Wedding Wednesday: YES

I've been debating whether to post this or not but have decided to go ahead. Sometimes I feel like because blogging is all online and non-confrontational, some people feel like it's okay to share opinions that otherwise wouldn't be shared in person. While I appreciate everyone's opinions and love hearing about how everyone planned/is planning their weddings, sometimes I really want to scream after reading some comments. I'm not saying my blog in particular, I'm greatly shocked at what's written on many other peoples too (for the record, all my readers are fabulous, it's the random comments that tend to get me). So many people seem to think that their way is the best and only way. Like, can't we all just get along?

That being said, I bought my wedding dress! I bought it from David's Bridal and I bought it the first time I ever went to try on wedding dresses. So there, I did everything everyone (in the real world and blog world) said not to do. I'm in love with my dress, I think it's gorgeous and with a few alterations it will fit perfectly. I know I got super lucky to have found my dress the first time out but that almost didn't happen.

I didn't have the best shopping experience at David's Bridal. My consultant was nice enough and personable but she wasn't fantastic. I knew going into the experience that David's Bridal wouldn't provide the most fabulous of customer service, especially since the majority of dresses you try on are your "favorite" dresses from your online account. I also knew that wedding dresses tend to run small and fully expected to try on dresses a few sizes larger than my normal clothes. I didn't expect for David's Bridal to try to force so many things on me, like a veil (which I don't want) or a stupid corseted bra thing that was entirely too big in the body and kept making me look pregnant in every dress I tried on. My consultant also kept pulling larger size dresses for me even though they were WAY too big. After I had tried on every dress from my favorites, probably 5 or 6 total, my consultant finally started pitching different options to me that fit what I had in mind for my dress. This was a welcome change because with the exception of one dress from my favorites, I hated all the dresses I had picked out once they were on me. My consultant just kept saying, "Well, you picked these." Which I personally thought was kind of rude since her job was to know about wedding dresses, not mine.

When she finally left to go get me one of her suggested dresses, Brad's mom, Valerie (who still works occasionally at this David's Bridal) insisted that I take everything off that DB had made me put on. She said I didn't need any of it anyway and would work on finding me smaller size dresses to try on. My consultant came back with what would eventually be THE dress and when I put it on I actually smiled for the first time that day. I still wasn't entirely convinced because it was still a little large and didn't flatter in all the right places. Brad's mom finally found me a smaller size in this dress (the size I wear in real life, imagine that) and when I put it on I knew I really, really liked this dress. I found a few more accessories to give it the shape I wanted and after going back and forth a few times between this dress and the earlier dress, I knew I had found THE dress I loved and wanted to wear on my wedding day. Although I found a dress I love, I never would have found it without Brad's mom. I fully believe that if I had gone in there without her I would have left without the dress.

I'm so glad I didn't though. And for the record I would have asked her to go dress shopping with my mom, my sister, and me at every store, I love Valerie. But I did have two additional shoppers who I had never planned to have with me on Saturday. I think a huge crowd offers too many opinions and for that reason I never imagined taking my bridesmaids or anyone other than my immediate family. That is until my grandmother was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer this past February. You may have read this post before, but Stage IV Colon Cancer doesn't tend to have many survivors. So when I became engaged I knew that I wanted my grandmother to be there (and of course my other grandmother as well because you can't have one without the other). My Grandma has been steadily getting better! But she still struggles with many everyday things just because she's so weak. It was miracle in itself that she could even make the hour long car ride out to David's Bridal without falling asleep or getting sick. So I also consider it a miracle that I found my wedding dress while she was there. Maybe there's a chance I would have found something better if I had kept looking, but there's also a chance she wouldn't have been able to be there if I had. To me that chance isn't worth it at all. I got an amazing dress and I got this, which makes it all worth it:

My Grandma kissed me, told me I was beautiful, and promised to dance at my wedding.

I plan to hold her to that promise.

My Grandma is my mom's Mom, so my mom had an emotional meltdown.

Can't wait to see her at the wedding. :)

 

God works in some really mysterious ways and I'm so incredibly thankful he allowed this experience to happen for me. It's a memory I'll never forget. Also, if you're someone who prays, my Grandma Sharon would appreciate if you prayed for her, I'm sure. We only have 5 tumors left to go before she's cancer-free (and she started at 20+ tumors in her liver, where her cancer had spread, only 8 months ago).  God is pretty amazing.