Dreamy Dress

It's a cold and rainy day here in Boston...the kind that makes you want to curl up on the couch in your zipfront rope and watch movies. Since I couldn't do that I brought my slippers to work and put them on as soon as I got here. No one knows and my toes are warm. I'm happy.

So what's going on in my wedding world? I'm so glad you asked! We've decided to invite EVERYONE to the ceremony in Georgia (no pressure to my out-of-town peeps) and have a reception in Mass. when we get back from the honeymoon. It took me a while to let go of my super-simple private wedding idea but I finally did. We thought we were doing everyone a favor by saving them the hassle but we soon learned that people might actually want to see us get married. Who knew? So we're doing it.

My fabulous idea to get a really simple dress (think short bridesmaid's dress in a light color) went out the door with the private wedding. Here's the story of THE DRESS of my dreams:

I did some dress shopping when my parents were here to visit because I wanted to have that experience with my mom and future-mother-in-law. I chose a place here in Boston that specializes in "bridal alternative" and I thought it would be perfect, since I was planning on getting something super simple. I looked online at the dresses they carried and went to the appointment with a few in mind. I hated all of them. The only one that I sort of liked was a strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline that the consultant insisted I try on, even though I didn't think I would like strapless. It was SUPER simple. I've had the idea for some time that I want to incorporate one of my grandmother's brooches into a sash that my wonderful aunt agreed to make for me. This dress seemed like it would look good with a sash and it was by far the most flattering dress that I tried on...but I didn't love it by any stretch of the imagination. I remember standing in the dressing room alone, looking at the dress and thinking, "I don't really care...let's just find one that I don't hate and move on." Wow. Good attitude for dress shopping, huh?

So I'd had that dress in my mind for some time. I had pretty much decided that I'd just get it because the price was right and it's pretty. While at work one day, my fabulous secretary Shannon put her foot down and said, "Let's look at dresses online. You HAVE to find one you love." I agreed and we looked. If my boss is reading this...we looked after the office closed for the day.

We spent a good chunk of time browsing dresses, sending ones back and forth to each other. It really helped that I had tried on dresses because I knew what looked good and what didn't...and most importantly that I actually could pull off a strapless dress. And then I found it. It was everything I was looking for. Simple. Elegant. Sweet. I sent it to Shannon and she gasped. I knew it was a good sign. I immediately called my mom, had her look at it and I could literally hear the intake of breath and pearl clutch over the phone...she said, "That's it." I called every store that carries the line in the Boston area and found the dress at ONE store about 20 minutes away. I made an appointment. I tried it on. I fell in love more. I even cried a little bit.

The best part of the story? Hold on to your panties. When my parents were here, I was browsing the magazine section of a bookstore with my mom. We were flipping through wedding magazines and pointing out things that we liked. I picked up a magazine that struck me and bought it on a whim. I carried it around with me EVERY DAY after that but never really got around to looking at it. The day I found the dress online, I decided to pull it out of my bag and take a peek. Guys...MY DRESS WAS ON THE COVER. Seriously. I almost died. Then I almost cried. It was meant to be.

The dress is mine. I ordered it a couple of days ago. I can't wait to get the call in a few months that it has arrived. Am I silly for getting so excited over something that I will wear for a few hours on one day? I believe so. Am I apologizing for it? Not even a little.

Here's a little sneaky-peek:

Love.