a tale of 7 wedding dresses.

So... you might remember that back in February I ordered 7 wedding dresses.* 

You guys, I ordered 7 wedding dresses tonight. SEVEN. Fingers crossed I love one of 'em.

— Amanda Greer (@ajigreer) February 18, 2015

Some frequently asked questions: 

Why did you order them? Why not just buy one from a store?

I went wedding dress shopping and didn't find any I liked. They were all long, poofy, fancy, bedazzled, etc. I wanted a simple, short dress. Nothing too traditional or fancy. 

Why not have one made?

I do live in China where it's fairly easy to get a dress made. But I didn't know exactly what I wanted and I couldn't imagine what I'd look like in a dress just from looking at a photo. I didn't want to pay a large amount of money and not love the result. 

That must have been expensive. (Okay, so that's not a question, but a lot of people said it.)

Not really. None of the dresses cost that much, Shopbop and ASOS offered free shipping, BHLDN's shipping was $45, and we only ended up paying duty for the BHLDN dresses.

Can I see? 

I didn't show anyone except Melissa and Alanna (two of my bridesmaids) the dresses. I didn't want anyone's opinion to sway my decision. And you wouldn't take your co-workers or acquaintances wedding dress shopping with you, right? 

But now that I've chosen a dress, I thought you might like to see them!

Obviously, I can't tell you what I thought about the dresses after I got them and tried them on, because you'd know which dress I chose (I'm keeping it a secret from Tony), but I can tell you what I was thinking when I ordered them. 

TFNC Prom Midi Dress from ASOS / Short, check. Simple, check. Strapless, maybe? I liked the neckline and the waist. I didn't like the length but figured I could have it hemmed easily enough.  

ASOS Petite Bandeau Dress in Floral Lace / I thought it might be too flowery in person but figured I'd give it a try since shipping was free and I knew I'd probably be returning other dresses anyway.  

ASOS PETITE Dress in Floral Burnout / I didn't ever plan on wearing this as a wedding dress, but thought it might be okay to wear to the rehearsal or a wedding shower or just as a "normal, everyday" dress. 

Frock and Frill Embellished Top Skater Dress from ASOS / I liked that I wouldn't have to worry about my bra straps showing (always a concern, fellow well-endowed ladies, am I right?) or wearing a strapless bra. Wasn't sure about all that embellishment, though. Would it end up looking too blingy or fancy in person?

Joanna August Newbury Cap Sleeve Dress from Shopbop / I didn't think I wanted a long dress, but what if I did and I didn't even know it? I had to order one or two just to be sure. I liked that this one was simple and figured I could dress it up with jewelry. Note: I ordered according to the size chart and it was way too big. Melissa, Alanna, and I actually laughed. Size down.

Evangeline Dress from BHLDN / I loved the look of this dress! Long, yes, but simple and elegant. I could picture myself getting married in a park wearing this. Loved the sash with it but it was sold separately for $180, only $80 less than the dress. No, thank you; there must be other places to buy a sash. Note: I ordered according to the size chart and it was too big. Size down.

Prato Romper from BHLDN / This was the wild card. A wedding romper? Could I really get married in a romper? I actually saw it a couple weeks before I ordered all these dresses and couldn't stop thinking about it. It was pretty and fun. I imagined it being comfortable and perfect for a wedding picnic. I loved it! I wanted to wear a wedding romper! So I ordered it.

And there you have them! My 7 wedding dresses!* Want to try and guess which one I chose? 

P.S. Our Save the Dates, our Chinese wedding, and thoughts on wedding planning.

*Actually 6 wedding dresses and a romper. But that takes longer to say and requires further explanation, trust me.