The Dress

With Mason safely shipped off to the MTC already stuffed with farewell letters and packages, Mom and I were able to turn our attention to other matters before she went home to Tucson.

Lynn wasn’t about to miss out on wedding dress shopping.  My awesome bff flew up to Salt Lake just for the occasion.  Sarah also joined our hunting party, so I had two of my girls with me to help me zip up, hold the trains, and give me opinions.  Of course, I wish that all of my bridesmaids could have been there, but they are currently working or going to school in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Idaho.

The four of us were totally stoked and ready for anything.  Dad and Roy escaped at the first opportunity and went to the movies.

You know the little girls that dress up in their mom’s old dress and dream up exactly what hers is going to be like when she grows up, maybe talking it over with their friends at slumber parties? 

OK- I missed out on that little stage of life.  I walked into the first store without a single clue as to what I wanted my dress to look like.  White… that was the only image I had in mind.

Roy, on the other hand, definitely had ideas.  One night before we went searching he sat me down with a wedding magazine and pointed out all of the aspects of wedding gowns he hated: too stiff looking, weird ruffles, too many sparkles…

So with my lack of gown taste, I was pretty much looking through the dresses trying to remember everything my fiancé told me.  Mom was quick to correct me on that logic.

“When it comes to clothes, guys don’t really know what they like,” she told me.  “He’ll love whatever you love.”

What I “love” definitely isn’t at Latter-day Bride, where most of these pictures were taken.  My cousin’s wives, Jessica and Natalie, found their dresses there a few years back and they were gorgeous!  But for some reason I wasn’t having much luck.  Cookie-cutter necklines just weren’t my style.

But these cupcakes were!  Between the four of us we pretty much dominated both trays.  They were amazing!  

We had visited our photographer earlier in the day.  On our way down the hall to see him Lynn said from behind us, "Take a photography picture!"  I don't think Mom and Sarah got it...

Our photographer recommended a smaller place called A Bride Beautiful, which was in south Salt Lake.  We girls had a hilarious time hitting dead ends in our attempt to find the tiny store.  Googlemaps wanted us to drive through a wood fence…

Eventually we found the little place.  None of the dresses had sleeves, but there were in-house seamstresses who were all experienced in making gowns Mormon modest.  We are in Utah, after all.

When I walked out of the dressing room in the first gown, I watched Mom, Lynn, and Sarah’s faces light up and mouths drop open in unison. 

Yeah… we found the dress in one day.  We rock.

It wasn’t that easy, though- there were two more dresses from that same store that we fell in love with.  In the end, though, we all knew that the first one was totally and completely me. 

When Dad and Roy showed up after watching Blind Side, Roy was banished to the parking lot.  Call me superstitious, or maybe I just like torturing him… but I’m not letting him see the dress until the day of.

Dad was so excited to make the purchase!

We celebrated with giant milkshakes before Mom and Dad left for the airport.  I can’t believe what incredible friends and parents I have!  It was such a perfect day.