How I Got My Gown: South Jersey
Real brides tell us how they scored their dream dresses
The Bride: Lauren Hoffmann, a 26-year-old public relations account executive
Her Gown: Henry Roth, style 22518
Her Story: "I really wanted to look traditional on my wedding day, so to me that meant a ball gown with a long train and covered buttons. But I also wanted the dress to have some beautiful, unique details—the kind that would make a person look twice and say, 'Wow! Did you notice that?'
I tried on so many gowns the first day I shopped! I wasn't really planning on finding 'the one'—I just wanted to sample as many different styles and shapes as possible so I could figure out what I liked and how I felt in various fabrics. At the second salon I visited, the offerings were a little more selective so I was able to try on some couture gowns and learn about the techniques used in making high-end dresses. For my third venture out, with my mom and maid of honor in tow, I visited Kleinfeld Bridal in New York, and it was here that I found 'the one.'
It was a Henry Roth dress, the very last gown I tried on, and when I put it on, my mother and maid of honor were floored—they couldn't stop gushing about how much they loved it. I must admit, it didn't hit me right away. I had always imagined that when I tried on the perfect gown I would have a 'love at first sight' kind of moment. I didn't. Perhaps I can attribute this to the fact that I was exhausted from trying on dresses for two hours; I had probably tried on about 50 gowns!
I decided a lunch break was what I needed. And it was away from the salon and all those gowns that it slowly dawned on me—the Henry Roth gown had absolutely everything I wanted in a wedding dress: a ball-gown shape, covered buttons down the back and along the gorgeous long train, and beautiful details like a satin belt and Swarovski crystals woven into the bodice and the hemline. It was then and there that I decided, I have to have that dress! Back at the salon I slipped into it one last time, and finally I felt my magic moment—my mom and I both began to cry. It was the best feeling in the world!" —Lauren Matthews
