When you buy the WRONG wedding dress…
Choosing a wedding dress is SO exciting. For many of us girls, it’s the first step in preparing for our wedding that makes us feel as if our wedding day is REALLY on it’s way. When you choose a wedding gown, you’re choosing a dress that makes you feel your most beautiful and confidant self! This dress should your favorite features, and should be the dress of your dreams! But what happens when you purchase a dress and you realize its NOT the dress of your dreams…..?
It was only a week after David proposed, that my family and I went looking for a wedding dress. Never having looked before, I was overflowing with excitement. It was right after Christmas, and the cool winter air of Virginia Chilled my family and I as we made our way from wedding boutique to wedding boutique. I tried on countless dresses, surprised that the styles I had thought I would always want, didn’t look quite like I had hoped they would on my petite, curvy figure. Different styles seemed to accentuate different things, different people had differing opinions of each dress and all styles had various price points.
On one rainy afternoon, my mom and I ere leaving the house on our way to a popular wedding store. On a whim I invited my dad to join us, and to my surprise, he excitedly agreed. When we arrived we browsed the aisles, each of us pulling one or two dresses off of the sturdy racks. The three of us spent the whole afternoon trying on dress after dress, never truly impressed with what we saw. Finally, I wandered over to the clearance rack and pulled a sleeveless, lace gown from the rack. With some assistance, I put it on, and stepped outside for the reveal. Before I could fully look at myself, my dad gasped. His large grey-green eyes got misty. My mom caught sight of his welling emotion and started to get emotional as well. Their eldest daughter was getting married, and my parents were fully emercing themselves in the thought of it.
Call me empathetic, but seeing THEM cry, made me cry as well.
There we were, the Filly Family, in a hug puddle of dripping emotion.
Soon I was ringing the bell, making a wish, buying the dress and heading out the door. It was a quick process, and I had more relief that I had found the dress than anything else.
Then, something crazy happened.
About a week or so after I purchased my wedding gown, I started having second thoughts. I looked at images of myself in the gown over and over and over again, zooming in and out on certain parts of every image. Something didn’t seem right. I was being silly, of course. Of course everything was alright, I had found the dress of my dreams! The dress that made my daddy cry! Annnnnnnd it was such. a. great. deal!
Besides, in the whole story of eternity, what does a wedding dress really matter, anyway ?
Then, I started having sleepless nights….. about my dress.
That’s when I knew I had made the wrong decision. Out of all of the things in life to lose sleep over, your wedding dress shouldn’t be one of them. Sleep is precious for goodness sake.
So, one morning, I made a call to the store where I had purchased my wedding gown.
Return policies are a real thing, my friend. Understandably, most bridal boutiques have a no return policy. This was exactly the case for my circumstance.
In a frenzied panic, I made phone call after phone call and soon came to learn that there was a no return policy on my dress…. as soon as I had it in my hands. The day that we had purchased my wedding gown, we placed an order for a new one to be shipped to the store in my size. So, as long as I didn’t pick it up and take it home, it was still returnable.
I cried big ole happy tears and probably told the woman on the other end of the phone that I loved her. There was once catch though. I could return the dress, no problem. But, I would have a credit for the dress amount on my account with the store. I quickly realized that my desire to find a new dress outweighed my fear of continuing my sleepless night routine and took the appropriate steps to make the return.
Then, I called my parents.
I dialed their number and waited for my daddy to answer, a lump suddenly forming I my throat.
“Hi Boo!” My dad’s joyful greeting made the lump even larger.
“Daddy, I have some bad news…” I am an extremely emotional creature, so by this point I was tearing up and eager to cut to the chase.
” Are you okay?”
Daddy silently waited for me to answer, and in a rushed blubbering I told him I returned my wedding dress.
Daddy’s laughter boomed through the phone speaker. “Boo, I don’t care what you wear on your wedding day, I will absolutely cry no matter what, because you’re my girl! Out of all the days in all of time, this one is yours, I want you to pick a dress you absolutely love.”
My daddy’s words made the tears fall faster on my cheeks.
He really is the best dad.
After I had wiped my face, blown my nose and regrouped all of my emotions I did something that I now recommend to all of my girlfriends, and clients who struggle with finding the perfect gown: I went wedding dress shopping by myself.
I had the opportunity to experience wedding dress shopping with those that I love, but I learned a very important lesson about myself during the process. I cared SO much about what my people loved and thought that I didn’t know what I loved and thought.
So, on one quiet afternoon, I made a dress appointment and tried on gown after gown after gown. When I had narrowed it down to two favorites, I scheduled an appointment and invited my girlfriends to come and help me choose their favorite. Unanimously we all agreed, and then, I left the store without buying a single thing. After two weeks of thinking of the same dress over and over again, I knew I had to buy it. Using my credit from my first purchase, I bought my new wedding gown.
My daddy has yet to see it, so you’ll have to stay tuned for how he responds on October 21st 🙂
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