When I got engaged in 1998, I weighed over two hundred pounds. He didn’t let that stop me from planning the wedding of my dreams in the Nantahala Gorge near Bryson City, North Carolina. I had a vision for my wedding that included a beautiful wedding gown. I started my research in some popular boutiques in Atlanta. Most of the salespeople in these stores looked at me like I was crazy. Their sizes started at 0 and stopped at 12. I was annoyed that they offered me a size 14 or 16. That is, if I wanted to pay in advance, there would be no hope of a refund if I was not eligible. When I was 22 years old, I didn’t think of such an idea.
I went online, although back then it was much less accessible. I found most of them that fit me actually through cross-stitching. Not quite what I was looking for!
I was quite relaxed and only asked for a few days. I’m not a girly girl; I like it plain and simple, but I wanted something beautiful and feminine. I wanted to feel as beautiful as possible when my fiancé saw me walking down the aisle. I started thinking that maybe I should wear a cocktail dress or something else that I could find in a larger size.
My sisters and bridesmaids were outraged by it and dragged me to David’s groom. It is a large chain and had a huge selection. Most of their selection was also in sizes 0 to 12, but they had a small section for women. My friend’s first clothes were ugly. Big, layered, beaded, shimmering, and every detail made me look twice my already big size.
Some have sold terribly. He heard that I was really listening to what I was looking for and went hunting. She returned with three gowns. The first two were beautiful and simple and I was quite excited until I saw the price of the pure. Those dishes cost about half of what we decided to spend on the whole wedding. Then he pulled out the last dress and I knew it was my dress. I held my breath as I reached for the box. It was a lot, but not far away. Then he smiled and told me it was 75% off on the clearance rack. I was too stunned to do the math in my head, so I rattled off. The total was less than $400 – even less than originally budgeted.
Of course, to my friends it was too simple, too plain, but I didn’t know. They said it was too big and hung up on me, and they were right, but I could see the potential. It was my dress.
I found a seamstress who specializes in wedding gowns and went to see her. She pinned and sewed and then I left the dress with her for a week. When I got back, I couldn’t believe the magic that had worked. I have a very short waist, so I brought out the skirt in the style of an empress. This belly camouflaged me and gave me a flattering figure. It firmed the arms and shoulders for a perfect fit and when I put it on, I felt beautiful and ready to walk down the aisle.
