Shortly after we became engaged…
I had the opportunity to travel to many countries off the beaten path with Fiance. Vietnam, stop number seven on our itinerary, had much to see and do; but we were told one thing that was an absolute must was to visit one of the many seamstress shops in Ho Chi Minh City and have garments custom tailored for us at an amazing price.
So I decided to have THE most important garment I will ever wear in my life made right there in Vietnam, to certain specifications I had in mind based on what I knew about my wedding plans:
- The venue was highly likely to be an exotic beach.
- 50 guests, tops.
- My budget would probably be pretty meager.
Fast forward. Our venue is a landlocked microbrewery, there’s 125 individuals on the guest list (so far), and my budget has inflated to keep pace with my ever-changing tastes.
Ergo, I’m less than enamored with the dress hanging up in my closet right now. I’ve been battling my desire to stay under budget with my desire to wear, well, a wedding dress. The first twinge of buyer’s remorse hit me when I returned home from my travels and realized I missed out on the mother-daughter bonding experience that is wedding dress shopping. My mom wasn’t very subtle about her disappointment, although to her credit, was genuinely happy that I had something so unique and personal. Our conversation prompted me to suggest that perhaps we could go to one bridal salon and try on a bunch of dresses for fun.
That bridal salon was Kleinfelds. BIG mistake.
I chose the most stunning of dresses on the racks
I felt fabulously elegant playing dress up that day in exquisite ball gowns and couture mermaid dresses. I fell in love with a lace fit and flare silhouette that I knew would make jaws drop, and my consultant zeroed right in on exactly how I was feeling. She topped it off with a long veil and rhinestone headpiece, and I felt more bridal than I ever had wearing my Vietnamese dress.
My practical self won out over my emotional self that day and I left with no dress. But the damage is done. I’ve had a taste of what a wedding should feel like and I want more.
I happened to be talking to one of Fiance’s recently wedded co-workers a few months ago, and asked her about her dress. “Well,” she shared, “it’s a funny story, but I actually had two for my wedding…” She proceeded to tell me about falling out of love with her first dress. “Everybody has two dresses,” she said. “It’s just nobody tells you that.”
I tested her statement with a friend who is designing our invitations. She revealed she also had two dresses for her wedding, but chose to use one for the ceremony and the other for the reception.
Perhaps I have found a way to have my cake and eat it too.
Ok… How many dresses do YOU have for your wedding?