A change of a Dress…

Today is my Wedding Anniversary, and it had me a little in my feels. Six years ago I was married to my wonderful and equally at times frustrating Husband.There are moments from that day that will be in my mind for the rest of my Life. The biggest one was the first look. Now, there was some argument from others that this was not the traditional way for him to see me that day. That we were supposed to wait until I was walking down the aisle, but those other people were not us, and we did what made us feel comfortable and happy on our special day. The photographers took him out to a part of the farm we were married on and had him facing away from the house so they could bring me out. The moment when he turned around and looked at me…that was the pure magic and goosebumps that Im pretty sure every romantic comedy is trying to capture. Getting there was the hard part.

I have long been told that many little girls grow up dreaming of wedding dress shopping and trying on all the best there is to offer. If you havent figure it out by now, I am not most girls. I know that I dressed up my barbies for weddings on multiple occasions. I thought at one point I would marry Freddie Mercury, but alas that never happened for me. I also remember very vividly a character in one of my favorite shows saying that she thought she was missing the “bride gene”. I was so excited to pick the venue, the food, the decorations and everything else. But dress shopping just didnt seem appealing to me. I happily made the appointment, but wasnt really looking forward to it. I had a dream a few days beforehand that I actually ran away and went to my childhood home. An interesting detail because I now lived twelve hours from there and it would be a long trip just to avoid looking bad in some ruffles.

When the day came for the appointment, I went with two women that were very close in my Life. One was the person that would marry us, and the other was my bridesmaid. I was determined to have a great time. We went through and talked to the young lady helping us, and picked what seemed to be …way too many dresses to try on. When you are choosing a wedding gown, I will also tell you that you should get comfortable being nearly naked in front of some people. I tried on dress after dress, and was not getting the ..when you know you will know…vibes from any of them. There was one that I really liked, but it was voted as a NO from my friends and also the sales person. So I did what went against all my inner feelings, and I chose the wrong one. One that didnt feel special enough. Just because I wanted it to be over. The store I went to has a tradition of having Brides ring a bell when they say yes to the dress, so I did. I rang it loud and proud. I went home, and I cried. I knew it wasnt my dress. I called and requested another appointment. I had no desire to go back and try on a million dresses, but I knew that I had to get it right.

The day of my next appointment came, and I was better equipped this time. I had photos of dresses that I liked, and I knew more what I didnt like. I also asked that the sales person not bring in all the selections at once, so I wasnt overwhelmed. I started with the dress I liked, I had nicknamed it Pockets, because well…she had pockets. This time…I knew. I will never know why I went against my gut the first time. I tried on a few more that day, just for fun, but this time there was no question in my mind that I was making the right choice. When I rang the bell, it was me and pockets, and I knew that was the dress that I wanted to be married in.

Layers and layers of lace and subtle sparkles. It wasnt bright white like all the others, and I liked that. The top was fitted, and the bottom voluminous and flowy. When I selected a rose gold belt and crown, my friend said that I looked like royalty. Very fitting due to the fact that my Groom to be had the last name Queen. There were many fitting appointments and one very long visit to the tailor. It seems that each layer has to be pinned individually, and they really should tell you to bring snacks and to hydrate. It sure was a lot of fuss for a dress that I would wear only once. Every time I saw myself in the mirror, I was quickly reminded just how special it was, and how wonderful it made me feel. When this day six years ago came, I had my hair and makeup done, then stepped into my perfect princess dress. The kind that little girls dream of. Not every day is a fairy tale by any means, but that day was. When he turned around and saw me…thats the butterflys in the stomach and cant keep a smile off your face moment that I remember now.