The Princess Effect

Jess learns what happens to brides after their first dress fitting. 

By Jessica Solloway

You guys all know the story about how I found my dress. In a nutshell, it involved a hesitant trip to a sample sale based on a promise of sushi afterward, two people randomly picking out the same dress and bringing it to the dressing room before I got there, a credit card swipe ... followed by relief, joy...and panic.

I absolutely love my dress, but I have never bought something that big (literally and figuratively) in my life. Making that kind of purchase is scary. It's THE dress. That's a lot of pressure! It's definitely rare to buy the first dress you try on, but it was totally meant to be, and I truly love it. Plus, finding it on the first try saved me from a lot of shopping stress and pushy sales people.

So, when I was recently in Cleveland for my shower, I was reunited with my dress for my very first dress fitting. I am having all of my fittings done at home, which seems easier than trying to find somewhere in DC and then having to deal with getting the dress to the wedding somehow. (Me plus a dress plus airport security equals a bad idea. I once left a dress on the conveyor belt at O'hare after a friend's wedding. We did retrieve it thank goodness.)

The fitting was at this beautiful store called Matina's Bridal. And it was so cool to put my dress on after all these months. My mom, grandma, and Seth's mom were there which was really fun. The seamstress got to work ... and after a few pins here and there, I was good to go. I'll have two more fittings, one about a month before my wedding, and the last one five days before the big day.

While we were there, the store's owner had me stand on this pedestal to try on veils and hair clips. It was so surreal. I just looked at myself in the three-way mirror, thinking, who IS this girl in the fancy dress? All I needed was a magic wand and I could pass for a very chic Disney princess.

I guess on your wedding day, it's really the only day in your life that you get to be a modern day version of a "princess". Everyone listens to your every wish and gushes over you. You get to spin around on the dance floor with a big pouffy dress (if only someone could put a spell on my "prince" so he'd like dancing). Some brides even take it as far as wearing a jeweled tiara.

From what I've heard, even the most laid-back, un-bride-y types get completely wrapped up in that whole vibe on their wedding day. How could you not?

On another note my mother is completely obsessed with that You Tube video where the whole bridal party dances down the aisle to Chris Brown, and is trying to concoct a way to do that in ours. Not gonna happen mom...the "princess" says no! But maybe if it was to a Rihanna song, we could work something out...