Rachel’s Bridals

Enjoy our favorites from Rachel’s bridal session, shot at the Julia Ideson Library, and then read below for how the process went in her own words!

Who was with you throughout the process of finding your wedding dress?  I took the woman who knows me the best, my mom. It was extremely special to share it just the two of us.

Did you know exactly what you were looking for in a wedding dress?  I knew I wanted something with straps, timeless, elegant and sophisticated. At first, I wasn’t trying on ball gowns and once I tried one on I knew I was going to be a ball gown bride. I described what I wanted as Grace Kelly meets Jackie Kennedy.

How many dresses/locations had you tried before you finally found the perfect dress?  I went to 4 different stores before I found “Berkeley,” that’s my dresses name. I tried on more dresses than I can remember, if I had to estimate over 50.

Describe the moment you realized “this is my dress.”  I put on the dress, looked in the mirror, and I knew. I locked eyes with my mom from the pedestal, and we both without saying anything at first knew it was my dress. I had a feeling when I first saw the dress it might be the one, but not until putting it on did I know. I couldn’t stop smiling, felt like a bride, and was so comfortable that I was walking around the store in the dress. I didn’t want to take it off!

What do you love about your dress and how does it make you feel?  What I love most is the beauty in its simplicity and the timelessness of my gown. It is elegant, classic, and refined. My mom had a fantastic idea to finish off the dress, and we added buttons all the way down the back to the end of the train. As well as, the addition of the belt for a bit of sparkle. It had pockets that came in so handy on the wedding day. The dress made me, and will always make me, feel on top of the world. I’ve never felt more beautiful and full of joy! I love it so much that after our wedding I put it on one Saturday, sat down and watched TV for a bit.