Yes, you heard me right. I found my dream wedding dress in two hours and I got an incredible deal too! I’m pretty sure this is either a world record and/or the universe telling me that it’s absolutely my time to get married. So far wedding planning has been surprisingly easy. Not only did I find the dress in two hours, we also fell in love with the first venue we saw in the Pocono Mountains!

So here’s how the stars aligned. My mom, sister and cousin came into the city to look at dresses with me one weekend. My friend Tracy joined too. Our first stop was The Bridal Garden, a non-profit dress shop in Manhattan where designers donate their sample dresses when they’re done with them. All of the proceeds go toward supporting education programs for disadvantaged youth. We spent the morning going through bags and bags of dresses and selected a bunch to try on. I knew I wanted a trumpet style wedding dress as that’s what I feel looks best on me, but I was pretty much open to anything. I also wondered if I could pull off the look Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy had on her wedding day. She’s such a fashion icon for me and when you mention that look at a bridal shop, they totally know what you’re talking about.

After trying on a bunch of dresses, I found two trumpet style wedding gowns that I absolutely loved. But, at the end of the day, the Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy inspired dress stole the show. It was a bridal size zero which I never thought would fit me, but it actually did. It’s most likely the one the model wore down the runway. I was hesitant about getting my dress at the first place I looked, but something about it told me it was meant to be. Plus, they don’t hold anything and I’d never see another Anna Maier wedding dress at that price again for as long as I live. So I said yes to the dress, we all clapped, toasted and then went to my Kleinfeld appointment because they charge you if you don’t show up. Even though I already had my dress literally in hand, it was nice to visit the iconic home of Say Yes to the Dress and get the experience. When I heard bells ringing and people cheering every time someone else said yes to their dress, I knew I’d made the right decision. I canceled my other two appointments and had a long brunch the next morning with my family. It was glorious.

I couldn’t be happier with my dress and I can’t wait to share it with all of you on the big day! I still can’t believe that I found the one in under two hours. But, I did and it was magical. Even if you don’t live in New York, The Bridal Garden is totally worth going to for your wedding dress. The deals are insane and they are super nice and knowledgeable. Another similar bridal shop you should go to in NYC is Our Story Bridal. I know a few other brides who also found designer gowns at The Bridal Garden too that they absolutely loved. I guess now I’m one of them.

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