“She's found the dress!!”
I had not found the dress.
“Ladies, this is the dress she'll wear walking down the aisle...”
I hoped that this was it, but, honestly, I was just exhausted from searching. I liked this dress, and I hoped my family would too. My aunties and cousin had come to the shop to take their first look at the gown I would wear on the most meaningful day of my life.
Their faces showed it all. There was polite oohing and aahing, but my supporters were clearly not impressed. After the niceties, they gently began suggesting a few alterations to make the dress more fitting for the occasion—and also create an entirely different dress.
While I was sad that my family fashionistas didn't love it, I knew in my heart that they were right. I had settled.
This shopping process had been one long battle. This was to be my dream wedding dress—that made me feel like a princess. The reality of the hundreds of size 14 dresses I had tried on made me feel like a potato. I desperately wanted to be done with the dress hunt, but luckily my family didn't let me stop searching.
When I had reached the point of not trying anymore, I finally looked in a dress shop down the street from my house in Davis. My mom was in town, and I thought I could procrastinate a little more if I just pretended to look. When I was in the dressing room, my mom handed me the first dress.
I had found the dress.
It was a full length, ivory Sue Wong gown with a lace overlay and beautiful flower bead-work. It was nothing like I had ever seen in a bridal magazine, and I loved it for that. This time I didn't need my family to agree because I was confident. I finally felt princessy.
On the day of the wedding, I knew it was right all over again. The ceremony and reception were all taking place in my aunt's beautiful, fairy-tale-like terraced garden. As I got dressed and we took the first photographs, the original group that had talked me out of the first gown finally got to see the replacement. This time the aahs were real.
As wonderful as I felt walking up the terrace path in my one-of-a-kind gown, I was doubly happy to see my fiancé in an awesome ivory tux standing next to his black-suited groomsmen. Not only did I feel beautiful and like I stood out in a garden of spectacular views, but my husband, the man of honor, was the perfect accompaniment on our special day.
At the reception that night, when the temperature dropped, my husband took off his jacket and put it around my shoulders. My favorite pictures of that day show me glowingly, absolutely happy, wearing a men's ivory jacket over my special dress.
-Chelsea Thommarson
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