Yesterday was such a special day.
Early in the morning, I met up with my mom and my sister for a morning wedding dress shopping!
Fueled by coffee, we headed over to The White Magnolia, a beautiful bridal boutique owned by one of my sorority sisters, Kerrie.
The boutique is absolutely stunning and from the moment we walked through the door, we all felt giddy with excitement.
There were so many gorgeous dresses in many different shapes and styles.
Leslie described what she was looking for and we spent some time walking around the boutique, pulling dresses for her to try. Leslie then slipped into the first dress and when she came out to show us, my mom and I were blown away.
She looked stunning. The dress was just so her. It was romantic and feminine and she looked like a bride. It felt like we already stumbled upon a winner, but we didn’t want to stop at the first one, so Leslie tried on a handful of dresses. She looked pretty in every single one, but nothing compared to the first dress.
After about an hour, Leslie put the first one back on. It became increasingly clear that it was the one. She found the dress! I can’t believe it was the very first one she put on and that it only took one appointment. I am so thrilled for her and know she will be such a gorgeous bride on her special day.
Her dress will be in sometime in December and then the alterations begin. I can’t wait to see her in it again!
Lunch
After we left the boutique, we were hungry and decided to grab lunch and talk wedding talk over salads at Panera.
At my sister’s urging, we all ordered the strawberry poppyseed salad with chicken and a warm baguette. I loved every bite.
Once we were done with lunch, we headed back to my parents’ place for a little more wedding fun.
My sister continued trying on bridal gowns and slipped into my mom’s dress!
And then she tried on my dress!
Clearly we have wedding fever!
I spent the rest of the afternoon chatting with my mom and sister about wedding-related to-dos before driving back to Ocala and enjoying a relaxing dinner at home with Ryan.
And now I’m off to Orlando for the day for a special training through my gym. More on that later!
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How exciting! Sounds like such a fun weekend!
So happy your Sister found her dress!
Sounds like such an exciting weekend for her.
Also – the three of you look SO much alike in that photo!
That panera salad looks super tasty. I’ve been kind of loving adding berries to my salads. It’s so refreshing.
How fun!!! Did you write about her engagement? I missed that post!
That is so awesome that the first dress your sister tried on was the one!!! I went wedding dress shopping with my mom and sister too and it was such fun!
What a special time for the ladies in your family. How fun and memorable is shopping for your sister’s wedding dress? My wedding dress was also the first one I tried on. Someone told me that it isn’t all that uncommon. I don’t know… Anyway, enjoy the fun with your sister and Mom.
Panera is defiantly one of favorite places to go out and eat! Their Thai Chopped Chicken salad is to die for! Aw, that’s great she found it so quickly. Seriously, lucky too lol. Now she doesn’t have to stress on that. This seriously makes me wish I had a sister, so when I get married I can do this.
Those dresses are beautiful! I can’t wait to hear more about the wedding. And the strawberry poppyseed salad is my favorite! Panera for the win! (:
Ahh soo fun!! I found my wedding dress this weekend to and I cannot wait to be in it!!
Wow, that’s amazing that the first one she tried on was the one! And how lucky that she got the dress the first time you guys went shopping. Love her trying on the other dresses! Too fun!
She is lucky to find her dress so quickly. You just know when you’ve found the right one!
I said the same thing! I took a lot longer!
You, your sister and your Mum look so alike in that photo!
I’m about to head wedding dress shopping with my Mum in a fortnight’s time and am really looking forward to it. It’s so frustrating seeing shopping for wedding dress posts and then having to wait until the day to see the dress but I am planning on doing exactly the same! Haha!
That salad looks really nice. I don’t think strawberries come in salad as often as they should. 🙂
Oh how special! Glad you three got to do that together. I bet it was a blast! And how awesome that the first dress she tried on was THE ONE?! Love that.
Isn’t it crazy how often the first dress is “the one?” I guess when you know, you just know!!
Wow all the dresses from the store look gorgeous. I’d be interested to see how styles have changed since I got married 4 years ago (and would it be a crime to try one on haha kidding…kind of!) My cousin who lives in the prairies of Canada is getting married next August, but might consider coming to visit me so we can go shopping in Toronto to try on some dresses. I’d be SO super excited if that happens!!
How crazy that she found the right dress on her first try! Love how she tried on both you and your mom’s dresses too!
How fun! What a great way for your fam to spend more quality time together too!
She’s so lucky to have found her wedding dress on the first try! Congratulations to her! 😀
Wedding dress shopping is so fun! I didn’t do the big bridal store trip when I got married so I really like going with other people and live vicariously through them. That is great that it was the first dress she tried on that was “the one.” What a fun time in life.
Love that guys try on your mom’s dress. Too cute!!!! How fun.
How exciting! I can’t believe it was the very first one she tried on! Have the picked a date yet?!
Yep! March 8, 2014!
How fun!!! Your family is so photogenic! 🙂
I swear so many women pick the 1st dress they try on….I know I did! Of course I tried on about 20 more before I finally had enough. I KNEW the first dress was the one!
Hahaha my mom’s dress looks pretty similar! And what fun, I LOVE wedding dress shopping and I can’t wait until it’s my turn!
I love your mom’s dress!!! I bet that could be re-vamped into something so modern and fun. Glad Leslie found her dress! How exciting. I couldn’t find anything I liked when I went, so I ordered something online. I did it months and months and months before my wedding, just in case. It turned out to be too small (I measured, but it was tight in a spot that they didn’t call for measurements — SO annoying!!), so I returned it and ordered the exact same dress in one size bigger. I ordered my dress and almost 9 months later I’m still working on it. My advice to anyone wanting to order their dress is now: START EARLY!! Hooray Leslie!!
how funny that the first dress was THE dress! so exciting 🙂 your mother is stunning – I can see where you and your sister get it from 😉
yay for your sister finding her dress on the first try! We actually went to the courthouse to get married and I wore a $20 dress from Ross!
That’s how my sister’s wedding dress shopping went as well! It’s so weird when it’s the very first dress. Have they set a date yet?
thrilling! i think i also purchased the first dress i tried on. there’s some stat that says like 25% of brides buy the first dress they try on!
I got goosebumps reading this … sooo fun! Congrats to your sister!
How exciting! : ))))) can’t believe it was the first try~
Aw, that’s so exciting that she found the dress! I have never known anyone to find THE dress in one day!
Thats so great that she’s already found the dress! I really want my friends to start getting engaged so I can do the shopping part.
I too bought the first dress I tried on! It was also the most expensive, lol. Of course, I kept looking, but after a few other stores, I realized I was just looking for the first dress, but for cheaper! So back to the first dress I went! And I’m glad I did 🙂
When I bought my prom dress (2 years ago) I bought the first one I tried on and the lady at the dress shop said that people usually try on the dress that they like the most first 🙂
SO MUCH FUN! Sometimes I walk by David’s Bridal and I am tempted to go in and try on dresses again! I ended up buying the very first dress that I saw when I walked into the store. I wish I could wear it again! Sometimes I feel like ripping it out of the package that I preserved it in and doing dishes in it like Monica on Friends.
Wow booked the venue already and found a dress on the first day? Your sister is so lucky! Maybe she can spread the smooth sailing along to the rest of us 🙂
Thanks for sharing such an intimate and wonderful experience – you all look so happy!!
I always thought you and your sister looked a lot alike, but in that photo, you totally look different to me (beautiful of course each – including your mum).
Panera looks good…not sure Canada has that – at least not where I live.
Ever see that Friends episode with Monica and the wedding dresses? 🙂
I found my dress in April and it was the very first one I tried on, too! It was such a great feeling. (And a huge sigh of relief to my mom and sister because I hate shopping and the entire day could have been a total disaster if I hadn’t lucked out!)
That’s so exciting that your sister found her dress. It reminded me of my experience I ended up getting the first dress I tried on too and the first shopping trip.
I loved ur dress but it is funny that it does not suit ur sister …. yet u have similar body types. My mom was married in 1955 and i love her dress …. blush pink with tulle floaty ballerina skirt but she had an 19 inchwaist then …. eeeeeeek. It barely goes past my knees.
I bought first dress i tried on as did my mom … i used lace from her gloves as my something old.
Plese post a pic of ur mom on her wedding day…
OOOOH so fun!!!! I remember wedding dress shopping with my mom as one of my FAVORITE parts about planning our wedding 🙂 Such precious memories 🙂 So happy for your sister, can’t wait to see what she picked!!
How fun! I’m pretty sure that’s a record-I don’t know anyone who found their dress that quickly. How exciting for you all!
so fun!! I ended up buying the first dress I tried on, too – it’s funny when it works out that way!
OMG how exciting!!!! I just clicked the link that took me to your wedding. The pictures are absolutely stunning. Its so nice that you get to take part in searching for the perfect dress with your sister. Im sure it means the world to her 🙂
That’s so exciting! The same exact thing happened to me. It was the first wedding dress I tired on- walked out crying. BUT my mom wanted the experience of going to all these bridal stores and seeing me in dresses, so I humored her. Only to go back and get that very first one!
So excited for your sister, that’s amazing.
All such beautiful dresses! She’s so lucky she found her dress on her first try. It was meant to be!
Ahh what luck is that to have tried on the first dress and fell in love with it!? So amazing. Kind of like me, with car shopping and loved the first car I drove. Hahaha… not really the same, but uh I can’t really relate lol.
That boutique looks beautiful! Wedding dress shopping sounds super fun. Glad your sister found a dress. What a fun activity to do with your family. Congrats to your sister!
That is SO exciting she found her dress! I found my dress on the 3rd dress at my 1st store too. Kinda cray!
ps.. that is my fave salad from panera!!
Awww wedding dress shopping is one of the most fun parts!! She is lucky I probably shopped at 6 different stores and tried on countless dresses before I found the one! Great for her!! Enjoy this time together! 🙂