Wedding Planner Journey: The Dress

Wedding Dress Disaster to Meant to Be

Planning has been moving along quite well in the McVaugh/Ermitano household.  Shea and I have realized that we are more on the non-traditional side of wedding planning. I don’t plan on having my dress stark white, throw a bouquet or garter, or having wedding cake. Additionally, I planned on having a unique dress , which was most importantly, me. I traveled back to Spokane Memorial Day weekend to visit with my family and to purchase my wedding gown. I ended up returning to the first dress I tried on a few months ago, and I realized that it was meant to be. I had tried on the dress several times prior. It was a beautiful, blush/champagne colored Oleg Cassini gown. It was far from traditional – I loved it. Over the last couple of months I had developed a close relationship with my stylist. She kept me in touch with updates from the designer and kept me updated on my timeline to purchase. Originally, I had put it off because the designer and stylist said I had nothing to worry about. It was a new design and it would be available for a few months- so I went on with my daily life and put wedding planning behind me. My mom, sister, and I scheduled an appointment with my stylist to try on the dress again and purchase. I tried it on, was ready to order, and then my stylist got on the phone. I looked at my mother, and then to my sister, I’m pretty positive they could see the fear in my eyes. She was having a discussion with their warehouse-over ride codes- oh, no. Something was wrong. My stylist got off the phone. I’m sure she saw my deer in the headlights look on my face. I knew I had lost the dress. Due to the color, the designer had pulled the dress and was not manufacturing the design anymore. Unfortunately the sample I had tried on was not the right fit and my dream dress destiny was over. I left the store before tears started to roll down my face, and I just cried. I feared that our wedding, which is planned around the color of the dress, was ruined. I got home, and my Dad- who is a man of few words when it comes to comfort- came in the house and said, “Rachel, there are more dresses honey. You’ll find a new one.” He is very quiet when it comes to comforting. He mostly tells me to, “Stop crying, and go wash my face.” These words helped me pick myself up, grab my mom and head out to a bridal boutique in Spokane.

The ladies at Bridal Collections were wonderful. I came in, explained my story, and after a gasp they said, “Let me help you!” My stylist Cynthia gave me the best experience. She asked me what I was looking for and went straight to work. She didn’t move outside the box, or try and get me in a dress I hated. She pulled every dress in the exact color that I wanted. I tried on dress one, a beautiful lace fit and flare, and I said, “Not for me.” Then, I tried on the most magnificent gown, in Parisian Mist with an Ivory overlay, and before walking out – I said, “I love this one.” As soon as I saw myself in the mirror, I felt like the most beautiful bride. I hadn’t felt this way in the previous discontinued dress. That was a beautiful gown, but now I was a beautiful woman that had found the perfect gown. We ended up ordering the dress right away. I would spend all day, every day, in that dress if I could. It is a Maggie Sottero gown, is traditional but offbeat, and most importantly, it is mine. I can’t wait to walk down the aisle with Shea, and do so looking like 1,000,000 bucks. Sometimes, disaster strikes during wedding planning, but remember there is always another dress or another way.

Visit BridalColletions in Spokane, WA if you want the fabulous experience I had!