It's I Do, But at What Cost?

Every item you own has a story to tell. A story about how it was made, who owned it first, what was the original price, why did the item's previous owner sell it or gave it away? I'm talking about those thrift finds. New or old. Every item's story deserves to be told. Today I am inspired to write about my latest thrift find; my wedding dress.

Let's start at the beginning. On December 28, 2020, my boyfriend drove us two hours out of town for a couple's photoshoot. I am obsessed with the Eiffel Tower in Paris and Montmarte, SK Canada has a small replica of the Eiffel Tower. My boyfriend thought it would make a great photo opportunity for us since we can not travel to Paris at this time. He knows I dream of Paris. I've only mentioned it about a trillion times. So, we met our photographer and began the shoot. When we arrived in front of the Eiffel Tower my boyfriend got down on one knee and proposed. Of, course I said, "Yes!"

Our budget is pretty tight for our wedding. I'm pretty crafty so I can make our centrepieces and bouquets. My fiance is going to rent his tux, but what about the dress? The wedding dress is just as big as the wedding. Every girl dreams of her wedding dress, but what about the budget? It's I do, but at what cost? My soon-to-be mother-in-law made us an appointment at a few thrift stores in our city. I was a bit hesitant. Did I want to wear someone else's wedding dress? Was I going to even find anything I loved? I tried on a few. Some picture-worthy and some not. Some fit and some didn't. After all, these dresses have already been altered to fit another bride's body. I was feeling pretty defeated when there was only one more dress to try on in the store. I was aiming for the princess look. I am a Disney nerd and the theme of our wedding is Disney. So, I needed the dress to fit my theme like Cinderella's glass slipper. The sales lady followed me into the change room to help me into the dress. If you have ever tried on or worn a wedding dress you understand that you need help getting into some. The zipper zipped up with no hesitation. Which is a great feeling. The lady opened the curtain and I stepped out. I walked towards the mirror and starred.

"How do you feel in this one?" My fiance's mother asked trying to keep an emotion-free face.

"I feel like I need to show my mom and daughter this one." was my reply.

Because of COVID rules, I could not have an entourage. So, I was sending pictures of the dresses I like to my mom and oldest daughter. My mom's response was, "I like that one!" My daughter's response was, "You look like royalty mom!" I wanted to get excited but we didn't know the price of this royalty dress yet. We were at a thrift store, so how expensive could it be? My heart sank when the lady told us $1,000.00. Of course, the price for this dress brand new was much, much higher. Now don't get discouraged this is the part of the story where the superhero steps in and saves the day. My soon-to-be mother-in-law stares at the lady and says, "This bride is on a budget and you can do better than that. $500?" The sales lady looks at me and then replies, "675.00?" Now, I'm trying to keep my cool because I've heard of haggling but never witnessed it in real life. "$600 or we leave!" was my hero's final offer. "Deal" The sales lady agreed.

Man, what the heck just happened? I found the perfect wedding dress at a thrift store and I'm ecstatic. Plus, I learnt that my new mother-in-law is pretty badass! What else can I get her to haggle for me? Ha-Ha! My wedding dress has a thrifty story to tell and I hope you enjoyed the tale. Now I can't wait to wear it on our special day!

***If you'd like to send a tip. All tips will go towards our wedding***

Thank-You!