THE Dress

My favorite designer is and always has been Priscilla of Boston. There was a dress called Maeve that I have been lusting after for years. The dress has a sweetheart neckline, made of ivory silk taffeta, a ballgown sillouhette and a big bow on the hip. Part of me believed deep down in my heart that I could rationalize spending $2675 on a wedding dress.

Then in June or so of 2011, they announced that they were closing their doors on December 31st after 65 years of being in business. If you have time at some point, look up Priscilla Kidder, the mother of the company who started it herself when no bank would give a woman a loan. She was one tough cookie, and just another reason why I love this company.

I was so sad because FH (future husband) hadn't proposed yet and now I wouldn't get my chance to have my dream dress, as they had stopped production and were only selling samples. I am on the email list for Priscilla so each time the dresses got discounted I was given a notice. First 30% off, which didn't make much of a dent in the price. Then in October it was discounted 70% to $800. Still expensive but now within reach. It was a few days after FH had proposed so I gave the Denver salon a call. They had sold my Maeve two days before. I thought, "that's it, I've got to buy a dress online or worse at David's Bridal."

Then, the last week of November, I got another email. All dresses from $2000-$3999 were discounted to $299. Holy $#!# , I thought! This was my chance. If there was a sample Maeve still unpurchased in any salon in the country, I was going to buy her. I started with Atlanta (alphabetical order), and they told me they had it! Perfect condition, Ivory, Sample Size 10 Maeve. And they could ship it for only $50.

I was ready to buy it right then and there, as not to risk losing the dress (lucky for me the salon was only open another 13 minutes). But I took a night to think on it and talk with FH. My mom (who I had  been texting like mad about THE dress), said she would like to buy the dress for me. So the next morning on December 1st, I called the salon the minute they opened and bought the dress.

The dress arrived at my work a week later in a giant white box. All the ladies I worked with wanted to see the dress on, so I got to put on my beautiful gown. Since it's a sample size 10 (street size 4-6) and I'm a size 2 and not exactly tall, the dress is about 1 1/2 inches too big around the bust and about 4 inches too long. I have to get it altered but other than that, it is everything I had hoped for. A few little dirty marks here and there, nothing that will show in pictures or that can't be dry cleaned out.

So the moral of this story is: If it is meant to be, it will be. Don't settle for something that won't make you happy just because you think you have to make a decsision RIGHT NOW! Let things happen as they should because more than likely  you will be happy with the result. But on the flipside, don't second guess yourself either. If your dream dress (man, shoes, job opportunity, house) is within reach, don't say no worrying about something better coming along.

I got my dream dress and I couldn't be happier!


Any of you have any great dress stories where  you were able to get your dream dress almost magically? Any one worried about having to settle for a dress?

Fate - Our background story

I would absolutely be lying if I said I didn't believe in fate. I'm standing here on the edge of the rest of my life and I realize how everything in my entire world has been headed towards this point. I'll start from the beginning. My parents could have decided to stay in California, they could have picked another town in Idaho, they could have picked a totally different state, and things wouldn't have happened the way they have happened. But no, they picked here.

And in 2000 when FH went to boarding school, his parents, who lived in Colorado could have picked any boarding school in the country. But they picked the one just 30 minutes away from where I live. FH could have gotten into trouble and not been able to go on the Field trip to the bay, but he went, and knew that one day he would be back. His parents could've decided not to visit and just wait for FH to come home but they visited, and realized that this was a place that could be home. They could have picked a different place to build a house, there are a lot of great spots on the lake, but they chose the cabin one door down from N.R.'s family cabin.


I was never supposed to be with N.R., but I was supposed to meet him, have crush on him in high school, and then become friends with him. He could have been in a different Fraternity, and I in a different Sorority, but no we were in the houses that were next door to each other.

I could have worked at a differen't restaurant that summer. I possible woudln't have even worked that day, but I did. FH and his family could have come in a half hour later or chosen a different restaurant and we wouldn't have met but we did.

My friend N.R. could have stayed at his house in town that day, but instead he was out at the cabin, where FH told him about me. It was a few nights later that N.R. invited me out to his cabin to meet FH, I could've been busy, I couldve said no. But I said yes and I rushed out as soon as I was off work.

Upon meeting him, I fell completely into him. We were hooked and that was the end of it.

Now that I am planning our wedding, everything is coming together uncannily well. It is all being orchastrated perfectly.

I have my dream dress - Another post coming about my dress. And I couldn't have gotten it if my favorite designer wasn't going out of business at the end of the year. I found a photographer for under $500 because she wants to expand her portfolio.

Yes, I believe in Fate. Because my whole life has been planned with me in mind. Good things are to come. And this wedding is important, it's going to be the gunshot that starts everything else.