It's all about "The Dress"

The Dress. Capital 'T', capital 'D'. Thanks to films such as "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and celebrity magazines such as OK and Hello, weddings seem to have developed a fashion show element, and the star of that show is "The Dress". Styles, colours, length, train or no train, beading or not, lace or not, strapless or not. Sleeves, fishtail, A-line, ballgown... The list is endless, and the choice incredible. Do you go for a huge princess pile of fluff and floof? Or a simple Grecian dress? Or a slinky fishtail shift? And then there's colours: White, ivory, or red...

Gone, it seems, are the days of the traditional white wedding and with it, the traditional fluffy white dress. The scene in "Four Weddings..." where Andie McDowell tries on dress after dress after dress, may be exaggerated, but not by much. Once we had decided on a day and started searching for a venue, I also started searching for "The Dress". And everyone wanted to know what I'd found!

"The Dress" was definitely beginning to become the star of the show. J and I even attended a Wedding Fair that included a fashion show and although I was only particularly keen on one supplier, it was a place to start. And there was no denying that all the dresses were beautiful even if not all of them were my cup of tea.

I surfed the local bridal shop websites, I flicked through wedding magazines and in the end, I could tell you what I didn't like, but I couldn't tell you what I did like! I'd heard that when you find "The Dress", you just know. However, I was sceptical. The idea of "The Dress" was gaining a life of its own.

Sometime afterwards, I made my first appointment with a bridal shop - the one I'd liked at the Wedding Fair. With my sister - bridesmaid to be - in tow, I tried on my first wedding dress. It was extremely surreal but once I was able to convince myself that the woman in the mirror wearing a wedding dress was really me, I started to enjoy myself. It was a lot of fun, and the shop assistants were helpful and patient. I tried on several, liking some, disliking others. And then it happened. It clicked! Looking in the mirror I didn't look like I was playing dress-up, I looked, and felt, like a bride! Perhaps I'd found My Dress?

Playing it safe, I visited other shops and tried other dresses, but eventually returned to the one I'd loved so much. So, yes, I have now chosen "The Dress". And yes, when I saw it, I just knew it was the one for me. And I hope "The Dress" will enjoy its moment in the spotlight, and I hope that J will love it as I do.

It was easy to get overwhelmed, and to over-think. I'm the first to admit I do the second much too often. Gut instinct finally prevailed, and things just clicked. They continue to click with the venue, the music, and ideas about the flowers. Research is key (and more on that another time) but instinct should definitely not be ignored. And I would propose that the same applies to fiction - both reading and writing. Some of the best new writing I've read, and some of the most fun and interesting pieces I've written myself, have been a result of just going with my gut instinct. When it's right, it's right. It's when the plot clicks. When characters start talking to you. It's the word you've been struggling with in a poem that works despite itself. It's the book with the intriguing title or cover by an author you've never heard of. It's when you suddenly find "The Dress" is one you never even thought to look at, and your life is richer for it.

Until next time...