Baby, Anywhere The Wind Blows…
Item: Dress Color?Fabric: Ruby, Polyester/rayon Designer: Ruby Where Purchased: For once, I can’t remember. But I feel that Value City wouldn’t be too off base. Years Owned: 11
Well, I’m nearly through my first husband-less week. It honestly has not been so great, but I’m still trying for Endless Smiling. Just the effort seems to be helping!
Today I am pondering the dress that I wore to my very own wedding’s rehearsal dinner. Over ten years ago! It seems almost ridiculous that that amount of time has really passed. It seems like a lie. But I know that it has to be true. Particularly in looking at this picture:
Oh such babies we were! I feel like we look even younger than in my Homecoming post picture (which you can see here if you desire). Wow.
One thing that I have to confess, and urgently. After I photographed this today and was checking for the fabric content, I grew alarmed. What’s this? I thought, lifting up the first layer of the dress. There is an enormous dark stain, almost completely covering the front of the dress. I had no idea that it was there. I remember wearing this to a wedding after mine, and figured that the stain must have happened that night. But then, after I uploaded that picture, I could see the stain! It was there for my entire rehearsal dinner! How embarrassing. And how very like me.
I must have known it was there that night. It really isn’t as easy to see as the picture makes it appear. I’m sure I convinced myself that no one would know. But how did it get there? Does anyone out there remember this stain?
So. Tonight I looked at pictures of my rehearsal dinner to freshen my recollections of that evening. There were many smiles that occurred, and a few cringes as well. I am not at all sure what the Pastor is doing in this picture. It could very well be “I’m a Little Teapot!” He ruled that rehearsal and wedding with an iron fist. He actually made my flower girl cry that night, I think because she wanted to hold my hand.
The rest of the evening was wonderful. We were the first of our little group to get married, so it all seemed rather strange and a little surreal. Like maybe it was all just a silly game that we decided to play. But there was an undercurrent of hope, and love, and overwhelming support from some of the best people I have ever known. Plus we just had a great time! There was Italian food that took a lifetime to get to our table, much laughter, and too many flip flops. Obviously.
What has struck me most deeply is how much everyone in my wedding party has changed. My mini-bridesmaid is going to college next year. My flower girl is in high school. There are children and investment bankers among us. It all seems impossible.
I look at my bridesmaids and feel an overwhelming sadness, an yawning emptiness. I have been horrible at communicating. Truly, I am ashamed. Besides the two that are my sisters, I don’t really know what’s going on in most of their lives right now, and that makes my heart ache. What is keeping this from breaking my Week of Endless Smiles is that I know that no matter how much time passes, there are bonds that can never be broken. I know that when I do finally get my act together and reach out to my beloved friends, it will be like only a day or two has passed.
The song that Nate and I danced to on our wedding day, “Windmills,” has proved very true of our life together, but also for all of our friends who stood by us that day. We are now scattered around the country, some even overseas. But I still feel their love in my heart, and hope that they can feel mine. When we do see each other again, it will be worth the wait.
Cut to the dress. I think that to have it dry cleaned would cost more than I actually paid for it. If the stain can even be removed after so much time. It is lovely, though, and looks so flattering on Trixie. What to do?
**The stain came out! But I’m letting it go. Someone, take it, please!!
- Posted in: Fashion ♦ Toss!
- Tagged: Rehearsal Dinner, Ruby, Toad The Wet Sprocket, Wedding Song, Weddings
I Am What I Wore 
I have no memory of your stain. I can’t believe I would have let you go to your wedding rehearsal if I saw it. However you are quite stubborn when you want to do something. I might have been told where I could stick it. But… if the stain has been there that long, let it go. Its probably a part of the dress now.
Oh my goodness you two are so *cute* in that photo! And even with the stain, I didn’t notice it in the photo until you pointed it out. My feeling is, why not try dry cleaning it? It’s a cute dress that doesn’t look dated – so if you can get the stain out then you could conceivably still wear it!!
Jen if fired. It’s stained. It’s an unknown stain. It looks good on Trixie cause the belt/trim matches her skin tone. I have known you for over 5 years (are you scared yet?) and have never seen you in this dress or even crossed it in your closet, which means it was in the BAAAAACCCKKK of one of the rooms you call closets.
Time to let it go.
But you did look really really really cute at the rehearsal. And any priest who may or may not be doing the teapot song is a friend of mine, even if he does make small children cry.