Wednesday, February 04, 2009

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.


21 comments:

Jill@Barnes Yard said...

Oh my gosh, you are tooooo adorable! But seriously I would have broken down the door to the drycleaners or maybe called the police to have them do it...did you ever get it back? Both dresses looked fabulous on you :)
-Jill

angela said...

i remember when you first told me that story... i couldn't believe it, especially because you'd made the first dress! lost a dress, lost a ring.... at least you got your ring back! :)

Brenda said...

Gosh, what a terrible thing to happen, but at least things turned out in the long run, and it is "funny" story to tell your friends, family and children. You looked beautiful on your wedding day. I see you got married at the Salt Lake Temple - how wonderful.

Em Russ said...

ok. seriously your story is so upsetting in the first place but you MADE the first dress? I mean, I'm not surprised, really but that makes it SOOOO much worse! And I forgot about the lost ring too... I'd say you have bad luck but Travis is so great that I think you're pretty lucky anyway!!

Unknown said...

What a happy day...minus not having your own hand stitched dress on your body. I still can't believe that happened. Do you still have the 1st dress?

You looked so beautiful that day and Travis looked so handsome.

I wonder which one Lucy will want to wear on her wedding day...:)

Stephanie said...

Holy crapoly! Well... just think if you didn't shed all those tears you wouldn't have the BEST wedding dress(es) story ever!
You look great in your dress and your smile is definitely the best accessory to it (minus that handsome stud on your arm haha)
Any pictures of your first HANDMADE dress?!?!

Anonymous said...

That sucks about your dress, and you made it yourself?! You are talented! Man you had to wedding dresses and two rings. Wow.

Unknown said...

ohh, I am soo sad!! I cannot believe the things that happen to you. . .I had forgotten that story. honestly. And of course you pull it off because your are BEAUTIFUL!!! and the post was awesome. You really are quite the blogger :) LOVE YOU!

Janas Bananas said...

That is a good wedding story, Everything can't be perfect all the time, event hough it always turns out that way. We always realise after that we could have got married in a jeans an t-shirt and it would not have mattered....well.....Maybe it would have ;) Glad it all turned out well..And you were such a pretty bride!!! Travis looked pretty good too.. :P

Lyd Stew said...

Tanya- I know we only know each other through Chels and Abe, but I hope I can be allowed to be friends... I have to confess that I have been following your blog for months and getting so many fun ideas. I am amazed with your creativity! I hope it is ok that I check out your blog every now and then... just a big fan! Keep up the good work!

Whitney said...

oh my gosh i was getting so nervous for you just reading your post - like a bride needs anything else to worry about the day before the weddign :) you look beautiful and i didn't know you made your own dress . . that's the part that hurts the most about them ruining it and not being able to wear it . .but alas all prayers answered and a perfect wedding day!

aunt choody said...

Seriously, stuff like that just happens to you. I'm just glad that you are always tough enough to live through it! I think it was Lindsay and I that were in the backseat when you found out about it.

Ashley said...

I really loved this post. How sad a stained button to a ruined dress. What a crazy experience to go through the day before your wedding. That just escalates the stress, not to mention that you spent so much time to make that awesome gown only to have it ruined the day before your wedding. Crazy. It was so beautiful, but I loved your other one too. That's pretty impressive you found such a cute one and it fit you so well on such short notice! Glad it all worked out in the end.

Kelly Munns said...

do you know that i've never seen your original dress? it is....AMAZING...GORGEOUS! i am floored. you looked great on your wedding day, too though...i remember the reception and i just thought you were the most beautiful woman alive! your hair was my favorite...but i have to admit...i have fallen in love with the original one.

ps. i agree with everyone else...stuff like this DOES happen to you. how? why? i always thought it was because you could handle it...and i think i'm right. i remember multiple times calling you a "soldier" in high school because of the crap you had to deal with. broken leg (or whatever you did to it that you couldn't come to tahoe with me), all your strange illnesses, and just terrible luck. it's stuff that would break anyone else, but not you...SOLDIER!

Kelly Munns said...

oh, another ps. did you see emily in the back of those pictures?! hahahahahahahaha! whatareyoudooooing?

Elizabeth said...

Oh my goodness! I don't even want to think about what I'd do if this happened to me on May 30th!!!!!!! :) I can't believe you made your own beautiful dress...your little Lucy is going to be a lucky duck on her wedding day with a mama like you!

RaeAnn said...

I can't believe they ruined a tanya-original! It is gorgeous, as are you in any dress/jeans/pj pants... Even Paul was freaking out reading this post!

Jodi said...

Hi Tanya! I'm new to your blog and I really love your tutorials.

When I first started reading this post, I thought you were having the dress cleaned after the wedding. I felt horrible for you as I read along. I'm so glad it worked out for you and you had a wonderful day and you looked lovely in both dresses!

Stephanie said...

OK. This is commetn #19 WOW.. so who knows if you will read it. But my sister (who now stalks your blog for amazing ideas) informed me I am slightly retarded. You DO have both your dresses posted on this blog and under closer, less hurried, reading/viewing I saw it.
So obviously I think your 'homemade' dress rocks since I couldn't tell the difference!!!!

Abby said...

TANYA! I would have DIED. I can't believe you did not sue the pants off those people. You are a far better person than I. I honestly don't think I ever would have recovered from something like that...especially if I MADE the dress myself! Did they apologize? Or at least reimburse you the value of the dress? This is an incredible story, but the part that amazes me most is your Christlike attitude about it. Wow.

Court and Brade said...

OOOOOOHHHHHHH I CLEARLY remember this crazy story... I still can't believe that you found a dress right before the mall closed... crazy. Your wedding was a beautiful day, regardless! You two were beaming, I do remember that. ... You also had an AMAZING woman make your wedding cake.. ha ha :)