Searching for a Wedding Dress

Once you get engaged and have set a date, everyone’s favorite question is: Did you get a dress? This question, while seemingly harmless, can actually lead to more pain and frustration than one may think.

Many girls dream of shopping for a wedding dress for the precise reason that they get to go shopping. When I hear the word “shopping” I run inside and lock the door. I have never had confidence in myself as a shopper and I definitely do not trust myself to make a big decision like buying a wedding dress. (Just the other day I learned that you are not supposed to wear brown and navy blue together. Who makes up these rules?)

Despite my lack of self confidence in this department, I still need a wedding dress. Fortunately I live only a few streets away from “wedding dress central” on Dizengoff street. (Another perk of living in central Tel Aviv). Trying to coordinate with friends to go shopping can be difficult, so I usually just find myself wandering into stores on my way home from work.

Wedding dresses in Israel run the gamut from very fancy and ornate, to a simple white sun dress. Really, anything goes here. Unlike the States, you usually do not find dresses with trains, since many weddings are outside and it is very hot in the summer months. Nonetheless, some dresses have so many layers that they might as well have another piece of material tacked on to the back. The biggest difference I found is that in Israel, most people rent their dresses. Wedding dresses here are no cheap affair, but most dresses have two prices: the rental price, and for another thousand shekels or so, the price to own the dress.

Some joke that I should go for a vacation to Turkey or Italy to buy a dress. They say that for the same price of the entire vacation plus the dress, it would still be cheaper than buying one in Israel.

Do not worry, in the end, I know that I will prevail. After sending dozens of pictures to my mother and friends back home and trying on dress after dress until I have exhausted every store, I will find one that suits me. Until then, keep your fingers crossed.