I found my dress this past Saturday. It still hasn’t really sunk in yet. I honestly didn’t think I would find my dress this quickly. I’ve been told I am extremely lucky. I had tried on dresses one other time and it wasn’t the best experience. It was a small store and they didn’t have anything close to what I wanted. I had a very particular image in my head of what I wanted.
A friend of my mom’s recommended I go to Here Comes the Bride in San Diego. I made an appointment and I brought three very important people – my mom, my dad and my future mother-in-law. We started looking through the gowns as we waited to be called back. I found one right away that I wanted to try on. It was almost the perfect dress and it was very similar to the image I had in my head of what I wanted. There were a few others that caught my eye but I kind of wanted to wait and see how the appointment would go and what my consultant would say.
Kayla, my consultant, was so sweet and genuine and brutally honest. We all appreciated that. I showed her photos of what I wanted when the appointment began and she asked some questions and gave me some insight and really made me think. I was more open minded from there on out. We went to pull some dresses together and I began trying them on.
The first one was the one that I knew I wanted to try on when I walked in the door. That almostperfect dress I mentioned. I didn’t like it. I didn’t hate it but it was not comfortable and I have to be comfortable on my wedding day. I got out of that one pretty quickly.
The next one was very different. Nothing that I’d ever pick for myself. My consultant just wanted me to see something completely opposite of what I had in mind. It did nothing for my figure so I had to pass on it.
And the third one was it. I didn’t know it was immediately. Again, it wasn’t what I had in mind. I think I was surprised at how much I loved it. I was taken aback when I saw myself in the mirror but it took a few minutes for me to realize that I was standing in the dress that I’d be walking down the aisle in. We were all talking about how pretty it was and no one had a negative thing to say about it. I asked my consultant for some accessories just to see and once she “jacked me up” (as they say on Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta) I knew it was the one. I asked my mom, my dad and my future mother-in-law, “Do you all like it?” They all said, “Yes” and my dad said, “I loved it as soon as you walked out in it.” I told my consultant, “I think this is it.” She said, “Really? I’m so glad! I knew you were going to say that because you haven’t asked to get out of it.”
We filled out paperwork and she took my measurements and that was that. I am extremely grateful to my parents for this gorgeous gift that they are buying for me. When I asked my dad a few weeks ago what my budget was for my dress he said, “You have no limit.” I’m sure that it was every girl dreams of hearing but I knew that I didn’t want to take advantage of my parents. I didn’t want to go crazy and I’m so thankful that I was able to find a dress that wasn’t a fortune. I am definitely going to keep all the details of my dress and accessories a secret. I think it’s more fun that way. I will admit though, it is extremely difficult not telling my fiancé. I tell him everything so it just feels odd to keep this from him. I just have to keep telling myself that it will make the first time he sees me on our wedding day that much more special.
My dress will arrive in August. Seems so far away but I know the time will pass quickly. Until then, I will be working hard to get my body in tip top shape.
