the tale of the two wedding dresses

It was the morning before the wedding. We were heading to the dry cleaners to get my wedding dress cleaned. Two days earlier I had finally gotten my bridal pictures taken. I had been putting getting these off, I get kind of nervous being in front of a camera all by myself. While getting them taken the bottom of my dress had gotten a little dirty. I decided that it would be a good idea to take my dress down to get cleaned before the big day.

Later that day we went to the dry cleaners to pick it up. I noticed the lady fussing with the my dress in the back. She finally brought it out, I took one look at it, put my hands in my face, and started crying. They had ruined it! They had pressed it, which I had asked them not to do. It was fried crispy.

The lady at the dry cleaners told me she would "fix" it, if I just gave her some more time. I told her that it was not fixable, but she wouldn't let me take it! So we left, and I prayed that maybe there really was something she could do.

I cried the whole car ride home. We came back a couple hours later to find the dry cleaners closed down, and nobody insight. There was no way to even get my dress out of the store!

It was now after 7 pm, and I knew there were no bridal shops still open. Then I remembered, there was one shop that happened to be in the mall! They would probably be open till 9 pm. My mom took me down to the shop, and told me to basically pick whatever I wanted and not to worry about it :o) Thanks mom! She had seen me crying my eyes out for the last 2 hours and didn't want me to worry. I remember feeling so relieved!

I grabbed a dress and tried it on. It was perfect, but it needed some alterations. One of the girls at the bridal shop said she would stay till late to do them for me! They were so sweet.

I cried myself to sleep that night, and throughout the night as well. It was the type of crying that in between cries your body inhales 10 quick deep breaths really quickly. You know the kind of crying I am talking about. Kind of like a little kid cries :o) I remember waking up that morning, looking in the mirror at my puffy red eyes, and saying "this is the worst day of my life." I looked so terrible.

We swung by the bridal store and picked up my dress...no time to try it on to make sure it fit after the alterations.

Here is the dress I was married in. It was beautiful and it fit perfectly.



It's funny because I don't remember thinking about my ruined dress the whole day.



(I had to put this picture on here because, I think he is really straining to carry me here! It made me laugh.)

I remember everyone being worried about me because it was December, it was snowing outside, and freezing. Somebody ran and grabbed me this jacket.

But I didn't feel cold at all...

and I just couldn't stop smiling.

I chuckle now when I think about myself crying over a dress! I am just grateful that everyone made it there safely, and the wedding day was perfect.
It really was one of the happiest days of my life, and I will never forget it.

Later we got the dress back from the dry cleaners. Not "fixed." Several people told us we should take them to court and they would have to pay for it. I really don't believe in that. Obviously they didn't mean to ruin the dress. I figure that if I give those people a break...someone will do the same for me someday.

p.s. Did I mention that I made my original wedding dress with my own two little hands.