Dress Stress

Five days until I go dress shopping. For the last few months I have been addicted to TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress. This is not the show I should be watching, let me tell you. That show will put fears into your head that you never even thought of before. I saw a preview for a new episode where they literally get a woman stuck in a dress. Really?

I’ve recruited my friend Stephanie to make she this doesn’t happen to me. Stephanie is the kind of girl that every girl like me needs in their wedding party. What kind of girl am I? I am the procrastinate because I hate making phone calls, why don’t they have a website, know what I want but not how to get there, worry over every possible disaster sort of girl. Stephanie, well, she actually likes most people so that helps and she is excellent with both details and what comes next. Plus, she has been in like 100 weddings. When it comes time for her wedding, she will probably have a hard time letting anyone help. Stephanie has been with me for most of my “formal dress” dressing room experiences in the last 10 years. The most memorable, so far being the time we were searching for a dress for me to wear at President’s Ball and we almost got kicked out of a dressing room. Apparently, most stores don’t allow two people per stall, especially when they are laughing loud enough to wake the dead. Hopefully, the places we will be going to look for my dress won’t mind her coming in with me. It can be really awkward and time consuming to have someone who doesn’t know you or your disability help you change, just because so often, people will try to do what they think you need rather than listening to what you actually need. Having Stephanie there will help with the physical stress of the day. Did I mention she made the appointments and planned out the day as well? I love her.

The mental stress is a whole other issue all together. I have never been comfortable flaunting myself in front of groups of people and having them shoot compliments and not-so compliments at will. I hate to be the center of attention and yet here I am getting married, buying dresses and bringing an entourage with me while I do it. That’s right. I am a cliché. Worse, I am an obnoxious cliché. I will have with me my mother and four out of the five in my bridal party. I will be sending picture messages to at least two others. I will probably cry at least once. Just count your blessings that glittery ball gowns don’t fit into wheelchairs or I’d probably come home in one.

I don’t think I have ever looked so forward to something I’m dreading in all my life. This Saturday is the big day. Hopefully, I end the day with a dress, with all relationships in tact, and with enough time to catch the football game.