Daniel looked at my blog a couple of days ago and mentioned that I’ve really been slacking here. I promise, it’s not for lack of something to say. 🙂
So, I wanted to update the masses on how our year is shaping up. In a word, fantastic!
For starters — are you sitting down? — last week, I BOUGHT A WEDDING DRESS. It is absolutely everything I have always said I never wanted: it was (for me) expensive, floor-length, with a train/bustle, and strapless. It poofs out at the bottom a little. I will need help positioning it. It is, in short, a REAL wedding dress.
But ohmygoodness, it is *gorgeous*. I absolutely love this dress, and even more importantly, I love how I feel (and look) in it, far beyond anything else I saw in my two days of dress shopping.
When Lisa and I ventured out almost two weeks ago for the first time, I found a couple of dresses I did really like, although each had its weaknesses (which is to say, each highlighted what I’d call one of my ‘problem’ areas). I wasn’t emotionally invested in either dress, so it didn’t feel like a big deal to show them to Daniel, which I did that night. I really didn’t have a good read on how he reacted to either.
Then, a couple of days later (delayed a bit by reports of icy road conditions and massive traffic jams outside), I went to another branch of David’s Bridal with my future (step)-mother-in-law, Tammy, and found THE dress. The woman there was a jewel and had me close my eyes while she fully veiled me. I opened my eyes to see myself in three tiers of veils, holding fake flowers, and in a big white wedding dress. I damn near cried.
Tammy took lots of pictures of me trying on the dresses (to send my mom), but the second one I tried on was the clear favorite among everyone at David’s (including other customers who chipped in their opinion).
Later that day, I dragged Daniel back to the less expensive and more flattering of the two dresses I found with Lisa and tried it on so he could take a picture. That was his first and only experience actually seeing me in a dress — again, I got no good read on his reaction. After trying THE dress on earlier that day, though, it was very clear to me that the cheaper, second-place dress was a distant, distant second.
So, my mom called David’s to order THE dress later that evening. I haven’t shown pictures (of me, or of the dress) to Daniel, and I don’t think I will. I have, however, shown them to a few close friends and family members, and they have (mostly) all reacted with the exuberant enthusiasm I hoped the dress would inspire. I think my mom’s lower enthusiasm was mostly because she hadn’t expected me to want something remotely like what I got.
I have to run, but soon I’ll write about part II of our excellent wedding year adventure. Namely, the honeymoon!!! 🙂