It all began with an engagement. I spent several months researching, stressing, and planning my dream wedding with no wedding planner. It felt as if I was hosting a party for all of my closest friends and family, and needed to meet everyone’s expectations. I was overwhelmed with planning until the day I found my perfect wedding dress.

I came across a bridal boutique on Instagram and found a dress on their site. I was hoping it would be available to try on when my appointment time came and lucky for me, it was. I invited my closest friends, mother, and soon to be mother in law and we drove two hours to find my dress.

The first dress I tried on was the one I saw on Instagram and I fell in love. I tried on several other styles and even went to another bridal boutique. After exhausting all of my options, we were headed to the car. I decided in the parking lot that my dress I would be married in was the first dress from the first boutique. It was then, standing in the rain in the parking lot, that we popped the bottle of champagne. We drank out of solo cups to celebrate the decision being made on the gown I would be married in.

Shopping for my wedding gown was one of the best experiences and one of my favorite events of our wedding. It was very intimate and emotional having my loved ones there to support me in making such a important decision. Finding my wedding dress was the day that I took the wedding planner hat off and became a bride to be.