First thoughts about The Dress

The question that eeeeevery body asks -- "have you bought your dress yet?" -- has finally started blipping on my radar. Maybe it's because some folks think that I'm waiting way too long to start looking. Maybe it's because I've been watching a ton of Say Yes To The Dress while I make flowers. Either way, I'm starting to feel really pumped about looking for a dress, and that's a good feeling.

It's an especially good feeling because I was worried at first that I wouldn't like anything. Most of those worries came from my idea that I would look as if I were wearing a tablecloth no matter what. But after a little online and tv research, I've finally seen that yes, some designers make gowns that look pretty awesome on women of my shape and size, and yes, the come in enough styles that I can contemplate choices. Hooray!

After my awesome experience at Alfred Angelo as a bridesmaid, I had my heart set on going back to their flagship store in Knoxville to find a bridal gown. But I got a copy of their catalog and looked at their selections online and... well... nothing really got me excited.* I still can't figure out why. They all started looking alike to me after a while, but you'd think that would hold true for all dresses.

I suspect it's because they don't have a lot of gowns that feature things that I feel go with the vibe of this shindig. Laid back, rustic, etc. -- big ol' ballgowns made of silk just aren't quite doing it for me. I still think they're gorgeous to look at, but I would feel a little weird in one at our homey afternoon deal.

But having watched a buttload of SYTTD, I also know how much designer gowns cost (as opposed to the "chain" AA gowns), and I'd rather make my own dress out of Bounty paper towels than spend that much money on something I wear for a few hours when I could be spending it on our honeymoon (I need to do a post on that topic, too!).
The obvious answer: David's Bridal.
Now, I don't get why DB gets such a bad rap from brides, unless they're expecting it to be something it's not. When I've asked this question on various places around the wedding-web, I've been told that you don't get the same service you get at a small salon, that the nature of the corporate beast compared to the mom-and-pop salon means that there's more chance for orders to go awry and whatnot, and that you might get glass "crystals" on your dress instead of Swarovski ones. Does this bother me? Nope. As long as I can find a saleslady to help me find the dresses I'd like to look at, I'm set!
And what are some of those dresses I'd like to look at?
I easily find a lot more things that look like something I'd like to try on on the DB website than I do on the AA one. I narrowed my top picks down to five. Guess what they mostly have in common?

(Style 9WG9859, Style 9E9351, Style 9WG9830, Style 9V9743, and Style 9PK3281. All pictures courtesy of David's Bridal)

All these dresses are made of flowy material (chiffon and/or organza), cut in flowly lines (A-line or Empire), and have a sweetheart neckline -- except that last one, which is awesome and not one I'd have expected to be interested in. But! These are all on people who aren't me. I want to see them on me. So... I'll be making a trip to David's Bridal in the near future. Hooray!

Which one is your favorite so far?