Should I Cry?

So begins the first edition of Pencils' Hunt For the Dress, also known as: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Dress Shopping. 

In this installment: The Good.

One week after Mr. Pencils and I sealed the deal, we went to visit my 'rents in North Carolina (caruhlinuh...) and we went to their neighborhood David's Bridal to begin the rite of passage that is finding a wedding dress.

I had no clue what I wanted.  I had tried to find some styles in those terrifying 500 page wedding magazines, but with each page I felt less and less like a bride to be and more like a five year old pretending. I had no clue, so I tried on whatever my consultants threw at me.  I have included what I remember as my thoughts with each dress.  This of course means I am editorializing now, but, the sentiment reigns true for each.

Witness dress #1:

"Holy schnikes, this is the first wedding dress I have ever worn. It's silky and slinky....et tu, Brute?!

Numero Due:

"ooh, me likes the bubble hem...but I feel effing stupid holding this "bouquet" the consultant made for me..."

Dress Three:

In the moment: "Lacy, beautiful...looks like my prom dress..." 

Now: "remind me to NOT make that face on our wedding day"

The final dress from DB that day.  When I saw it again from home, I was convinced that it might be the one:

"For how ridiculously wrinkly this dress is, I like the straps and the giant bow in the back!" 

**all David's Bridal dresses above from the Fall 2008 Collection.  Some are no longer available***

I hadn't had enough so the next day, Mama Pencils and I headed out solo while our other halves sat on the couch.  This independent bridal store had two "goods" (and some bads and uglies to come).  Both below are Alfred Angelo but no longer available on the website:

"Me loves the tiered lace skirt..me loves, me loves! Hmmmm..."

"ooh la la, my first mermaid (she called it mermaid right?)!  Why did she just say it will look better when I lose my tummy pooch? You dunnome lady!  Boo hiss..."

After no firm luck in the old South, I went on a brief adventure with my FMIL, Bridesmaid PF and Roomie Calamity Jane.  We all deeply fell in love with this Paloma Blanca, also now not available:

"It's lacy AND shiny..but no train...hmmm...I'm hungry"

Now it was a chilly November and I had been been on three trips over the course of three months.  My mind kept wandering back to this dress from David's Bridal, so I dragged Pencil parents, my FPILs, and Mr. Pencils to our DB to try again:

"It looks great! It's shiny...why are Mama Pencils and Mr. Pencils talking all furtively like that in the corner?"

They didn't like it.

Whew.  Two more goods left. This time, we're in Salem, Oregon for Christmas and we were snowed in for four days.  Upon our release, I made my Papa and Mama Pencils and Mr. Pencils go dress shopping again!

We found two contenders at two different stores.  I have no clue at all who the designer is for either dress- if you do PLEASE let me know.  So, here are two dresses from some very amazing dress designers:

"Oooohzzz, I love the folded toppy thing, and the simplicity..." 

Note: See Daddy Pencils' reaction in the mirror?

"I don't know what face to make in a wedding dress...but I like this laciness...I'm awkward..."

Thus ends the "good" in this installment of "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly"

How many "goods" did you find?  What face are you supposed to make when trying on dresses?  And can someone finally explain to me the diff between "mermaid" and "trumpet"?