I bought my dress on Miracle Mile in Coral Gables, FL. I'm super picky, but didn't want to spend tons of money. I tried on about 10 different dresses -- they were all over $1k and I didn't connect with them. As my mother and I walked to the car, I happened to see this dress in the store window. I figured it was going to be super expensive, but it truly caught my eye and I had to try it on. I was floored that it was under 1k! My mother and I looked at each other, and knew it was the one.
The best part about this dress is how feminine I felt in it. I was doing crossfit at the time, and wanted something that was flowy and elegant. It has beautiful detail on the chiffon with some lace stitching and a flower with little, silver detailing. It was easy to move in the dress, so dancing and bathroom breaks were easy! It turns, moves, and is super photogenic. I love the material.
I know most people love to keep their dress forever, but 1) I don't plan on having children, so it wouldn't be passed down, 2) it's taking up a lot of closet space, and 3) we had already gotten married in a smaller, intimate setting, and the dress I wore there was the dress I had worn on our first date (which happened to be white!). That dress means more to me than this one. Would be nice to see this dress go to another bride to be used.
Also, it has been preserved, but I had to take it out of the box to get the dress size and some of the measurements.