Dress Regret. It happens, y'all.

Something i’ve been dealing with on my own for a while now was what some call, “dress regret.” I passed it off as a thing that almost all brides have, especially with the emotion and stress of planning. I passed the time focusing on the ladies attire, and then the men’s, and finally David’s. This is normal for me, because I really tend to not invest as much into myself, because I love to work with others and make them happy.

As days went by, I just couldn’t shake this. I would occasionally unzip the garment bag and look at the dress, never trying it on until a few days ago. After seeing David look so handsome in his attire, I knew that 1. the dress didn’t mesh, 2. I still had not tried it on, 3. I wanted to change and add too much to it, and 4. I liked it, I didn’t love it. A few people know how frazzled I was the day of the original appointment.
Between:
Being mistaken for someone looking for a job (womp) ,
Having a very limited selection in sizes and colors (womp womp)
Having very low self esteem when it comes to finding clothes that are fitted (womp womp womp)
and not to mention, the employee who kept telling me I was buying HER dress (INFINITY WOMPS)
(She also harassed me and the ladies when we were there a week later)….

..I was so completely blown away by the symbolism of 222 at the time of purchase, that I passed it off as meant to be. I also tried to ignore the incessant nagging by that employee. Wasn’t that supposed to be MY dress? Yet sometimes, your gut is right. I didn’t want to show it to anyone until it was altered, and I didn’t smile in it. That’s a big problem.

So I finally admitted to David how I was feeling, and then told the girls. They all insisted I make myself happy, and that I needed to feel “beautiful,” something that is hard for me to do.

In my first appointment ever trying on dresses in December, I was thrilled that another vendor had a dress style I had been eying. I tried it on, and it didn’t fit. I figured that I could call around for another size, but apparently there were none left, and the earliest I could have one made and delivered was in April. That’s a few days too late, right? Oy!

So I seceded, and went with what others told me would work best for me. I really wanted to believe it, and I did for a while. But ultimately, you know when something is not right.

Yesterday, I called around in hopes of finding that original style somewhere in Texas. As luck may have it, there were two dresses, one in Houston, and the other in Arlington. I quickly booked an appointment with the Arlington store for the next day, and crossed my fingers that this would be the deciding factor. If it wasn’t going to happen, at least I had a lovely dress to wear. I just wanted that smile to go with it.

Upon arriving, I was greeted by some of the nicest women I have yet to deal with in wedding retail. They made me feel great on the phone and in person. When i’m nervous, I tend to get very animated, so the jazz hands and hero-derps were a’flyin.

They had reserved the dress for me, and immediately I felt relieved. I tried it on, zipped it up, and immediately felt at home. I wont lie, I was incredibly happy with the silhouette. David and I made changes in our habits going on about 5 months ago, and the rewards have been a real boost of confidence.

Channeling my inner Kristen Wiig, I twirled a bit, kicked, and even tested the pockets. (POCKETS!) I can’t describe the feeling, but I am sure that anyone reading knows THAT feeing. Relief. I felt like I looked, pretty. I said “yes”, with a huge smile on my face, and traded dresses immediately.

So, while there are no special numbers attached to this dress, I am happy. I am happy that I trusted my gut, and my friends.

I LOVE this dress.

PS: Employee at the Preston store, you can now pick up YOUR dress in Arlington.

About these ads