Dress for Success...Eventually

Well, that vacation was too short. Isn't that always the case? Tomorrow, it's back to routine and schedules and serious efforts at this blog. I have a few gems from the past few days which could make for some great blog fodder (yoga class, a rather significant purchase, a mid-weekday manicure that was nearly ruined by the company of a couple ridiculously spoiled and vapid 20-somethings, cancelled engagement pics because of rain, and a trip to Home Depot to name a few) but will have to save them for another night because I haven't gotten that boost of creative energy I need after such a long time off.

Well, fine. I can't wait on this. I'll talk about my rather significant purchase. I officially ordered and purchased my wedding dress! I know that about a month ago, I wrote this post about about finding the dress, but I went back this week, tried it back on to be sure, and WAS sure. So yay! We got the dress!

Here's a pic of me and the girl who turned my "I want it to be traditional and whimsical and glamorous and royal and new age and one-of-a-kind and on major sale" wishes into reality. This girl dealt with my insistence on making and cancelling last minute appointments and walk-ins, seemingly endless requirements in a gown and yes...she saw me in my Spanx more times than my mirror. Anyway, she was the bomb. We could probably be friends outside of business, but I think that no commission in the world could help her recover from the aforementioned Spanx sightings. Anyway, here we are confirming that I indeed needed to buy her friendship by signing this friendly little contract obligating me leave her alone now/never come back until my dress comes in.

Side note: I'm more than a little bummed that I look like the devil here, but whatever. Thumbs up!

After I essentially said "Yes!" to the dress by jumping up and down and squealing in approval, my mom sealed the deal with this rarely discussed, but very common wedding tradition. It's called Initiating the Payment for the Dress.

Ahhh, sweet, sweet tradition. Anyway, after this transaction, the dress was MINE. Well, in 4 to 6 months it will be mine. For like a day, and then I'll have to send it out for alterations, after which I will likely have to store it at my parent's house because I have too many bags of bags taking up space in my closets. But come my wedding day, that sucker will be ALL MINE.

It's a pretty sucky  process, actually. I make this HUGE decision and this HUGE purchase, and I have nothing to show for it when we leave the store. Sure, I can look at pictures of OTHER people (a.k.a. MODELS) in my dress, but I wish I could have taken it with me and hung it carefully in my closet to look at from a safe distance periodically.

As lovely as this idea is, the reality would obvs be much different. I would drag the dress through my dusty floors and into my room where I'll try to get it on by myself, tearing a seam here or there, and then I'd lounge around watching Family Guy reruns while drinking red wine in it. By the my wedding day rolled around, I would be walking down the aisle in a red-spattered white dress (oops! I guess I should have said "Spoiler alert!" before saying it was a white dress...) with a ripped hem and flattened tulle. Oh, and is that a pair of sweatpants dragging behind it??

So yeah. That was my big, exciting news for the week! Woo hoo! One major task: DONE! And it only took two months...Yikes. This does not bode well for the rest of the process...