Lets Play Dress Up

      The two biggest decisions in wedding planning should happen relatively early on. Above anything else, you should pick a venue, and you should pick a dress. After that it tends to fall into place relatively flawlessly. It's important to have a place to enjoy your day with friends and family, and it's especially important to have the dress of your dreams to make you feel like the most important person at your wedding.

     Before you head out to try dresses on, check online to see where you might go. Check out that particular boutique's website to see what styles and designers they carry. Keep in mind that they do not have the ability to carry the entire designer's line, but that's ok. If they don't have a specific dress you are looking for, they probably have something extremely similar.

     Keep an open mind. I can't tell you how many people come in just "knowing" they will buy a mermaid style dress, and leave having bought a ball gown. You may come in with a certain vision, but if your body looks amazing in a ball gown, and just "OK" in a mermaid, rethink your vision. Always remember, the end goal is for you to look stunning in whatever dress you pick. Even if it's not what you had originally envisioned.

     Your dress viewing party can either make or break you. Some people are able to come in with 10 people and still make the decision based on what they love about a certain dress. Others just can't decipher their own opinion over the voices of those they have around them. In my experience it has been best to have a smaller group on the day your big decision is made. You want to be able to hear your own thoughts and feelings about a dress over the opinions of your friends and family. Granted, certain peoples opinions matter to you, and that's ok. The opinion of my mother was important to me. However, at the end of the day, it is you who is wearing the dress, and you have to be happy with your decision.

     Ask your consultant for a business card. If you are serious about a dress you saw in their boutique, try to remember their name. Your bridal consultant is like the extra bridesmaid you never knew you needed. They have invested time in getting to know you and your style. Your likes and your dislikes. Even if you come in a second time to try totally different styles, ask to meet with your original consultant.

     As a consultant at Celebrations Bridal and Fashions, I want to say it was difficult to make a decision on what dress I chose, but it really wasn't. I knew I loved my dress from the moment we received our floor piece. That's not to say we don't have other amazing dresses, because we do. I probably tried on at least 10 others, and they were all beautiful, but for me, it was love at first sight.

     You know what you look good in. Go with your gut feeling. Regardless, on the day of your wedding, you're going to look stunning. In the end, your day is not about a dress, it's about you, and the love you share with that special someone.
   

   

So How Did He Do It?

     The week after I was proposed to, I can't tell you how many times I heard the question, "So, how did he do it?" On countless occasions I ask this question to my brides while helping them in and out of dresses. It's always fun to have a back story to see where things started.

     One of my very favorite stories of proposal came from one of my very own clients. Her family and soon to be fiance were visiting Florida for a nice little get away. The boys were out golfing, so the girls decided to go shopping. A small jewelry shop caught her eye so she went in. This is where she found "The Ring." Knowing the boys wouldn't be done for a while she called her significant other, and suggested that they go back later to look at the ring together. They went back only to find that the ring had been sold, wrapped up, and taken right out the door.

     Hearing this I felt so sad, but she went on to tell me the underlying secret plan. After the golf game had ended, her benevolent beau went to the jewelry shop and bought the ring in secret. He asked the clerk to tell his soon to be bride that the shop owner had bought it for his wife, and that she was not able to keep it on hold. Two moths after the vacation, when all had been forgotten about the ring, he got down on one knee and uttered those 4 small words most girls cant wait to hear.

     Everyone's story is different. When Nick asked me, I can't tell you how happy I was. The night of September 14th, 2014, our families planned to meet at one of our favorite Italian restaurants. Nick was pretty fidgety, but I just thought that he had a stressful day at work. We had appetizers, dinner and some good conversations. We ordered desert and coffee. The server came to drop them off and as he left nick got out of his seat. I really thought nothing of it. I thought he was just going to the bathroom.

     He looked at me and asked me to stand up with him. He took my hand in his and told me how much I meant to him and how much he loved me. Finally, the best line of all as he dropped to his knee, "I better ask you now before I start blubbering, Will You Marry Me?" It was such a heartfelt touching proposal. I'll never forget it. I will also never forget wondering if I was going to have to catch him if he fainted, but he didn't, and here we are now, planning a wedding together.

     The proposal is the beginning of our journey to the altar. It's where it all begins. The day I was proposed to is a day that I will remember for the rest of my life. It's the day that put our dream wedding into motion, and I can't wait for it all to come together into one perfect day.

Rome Wasn't Built in a Day, and Neither was Our Relationship.

     As a bridal consultant working at Celebrations Bridal and Fashion for the past year, of course marriage has been on my mind a lot. To this day the shop itself is one of the most beautiful retail shops I have visited. I loved it so much I stayed and they put me to work.

     My Fiancé, Nick, and I have been together for almost 6 years now, so when he popped the question of course the answer was yes. However, it took a lot building to get to this point. Our relationship is built with respect, maturity and the ability to grow with each other, no matter the circumstances. Here's how we did it.

     First, pick colleges that are thousands of miles away form each other. This pushes you to work on your communication skills. Compromise is also key here. A daily call may not be necessary, but at lease a few texts shared back and forth will suffice. Trust must be given, and never broken. When you live so far apart, trust is the mortar that holds the walls of Rome together. Confidence in yourself, one another, and in your relationship is a must. Without this, a relationship can crumble for no reason. Be sure to make time for at least one visit here and there. It gets really hard to not see them for more than three months at a time. Always tell your other half that you love them. Even if you're mad, or frustrated. It's better to let them know you still love them, rather than leaving them to wonder. Do this for about 3 and a half years. If you can survive this way for even 6 months, there's a good chance your relationship will survive.

     Second, realize that your significant other may have one more semester of school to finish, and you've already graduated. Also realize you don't think you can live apart from them for even a short 6 more months. Agree to move into a house with 4 boys and one bathroom. Pack all of your belongings into your small Jeep, and move to Bismark, ND in the dead of winter. Make a space for yourself, you're going to need it. Explain that you don't escape to your place to be anti social, you escape there to have a little bit of me time. Continue to communicate how you feel. Ask each other how your days were. When you have the time, do something fun. Go to a movie, visit the museum, or sit on the couch and read together. Get to know each other even better. Always say I love you before going to bed. Even if you're mad. Even if you're frustrated. It's better to let them know you still love them, rather than leaving them to wonder. If you survive this six months, your relationship will most likely survive the test of time too.

     Third, decided that Bismarck, ND is not the place for you, or you other half. Stuff both of your belongings, a cat, and yourselves into your small jeep and return to your hometown. Shop for apartments together. Find out what parts of town you really don't ever want to live in. Find a place all your own. Move all of your furniture and belongings in to your new place. Make it a part of who you are as a couple. Play board games, build puzzles, and cuddle on the couch while you binge watch a new series on Netflix. Don't forget to make time for friends too. Remember to check to see if the toilet seat is down at night to make sure you don't fall in. After the third time, talk to him about it. Don't let irritations fester. Talk about whats bothering you. Talk about whats going right in your life. Try to take equal responsibility for daily expenses. Try to take equal responsibility for making one another feel loved and appreciated. Grow together. Respect each other. Push each other to be better, and conduct yourself with maturity when its needed most. Always say I love you before going to bed. Even if you're mad. Even if you're frustrated. it's better to let them know you still love them, rather than leaving them to wonder.

     In all reality, you don't have to take such drastic measures to decide weather or not you're in the relationship you deserve. You just have to keep and eye out for a few key signs. Are you both able to trust each other? Are you a mature couple with confidence in one another as well as your relationship? Are you both able to compromise when it's needed? Is there a mutual respect for your better half and do they share that respect for you? Can you talk to each other about virtually anything?

     Like I said, Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was my relationship with Nick. A lot of different elements went into the love we have today. Our ability to grow and adapt to each other is what makes it my honor to become a future Mrs. G.