Although The Inspired Abode focuses on all things home – including food, décor, entertaining & more – our lives in 2021 were consumed with wedding planning. We also realized how unique & rare it is that two best friends, let alone twin sisters, were engaged & planning weddings at the same time. All that to say, we’re excited to share our wedding planning journeys here, even though we’ve both been married for over a year already!

As you may or may not know, we’re twin sisters that have been pretty much inseparable since birth. We were always in the same classes, had the same friends & even now being in our thirties, we still share best friends & rarely go a week without seeing each other. It definitely helps that our husbands are now best friends after spending the last 8+ years hanging out. We’re extremely lucky!

When we both got engaged in 2020 (B in August & Kel in November), we knew that the next 12-18 months were going to be some of our best yet. Not only were we excited to plan our own weddings, but we were so excited to be the best MOHs (maid of honor) for each other along the way. We heard our fair share of twin jokes & assumptions – “Why don’t you have a double wedding?!” – and although we have similar tastes in pretty much everything (including wedding décor), we were so excited to help each other create the perfect wedding day experience that was far from identical.

Finding the Ones – Our Wedding Dresses

One #twinning thing that we didn’t expect? Finding our dresses at the same bridal salon…on the same day! And no, don’t worry, they were totally different, including being sourced from different designers. It was our third & final appointment that we had scheduled. Kelcy had thought she found “the one” at our very first appointment, but she thought she’d try on dresses just for fun. Little did she know, she’d fall in love with one of the dresses that she tried on. The salon even had a similar dress to the one she thought she wanted so she could compare.

The only bummer of the whole experience was not being served Champagne at any of our appointments because of Covid protocols. Although, that didn’t stop us from grabbing a fun lunch complete with a cocktail after each appointment!

Wedding Dress Shopping Tips & Tricks

1. Schedule multiple appointments at a number of different salons. This will give you both an excuse to have multiple fun days with your girls, and you’ll also get a sense of different styles & designers that are carried at each of the various salons. If you’re local or near to the Los Angeles area, we enjoyed our experiences at:

   • The White Dress in Corona Del Mar, California

   • The Dress in Santa Barbara, California

   • Grace Loves Lace in Venice, California

2. Try on dresses that you wouldn’t normally gravitate towards. This one is tough to do because I’m sure you’ve been picturing yourself in a specific-style dress for years, but you might surprise yourself! If anything, it will help you feel confident in making your decision.

3. On a budget? Ask if there is a sample for sale. Bridal salons tend to have trunk shows & sample sales too, so sign up for all of the email lists and get ready to pounce! Even better if you find the styles of dress you like first by shopping around, so you can feel confident in making a sample-sale purchase later on.

4. Take photos and videos! None of us are professional photographers, so just because a dress doesn’t photograph well doesn’t mean that it won’t look great on the day of. Your makeup & hair, plus the lighting & vibe, will be completely different when the big day finally arrives. Taking video of yourself moving in the dress – even practicing walking down the aisle! – will help you envision a more realistic view of what you’ll look like on the big day.

5. When going to order your dress, don’t worry about fitting into a certain size you have in mind. Designers are so different when it comes to how they size their wedding dresses, so go with the bridal salon’s recommendation & be realistic!! You want to enjoy your engagement – not spend every waking moment counting calories and worrying about fitting into a dress that’s too small.

6. Save room in your budget for alterations! The prices can vary quite a bit depending what you need done, but you can expect to spend at least $360+ for hemming, adding a bustle, and small tweaks.

Wishing all of you soon-to-be brides a wonderful wedding dress shopping experience! Remember to relax, have fun & enjoy the process! And now that most Covid protocols are over, you can sip Champagne & look in the mirror sans-mask – something to celebrate in itself.

For more pre-wedding inspiration, get inspired by Kelcy’s bachelorette weekend in Temecula and these gorgeous wedding guest dresses under $250! Happy planning!