I Found My Perfect Wedding Dress without Really Trying

I began looking for my wedding dress when I became engaged in December of 1982. While many girls shop for wedding gowns by going from store to store and trying on dresses with an entourage of friends and relatives, I took a different approach. I hate to shop; in fact, one of the reasons I sew is so that I can have exactly what I want without going to a department store. I shopped for ideas rather than dresses.

Shop the Bridal Magazines

The wedding was planned for May of 1984. I had plenty of time, so I studied several different bridal magazines and made a mental list of the features I loved and loathed. I was of the generation that coveted Jessica McClintock's original Gunne Sax dresses and sat entranced as Lady Di stepped out of a horse-drawn carriage in a romantic dress with a twenty-five foot train. The wedding gown was an opportunity to indulge myself with a dress fit for a heroine in a gothic romance novel. The features I wanted most were: taffeta (I love to make an entrance with that distinctive rustling sound) and a quantity of lace and ruffles I would have thought silly on any less important occasion. A long train went on the "no" list, because I did not want to deal with any tripping hazards other than my own two feet.

Shop the Pattern Catalogs

Mom and I then went to the fabric department at Sears (now I'm really showing my age) to see what patterns came close to my ideal dress. After selecting a few, we checked the fabric requirements and did some math. Even with Mom's employee discount, we were looking at over $70 for fabric alone. We were also looking at a major time commitment. The logistics would be challenging, too, since Mom worked full time and I would be ninety minutes away at Purdue. Weekend visits for fitting and sewing would be hard to manage as I crammed my last two years of engineering school into one.

Enter J.C.Penney Catalog

With the summer of 1983 coming to a close, it was almost decision time for the dress. My J.C. Penney catalog showed up in the mailbox just before it was time to pack up for the fall semester at Purdue. I turned to the bridal pages and saw it—the dress! It was white taffeta, with Lady Di's full, elbow-length, ruffled sleeves. The neckline was high, the yoke was lace, and the bottom flounce had a lace ruffle. Best of all, this dress was under $100. I could not order this dress fast enough!

Lessons Learned

There is no "perfect dress" for a wedding. You must prioritize the features you want and choose a dress that comes close enough. Once you find the dress, you decide that it is the perfect dress—and that decision makes it perfect for you.

My $90 dress was with me when I married the love of my life. Over a quarter of a century and six children later, it still hangs in my closet. Some of the lace became part of a graduation dress for my oldest daughter, and I'm sure the younger girls will have a piece of it for their graduations as well. My wedding dress is still perfect—for me and my family.