How 17 Different Brides Finally Fell in Love With a Wedding Dress

The dress: Anne Barge Castellane

Dresses tried on before finding The One: 10(ish)

The story: "Of course, this was one of the first ones I tried on, but I felt like I needed to see more before I made my decision. I wanted something so GIGANTIC that people would have to think twice about hugging me. Oddly enough, my bridal party liked a different Anne Barge gown for me, but this is the one that I felt most accurately represented my style. This dress was me."

Something old, something new...: "I didn't really think about this prior to my wedding. My best friend and bridesmaid gave my her late mother's handkerchief as my something blue, and that item really meant the most to me."

Where the dress is now: "Stuffed in my childhood closet. Those stains will literally never come out now."

The dress: Trista Smith

Dresses tried on before finding The One: "Zero. As soon as I saw Trista's designs, I trusted she would make the perfect thing for me! I just told her I wanted something backless and long-sleeved. Plus, I didn't want to waste much time choosing a dress."

The story: "My husband and I did something we've always wanted to do independently — elope. Our intention was to have a cruelty-free, waste-free, and stress-free wedding, so we went into the redwoods forest in Northern California and said our vows in front of our parents. I was barefoot, and my husband wore vegan Dr. Martens. The whole thing was so ethereal, dreamy, and totally natural. After the ceremony was over, we went out to Point Cabrillo Lighthouse in Mendocino, where I switched my flower crown for a vintage birdcage veil, and we took another round of gorgeous pictures."

Something old, something new...: "In line with our waste-free theme, I chose a dress designer who makes all her dresses from reclaimed materials. My entire dress was created from an old tablecloth from the 1920s! So I definitely count it as something old. In fact, just about everything other than my handmade flower crown was something old. My wedding shoes had been sitting in my closet for nearly seven years, and my faux pearl earrings were from my mom."

Where the dress is now: "It's in a box underneath my bed. I'm not sure what I want to do with it now, but I'm thinking about sending it back to Trista to have her make a Summer dress out of it."

The dress: Maggie Sottero

Dresses tried on before finding The One: 7-8

The story: "I'd never been the person who dreamt of her wedding day, and I was nervous by all my friends' assurances that when I tried on 'the dress,' I'd know it. But there you had it, when I put on this embellished lace and tulle trumpet gown, I was sold. It helped that it made my mom and aunt cry, even if not me."

Something old, something new...: "My something old was my wedding band — it's a simple gold ring that my mom picked up at a flea market in the '70s! My something new was the dress, my something blue was a gorgeous sapphire necklace my husband gave to me on our wedding day to match the sapphires in my engagement ring. My something borrowed was technically my mom's garter, but I kept it, so I'll admit that my actual 'borrow' was a pretty box clutch that I'd bought but barely used . . . and returned the next week! Shhh!"

Where the dress is now: "In a garment bag in my parents' basement. I haven't even cleaned it yet, and with all the running around I did outside taking pictures, and the amount of times it was snagged on the dance floor, it definitely could have used some TLC. But for the deal I got on it, it felt wrong spending more to have it preserved just to sit in a box, very likely never to be worn again. Although I think it's beautiful, I'm not going to assume a future daughter or granddaughter is going to want to dust this off!"

The dress: Vera Wang

Dresses tried on before finding The One: 3-4

The story: "I never thought I would end up in a strapless dress, but it felt right in the moment. I was one of those brides who had immediate regret after buying the dress. As soon as I put down the payment and walked out of the Neiman Marcus bridal salon knowing that there would be upwards of six months until I saw it again, I was filled with a sense of dread that I would hate it when I had my fittings. I'll be honest: I did cry at my first fitting. I grew to be at peace with it, but had moments of thinking I was crazy for picking a dress with horizontal stripes. Now I feel attached to it and fond of it, but it's not my favorite thing about our wedding. Loving the dress wasn't the most important thing to me. You can love your wedding and not be 100 percent in love with your dress."

Something old, something new...: "Something old was a locket my mother gave me that my father gave her on their wedding day. Something new were sequined Christian Louboutins. One of my bridesmaids lent me a chain to hang the locket on, and my blue was Hanky Pankies."

Where the dress is now: "Real talk: I left it at the dry cleaner for over a year. Now, it's in a preservation box underneath our guest bed. There's a window so I can look at it."

The dress: Bonny Bridal

Dresses tried on before finding The One: 8

The story: "When I put on the dress I ultimately chose, my mother-in-law was gushing, and my sarcastic bridesmaid was cursing a lot, in a good way. It helped that the sample size was pretty darn close to my size, and that the price was so, so right. My favorite part of the dress, though, was how the skirt and train rippled down — so feminine."

Something old, something new...: "For my something old, I had my great-grandmother's ring, and my gorgeous pearl necklace and earrings — a gift from my wife — were something new. I got extra lucky with my something borrowed — at a friend's wedding the year before, I'd caught the bouquet, which had a blue ribbon around it. I kept that ribbon and one of the pins and used them for my own bouquet, and then I gave the pin back to the other bride. I also painted my nails blue, just because."

Where the dress is now: "My mother-in-law was nice enough to have the dress professionally cleaned for me, so now it's safe in a storage box in my closet."

The dress: Casablanca

Dresses tried on before finding The One: 20

The story: "I loved the lace, the small train, the way it moved. I loved that it was a little bit sparkly and a little bit fairy tale, but also casual enough to work with our outdoor venue. And there was something in my mom's reaction, and in my best friends' reactions, that told me it was the right choice."

Something old, something new...: "I counted the dress as something new, and I paired it with my mom's diamond and blue sapphire bracelet — which tripled as something old, something borrowed, and something blue."

Where the dress is now: "I had my dress preserved, and now it's tucked into a box in the corner of my closet."

The dress: J.Crew

Dresses tried on before finding The One: 5-6

The story: "I tried on a few dresses at bridal salons, but they all felt stuffy, heavy, overdone, and . . . not me. I'd been admiring J.Crew's wedding collection online. I loved the simple elegance of their dresses. As soon as this dress came in the mail and I put it on, I knew it was the one. It fit perfectly even without any alterations, felt light and airy, and really fit the vibe of our somewhat less formal, outdoor wedding. Fun fact: the dress went on sale three times between the time I bought it and the time I got married, so I kept returning it and re-buying it at the sale price. I ended up paying $75 total for the dress."

Something old, something new...: "My something old and something borrowed was a pearl necklace that belonged to my maternal grandmother, and my something new was a pair of pearl and diamond earrings. I don't think I had a something blue! Am I cursed?"

Where the dress is now: "I had it cleaned and packed up, and there it sits, in its box in my closet. I'd love to find a new use for it someday, or pass it down to one of my nieces or a future child!"

The dress: Marisa

Dresses tried on before finding The One: "Literally tried on 50-plus, no joke. Sometimes I wonder if I really loved the dress or just got tired of trying things on."

The story: "I love feminine details, and this dress had both beautiful lace and asymmetrical layers of chiffon draping from one side down. It was comfortable enough to dance all night in, too — a very important feature."

Something old, something new...: "A clutch that was given to me by a friend years ago was my something old. New was Jimmy Choo shoes. Borrowed was the handkerchief my sister used on her wedding day, and blue were Alexis Bittar earrings."

Where the dress is now: "After a year and a half, I still haven't done anything with it — in fact, it's been sitting at my parents' house since the wedding and my mom has been hinting at me to do something with it for months now. I hate that it goes to waste after one wear, so I have visions of a future anniversary 'trash the dress' shoot with my husband . . . but he doesn't know this yet."

The dress: Carolina Herrera

Dresses tried on before finding The One: "I tried on maybe four dresses total and got this one and one to change into for my reception."

The story: "I got it at a sample sale! I wanted a beautiful dress but I wanted to be reasonable with my overall budget. I never wanted to wear a traditional wedding gown but once you put one on that is this beautiful, you realize the power of the princess moment. I loved the simplicity of the dress and the small details. The only embellishment was rows of tiny topstitching along the bust and on the peplum."

Something old, something new...: "My something old was a Judith Leiber clutch that my aunt had given to me years before — my bouquet was made of green tea roses and it matched perfectly. My something borrowed were spectacular diamond bracelets from my eternally stylish and generous grandmother. And my something blue was an antique handkerchief from my family that I pinned to the underlayer of my dress."

Where the dress is now: "It is archived at my parents' house in Houston. I hope someone wants to borrow it one day or I find a good use for it. Seems sad to waste it!"

The dress: Enzoani

Dresses tried on before finding The One: "I'd guess over 50. We went to five different places, and a couple shops twice. This was the very last dress I tried on, and I knew it was the one immediately."

The story: "I knew that I wanted lace and that I didn't want a strapless dress. I had my heart set on another gorgeous lace cap-sleeve dress initially, but then discovered I couldn't lift my arms above my head with that design. This one won out because it was unique, comfortable, lightweight and I just felt like myself in it."

Something old, something new...: "I combined my something old and borrowed: The brooch that I put on my belt actually belonged to my great aunt. I splurged on new shoes, and my mom gave me a garter that had some blue in it."

Where the dress is now: "My parents sweetly got it dry cleaned while I was on my honeymoon and it's now hanging in their hall closet. I don't know what, if anything, I'll eventually do with it."

The dress: Maggie Sottero

Dresses tried on before finding The One: 30

The story: "I wanted big and poofy because it was so different from the jeans and tees I usually wore. Originally I wanted a ballerina style with a huge tulle skirt with a hoop, but then realized I wouldn't be able to walk! A tie-up back was also on my list so I wouldn't stress about it fitting on the special day. I didn't like a whole lot of beadwork or embroidery, and definitely no lace. And since I'm a practical person, I also didn't want to spend a lot on something I'd only wear for a few hours, and actually got it on sale for $400!"

Something old, something new…: "I had my wedding band made using small diamonds from a ring given to me after my grandmother passed away, so that was my something old. The dress was the something new, I wore pale blue undies, and I borrowed a silk robe from my bridesmaid that she wore getting ready for her wedding."

Where the dress is now: "It's in my 18-month-old son's closet, zipped up in a gown bag, covered with grass stains and who knows what else. I never wanted to have it cleaned or preserved because I wanted to leave it as is, because seeing it well-worn reminds me of how truly special that day was."