Houston, We Have Dress!

So, the trip to the dress shop this last weekend turned out to be a fruitful one. Ahead are going to be some pictures of me in wedding dresses, including the one I put money on, so if you want to keep that a surprise to yourself, abandon ship now.

MOH M was on picture-taking duty.

Mamatee, Mama Wolf, and MOH M joined me at the David's Bridal about 10 minutes from my house. The internet had warned me that it would be busy, but Mamatee and I had a hard time even finding a parking space! The other two were pulled in even further away than we were. I was freshly glad I had an appointment, or who knows how long the wait would have been. 

Actually, earlier that morning Mamatee called because she wasn't feeling very well. I have to admit it; I panicked. What if I found one when my mom wasn't there? But she was really more concerned about anyone else minding than about rallying to go with me, so  I told her other people would deal.

We arrived a little bit early, so they had us looking at some of the dress styles hung up at the front. Our consultant, Tammy (seen in black behind Mamatee), told us they had basically one of each dress there, with the sizes in the back that she could pull. They had me pick out three styles to try first, to start to narrow down what I wanted. Which was great, because I'll be damned if I knew.

White by Vera Wang Textured Organza Wedding Dress

This was the first dress I tried on. I think Mamatee was surprised, because it wasn't very embellished at all. Even the sparkly belt in the picture was an add-on. But I really liked the drama of the folds of the skirt. It was closer to the higher end of my budget, but it was on my mind a lot.

Beaded Lace and Tulle Ball Gown Wedding Dress

When I looked at this one in the mirror, I could see that it was very pretty and a classic wedding dress, but it just wasn't doing it for me. Mamatee asked if I thought the lace edges of the bodice would bother me throughout the night, which was probably also part of it. In the dressing room, I started explaining to the consultant that I've never been aggressively feminine in the way I felt like this dress was. That sounds totally weird, but she got what I meant. 

Oleg Cassini Strapless Ruffled Skirt Wedding Dress

This was the last of the original three I'd picked out. As soon as I looked at my reflection in the mirror, the first word out of my mouth was "No," as seen by this rather unflattering photo.

Strapless Sweetheart Tulle Wedding Dress

The consultant picked this one out for me based on what she had learned from the first three dresses. It's the first one I actually tried on a veil with, though I felt vaguely silly doing so. Actually, I felt a little bit like the creepy little girl/old woman scene in The Others.

I'm actually planning on wearing my mother's veil. The headband it's on is pretty dated, but the tulle itself is really pretty. the plan is to attach the material to a hair comb. My mom kept making sure I knew I didn't have to wear it, but I like it.

So, I really liked that dress, but I couldn't get my mind off the first dress. I didn't know if it was because it loomed large as the first wedding dress I ever tried on or what, so I knew I had to put it back on.

I can't resist having at least one goofy face.

A strange thing happened then. As much as I still liked this dress, it was less so than I thought. Especially in comparison with the one I'd just taken off. I decided I needed to put that one back on. I remarked to Tammy, the consultant, that it was a bit like going to the optometrist, where you needed to see the lenses back to back to know which one seemed clearer to you. "One, or two? One, or two?"

My surprised face that I might actually be making a decision on that first day.

The moms told me I should try sitting down in the dress as well, to see how it felt. Then M took a picture of me that is frankly entirely too busty for me to be putting up. The consultant started to ask me if I was choosing the dress, but I announced I needed a quick powwow with M. I pulled her aside. 

I needed to talk out my concerns and M is a phenomenal listener. I was wondering to myself if this was actually the dress for me or if I just thought it was because it was the one I had liked the most that day. 

M is a very calming presence. I squeezed tight as I took a deep stabilizing breath. Then Mamatee saw me doing it and made me do it again so she could take a picture. 

Genuine laughter

Honestly I was so glad M was there. If it had been just the moms, I don't know if I would have felt as calm and in control of myself. 

I have very expressive eyebrows

I was very lucky. The dress itself was on sale for $399. With the belt (60% off on clearance!), my purchase came in way under my budget. I was actually able to pay the full amount right away, which was a nice feeling. There will still be alterations, but based on what the consultant told me, I should still be under the dress budget with those. I need to do a bustle of some kind, of course. And fit it so that the cleavage is a little bit more put away. I know I will get grief from Papatee no matter what. I also asked if she thought the store would be able to add a pocket.

Am I going to be carrying my phone? Not necessarily. But it's my goddamn wedding and I want a pocket. Unless it's too expensive.

This was a huge decision for me. It actually killed me that it was something I couldn't talk to Wolfman about. He has been very emphatic about wanting to be surprised. I immediately started sending pictures to the Valkyries because I was so excited. They were all incredibly lovely to me with their comments.

I never really thought I could picture myself in a wedding dress. It was a surprise to me too. I briefly wondered if I was being too impulsive. I had a strong feeling I did not want to go to another store, but I worried I was just barreling through decisions Gryffindor-style. But I don't think so.

Of course, now I'm immediately thinking about what shoes I might wear or other things like that. Slow down, Manatee! There's plenty of time for you to spend your money excessively.