I probably tried on 10 – 12 dresses. I’m not a “bride-y” girl; I didn’t buy any bridal magazines and only [begrudgingly] used Pinterest at my wedding planner’s request. So, I had no idea what type of dress I wanted. I have a pretty athletic frame, and I wanted something that went with the low-key, tropic vibe of our wedding. I knew I didn’t want anything too princess-y, too poufy or too long.
I ended up kind of liking a lace dress with a low back and another strapless dress that gathered on the side. As I was standing in the studio with the lace dress on, a man came over and said, “hang on, I have the perfect dress for you.” Quickly, my associate whispered, “that’s Angel Rivera, he’s a designer, and he’s brilliant.” He brought the Maya dress over and I tried it on and he was right… it was perfect. I didn’t buy the dress immediately – I wanted my mom, dad and two sisters to weigh in on the choice. When we came back the following week, my mom looked at the dress, looked at me, and started crying. At that point, I really was certain, it was the perfect dress. And, it doesn't hurt that the designer hand-picked it for me!
The dress was perfect for our wedding. I was totally comfortable and able to dance all night. The dress is certainly modern and chic, but it can be dressed up or down depending on the vibe of your event. I wore very little jewelry and accessories since we had a casual, Hawaii wedding, but you could certainly add a sash and dress it up to be the perfect gown for a posh hotel ceremony.