropping by. they're camera friendly (always a plus), and i can't say enough about the lines they carry. they even restored my faith in mono-chromatic bridesmaids dresses, but that's for another post.