Tuesday, February 23, 2010
I’ve always been one of those people who doesn’t like doing things “just because you should”, “because that’s the way it’s always been done” or “because it’s tradition”. The more I feel I have to do something a certain way, the less I want to do it at all.
And that’s no different for my forthcoming wedding. Of course, I want the day to be about me and Himself and for the occasion to be recognised as a wedding. But I don’t want flowers, favours, monkey suits as my husband-to-be calls them, or a long wedding dress. Shock horror, that’s right folks, I want a short wedding dress. I’m not talking mini skirt here by the way, just something classy, elegant and shorter in length than the average floor sweeping bridal gown.
This makes me a bit of an outcast when it comes to shopping for dresses, or so it appears. There are very few short wedding dresses around and believe me, I have been looking. So, while most people can bundle themselves into a shop along with their mum and bridesmaids and spend the whole day slipping in and out of gowns, this isn’t really an option for me.
I have my first dress appointment on Saturday and can only try three dresses on, as they’re the only short ones they have in stock. There’s one in particular I have my eye on but, according to my married friends, their idea of what they wanted and what they actually ended up with turned out to be two very different things. That said, I do know my body shape when it comes to short dresses and what does and doesn’t suit me. So, we shall see.
Another reason for choosing a short dress is that I don’t want to hide my best asset on my wedding day – my legs – under a sheath of material. My legs are the one body part I am happy with and don’t mind them being on display. My bingo wings, on the other hand, could well do with covering up. I’m also a big fan of shoes, shoes, glorious shoes and want my bridal footwear to be seen, rather than spend the day under the darkness of a dress.
Other benefits of a shorter dress? I’m not the most ladylike of ladies and am perfectly capable of tripping headfirst over a long dress, putting my heel through its delicacy or peeing all over it when I attempt a pre-ceremony toilet trip. Not good.
One of my fears is that I’ll have to resort to ordering a bridesmaid dress in ivory and won’t stand out as the glamorous bride I want to be. But I don’t think it will come to that. I’m starting to stress that I can’t find the dress I want when I haven’t even tried one on yet!
It was only last week that I told my friends I’d probably start looking for a dress in the summer, and they screamed at me – literally, in a high pitched chorus - that I’d already left it a bit late. Cripes, we only got engaged at the start of the month! It just seems so odd to choose a dress nine months before the occasion but, apparently, with ordering and fitting the whole process can take six months. Who knew! I also think that my own personal logic – which suggests a short dress will be quicker and cheaper to make/buy – is going to be disproved. *sigh*
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