The Truth About “The One”

After 11 years of helping brides find their wedding dresses, Elizabeth shares what happened when it was finally her turn.

After 11 years of guiding brides to their “yes” moments, I have seen it all. I have seen the overwhelming second it hits a bride. She realizes everything has aligned, she has found the one, and the tears come out of nowhere. I have seen the bride who comes in for one dress, tries it on, and says, “Yep!” There have been brides who try on five gowns, and while Mom may cry when she puts a veil on with the fifth, the bride's heart was set on the first. A bride may try on the first dress, knowing it has checked all the boxes, but still try on five more just to confirm there isn't something “better” out there.

One thing about “the one” is that no two brides have shared the same experience reaching that decision. There are high expectations surrounding this moment. Not only has society, through entertainment and social media, shown us what it is supposed to look like, but generations of stories passed down from women have shaped those expectations, too. Do not get me wrong. Finding the wedding dress you are going to wear down the aisle is a monumental milestone. Like all milestones, it is an important stepping stone toward something greater. In this case, our wedding day and, ultimately, the special union of marriage to our person.

For my first 10 years working as a bridal stylist, everyone always said to me, “You are going to have the hardest time picking out a wedding dress.” With the number of designer wedding gowns I have access to, the dresses I have tried on, and the new collections I have seen come through our bridal boutique over the years, I understood why they thought so. I truly did not know what to expect from my own wedding dress shopping journey, other than these influences: Who, What, When, Where, and Why. These were my checkboxes.

Now that I was engaged, it was time for me to check those boxes. Or so I thought.

The interesting thing about those checkboxes is that I checked them AFTER my heart led me to the dress. At first, I thought it was just another beautiful gown. But when I tried her on, I started to see myself in a new light. I did not have the overwhelming, tears-falling-down-my-face moment. My eyes teared up a little, and I felt present enough in that moment to connect the dots. This dress meant more to me than just another garment. I ran with that feeling. In the mirror, I saw an elevated version of myself, ready to be married in March, in a special church, surrounded by a few of my closest friends and family. Most importantly, I saw myself as a confident future life partner. A wife.

Now that I had those feelings, I did indeed review my checkboxes:

The Who

The “Who” was me. Who had I become in this chapter of my life, and how did that fit into how I wanted to feel on my wedding day? In my personal life, I have overcome some challenges, and in my dress, I wanted to feel proud and confident in the person I am today. In my dress, that looked like something fitted with a sophisticated neckline.

The What

The “What” was the level of intimacy and the number of people I chose to include in our ceremony. As I chose a smaller number of guests, I wanted a high level of detail in my wedding dress that each guest could appreciate, with an overall amount of fabric that felt modest.

The When

The “When” was truly just that. I got married in March, and I wanted my dress to feel seasonally appropriate. In my dress, that meant sleeves would work, so long as the gown felt light.

The Where

The “Where” was also just that. I chose to get married in the church my husband grew up attending. In my dress, this meant I wanted a conservative tone without compromising my personal style and edge.

The Why

The “Why” was the most important checkbox. This was the reason I had the chance to wear a wedding dress down the aisle in the first place: to ultimately make a commitment to my partner for life. In my dress, this question became, “Will I feel like the absolute best version of myself in this dress as I present myself to be the best partner I can be for life?”

In Dana Harel's Moe gown, it was an easy yes.

Especially as a bridal stylist, I could easily have had the fear that something more beautiful might come along. That another wedding dress could be made that I might want instead. I see so many brides lose out on their moment because of this thought. These are my honest thoughts: We are not looking for the better option. We are not looking for a list of favorites ranked one, two, and three. Of course, we want your most valued opinions to love the dress. And of course, there are a ton of other beautiful wedding dresses out there.

Allow your bridal stylist to help manage these thoughts and decisions. Trust that your stylist will guide your guests along the same path as you. Lean on your stylist, and trust that they will listen closely to your checkboxes. When your stylist has your back, like we do at Ladies of Lineage, all you need to do is let your heart guide your decision.

The truth is, we're not just looking for your gown. We are experiencing a milestone with you. This is much more than finding the dress. It is about seeing yourself in a new light and stepping into this next chapter of your life feeling confident, present, and 100% yourself. I believe the best way to find “the one” is to slow down, set expectations aside, stay present in the moment, and allow yourself to connect with how you feel in each dress. When you trust yourself and let the feelings lead, you will know when you've found it.

Xx,

Elizabeth

ELIZABETH HUBBELL | Showroom Manager & Senior Stylist For more than eleven years, Elizabeth has helped shape not only the brides of Ladies of Lineage, but the experience itself. Having styled thousands of women through one of fashion’s most personal decisions, she brings an instinct for fit, construction, personal style, and the often unspoken emotions that come with finding the dress. Now a recent bride herself—wearing Dana Harel down the aisle and Danielle Frankel to dance the night away. Elizabeth knows the experience from both sides of the fitting room. Her perspective is seasoned, thoughtful, and rooted in one belief: the right dress should feel unmistakably like the woman wearing it.