The Emotional Homecoming

Let's take a journey...shall we??

Me, Jef, and Jackson went to Bowling Green to meet Nik to try on dresses today.

I have been dreading it. Would any of the dresses fit me? Would they look ok? Would I like the styles? I planned on liking nothing. I planned for the worst. I tried to even avoid thinking about what I was doing, because I just didn't want to get my hopes up.

We got there and the place was PACKED. This made me more nervous. I was going to have to go through this emotional rollercoaster in front of an audience. We had to wait almost an hour before I could be given a dressing room. In the mean time we sought out the dress pool. I saw several I liked and several I didn't....but I still wasn't ready to get excited.

I didn't exactly know between two sizes what would fit, so Nik suggested that I try on a dress I absolutely did not like to feel out the size. She said that if I tried on a dress I loved and it didn't fit I might be disappointed. This made clear sense to me. As soon as we got over to the dresses I spotted this dress with awful red beading on it. That would be my tester.

They finally called me back to the dressing room and the games began.

I didn't realise that they would give me undergarments for trying on the dress. The lady helping us immediately asked me for my bra size. I got really defensive wondering why in the heck she would need to know that until she explained.

So she got my this like strapless bra thing that like covers your stomache and Nik and I enter the dressingroom to make sure it and the slip fits. My luck. The bra didn't. I secretly started panicing. I hadn't even gotten a dress on my body and already something didn't fit. But, I kept things to myself, because the moment I started to worry outloud, the moment my friends would try to cheer me up which would for reasons I can't explain annoy me.

Thankfully, they found the right size and it was time to start trying on. Nik helped me into the tester dress and we're pulling it down and getting it in place and Nik steps back and says "oh my god you look like a woman." I start getting mad at her in my head assuming shes trying to make me feel good when I clearly look silly.

We step out of the dressing room (cause you know they dont put mirrors in there so you can look stupid infront of everyone) and I see myself in the mirror. I was shocked. It looked good. I wasn't pleased with how much of my shoulders it showed, but our assistant got a viel that covered everything up. Then, I was pleased.


It wasn't at all what I was looking for, but it showed me that this could turn out better than I thought.

Then I tried on this:



I thought it was so much better than the one before and could even be a possibility for the wedding. The experience was starting to get a lot more fun.

So then I tried on:



I instantly fell in love with is. The color wasn't right. I would get it in all white and a green sash. It was so far my favorite. I loved how each dress just got better and better. I was having so much fun, and really almost considered throwing in the towel. I *thought* this could be the one I was married in.

I had two more dresses to try on. Nik and I go back into the dressing room and begin with the next one. Nik is looking at it and saying it looked too plain before I had a chance to see anything. As soon as I was out of the dressing room our assistant and Nik start getting a clover green (color of the bridesmaid dresses) sash and add to the dress I am wearing.

I remember the moment as if it were in slow motion. I twirled around to get a good look in the mirror. I felt magic strike between me and my own image. I was staring at my own personal Cinderella dress. I heard Nik say "well that changes everything." Jackson was literally tearing up and Jef had a proud smile on his strong face. I had not only found a beautiful wedding dress, I found "the one"



What I had envisioned being an unpleasant experience turn into a really fun afternoon. And not only did I pull the bandaid and just do it, but I found what I wanted in one try. Now, I can move on to the other tasks I need to get this pulled together. Being in that dress made the wedding real for the first time.

And the greatest part of all is that my cousin Erin's daughter Madison is my flower girl and she tried on this little number, which matches me perfectly:


OH! the life of a bride to be!!!