The Search for the Great White Dress

Ok, admittedly, shopping for my sister's wedding dress wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. Thank Goodness!! We spent longer in the car driving to Burlington, NC than we did in the actual shop. She came away with an awesome deal on an absolutely gorgeous dress. I only found a few things odd enough to comment on.

Did you know that children are absolutely forbidden in bridal shops?! Yes, even infants who can't possibly touch the pretty dresses encased in heavy plastic. I was rather upset when told this and almost asked about the few pregnant brides having to remove themselves from the premises since their children were past the magic red line. Thankfully, after one stern look from me, the assistant assured me since it was slow, the babe could stay with her grandma or myself while her aunt tried on dress (after dress, after dress, after dress...). One would think that if we were there to spend THAT much money, they would be a little more accommodating!

Speaking of the money of the dress...What on earth has possessed this culture to spend god-awful amounts of money on a dress that will be worn once for only a few hours?! Granted, the idea of being a princess for a day is a wonderful fantasy come true for many...But when you start thinking of this realistically, wouldn't the money be better spent on, say, a house payment? Or put into a savings account? Or, really, just about anything other than a DRESS?! Not to be completely hypocritical, I DID have the huge, standard-Southern wedding, but only after trying to convince the parental units that we would rather elope and take the cash. If Elene or any other daughters I may be blessed with finding partners, I will be most assuredly encouraging them to elope.