Not sure what to do....

[mtigercat]

Sorry this is long, but I am stressing....
As some of you have read in a previous post, I have a dress that I am not in love with. I have been looking around at tons of dresses, tried tons of dresses on and still haven't found "the one".
I have found a dress that i am really drawn to. I can get it ordered for only about $565. I have found it online for $449 so i may be able to bargain with the shop owner to get it cheaper. I am not sure if it will need altered or not once i get it.
the problem...I have not been able to try it on. I cannot find this dress in another store anywhere near me. I have not really found another dress that is similar to try on. I have not had much luck with seeing a dress and loving it, but when i try it on it doesn't look so great. I keep looking at this dress and the more i look the more i love it. I am just afraid that if i order it and get it it won't look good and i will have wasted the money on yet another more expensive dress that i look awful in. I don't know what to do. I don't have any pics yet of me in the first dress. and i cannot copy a pic of the new dress so i will try to post the link. if the link doesn't work it is mary's bridal style 8629. it is in the fairy tale princess collection.
here's the link
http://www.marysbridal.com/bridal/8629.htm

I just don't know what to do. I LOVE the dress in the picture. However i am a size 18w-22w (depending on the dress company). The girl in the picture is probably about a size 4. So I cannot even get an idea of what it might look like. I am just at a loss and don't know what to do. i can't afford to buy another dress and not like it on me. (really I can't afford another dress, but we are making an exception). the other problem I am stressing over is getting a dress now and not being able to fit into it next year. I am worried about gaining more weight but also losing weight and the dress not fitting properly. I know I can get it altered, but I am again going back to the not sure if it will look right on me.
Ok I am going to quit rambling now and wait for you gals words of wisdom to ease my mind. i tried talking with FH, but he just doesn't seem to understand. He tells me I look great in all my clothes. God bless him he is great, but i just don't think he understands this.

[StarCoveter]

My FH doesn't understand about clothing woes either... he says the same thing, that everything looks good on me, but he's a little biased. :grinhappy:

I would be hesitant to order a dress that I haven't been able to try on. You make a good point about model being a significantly smaller size than you. It will make a difference in how the dress looks. Does the online store have a return policy?

On the other hand, it is a beautiful dress, and probably looks good on many different body types.

I know my input probably isn't helping, but you do have some time. Your wedding is still a little ways away, so you may be able to find it somewhere nearby soon. If it were me though, and the online place didn't have a return policy, I wouldn't risk the money, if I was on a tight budget.

[StarCoveter]

If you have a David's Bridal near you, these two dresses seem similar to the online dress that you're looking at. They both have the sweetheart necklines, and the swoopy fabric on the front. (if that made sense) You could go and try on these dresses in your size, see if you like the look of the sweetheart neckline and front detail, and then make your decision.

http://www.davidsbridal.com/bridal_gowns_detail.jsp?stid=3333&prodgroup=159

http://www.davidsbridal.com/bridal_gowns_detail.jsp?stid=2309&prodgroup=159

[RosieAngel]

Oooh, you're looking at an A-line dress with a gathered drape! Those flatter EVERYONE. Seriously. And it has the back cut that tapers, so there's no dreaded armpit flab to worry about.

I know you'll look fabulous in it!

[starsthrumysoul]

Okay first of all, that gown is GORGEOUS!

BUT (of course there's a but), I hope you'll learn something from my story..

I found a dress in a magazine that I was IN LOVE with (see if you're curious: http://www.jasminebridal.com/html/en/web1_collection_3_a.asp?id=1435)

Unfortunately for me, there are not many stores near me that had THAT dress IN store that I could try on. It took me MANY phonecalls to find a store that did, and a day-trip just to get there to try it on. I'm glad I did - otherwise I would have always wondered about it. But it was not the dress for me. It just didn't look right on, the sleeves itched, the bodice was too long for my body, and although it looked great from the side, it looked a little goofy from the front.

SO I think you should hunt it down somewhere to try it on. Though I have known girls who have bought dresses online without trying on first, it doesn't work for everyone (and would have been a bad idea for me).