An afternoon with Vera..

The last few months have flown by.. I honestly don't know where the time has gone.  I have been really busy working on my dissertation and finishing up my final classes for my doctorate, which has left little to no time for wedding planning.

 However, I did accomplish one BIG check of my checklist and that is MY WEDDING DRESS.  Let's be clear, I have been searching for the perfect dress for years ( way before I was actually engaged).  I tore out hundreds of dress and thought I had found "the one" about five times.  After becoming engaged, I waited a while before I went dress shopping.  There were a few reasons for this.. First, I wanted specific people to be able to come with me. It was really important to have my closest friends there to help me pick out the perfect dress.  Next, I was overwhelmed with emotions.  I felt really excited about the process, but started to feel nervous that I wouldn't find anything that came close to my expectations ( I mean I have been dreaming of "the dress" since I was like 3 years old).  As the whole process became real to me, I started to feel really worried and had a ton of anxiety about the whole process. What if I don't find anything I like? I am not sure how normal that is, I think most brides are just really excited.  In fact, the first time I went dress shopping I required a few mimosas to calm down. Lucky for me, I had my dearest friends by my side and they were awesome at calming me down!

Two of my bridesmaids and my little flowergirl

Once I arrived at Warren Barron Bridal in Highland Park, my entire attitude changed. The dresses in that store are amazing ( if you are getting married go there, they are so awesome) and they are so friendly.  I had a very specific idea of what I wanted and actually thought I knew which Vera Wang dress was "my dress."  To my amazement, when I tried on that dress, I hated it.  I think I almost cried at that point because I remember thinking "great, now what" ( remember I had spent years looking at dresses).  Next thing I knew the consultant pulled a fabulous dress that she said was going to my dress.  I was doubtful, until I put it on.  The moment I saw it, I knew it was "the one."  I walked out of the fitting room to get my girls approval, and my matron of honor had tears in her eyes. I was very practical about the whole thing, at that point I knew the search was over! I didn't cry, like I thought I would.. which is odd considering I cry watching "say yes to the dress" when they girls find their dress. It was a perfect day, followed by a perfect bridesmaid weekend!!!

Celebrating finding "the dress"