Ask any of my single friends, and most can tell you down to the fine details what their wedding day will look like. They know the season, the venue, which flowers they’ll carry, and, most of all, exactly what their dress will look like. They know everything, except perhaps the identity of the groom.

By Sarah Martin

 

Ask any of my single friends, and most can tell you down to the fine details what their wedding day will look like. They know the season, the venue, which flowers they’ll carry, and, most of all, exactly what their dress will look like. They know everything, except perhaps the identity of the groom.

 

But as it turns out, every bride I know ended up buying the exact opposite of what she initially imagined. My cousin swore she would not wear lace — not one stitch. After an exhausting search, she bought the most beautiful strapless A-line lace gown.

 

Recently, I went dress shopping with a friend who was newly engaged. She wanted a very structured gown with a dropped waist. After trying on dozens of these styles, she wasn’t happy with the way any of them looked. I encouraged her to try different styles, cuts, and fabrics. In the end, she bought a one-shouldered, Grecian-inspired gown. She looked beautiful.

 

The same thing happened to me. Unlike most of my friends, I didn’t grow up dreaming of my wedding day. When people asked what kind of dress I wanted, I had no ready answer.

 

When the time came, I diligently poured through dozens of bridal magazines. After looking at hundreds of dresses, I found the perfect one — an over-the-top strapless ball gown with beading all down the front.

 

I went with my mother to try on my “dream” dress. Much to my dismay, it was a disaster. I looked ridiculous; the dress swallowed me whole and the beading, which looked great in the picture, turned out to be the work of a crazy person armed with a bedazzler.

 

With my dream dress , I tried on dozens more. An hour later, with the saleswoman clearly running out of patience, I was nowhere and getting desperate. I was close to hysterically running out of the store, but decided to look around one last time.

 

I spotted a dress in the back corner of the salon. It was an A-line off white gown with cap sleeves and an Empire waist. I grabbed it and tried it on. As soon as I put it on, I began to cry. It was simple, light, perfect, and exactly the opposite of what I had wanted.

 

Sometimes your dream dress is just that, an abstract fantasy. If you don’t keep an open mind, you’re likely to miss out on the right one. Try on styles that are out of your comfort zone. You never know what surprises you’ll find in the back corner of a salon.