Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta

Have any of you ever watched the show, Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta on TLC?  If you haven't, I must say, you are truly missing out!  They show a variety of dresses and give advice to the current bride trying on dresses on how to fit her body style and what may or may not look good on her.  I am a huge fan of the show and actually stayed up a whole hour and a half past my bed time last night just because I couldn't stop watching!  Last night's episode was about the owner, Lori.  Unfortunately, Lori recently became diagnosed with breast cancer.  She had to announce her frightening news to her team members who keep the store running by meeting every brides need.  The team was extremely emotional to learn about her diagnosis.  I can't even emphasize how awesome of an owner Lori is.  She is truly there 110% for the bride.  She knows her inventory forwards and backwards and understands there is a dress that matches a brides personality.  Lori is a great leader and an even better friend.   

As you can see, it would be difficult to see a great leader and a great friend leave the store knowing she wouldn't be back for a while.  Unfortunately, Lori is currently not working in the store in order to receive treatment for her breast cancer.  

The next week a special bride comes into the store searching for a gown for a special reason that touched my heart as well as the workers in the store.  Her husband and a few family members came with her to help her find her next wedding dress.  This couple had been together 25 years and will be celebrating their marriage with another ceremony.  Her husband is the one who is pushing for another ceremony because he strives to give his wife everything she deserves.  Apparently their first wedding she wore a borrowed white prom dress, ha ha!  The story does not stop here.  The reason this story touched my heart so much is because she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  As you can imagine this hit very close to home for all the workers at the store.  What is different about this woman's story is that she survived breast cancer, but recently was diagnosed with the same disease for the second time in her life.  She has breast cancer, again. 

As she is looking for a dress, each one she tries on looks amazing on her!  Her husbands only request is that it have something silver on it since 25 years represents their silver anniversary.  Her first dress resembles this perfectly and her family feels she has found the one to say "yes" to.  It was an amazing halter, silky, white gown with two different belts of silver jewelry around the bodice.  So, what could be wrong with it?  Her exact words were, "It's too perfect!"  The workers were floored.  Their eyes were as wide as can be.  They have never once heard a bride comment on a dress saying it is too perfect for their needs.  I was a little stunned myself.  

Why do you think she said this?  It was simple.  That dress didn't resemble her.  That particular dress didn't resemble her life story.  Her thought on the dress is this:  She isn't perfect, her life has been far from perfect, so why would she pick a dress that makes it look like her life has been perfect?!  Are you still struggling to understand?  Don't worry, I was pretty lost at this point too!  Keep in mind, her husband still hasn't heard the explanation either.

The next dress she chose to try on was a strapless gown with tousled sideways layers around the bodice, which led to even bigger cut off layers around the bottom of the dress.  Her husband thought she looks absolutely fabulous, but still didn't understand why she didn't like the first dress, the "perfect" one.  When she began explaining how the dress suited her life, there was not a dry eye in the studio...or my room!  She began with the statement, "I'm not perfect, so why would I want a perfect dress." She explained how the tousled layers showed her life story.  She has had many layers and battles to over come.  The bottom of the dress, with it's many cut up layers, resembled the struggles she has gone through.  The battle she put up against breast cancer, and the next battle that was ahead.  She liked how big and poofy the bottom was simply because when you drew back all the layers it was attached to one smooth piece.  By watching the show and seeing the expression on her face while explaining the smooth piece may have made it her favorite part of the dress.  "At the end of the day", she said, "I have my many layers, but I know that one solid piece underneath will always be there."  That one solid piece was a resemblance of her family and her husband.  Her rock and her backbone.  She couldn't believe how much they all had gone through together, but was so very grateful for all of them being there for her through all of her struggles and layers of imperfectness.  Once the explanation was finished, once again, there was not a dry eye in the studio.  Her husband and family began to understand and saw the beauty of the dress that resembled her life and who she was.  After a few moments, this woman said "Yes" to her dress!

Her dress that she said yes to looked similar to the one below:

disboards.com

I'll leave you all with this, be thankful for what you have and don't always look for what is perfect.  I never knew a wedding dress could tell that big of a story.  Keep this story in mind when you all go dress shopping.  It will make you appreciate the smallest little details.