Yesterday, my husband and I celebrated our first full 365 days of marriage! It got me nostalgic, and even while I was busy at work, I found myself wishing it was our wedding day all over again. It was truly a fairytale experience.
As I recalled every fleeting moment, such as our “first-look,” our handwritten vows, and the delicious cake I had smashed in my face, it occurred to me that my dress was a huge part of all those moments. The response I got from my husband when he saw my bundle of tulle and crystals for the first time, the way my veil danced over my cheek as I tried to hold on to my composure during the ceremony, and even the way the perfectly white fibers caught a handful of chocolate chip pound cake as it fell from my chin. It was more than a dress I spent an exuberant amount of moolah on. It was a centerpiece to our wedding.
Here are just a few reasons my wedding dress means everything to me.
I will never forget the look on my future-husband’s face when he saw me.
Call me old-fashioned, but my groom was totally in the dark when it came to my wedding dress. I’d told him things to throw him off when he would try and guess what kind of fabric he’d see me standing in that day. Before the ceremony, we shared an intimate first-look so that we could take pictures outside while it was still light outside. (I guess that’s what we get for picking the shortest day of the year to get married.) Nonetheless, it was such a special moment for us. We were so incredibly nervous before he turned around to see me, but it was all worth it when I saw the awe, surprise, and love in the way he gazed at me.
I felt more beautiful than ever before.
People always say the bride should feel like a princess on her wedding day and, boy, my dress did just that. I don’t think I will ever achieve the same sense of beauty that I felt as I stepped into my dress that day. It was truly a fairytale come true. I felt flawless in every single way, although, I was pretty terrified my mascara would run and that I might miss-step in my 4 ½ in. heels. If it was the makeup, dress, or the ambiance of the day that made me feel like the best version of myself, I wouldn’t change a thing. That confidence got me down the aisle and married to my best friend.
I had a once in a lifetime chance to wear it.
I will never put my wedding dress on ever again. (Okay, maybe just to see if it still fits one-year post-marriage…) But I will never leave my house in my wedding dress, or any wedding dress, ever again. A wedding is a once in a lifetime event that results in a lifelong marriage. I will never wear a dress that makes me happy-cry the first time I put it on, ever again. I had the chance to be a bride for one day. And let’s be honest, I milked it dry. There was no way I would skimp out on my dress. Besides that, my wedding dress will always be just that: my wedding dress. It is something I will cherish forever with the fondest memories of that day.
These are just a few reasons why my wedding dress is more than just a ritualistic expectation met on my wedding day. To me, it is so much more than a dress; it is a memory I will keep close to my heart forever.
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