Do I Have to Cry When I Find My Wedding Dress?

There is this idea out there that when you find THE DRESS, you are supposed to cry.

And, yes, a lot of brides do.

Trust me, I have Kleenex boxes everywhere in my store for a reason.

But after doing this for as long as I have, I can tell you that tears are definitely not the only sign that you’ve found your wedding dress.

Sometimes you sweat.

I am serious.

I had a bride the other day who was standing in her dress and kept saying, “I am SWEATING.”

And I looked at her and said, “Well, that’s your bridal moment!”

Because really, what I think we’re looking for isn’t necessarily tears, it’s that rush of adrenaline when something suddenly feels so right.

I get it myself when I’m shopping and find something I absolutely love. I call it FASHION CRACK lolol. You know that feeling when you find exactly what you’ve been looking for and you’re so excited you almost can’t stand it?

THAT’S THE FEELING

For a lot of brides, that adrenaline comes out as tears. You’re happy. You’re excited. You’re emotional. You’re looking at yourself as a BRIDE, maybe for the first time, and suddenly the whole thing feels real.

But I’ve also seen it come out in a hundred other ways.

And one of my absolute favorites? DANCING

When a bride starts dancing in her dress, I pay attention.

There’s something about the way she starts moving when she feels really good. She isn’t analyzing the neckline anymore. She isn’t asking whether the train is too long. She isn’t thinking about what dress is coming next, because in that moment, she’s already wearing her wedding dress.

SHE IS HAPPY

And after all these years, I can usually see it before she even says it.

I see it in her eyes.

I see it in her smile.

I see it in the way she holds herself.

And one of my favorite things of all is seeing that pure excitement reflected back at me through the mirror.

THAT’S THE BRIDAL MOMENT

It might be tears. It might be sweating. It might be dancing. It might be a huge smile that you can’t get off your face.

AND SOMETIMES IT’S QUIET

There isn’t one correct reaction to finding your wedding dress.

But there is usually something.

Now, here’s the part that makes me a little crazy.

Sometimes a bride DOES have that moment. She cries, her family cries, and everyone in the room feels it. And then she says, “I think I want to keep looking.” And inside I am thinking, Girl! What are we doing?! You had THE MOMENT.

After 45 years in bridal, though, here’s what I wish every bride knew.

DON’T GET SO BUSY LOOKING FOR THE NEXT DRESS THAT YOU TALK YOURSELF OUT OF THE FEELING YOU JUST HAD IN THIS ONE.

Your bridal moment doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.

You don’t have to cry.

You don’t need some huge dramatic movie moment.

You just need to PAY ATTENTION TO YOU.

Because sometimes, YOUR BODY KNOWS BEFORE YOUR BRAIN CATCHES UP.

And, if you suddenly find yourself sweating, smiling, staring at yourself in the mirror…

OR DANCING?

I SEE IT IN THE MIRROR BEFORE SHE DOES

Love, Formally Yours