NYC day 1

I arrived home last Tuesday, mom and I got mani/pedis and ran errands on Wednesday and by 10:30 am Thursday we were in the big apple. Here's a photo I took while en route (good thing mom was keeping her eyes on the road!).

My first appointment was at noon at a place called The Designer Loft. This place was pretty low key and they had a nice selection. Just like the first time I went dress shopping, however, everything I tried on just felt like a pretty dress. I wanted to have THE FEELING - the heart racing, tear inducing, choirs of angels singing feeling. So far, no such luck. My favorite from this store was a Pronovias design from a few years ago - Lydia. For the life of me I cannot find a picture. But even though Lydia was pretty, I knew in my heart it wasn't the one and at that point was getting discouraged that it would even happen at all.

Later that afternoon we went to my second appointment at a place called The Bridal Garden. Their website explains that they are a non-profit bridal boutique that benefits New York City school children. Dresses and veils are donated to them from top designers such as Vera Wang, Amsale, Monique Lhuillier, Melissa Sweet, Jim Hjelm and many others. We didn't have the best experience there, not to mention the fact that I didn't see any dresses by the designers above or any others I recognized. But I would still recommend The Bridal Garden to brides who are maybe a bit more flexible in what they are looking for.

Overall, it was a wonderful first day in the city, spending time with my mom, enjoying the sights and sounds. But what TRULY mattered was my appointment the next day. Up next - Kleinfeld's...