I am a bridesmaid, and though I am honored to become a permanent fixture in my friend's memory of life altering moments (marriage, wedding, bridal shower, dress fittings...oh the list of these apparently monumental memories goes goes on and on) I cannot help but satirize the wedding process of the American bride.
My frist experience in the bridal process was shopping for the wedding dress. This is literally a process of hours and hours of looking through bridal magazines that feature impossibly perfect and manican like "brides" who showcase dresses of the size 2 genre. Once particular styles are selected the bridal party (in our case the party consisted of the bridesmaids, mother of the bride, and of course the bride herself) journeys to the nearest David's Bridal to try on countless dresses. The moment my best friend walked out of the dressing room with THE dress on I literally turned to her mother who was tearing up and told the bride "I picture you walking down the asle right now." With this comment we, all five of us, cried like the sterotypical women in the sterotypical scene. The dress was selected, ordered, and fitted.
Then came the bridesmaid dresses. I have a nice bride who is not forcing us into shinny, huge, and ugly dresses. Instead she has opted to allow each bridesmaid to seclect her own dress as long as it is Victorian Lilac (apparenly, this is a real color). First, let's talk about how awkward and embarassing the dress measuring process is...some lady (who I have never met in my life) approaches you with a yellow measuring tape with bold black numbers to announce your size. This stranger then constricts you within this measuring snake around the most intimate parts of your body.
Um, does anyone else feel werid when someone is taking note of how many inches around your chest, waist, and hips are while she is partically inches away from those areas?
I was told I have no boobs. I suppose the measuring lady expected for my to wear a pushup bra, because she told me "small boobies look non-existant in dresses." To which I told her I would keep that in mind in the coming months. She suggested I take hormones to fix my issue. Then, after the overall measurments, I was told I am a double zero or a big girl size sixteen. Awesome...I've always wanted to be a big girl. I replied by singing the pushups songs. You know it "Mommy, wow, I'm a big kid now."
--Nikki
This sounds like quite the experience. Ironically it is one I am all too familiar with. A couple of years ago I was a bridesmaid in my aunt and uncle’s wedding and I can definitely relate to each of your points. I recall the picking out of the dress, after trying on what seemed like hundreds, the measuring of the bridesmaid dresses, and all the other emotional moments that came with it. Unfortunately I was not given quite the same bridesmaid dress freedom as you were. While the dress I had to wear as not completely awful, there was definitely room from improvement. The pale yellow was a gorgeous color but to be honest did not look good against my skin. That color has to be on super tan people, on fair people it kind of just washes you out. After being uncomfortably measured, we were all given the same A-line skirt accompanied with mixed up tops. The tops were created to match our measurements and to be age appropriate while at the same time making sure everyone’s was different. My older sister got the nice tube top dress while I got this odd modeled halter top.
ReplyDeleteIf you think all of this wedding stuff is crazy now, just wait until the wedding day arrives. You get multiple girls all in one salon for hair and make-up and let the chaos begin. Don’t get me wrong, it really is a fun and great experience, but the event day itself will bring out a whole other side of wedding shenanigans that you have never seen before.
Hey great article, I felt u provided great insight and you pulled me in. I am a guy so you will think lol a man is reading this! But I have alot of experience with weddings seeing as two of my brothers and one of my sisters have gotten married in the last five years!
ReplyDeleteI have always wanted to know how the process went for the women involved in the marriage. For men it is easy just go fitted for a tuxedo and buy it. It seems to me men don't care very much when getting measured for their tuxedos compared to women and their dresses.
I really do think the women who measured you was very insensitive and weird. But I think you have to find the light in everything and try to be happy. I feel like your writing is really well thought out and creative. You find ways to keep the reader interested while having great meaning! I also really like how you can show us how you feel rather than telling. Lastly on the wedding day be happy for your friend and just tell your self you look beautiful. Because when you believe something others will too, because confidence is a very powerful thing. Then you will be able to dance, eat, and have fun instead of worry about your body and how you look in your dress! If you can do that you will have a good time and it will be something you remember for the rest of your life!