All About the Dress

I, too, had to start where most brides do -- the pièce de résistance -- the dress, of course! What girl doesn’t dream of her ideal wedding gown? But when it comes to actually selecting one, it’s easy to be overwhelmed. Cap sleeve or one shoulder? Princess or mermaid? Beading or pleating? The choices are endless. When it came time for me to go shopping, I did what I recommend all of you to do -- I turned to celebrities for inspiration.

I loved the elegance, simplicity and vintage feel of Jenna Bush’s dress. The scalloped sleeves were so feminine and unique. (I swore I wouldn’t go strapless! It looks lovely on most, but I wanted to do something different.) The beading and embroidery gave the garment a “lace look” that really appealed to me and the vision I had for my day, which was that of a down home affair. I appreciated the overall ease of the dress. I’m not a big ball gown kind of girl. For me, this was the perfect ensemble to go with the perfectly understated, barefoot beach ceremony followed by a rustic barn reception. The only problem? Jenna’s dress was an Oscar de la Renta! Slightly out of my price range...

But that’s where photos come in! I simply printed out
a picture of Jenna’s dress and brought it along with
me to dress salons to demonstrate my concept. They were thrilled that I came prepared, knew my style and exactly what I was looking for. It saved both time and confusion. Of course, I still tried on a few other dresses that I knew weren’t for me -- just for kicks! It is your dream day after all -- you should make sure to have fun along the way!

In the end, I decided on a gorgeous Monique Lhuillier that was much more affordable than Jenna’s Oscar de la Renta but still had the same look and feel of her dress. It was understated, classy and, most of all, me!

Which celeb dress best suits you?

-- Natalie Thomas, Us Weekly Editor

And don't forget to check out Natalie's fitness blog on UsMagazine.com!