I tried on my very first dress in January when I was more a 24 than 22 and it was at a Bridal Expo. My Mum and Pony were gushing over the gowns and as much as I admired the lace overlay ivory bodice with swarkovski crystal detailing and fitted waist going into a ball gown skirt I was more nervous than I had ever been in my life when they said I should try one on. I swear I even threw up a little inside as a few scenarios rushed through my mind like a) facing the horror as nothing but sample sizes are available and I’d be told to go home and diet until the next expo so I may have a chance of slipping something over my hips and b) that was discovered while I was standing in nothing but my bra and undies in a room full of strangers while fellow Brides to Be swirled around me in all their skinny glory able to try on the dresses.
So the sales assistant helped my mother get the dress off the rack and we were directed where to go to stand in line for the changing rooms and that dress was placed in que waiting for my turn. I had butterflies in my tummy and my hands were shaking as I tried to control my breathing thinking I was going faint or throw up for real as we slowly shifted through the line. I tried to laugh my nerves off saying it’s just so real and how excited I was but honestly, it was the complete opposite. I think my Mum had some suspicions but they both had their happy faces on and I swear it was only to build up the hype for a major let down.
So I got called into the next free change room and the sales girl was actually a larger lady so the humility of standing in my underwear with all my wobbly bits and orange peel thighs was slightly less. She was a lovely lady, very bubbly and talkative and as if she knew the horror of a dress not fitting tried to easy the disappointment by explaining with the dresses you normally need one or two sizes up from your regular cloth size as they’re made with a small fit. Makes sense. So what that would leave me wanting what – a size 30??? As I bent slightly and she guided the gown over me I held my breath, waiting for it to get stuck and the line about going on a diet would soon come from this ladies lips. But suddenly I was standing upright and being tied into this stunning gown. Huh? How did that happen?
I looked in the mirror as she wrestled with the tie up back – fastening me into the ivory A-line beautiful sparkly dress and I grinned. A big smile. So when I walked out of the change room and all eyes settled on me I did a little happy dance, Pony and Mum came to gush over me and a few others complimented me on the dress. Two other sales ladies came over and did their little spill about the style, fit, what alterations could be made etc etc etc. But I wasn’t listening. I was in my own little world where my hideous size let me still get dresses like this. Much to my surprise I tried on 2 other gowns the skinnier sales lady that helped us earlier thought would look good, and they did. There were no awkward moments and I realised that loosing my wedding dress virginity was much like loosing the real thing. It’s a little awkward at first, nerves are high but after that first time the results are so worth it.
I know being a larger lady it’s all of my own doing. I refer to gyms as places people go to get sweaty, I don’t own a pair of sneakers and my diet did consist of fast food once a week and eating out at restaurants on weekends. I did pretty much no physical exercise since my pooch passed away (he was my motivation) and over the last couple of years I kind of exploded. Plus being in a relationship gave that settled feeling and you get comfortable, we spend nights on the sofa watching movies eating junk food or going out with friends drinking. It all adds up – around my waist. So when I got engaged the whole dress thing has been at the back of my mind like a nightmare and in December I made a pre-attempt at a New Years Resolution of loosing weight and getting fit. It took me 5 months of being engaged to kick start this. Each night I would walk for an hour, as best we could we cut out the takeaway/eating out and tried to cook good food every night but then with work being so busy and full on things altered and so after the expo I jumped back on the band wagon and my lovely H2B brought me my first pair of sneakers since high school, and I joined curved and saw a doctor about a healthy eating plan. That was March and we’re now mid-April and I’ve just dropped a dress size and lost just over 5kgs. So by next year I hope to be a 16/18 at least. So I am being pro-active and trying to make the changes.
That was my first wedding dress experience....
Me in the dress I loved most from the expo... It wasnt The Dress but I still love it. I lost my wedding dress virginity to this one it will always be in my heart hehehe.... And at $3100 in my heart is where it can stay!!
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