“Who are you wearing?” Sigh. It’s one of my least favorite questions to hear when I’m listening to red carpet interviews and on anyone’s wedding day.
I couldn’t remember the name of my wedding dress designer to save my life. I blank everytime anyone asks me and then I have to sort through my photos and find it page in a bridal magazine.
I know she’s a French designer …
Looking now …
It’s Monique Lhuillier.
Embarrassing to type and cringe worthy to know my true fashion savvy friends are reading this and shaking their heads with amused disappointment. Sorry, y’all! Not my best moment but it’s reality.
I’ve only owned one other designer dress and a girlfriend has it so I probably won’t see it again which is what I prefer. If I’m not wearing it, I hope someone else is otherwise it’s a complete waste of fabric.
Confession …
I really do wish I were more label aware but I can’t bring myself to purchase a dress that costs more than my groceries and I like to eat … A lot.
So this was a once in a lifetime dress for me.
I saw the dress in a bridal magazine that I can’t remember the name of to save my life but right when my eyes locked onto that page, it was a game over situation. I was hooked but I wanted to find it locally and that’s when the hunt began.
I love everything local but none of the boutiques had this dress and even their ocally so I searched at the local bridal gown boutiques and chains and couldnt find it. Realizing deadline was rapidly approaching I bit the bullet and drove to Cinncinati to go to Bridal and Formal to purchase it.
They only had a size 10. French designs do create small fitting items but I had the dress taken in 3 times by the talented and kind, Sherry Yang of Image Maker & Sherry’s Alterations.
She worked swiftly and so much knowledge on how to adjust the dress to fit my everchanging body; my weight fluctuates so often because of my Crohn’s and Sherry was great about how to work around that issue.
My last fitting and chance I had to take in my dress was less than a week before. I picked up my dress on Thursday and I was married in it on Saturday.
It was everything I dreamed it would be. Classic, elegant but not gaudy, and from Sherry’s hard work, it hugged me in all the right places. She’s a miracle worker!
With the dress, I couldn’t dance much but I tried. I also couldn’t drink because of my stomach I tried to drink anything, including water or champagne. With every hug the glasses were tipping over on me faster than I could ever wish to drink them.
Interesting side note, one of the photographers from that day later told me that they thought I was buzzed when I walked through the sparklers at the end of the night but it was actually fear. I wanted the sparkler exit more than anything but by the time it was ready I was wearing a champagne soaked gown and suddenly common sense kicked in and I didn’t want to catch on fire.
As you can see, that didn’t happen. Instead, the night turned out to be perfect.
We just celebrated our one year anniversary last month. I’m remembering everything so well and then the stories of everyone’s experiences from that night make the stories so much more.
My advice to anyone getting married is to write it all down, every day leading up to it. Write how you feel, what you’re thinking INC, doing, et cetera. Then you’ll have it to read over and over again. Keep the joy and love close to your heart and love your partner with everything you’ve got. Remember your vows and be a cheerleader to your partner by celebrating them every single day.
Know that no matter what happens, you can power through anything together. The dress, flowers, dances, food, drinks or no drinks at all … Without love, the whole thing means nothing at all.
The dress is merely a bonus.
Love is all that matters.
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